I had told myself that I was going to stop holding back, but it had been easier said than done. Once I’d felt Evan’s erection through his jeans, I’d frozen. Letting go of everything that had happened to me was not going to be so easy, and it fucking pissed me off.
I hopped out of bed and went into the bathroom to shower. I dried off and dressed in the fresh clothes Evan had let me borrow. I had to roll the waistband of his sweats numerous times before they stopped dragging on the ground, and I was swimming in his t-shirt. I inhaled the scent of him as I pulled the flannel over the t-shirt and felt aroused and frustrated all over again.
I headed out to the kitchen, only to find that I was the only one up. I decided that I would be the one to make breakfast this morning, as a thank you for how much Evan had done for me so far. I also hoped it would serve as a “sorry I gave you blue balls last night.”
I put the biscuits in the oven then started on the eggs. I made them into folded sheets so they could easily be placed on the biscuit, then I started frying up some ham. The smells permeating the kitchen caused me to salivate, and soon I heard people stirring from the back of the house. Hadley was beginning to grunt and groan and Liam was calling out for Evan. Part of me wanted to go back and get him up myself, but I couldn’t leave the food to burn.
So, I relegated myself to setting the table.
I set up Hadley’s high chair and placed a plate where Liam usually sat. I took the biscuits out of the oven before I set everything off to the side to cool down. I started brewing a pot of coffee that I knew Evan and I would drain, then I felt a small pair of arms wrap around my legs.
“Good morning, Mew,” Liam said.
“Good morning, kiddo. Come here.” Picking him up, I held him close as he wrapped his arms around me. Evan was rubbing Hadley’s back as her head laid on his shoulder, but I could tell his attention was elsewhere. His eyes were darting around the table I’d set and the food that had just finished cooking. There was surprise there.
“Figured you could use a break,” I said.
“Biscuits!” Liam exclaimed.
“I was wondering when you’d notice,” I said, giggling. “Want one?”
“With honey?” Liam asked.
I looked over at Evan before he put Hadley in her high chair.
“I’ll get some out of the pantry for you, kiddo,” Evan said. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Liam scrambled from my arms and quickly made his way to his seat. His excitement over breakfast lit up my heart and swelled my chest with pride. I put a biscuit on his plate just before Evan drizzled some honey on it, and I watched as the boy tried to shove the entire thing in his mouth. I threw my head back and laughed as Evan put chunks of eggs and biscuit in front of Hadley and, just as I went to make my own biscuit, the coffee pot went off.
“Thank heavens,” I said breathlessly.
“Up early?” Evan asked.
“Yeah. Don’t even know why, but I was up before the sun,” I said.
“Thank you for breakfast.”
I turned to look at him and found those gold-speckled eyes staring at me.
“You’re welcome,” I said. “It’s not a problem.”
“Thanks, Mew!” Liam exclaimed with a full mouth.
“You’re welcome, handsome,” I said, giggling. “Now, you be careful. We don’t need you choking on anything.”
“You didn’t have to cook breakfast. I would’ve tackled it once we all woke up,” Evan said.
“It’s not a problem. I figured you could use the rest. And you’ve been so amazing to me, I just wanted to say thank you.”
We stood staring at one another for a moment before the growling of his stomach broke the silence.
“We should get that stomach of yours full,” I said.
We made our plates of breakfast then sat down with the kids. The biscuits turned out better than I was expecting, and it gave me great joy to watch Evan eat four of them. Hadley ate all her food instead of merely playing with it, and even Liam went back for seconds before he was spinning around the room and trying to destroy everything. It was the most I’d seen the kids eat in one sitting, and I smiled as I finished the rest of my biscuit.
I looked up at Evan sitting across the table from me and our eyes locked again. Liam was running around and Hadley was banging on her high chair tray, but for the moment there was only us. His eyes danced between mine before flickering down to my lips, and I allowed myself to remember the events of last night. How wonderful his hands had felt on my body and how warm his lips felt against mine. I remembered how I’d gotten past my anxiety to allow myself to enjoy the sweetness of his tongue before his hands rushed up my back. I’d panicked. I felt him pulling me closer and closer, getting me into a position where I wouldn’t be able to get out if I tried.