She chuckled at something she read. It took me a second to realize I was smiling too. My older brother used to swear that mymood was tied to hers. If she was upset, I was upset. If she was happy, I was happy.
When she was sad, I was sad. When she looked ready to kill, I was ready to kill. I guess he was right. She was at peace. So, for now, I could be at peace, too. Yet, I didn’t know how long this peace would last.
I wanted to keep her smiling. I wanted to keep her happy. I wanted her to have quiet mornings and easy afternoons. I wanted her nights to be spent wrapped in my arms, safe. I wanted her to be able to relax with a good book whenever she wanted to.
I wanted her to spend her days gardening or just relaxing in the sun. I didn’t want her to worry about anything. I’d take care of everything else. All she had to do was be happy, safe, and mine. And she could be that here.
Yet, a tiny voice at the back of my mind kept screaming this wasn’t real. It kept whispering that this was an illusion. It kept trying to convince me that she wouldn’t appreciate any of what I was doing if she had her memory back.
I ignored it. I would make this our new reality, and we would make new memories, even if I had to lie, kill, and steal to do so. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to make this second chance with the love of my life succeed.
My eyes darted to the clock. Lunch had slipped by, and she'd barely touched her plate. She might still be hungry. I needed an excuse to be near her again anyway. An addict couldn’t be away from their drug of choice for long.
And she was indeed the drug I was addicted to. Food would make the perfect excuse to return to her side. Food and a movie. The movie would allow me to stay close to her longer. She loved action movies with a hint of romance.
Not too much romance, though. According to her, too much romance took away from the action and suspense. She also likedher action movies to have a hint of comedy. The last movie we watched together had made her laugh until she cried.
Food and a movie should definitely ease some of the tension between us. I stood, unchecked emails and unread documents forgotten, and headed for the kitchen. The counter was still a mess from earlier.
I grabbed a few paper towels and started cleaning. Once I had the kitchen looking good again, I reheated two bowls of food. Mine first, then hers, so that it could be hot enough for her when I made it to the garden room.
To avoid carrying two hot bowls through the house, I grabbed a tray from the cabinet and placed both bowls on it. We’d need something to wash the food down with, so I placed two bottles of water on the tray, silverware, and a few napkins.
Everything looked good to go. I walked back to the garden room with the tray in hand. She looked up when I stepped inside, and there it was again,that smile.
“What’s this?” she asked, setting her book on the end table beside her.
“We didn’t finish eating earlier. I thought you may still be a little hungry.”
“I am,” she admitted, voice sultry as sin.
When her gaze met mine again, I damn near dropped what I was holding. The look in her eyes made me wonder if she was hungry for food or for me. She licked her lips. My cock throbbed.
Gentleman. I’m a fucking gentleman. Be a fucking gentleman, Aiden. You have a plan. Stick to it.
Tearing my eyes away from my drug, I placed the tray on the end table, then touched her bowl to test the temperature. It wasn’t too hot to hold.
“I can get up and get it,” she said as I brought her items to her.
“Why would you do that when I’m willing to do it for you?” I asked, handing her the bowl and silverware she needed.
“Thanks,” she murmured, her hand brushing mine as she leaned forward to accept her items.
Her breasts brushed the side of my arm, and the warmth of her breath caressed my neck when she exhaled slowly. My gaze snapped to hers. The look in her eyes...Fuck. This woman would be the death of me.
“Are you trying to seduce me, Mrs. Park?” I asked, noting the way her thumb brushed mine as she pulled away from me with her bowl.
“Of course, not. Mr. Park,” she replied, settling back into her seat and blowing on her food to cool it.
My gaze dropped to her lips. I swallowed. Her lips curved into a smile. I lifted my eyes to find her watching me.
“See something you like, Mr. Park?”
“I see something I love, Mrs. Park.”
Her cheeks heated in embarrassment. Blushing, she looked away and said, “Okay, you won this round.”
I chuckled. “What’s the score?”
