Page 24
CHAPTER 24
Farren
T he smell of freshly brewed coffee wafts through North’s kitchen, and I settle into my chair, cradling a warm mug between my hands. North’s at the stove, flipping pancakes like a pro. He’s only wearing a pair of shorts and it’s hard to concentrate on anything else when all that golden, muscled skin is staring at me.
“I’m telling you,” he says, glancing over his shoulder, “tonight’s game is going to be intense. Carolina’s not just good—they’re relentless.”
I hum in agreement, though I’m only half listening. We woke up not long ago and had sex, but I’m betting he could go again. We could have another repeat of kitchen counter sex.
“Are you even listening to me?” North asks.
I jolt, my eyes drifting from his muscled shoulders to his face. He’s smirking, as if he knows what I was thinking. I clear my throat. “Um… yeah. The game tonight, right?”
“Get your head out of the gutter,” he teases, absolutely knowing what I was thinking. He turns back to the stove. “And you’re sure you want to go to the arena with me? You know I have to get there early… a good four hours before the game even starts.”
“Yeah, I know.” I take a sip of coffee. “But Mazzy’s meeting me there with Bowie Jane and we’re going to head over to the Warhol Museum for a few hours.”
“Gotcha,” he says with a nod, then flips a pancake into the air like it was a hockey puck on the end of his stick. It falls perfectly back onto the griddle. “That will be fun.”
My mind flits back to last night at Mario’s. “I wonder if Mila showed up at Penn’s house.”
“I’m thinking not,” North says with a chuckle. “He would have called and torn me a new one. He’s going to be pissed when it happens.”
“Maybe she decided not to go.”
“Maybe. But it’s out of our hands now.” He turns from the stove with two plates loaded with pancakes and bacon. While I’m a decent cook, North is far superior. Not only that, he loves it and I’d rather be on clean-up duty.
Setting the plates down, he moves in to give me a soft kiss.
I hum again, this time in abject swoon. “There’s something very sexy about a man who cooks.”
“I love cooking for you,” he says, taking the seat adjacent to me.
As we dig into breakfast, North glances up, his fork halfway to his mouth. “What do you want to do tomorrow?”
The guys have Saturday off as they’re heading out early Sunday for a four-day road trip, first to Detroit, then to Columbus. “How about a night in? You’re coming off back-to-back games, and once you guys kick ass tonight, I’m sure we’ll have a late night at Mario’s or Stevie’s. So yeah, let’s just relax tomorrow.”
“Just be homebodies?” he asks, eyes bright with interest.
“You did say you love cooking for me. We can eat in bed, make love, watch movies, make love again.”
“I like it,” he says, flashing me a grin. “What trouble are you going to get in while I’m gone on the road trip?”
I shrug, cutting into my pancakes. “I don’t know yet. I’ll probably just catch up on some sleep and maybe hang out with Willa or Mazzy if they’re around.”
“You could stay here if you want,” he suggests, though there’s a glint in his eye that says he knows he’s pushing a little. “You could use my truck too. Plus, it’d give you a chance to break in the house. You know, get a feel for it.”
I narrow my eyes at him, even as my lips twitch with a smile. “You’re relentless, you know that? This is your not-so-subtle way of pressuring me to move in, isn’t it? ”
“Not at all,” he says, holding up his hands in mock innocence. “I’m just saying there are perks to you moving in with me. You’d have your own space, a comfy bed, access to my truck, and a fridge that’s always stocked. Plus, I make a mean pancake breakfast, as you’ve seen. And best of all, you’d have free and unfettered access to my body, which I know is really why you’re with me.”
I roll my eyes, but his grin is infectious. “Unlimited sex on demand. That definitely goes in the pros column.”
His deep, rumbling laugh fills the room. “That’s a given. But seriously, think about it. I’m not saying move in for good. Just try it out while I’m gone. No pressure.”
Before I can respond, there’s a sudden clatter at the front door. The distinctive thunk of mail dropping through the slot echoes through the quiet house. North stands, licking syrup off his finger as his chair scrapes against the tile.
I admire his physique as he strides to the door, watching his muscles ripple as he bends to retrieve the pile of mail on the floor. “I should get a dog to retrieve this for me.”
“That would be cool,” I say, shooting him a wink. “Would definitely be some incentive for me to stay here more.”
North grunts a half laugh as he thumbs through the mail, his face lighting up with delight as he pulls out a glossy brochure.
“Check this out,” he says, dropping it onto the table in front of me.
I stare at a college admissions packet from the University of Pittsburgh. My stomach does a slow, uneasy flip as I glance up to see North beaming with pride.
“I figured this might be helpful,” North says. “You know, if you’re serious about going back to school. Pitt has a great program for forensic psychology and a great internship program with the local FBI office here. I ordered a few others, but this is the first one in.”
My heart races as I pick up the brochure, the cheerful faces of students on the cover staring back at me. I should feel grateful—touched, even—that he went to the trouble. But instead, an unwelcome wave of claustrophobia rolls over me.
“Oh,” I say, forcing a smile. “That’s really thoughtful.”
North doesn’t seem to notice the strain in my voice. He sits back down, an eager expression on his face. “Some of these have night classes, online options, even accelerated programs. You could start small—just one or two classes to see how it feels.”
I nod mechanically, my fingers gripping the edge of the brochure. My brain is screaming at me to be grateful, to tell him how much this means. But all I can think about is how much this feels like a trap. His excitement is pressing in on me, making it harder to breathe.
“That’s a lot to think about,” I manage, my voice tight.
North smiles, clearly clueless to my turmoil. “No rush. Just take your time and look through them when you’re ready. And if you stay here while I’m gone, I’m sure the others will arrive.”
I stand abruptly, gathering my plate and carrying it to the sink. North digs back into his pancakes, oblivious that I hardly touched mine.
I set the dish on the counter and turn on the faucet. The warm water runs over my hands, but it does nothing to calm the storm brewing in me. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the panic refuses to dissipate.
“It’s just a suggestion, you know,” North says casually from the table. “I’m not trying to push you into anything. I just thought… well, you seemed excited about the idea when we talked the other day, and I wanted to help.”
I nod, keeping my focus on the sink. “I know. And I appreciate it. Really.”
The truth is, I do appreciate it. North is thoughtful in a way no one has ever been with me before. But that’s the problem, isn’t it? He’s too good, too kind, too everything. Just like someone else I knew long ago and got suckered by. And that nearly destroyed me .
I take another deep breath, forcing the panic back into the box where it belongs. I can’t let my fears ruin this.
Not now.
“Hey,” North says, his voice softer now. I glance over my shoulder to see him watching me with a concerned expression. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, pasting on a smile. “Just a lot on my mind, that’s all.”
He nods, standing and walking over to wrap his arms around me from behind. His warmth seeps into me, grounding me.
“You don’t have to figure it all out today,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“I know,” I whisper, leaning into him despite the tightness still coiled in my chest.
But as he holds me, his arms strong and steady, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m standing on the edge of something big—something that could change everything. And the thought of taking that leap terrifies me.