entered the kitchen to see a smiling Sebastian. My mind had whirled all night over of the complexity of the situation. I kept thinking back to the envelope containing the tickets to Paris and how boarding that plane had landed me in this kind of fucked-up fairy tale.
The smell of freshly toasted bread filled the air. He stood in front of the stove and when his gaze met mine, I was happy to see that the haze behind his eyes had lifted. His smile, bright and genuine, greeted me. Relief settled in, followed closely by awkwardness.
“Good morning.” He beamed.
I brushed the hair out of my face as I took a seat on the high, leather-covered stool. I wasn’t sure how to feel. Where did we go from here? “Good morning.”
I’d considered things and decided I might as well get the topic out in the open. “About last night...”
He set the two eggs in his hands onto a plate and in a few quick strides he swiveled my chair, so I faced him. Before I could finish my thought, he grasped my chin, tilting my head up, and closed his mouth over mine. He tasted of mint and sugar. He deepened the kiss, and my body melted against his. Interesting, how each man fulfilled a different desire in me. Xavier was complicated, a puzzle, a constant source of intrigue. Marco, whom I hadn’t seen since Paris, was the levity, and Sebastian exuded reassurance and compassion.
He pulled back, but kept his arms around me. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“But I do. I’m so confused.”
He smoothed his hands down my arms, comforting. “What troubles you?”
“God... Where do I start? This...relationship is so strange. How did this even happen? How does an arrangement like this work? What happens when you realize that this was all a distraction from your grief and you move on? What if I fall in love with you and you leave? Jealousy? Sleeping arrangements? The list goes on and on.”
“Well, first, I think you’re overthinking us. We’re here now. You’re having breakfast with me. We’re enjoying each other’s company. Nothing more complicated than that. For now, this is enough.”
“Do you know what this feels like?” There was a slight panic in my voice.
He stroked his thumb along my wrist. “Tell me.”
“It’s like an arranged marriage. I don’t really know anything about any of you. Yet, we’re all committed to this cause and therefore to each other.”
“Maybe you’re looking at the situation all wrong. Stop viewing what we have as a burden and start seeing the adventure. There’s obviously attraction between us. Now, we get to discover those new and fascinating things about each other. You have the full, focused attention of Xavier Vincent. There’s no going back. You might as well enjoy the ride.” He kissed me on the forehead and headed back to the stove to finish breakfast. “Let’s have a nibble to eat and then we’re going into town for a few things.” He picked up the butter-flavored cooking spray, coating the pan with the mist in the cylindrical can, before setting it on the counter.
I shifted in my seat. “You’re going to let me out?”
“Wait...” He placed his hands on the counter and his brow furrowed. “Xavier said you came here willingly. Is that not true?”
I laughed. “No, he’s right. I did. But Xavier has a way of blurring lines, and realization doesn’t set in until much later, leaving you wondering what on Earth you’ve done. He’s so...intense.”
It was Sebastian’s turn to laugh. “That’s one way of putting it. I tell him he talks too much.”
“Him and his words. I couldn’t agree with you more. What about you? Do you take time to warm up to someone? You always seem so introspective.”
He licked his lips; retrieved an egg, cracked it with one hand and allowed the whites and yolk to plop into the pan. They sizzled on the hot surface.
“How do you like your eggs?”
I raised an eyebrow. Was he avoiding the question? “Over-hard.”
He smiled and winked.
The smell of freshly toasted bread filled the air. He stood in front of the stove and when his gaze met mine, I was happy to see that the haze behind his eyes had lifted. His smile, bright and genuine, greeted me. Relief settled in, followed closely by awkwardness.
“Good morning.” He beamed.
I brushed the hair out of my face as I took a seat on the high, leather-covered stool. I wasn’t sure how to feel. Where did we go from here? “Good morning.”
I’d considered things and decided I might as well get the topic out in the open. “About last night...”
He set the two eggs in his hands onto a plate and in a few quick strides he swiveled my chair, so I faced him. Before I could finish my thought, he grasped my chin, tilting my head up, and closed his mouth over mine. He tasted of mint and sugar. He deepened the kiss, and my body melted against his. Interesting, how each man fulfilled a different desire in me. Xavier was complicated, a puzzle, a constant source of intrigue. Marco, whom I hadn’t seen since Paris, was the levity, and Sebastian exuded reassurance and compassion.
He pulled back, but kept his arms around me. “You don’t have to say anything.”
“But I do. I’m so confused.”
He smoothed his hands down my arms, comforting. “What troubles you?”
“God... Where do I start? This...relationship is so strange. How did this even happen? How does an arrangement like this work? What happens when you realize that this was all a distraction from your grief and you move on? What if I fall in love with you and you leave? Jealousy? Sleeping arrangements? The list goes on and on.”
“Well, first, I think you’re overthinking us. We’re here now. You’re having breakfast with me. We’re enjoying each other’s company. Nothing more complicated than that. For now, this is enough.”
“Do you know what this feels like?” There was a slight panic in my voice.
He stroked his thumb along my wrist. “Tell me.”
“It’s like an arranged marriage. I don’t really know anything about any of you. Yet, we’re all committed to this cause and therefore to each other.”
“Maybe you’re looking at the situation all wrong. Stop viewing what we have as a burden and start seeing the adventure. There’s obviously attraction between us. Now, we get to discover those new and fascinating things about each other. You have the full, focused attention of Xavier Vincent. There’s no going back. You might as well enjoy the ride.” He kissed me on the forehead and headed back to the stove to finish breakfast. “Let’s have a nibble to eat and then we’re going into town for a few things.” He picked up the butter-flavored cooking spray, coating the pan with the mist in the cylindrical can, before setting it on the counter.
I shifted in my seat. “You’re going to let me out?”
“Wait...” He placed his hands on the counter and his brow furrowed. “Xavier said you came here willingly. Is that not true?”
I laughed. “No, he’s right. I did. But Xavier has a way of blurring lines, and realization doesn’t set in until much later, leaving you wondering what on Earth you’ve done. He’s so...intense.”
It was Sebastian’s turn to laugh. “That’s one way of putting it. I tell him he talks too much.”
“Him and his words. I couldn’t agree with you more. What about you? Do you take time to warm up to someone? You always seem so introspective.”
He licked his lips; retrieved an egg, cracked it with one hand and allowed the whites and yolk to plop into the pan. They sizzled on the hot surface.
“How do you like your eggs?”
I raised an eyebrow. Was he avoiding the question? “Over-hard.”
He smiled and winked.
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