Page 87 of Offside Rules

I finish with the strap and step back. "Too tight?"

"No. Thank you." He settles his arm against his side while I take a baking sheet from the cupboard. "What did you make?"

"Flatbread. It just needs to be baked."

I remove the lid and carefully slide it onto the baking sheet. He leans forward to look while I straighten the edge.

"Pesto, mozzarella, spinach, mushrooms," I tell him.

"You made me dinner."

"I made myself dinner. You’ve apparently invited yourself."

"By winning the bet." He looks up at me, smiling. "Good thing you were thinking of me when you made it."

I put the lid back on the empty container instead of answering. The mushrooms are the ones he always adds to his omelets, along with the spinach he’s convinced makes them healthy, even after he puts half a bag of cheese in the pan.

I could’ve made anything but I ended up picking things he likes and made enough for both of us.

He doesn’t need to look so pleased about figuring that out before I did.

"I’ve been making you boring-ass eggs, and you can cook like this?" he asks.

"Boring-ass eggs? You’ve been very proud of those omelets." I move the baking sheet closer to the oven. "And you haven’t tasted this yet."

"I’m willing to risk it. How long does it take?"

"Twenty-five minutes. Three hundred and fifty degrees."

He glances at the oven display, then nods toward the hallway. "Go take your bath. I’ll bake this and get the popcorn going. It’ll be ready when you get out."

I turn back to him. "Are you sure? You won the bet."

"Yeah, Baylor. Same plans, but I get to share the bed." He smiles. "Go take your bath."

There’s something about him saying it that casually that makes me want to stay right here beside him. Which would defeat the purpose of the bath I’ve been looking forward to all week.

"There’s rosé chilling in the fridge. I bought it when you were out of town."

"Then I’ll open that too."

I pick up my overnight bag from beside the island. "Don’t get up until you’re done icing."

He checks his phone. "Six minutes left. I can manage that."

In his bedroom, I leave my bag on the chair and take out my pajamas, slippers, a toothbrush, and bubble bath. There’s a clean towel beside the tub, and I set my clothes on the vanity before turning on the water.

I’ve packed less for nights away from home. Granted, those nights didn’t involve a man who specifically requested the Hello Kitty slippers.

By the time I sink into the water, I can hear the popcorn machine going in the kitchen.

I lean back and close my eyes.

He won the bet, and somehow I’m the one soaking in his bathtub while he makes dinner. I could get used to this, which is probably something I should avoid thinking about while I’m naked in his apartment.

Instead, I stay until the water starts cooling, then rinse the tub and dry off.

The smell of freshly baked flatbread reaches me as I come down the hall in my pajamas. Wolf is at the island, cutting it into pieces. The popcorn is in a large bowl beside two glasses of rosé.