Page 5 of Bowser (Dragon Riders MC 2)
I blinked. “You looked this up.”
“Yep.”
I looked up at him. “And just made it? Like that?”
He shrugged. “I cooked with my mother a lot in the kitchen growing up. I come from a big family. So, meals are kind of my thing.”
“How big of a family?”
He grinned. “Seven brothers and sisters. I’m the youngest.”
I balked. “Uh, wow.”
He chuckled. “That’s usually the response I get, yes.”
“So, your parents must be—”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. My family’s fucked up. All of us, except for the sister that’s directly above me, all are half-siblings.”
“Oh.”
“Yep. My parents divorced and then got married. Then, divorced again. All with kids involved.”
“And you lived with your mother?”
He nodded. “Me and my sister that’s directly above me. And oddly enough, my oldest brother. Even though he’s one of my father’s kids.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah, it’s complicated. I don’t expect anyone to keep up.”
“I mean, can you keep up?”
He barked with laughter. “Most days. Though, holidays are hectic.”
I picked up my chopsticks. “I can only imagine.”
I plucked one of the sushi slices and plopped it into my mouth. And once the taste started bursting against my tongue, my eyes rolled into the back of my head. Oh, the fish was fresh. Juicy. And it tasted like fish, which was my favorite part. Most people tried to cook the hell out of that fish taste. But not me. Fish was fish, and it was supposed to taste like fish.
“So?” Bowser asked.
I pointed at him with my chopsticks. “You’re gonna make a woman very happy someday.”
He smiled. “And hopefully, I can find myself one that loves to eat.”
“Well, in the meantime? Make me your guinea pig.”
I felt the heat of his stare on my face while I ate, and it churned my stomach. In a good way, though. The truth of the matter was that I’d gotten close to this man. Especially since he was the night guard and always around when I fell asleep and after I woke up. I enjoyed him, and not simply for his cooking. He also seemed to share my love of reading, silence, and nature.
All kinds of things I never thought I’d find in a man.
But I didn’t fit in here. All of these guys that watched over me were rough and tumble. They were broken men with fire rushing through their veins. And they were good men. Which meant they were men who wouldn't enjoy the presence of someone like me. I never attracted good men. Only men like Skeleton. And after the bullshit I went through with that man, I wasn’t looking to jump back into anything else.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to have sex, much less be in a relationship.
Bowser cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
I covered my mouth with my hand. “Thank you for the books.”
“Hmmm?”
He turned to look at me and his steel gray eyes met mine. Causing me to swallow hard.
“Thank you for the books,” I said.
He nodded. “You’re welcome. Whenever you’re ready to re-up on your stash, let me know. I’ve found another used bookstore that could use the revenue.”
“I love those kinds of stores.”
“They’re the best, right?”
I giggled softly and his grin grew into a smile. A smile that fluttered my heart and made butterflies burst within my gut. I held his stare until I felt as if I were being watched. Or studied, like some sort of a lab rat. Then, my eyes dropped to my food and I took another bite.
My crush on this man really isn’t going to help things.
“Hope?”
My head whipped up. “Yes?”
“You’re going to be okay. I hope you know that.”
I smiled softly. “Some days, I’m more convinced of it than ever.”
“Then, promise me something.”
“Okay?”
“Promise me that, on the days where you aren’t convinced of it, you use that damn phone in the kitchen to call. We’ve all left our numbers there for a reason. You can call anytime. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Promise me.”
I snickered. “I promise.”
“All right. I’m holding you to it.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
He chuckled. “Okay. You enjoy dinner.”
“Where are you going?” I asked quickly.
He pointed down the hallway. “To eat.”
My lips ran away with me. “I mean, there’s a chair in the corner over there. If you don’t want to eat alone.”
His eyes panned over to the chair and I thought maybe I had misstepped. I knew Bowser was off-limits. I knew the men were regularly informed that I was off limits. But I couldn't help it. He was around every single night. Watching over me every single night. Feeding me food that made my mouth water on sight every single night. Plus, he was fun to talk to.
And handsome as hell.
With that wispy blonde hair of his and those sharp gray eyes, any girl would have melted. But coupled with his clean-shaven face and his etched jawline? I was in heaven. A man with a strong face had always been a turn-on for me. But there was so much more about him that I adored. Like, how I could see the outline of his muscles through his tight white shirts. Or how I saw the peaks of a tattoo against his chest just beyond the hem of his shirt. Or how tight his jeans were, so I got a great look at his pert little ass.
