Page 59 of Wild Card

“Why? You look beautiful.” His eyes meander over the dress and down to my knees again.

I’m rendered speechless for a moment because it’s the first honest compliment he’s given me outside of us having sex lately. I’m not sure what to say in return at first.

“Um, well thank you. It’s just I’m a messy cook. I’ll get something on it.”

“Apron in the pantry. I have the same problem when I grill.”

He opens it up and pulls one out to hand to me.

“Wear the dress. I’ll change into something that’s not sweats, and we can pretend we’re going out. Eat at the table. Would be nice for a change and then maybe the night’s not a total loss for you.” He gives me half a smile, the kind that’s so sweet it makes my heart do weird things in my chest.

“Okay.”

“I think I can…” He disappears into the pantry again and mumbles a few things before he comes back out with a handful of boxes pressed to his chest and another apron. “I can make dessert.”

I look at the cake mix and raise a brow. “Yeah?”

“Listen, cake mix isn’t the best but the way I do it is…”

“All right. Deal. Can I make something unhealthy for dinner for once though? I know your trainer wants you on a strict diet to help you heal but—”

“Yes. Please. Jesus. I’m dying for some real food. I didn’t want to ask you to go off script and feel like you were gonna get in trouble but, yes. We’ll just blame the storm or something if he finds out.”

“I think we can keep the secret.” I grin at him, and he sets the ingredients down on the counter.

“Deal. All right. I’m gonna get everything prepped, and then I’ll change.”

“Sounds good.”

The two of us quickly start moving around the kitchen together, gathering the things we need and preheating the oven. Before I know what’s happening, I’ve entered some sort of domestic moment with the least likely man on earth to be caught in it. I grin a little to myself as I watch him lean over a bowl measuring things carefully and pulling out the mixer.

I’m pretty sure it’s a sight very few people in the world have seen, and I’m feeling pretty lucky. Because a concentrating-on-baking Tobias might be the hottest version yet. And while I’m interested to see what he’s going to change into, the sweats and tight tee he has on right now are doing things for me just the way he is.

Which is exactly why I need to remember to keep my mind straight tonight. Or I’m likely to make a mess of this whole situation. One I don’t need—one I’ve successfully avoided since I stumbled in on him. No use breaking that track record now. Especially when there’s a good guy on the horizon. One who might actually want to be in a relationship someday.

I smile at my phone when I see a text come in from Harper as we’re finishing dinner. She explains she went ahead and met up anyway because she didn’t want to cancel so late; they’re having drinks and he can’t stop talking about rescheduling to meet me. Xander’s still running late but she wants another date we can meet up. I quickly text her back with a few good dates for me, and she sends me a “Please hold” and smile emoji as a follow-up.

“Something good?” Tobias looks at me and then his eyes drop to my phone.

“Harper. Xander’s late, but she and Nick are getting drinks and talking about rescheduling.”

“I’m surprised Xander’s not having a heart attack about that.”

“About what?”

“Her out with another guy.”

“Oh please, she’s out with him to setmeup.”

“Still.” He raises a brow. “His temper and all.”

“I’m sure he knows he has nothing to worry about. Harper’s obsessed with him and rightly so. He’s hot as hell and adores her. No way some random guy compares to him.”

“Huh. Maybe Harper needs to be worried about you.”

“Me?”

“Sounds like you’re crushing pretty hard there.”