Page 50 of The Curveball
“I pay attention.” He leans against the counter and holds up a hand, counting off as he says, “You’ve had the yogurt every single morning for breakfast, along with a graham cracker to settle your stomach. The trail mixseems to be your go-to snack to munch on, and the mango, well…”
He winks.
“We both know the mango is the craving you’re not admitting to.”
Tears prick at my eyes, and I blink furiously to keep them away. I will not let this man see how much a simple thing like knowing what snacks I like affects me.
“Thank you.”
He dips his head. “No problem. Dinner’s just about ready, do you want to shower and get changed before you eat?”
“Yeah, that would be good.”
Showering off the bad vibes of the shift from hell is exactly what I need to do. And maybe having a few minutes of space before sitting down to another meal with him will help me regain control over my haywire emotions.
But as I stand underneath the hot spray of water, I find it’s not so easy to stop thinking about the handsome man who made me dinner and is waiting for me right now.
A knock on the bathroom door startles me from my circling thoughts.
“Sage? Dinner’s ready. No rush, just wanted to let you know.”
His deep voice, and the fact that there’s nothing between my naked body and him except an unlocked door, has me biting my lip.
“Okay,” I say, the word coming out high and strangled. I hurry through the rest of my shower and pull onthe clothes I brought into the bathroom over my damp skin. After raking a comb through my hair and quickly braiding it, I lean my hands on the counter and stare at my flushed face in the mirror.
Would it really be so bad if I stopped resisting and gave into the temptation of Brady Dixon?
Giving my head a shake, I take in a deep breath and open the bathroom door. Walking into the main living space, I see two steaming bowls of soup set on the small table that usually is covered in miscellaneous stuff. A plate with slices of bread is in between the bowls, and when I glance to the kitchen, Brady’s carrying two glasses of water over.
“Sit, eat,” he says, setting the waters down.
I slide onto a chair silently and give the soup an appreciative sniff. “It smells incredible.” Lifting a spoonful up to my mouth, I blow on it softly before tasting it.
“Oh wow.”
“Yeah? Glad you like it. I’m not much of a cook, but this was a staple when I needed something cheap and filling for the twins.”
“It’s delicious, Brady,” I say honestly, taking another spoonful before reaching for a slice of bread. I tear off a chunk and dip it in the soup before eating it, and my eyes close as I moan at the mouthwatering flavours.
Brady makes a noise, and my eyes fly open to see his burning into mine.
“If you keep making those noises, I’m gonna be making soup and bread every damn day.”
“You mean every time I come over, right? Since I’ll bemoving out soon. There’s another apartment that’s available, and I think it’s a good fit.”
A heavy silence falls over us.
Why the hell did I say that?It’s not like I’m exactly eager to leave.
He drops his gaze first, focusing on his food. I do the same, but the energy between us has shifted.
After a few tense moments, Brady lifts his head and fixes me with another stare. “Why do you keep holding me at arm’s length? You don’t have to move out, Sage. You can keep staying here, as long as you need. It’ll be a hell of a lot easier as your pregnancy gets further along, did you think about that? When you go into labour, I can be right here with you. The early days with the baby? You don’t have to be alone.”
I freeze with my spoon held midair.
“Brady,” I start, but he moves quickly, getting out of his chair and coming to kneel beside mine, taking the spoon from my hand and setting it down.
“No, don’t say anything yet. Just hear me out. Please?”
