CHAPTER NINE
As she made her way back to the kitchen, Tessa tried to rearrange the multiple thoughts and questions bouncing through her head, but it seemed her brain would need to take a back seat when her stomach growled loudly.
The sound made Locke look at her and she instinctively put both hands over her stomach as if to cover it. “Sorry about that!”
Locke grinned. “No need to apologize. I should have fed you last night instead of attending to other basic needs.”
Tessa blushed, but ignored her reaction. She had a feeling she would have to get over her shyness by the time she left the apartment, one way or another.
Locke immediately went to the pantry and started to examine its contents. “I can make pancakes if you like.”
Tessa wasn’t used to being tended to. “I can prepare breakfast for myself.”
The man blinked as if she had said something incredible. “Thank you for offering, but no need. Please sit.”
Tessa was forced to sit at the island counter. As she watched him busy himself around his immaculate kitchen, it was interesting to observe him and his movements. He was efficient, but beyond that, it was how nothing could be out of place. Every splash of liquid was immediately wiped up, every piece of used cutlery or bowl immediately rinsed and put in the dishwasher.
It was quite revealing and helped her understand why he’d made such a detached and cold proposal. She had more questions to add to her list, but she now partly understood why he took on debts like he did.
As her brain mulled over all the information, her eyes lingered on his body. She had seen him naked when he was in the throes of wild sex with Gage, and she remembered the difference between the two men. Where Gage was all muscles and bulk, Locke’s body was long, defined muscles that made her mouth water even more than the pancakes. There wasn’t anything weak or soft about him, quite the opposite. It was like a hidden force to be reckoned with.
Tessa felt her body awakening with the thought of exploring him at her leisure. But before they got physical again, essential questions needed to be answered.
Her thoughts were abruptly halted when a plate with a mountain of golden pancakes appeared under her nose.
“Less thinking, more eating, Doctor.” Putting a bottle of maple syrup on the counter as well as a small pile of napkins, Locke settled on a stool beside her.
As he started cutting his pancakes and pouring maple syrup very precisely on the pieces, Tessa shook her head and decided to stop focusing on his manners and fill her belly.
Drowning her pancakes in syrup, she started to wolf them down. They were beyond delicious, the best she’d ever had. The mix of the buttery saltiness and divine sugary syrup made her think of family breakfasts so many years ago. Her late mother wasn’t a great cook, but breakfast had been her talent.
Eating felt good and she soon saw the bottom of her plate, her belly full. Only then did she realize that Locke had only finished half his plate and was looking at her with a hungry gaze.
“What? You’ve never seen someone eat before?”
“Not with such an appetite, as if I was going to snatch your plate away in the next minute.”
Tessa wasn’t offended. “That’s part of being a doctor; put as much food as humanly possible in your mouth as fast as you can because you don’t know when you will be able to eat again. And those pancakes were pure sin. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten home cooked food.”
She swirled her finger in the pool of syrup before sucking it. After a few licks, she realized how silent Locke was. When she turned to him, he was pushing his plate aside. “Are you still hungry, Doctor?”
Tessa shook her head but dipped her finger into the golden liquid one last time. “Thank you, but I’m stuffed.” Before her finger reached her mouth, he caught her hand and sucked her syrup-covered digit. Once it was thoroughly clean, he let it go.
“I’m still hungry, but before we indulge any further, I think we need to get things straightened out. Coffee?”
Heart skipping, Tessa forced the words out. “Black, please.”
He moved to the coffee maker and it allowed her to rein her body in. If they were going to talk, she needed to have a clear head.
Soon, the smell of coffee filled the space and Locke brought her a mug before sitting on the sofa. Following him, Tessa sat, putting as much distance between herself and temptation as possible. When she finally settled and took her first sip, the rich flavor made her moan. The man didn’t pinch pennies on quality, that was for sure.
Again, she looked at Locke, and the heat she saw in his eye made her pause.
“You have that look on your face again.”
And her words seemed to amuse him immensely. “Doctor, I’ve never seen someone enjoy such small things before.”
Tessa had no intention of opening a window to her soul or telling her secrets to him, so she shrugged. “Again, seeing people suffering, or in pain, makes you appreciate the little things. Such as great coffee.”
