Chapter 6
Chapter Six
The blueberries landed square against his chest with a splat and he gaped in astonishment.
She’d done it. She’d really done it and the surprise made him laugh out loud.
Because despite clinging to his memories of her, he’d somehow forgotten that her favorite thing to do was always the opposite of whatever he said.
She looked as surprised as he’d been that she’d actually done it and he watched as her cheeks heated a beautiful shade of pink.
He was still laughing as he swirled a finger through the berries that were sliding down his check and then popped it in his mouth.
Her eyes widened and when he released the finger with a hum and she licked her lips, gaze on his mouth, a deep ache to pull her into his arms nearly overtook him.
Instead of reaching for her, he reached for a bowl of cherry filling and grinned, “Oh, now you’ve gone and done it.”
“No.” She squealed, eyes going wide as he reached his hand in and came up with the dripping red liquid. “No, no, no!”
He reared back and she turned to run. He tossed it anyway, hitting her with a splattering mess right in the back.
She screamed and spun once she’d reached the other side of the island, berries already in her hand and at the ready.
She threw them and he ducked, the mess mostly missing him but spraying the oven door with sticky goo.
He laughed again and she giggled as she tried to dodge another round of cherry filling but he’d expected her retreat this time and aimed lower, notching a hit against her upper thigh before continuing to chase her around the kitchen.
She snagged a second bowl off the island and he squeaked as the entire thing flew towards his head. He dropped the cherry filling bowl to catch it, half ot the contents spilling over his head before he tucked it against his chest and gave her a disapproving glare.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
She giggled and took off again and he couldn’t help but chase after her.
They both kept grabbing more bowls and throwing the contents at one another.
They slipped and slid through the puddles they were making as the circled one another and the islands in the kitchen.
Myles couldn’t remember ever having so much fun knowing full well that he would be the one to clean up their mess at the end of the night.
But until then, he planned to enjoy himself so when Lily slipped and pinwheeled her arms as if she was about to go down hard he was glad he was close enough to snatch her up, even if it sent both of them careening off balance.
They collided with the door of a large stainless steel fridge and he instantly grabbed for her hands, which were caked in gooey fruit, when she started to raise them and undoubtedly push him away.
“Put down the weapons.” He grinned as he looped his fingers around her wrists.
“Never.” She twisted in his grip, managing to wriggle one wrist free thanks to his own slippery fingers.
Lily raised her free hand and smeared her sticky palm up his neck and across his cheek and he reacted before he could caution himself not to push.
He turned his head and caught the sensitive flesh below her thumb between his teeth.
She let out a little whimper as he nipped at the skin and the sound turned to a low moan when he flicked his tongue over the spot and then licked up her thumb.
He went from half-hard to a flag pole in an instant.
His heart was pounding loud in his ears, drowning out all his common sense.
He sucked her thumb between his lips and lapped up the sweetness of the fruit and the taste of her skin.
When he released her thumb a shuddering breath escaped her and their eyes met.
Her pupils were dilated with a desire that was undeniable, her lips damp and her breath ragged.
But the moment she spoke, even if all she managed was a whisper, he knew she wasn’t done putting up a fight, “Don’t.”
He tightened his grip on her, still holding her against him, pinned against the fridge door, “Don’t what?”
“We can’t.” She changed course with a shake of her head that was less than convincing.
“Why?”
“You know why.”
He held her gaze and leaned closer, “You don’t have a boyfriend, Lil. I already told you that I don’t believe you so stop lying to me.”
“I’m not lying.”
“You are. You’ve lied about damn near everything tonight.
You don’t have a boyfriend. You hate your job in New Orleans.
You want to come home and take over this kitchen.
The only thing you’ve been honest about is that you’re mad as hell because you think I stole it from you.
But you know what?” He lowered his voice and was pleased when her eyes fell to his mouth again.
“None of that changes the fact that you still want me just as much as I want you so just admit it.”
“Myles…” His name came out as a breathy plea and he pressed himself into her harder, holding her in place, not giving her an inch to back away.
“It’s you, Lil. It’s always been you for me.
There hasn’t been anyone else that mattered because I’ve never stopped loving you, not for a single second.
I want you.” He laid it all on the line and waited but she didn’t say a thing, only ducked her head to look away.
He felt like something in his chest was on the verge of breaking at that moment, “Lil, please, say something.”
When she glanced back up her eyes glistened with unshed tears but she shook her head, “That’s not true.
If that was true then why did you end it?
You’re the one that broke up with me, Myles.
You’re the one who got drunk at that party and went off with Asha to prove that it was over between us.
You said we were too different, that we wanted different things and it never would have worked. You said…”
“I lied.” He ground out, cutting her off before she could name more of his sins.
The words felt heavy, as if the weight of them was multiplied by the last seven years of loneliness.
“You were too good for me, Lil. Your parents wanted you to go away to college and get a degree, to see the world and you couldn’t have, wouldn’t have, done any of that if you were still tied to me.
I was going nowhere fast and I didn’t want to be that loser boyfriend back home working on oil rigs and holding you back so I let you go.
I broke it off and when you tried to talk me into reconsidering, I got drunk and did the only thing I could think of to make you give up on us once and for all.
I kissed Asha but I never slept with her just for the record.
I couldn’t. I fucking cried on her shoulder like the broken hearted boy I was and that’s why I looked absolutely wrecked when I stumbled back with her.
I let you think the worst of me because I needed you to know that it was okay to go but it nearly broke me, Lil.
I loved you. I still love you. I always have and always will and if you want the rest of the truth you can have that too because I think some part of me knew that if you did ever come back, I needed to make something of myself, to be the kind of man who was good enough for you and learning to cook, working here, it was all for you so if you want me to quit and find somewhere else to work so you can have your kitchen then I’ll… ”
“Shut up.” Lily snapped suddenly and he was so startled by the interruption and the tone of her voice that he hesitated. “Just, shut up, Myles. Stop talking.”
His heart cracked wide open and he released her despite everything inside of him wanting to resist. He’d upset her. Again. There were damp streaks where tears had fallen down her cheeks while he spoke and for once he couldn’t read the expression on her face at all.
“Lil, please…” He tried but she only shook her head and closed her eyes, as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him. He took a step back. His heart was breaking but he backed away further. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Lily opened her eyes suddenly and lunged towards him.
He was half certain she was going to slap him but he didn’t try to defend himself.
He deserved whatever punishment she wanted to deliver.
But instead of swinging on him she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down so that his lips could finally meet hers the way he’d been dreaming of for seven long, cold, lonely years.
Lily kissed him. He’d finally come clean. He’d told her the truth and she had kissed him. So he did the only thing he wanted to do at that moment and he kissed her right back.
—----
Lily couldn’t believe how stupid he was. He was an idiot. But he was her idiot in all the ways that mattered.
In a way, it all made sense now. He’d broken up with her out of the blue and he’d gone to Asha when Lily had refused to let him walk away from what they had. He’d purposefully done it to drive her away because he’d thought it was for her own good.
But nothing about it had been good for her and here, now, for the first time in forever, she finally felt like she was right where she was supposed to be.
His strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her tighter against his body.
The slick, sticky mash of berries clung to them both and she didn’t care.
She just slid her hands into his hair and enjoyed the sensation of the coarse strands beneath her fingers as their mouths began the process of relearning one another.
She’d thrown herself at him and smashed their mouths together in an overwhelming rush of desire but clearly Myles still preferred being in control because he quickly took over the kiss.
He pressed her back against the fridge, pinning her against him, and he cupped her cheeks between his hands, holding her head just where he wanted as he eased the kiss into something deeper, richer and soul touching.