Page 70 of Searching for Bristol
“I’m not usually. But I was worried about you. Still am, actually. And you getting a shower, food, and sleep is more important than anything else that might be going on.”
It took a moment for Rocky to respond, because his throat suddenly closed up with emotion.
As if she realized he was struggling, Bristol ducked her head and lay her cheek on his chest once more, giving him a moment of quiet to get himself under control.
“Thank you, sweetheart. For caring.”
She lifted her head and nodded. “I care,” she said solemnly. “A lot. Now…kiss me, then go get clean so you canreallykiss me. And eat. Then sleep.”
He grinned at that, and her hand came up to brush over his beard. “Iama bit stinky.”
She smiled. “Yup. But for a good cause. You got him?”
“We got him,” Rocky confirmed.
“Good.”
Deciding he’d held himself back long enough from kissing her as if his life depended on it, and remembering her order from a second ago, Rocky lowered his head. The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was satisfaction and relief in Bristol’s gaze.
He kissed her softly, wanting to deepen the kiss more than he’d wanted just about anything in his life. But she was right, he was a mess. And he could smell himself. The last thing he wanted was to disgust the woman in his arms, although the way she clung to him made him think it wouldn’t matterwhathe looked or smelled like when he got home from a search. Bristol would welcome him anyway.
A small sound of protest escaped her throat when he pulled back, and Rocky grinned. “You ordered me to the shower,” he reminded her.
“I know,” she said with a small pout. “But I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Rocky told her seriously. “More than you know.”
They stared at each other for a moment, their connection sizzling between them, before she gave him a small push. “Go,” she ordered.
Rocky nodded and, after making sure she was steady and had a hand on the counter, stepped away from her.
“The garlic basil chicken with asparagus and linguine will be ready when you’re done,” she told him.
Rocky could only shake his head. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Unless you shower and get dressed in three minutes. Then it’ll take probably a bit longer for me to finish everything.”
Not wanting to correct her and explain he was commenting more on the absolutely delicious meal she’d prepared, Rocky nodded and backed away. He didn’t take his eyes off her until he’d reached the hallway. Then he spun and strode toward his bedroom to grab a change of clothes.
Fifteen minutes later—he’d taken an extra-long time in the shower because he felt especially grubby, and he was giving Bristol time to finish up dinner—he walked back into the living area of his apartment. If anything, it smelled even better now than when he’d first walked in. He wasn’t sure how she’d done it, but the table held two steaming plates of food, there was a bottle of beer sitting at his place and she was waiting patiently for him to sit down with her.
Before going to his chair, Rocky leaned over and kissed her once more. This time he tasted her deeply, wanting to absorb her essence through his lips and skin.
Her face was flushed when he finally forced himself to let go.
“What was that for?” she asked breathlessly as he sat.
“Because you’re amazing. And awesome. And you smell good. And I’m so hungry I could literally eat my own hand and you made this delicious dinner for me. And because having you here makes me so happy.”
“Oh,” she said, blushing adorably.
Rocky smiled and picked up his fork. “Can I ask how your day went now?” he said as he swirled some noodles around his fork.
Bristol nodded. “As long as you eat while I talk,” she sassed.
Obediently, Rocky put a large bite of food in his mouth and moaned as the spices and flavor exploded on his tongue. He chewed, swallowed, then said, “Lord, woman. Are you a secret chef or something?”
Bristol rolled her eyes as she took a smaller bite of her own. “Not even close. But I figured you’d want something that would stick to your bones, and a creamy sauce always does just that. I’ve always found garlic makes everything taste better too. I’m glad to see you don’t disagree.”
