Lena’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears but her head nodded in agreement.
“May I sit beside you?”
She nodded yes. I moved to join her on the couch and sat carefully so as not to touch her. After a long pause, Lena rested her head on my shoulder. I remained still, not wishing to spook her.
“You scare me,” she said so quietly I almost missed it.
Shit! This was exactly the opposite to what I was trying to accomplish with her. “Why?”
“Because you don’t want anything from me. And I don’t know what to do with that.”
I released a breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding. At least her fear was not of my physicality. “That’s not entirely true, Lena, I do want something.” Our bodies were so close if I shifted slightly, we’d be touching. “I want you to want you, too.”
The dam broke and Lena cried until she was exhausted and fell asleep with her head still against my shoulder. Not wishing to disturb her, I folded us down until we were in a spoon position.
I was almost asleep when Lena mumbled, “Thank you for not saving me, Ethan, but for seeing me.”
I couldn’t be prouder of her. I kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome, sweet girl.”
The next morning, I woke to the smell of fresh coffee and the sounds of sizzling bacon. The cabin was small so all I had to do from my position on the couch was open my eyes to see Lena hustling around the tiny kitchen. Her posture was way more relaxed than I’d ever seen it.
I watched her crack eggs in a pan like a pro and had to admit that watching her cook was more interesting than most series I watched late at night when I couldn’t sleep. It was those hands of hers that were so sensual even while doing such a simple task. My cock tented my pants and I quickly adjusted myself before sitting up.
Not wishing to spook her, I stayed where I was and called out, “It smells delicious in here.”
Lena turned and gave me a full smile. “Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells. Why don’t you come and sit while I plate the food.”
I stood and stretched. “Can I help with anything?”
She gazed at me shyly. “Could you pour the coffee?”
“Of course.” Luckily, I knew exactly how she took her coffee from spending time together and was able to place two steaming mugs on the table and take my seat just as Lena set a full plate in front of me.
“Mmm, my favorite,” I hummed as I tugged a napkin from the holder and placed it on my lap.
“Really?” Lena asked, eyes rounded.
I chuckled. “Yes, and I’m pretty sure anything you make would be my favorite.”
She blushed prettily and set about placing balanced amounts of egg and bacon on her fork. I’d watched her enough to knowthat Lena had OCD tendencies that I doubted were just from being with that douchebag Daniel but were probably what had helped her find his offer appealing.
We ate in companionable silence and when I finished before her, I put my plate in the sink and poured myself a second cup of java. “Lena, would you like more coffee?”
“No thank you, Sir.”
“Ethan, we are not in a scene so please, call me Ethan.”
She smiled, another blush on her pretty cheeks. I sat back down and watched her. “You’re very precise; is that a sensory thing where you like the same amounts of both flavors at the same time?”
She looked at me, shocked. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it before, but now that you mention it, yes, I do like a certain amount of crunchy goodness with my creamy eggs.”
I chuckled. “I like how you know what you like, and that you eat like a real person.”
She took her last bite, her meal finished for the first time since I’d met her. “Do you mean in comparison to other women? How do they eat?”
I rolled my eyes. “Salads. Always with the salads.”
Lena giggled. “Maybe they were trying to get you to notice them more. You know, maybe they hoped you’d take notice and give them more attention.”
