thinking. Guess it was time to find out.
* * * * *
Though I had driven and jogged by Sean’s house numerous times over the past year, this was my first time actually stepping inside. It amused me to realize we had the exact same floor plan but with everything in reverse. His master bedroom was also at the front of the house but to the right, whereas mine was to the left. That meant I knew the layout of his home as soon as we walked in. I followed his broad back down the front hall past the living room and into the kitchen. His cabinets were the same as mine and we had very similar appliances. It was almost eerie.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
He took a moment to set his keys and wallet on the kitchen counter before pulling a chair out for me at the table. I dutifully sat and watched him think over his answer before pulling items from his refrigerator.
“About three years. Once I’d decided not to reenlist I started looking around for a place.”
“Oh? Where did you live before you enlisted?”
It was a simple question that rolled off my tongue without much thought. However, his reaction clearly showed the answer was anything but simple.
He froze in the act of arranging vegetables on a cutting board and the slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth disappeared as if it had never been. If I hadn’t been watching him so intently I might not have noticed how he stiffened. He grabbed the vegetables and turned away from me to rinse them in the sink. He’d been standing in profile before but now I got to watch his delectable ass. Not such a bad thing.
I waited until the running water wouldn’t drown me out and I could see his face again. He still hadn’t answered.
“Well?” I asked. I almost expected him to play dumb or change the subject but he did neither.
“I lived in Chicago with my father.”
“Really? I love Chicago.” He quirked a brow but said nothing as he began cutting bell pepper into strips. “I’ve only been there once, but the Field Museum is amazing.”
“Yeah. That is one of the finer spots in the Windy City.”
I watched him quietly for a few minutes in the hopes he would elaborate on his life up north, but he just kept chopping vegetables until he had a pan full of stir-fry.
“So…were you born in Chicago?”
I watched his chest expand as he took a deep breath and wondered if he would tell me to mind my own business. He wiped the back of his hand over his brow, though he wasn’t sweating.
“No. I was born somewhere in New York state. My father moved me to Chicago when I was a kid and as soon as I turned eighteen I left.”
I didn’t need a neon sign to know he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I decided to be kind and change the subject.
“I’ve lived in Houston my whole life. I’ve actually only traveled out of Texas a couple of times. I absolutely love it. Do you miss living up north?”
His smile slowly reappeared as he seasoned a couple of steaks on a metal pan. “During the summer, definitely. In the winter when I can wear shorts on Christmas Eve? Not so much.”
We both chuckled at that and he set the pan in the oven. He pulled a bottle of wine from his refrigerator and held it up with a questioning look. I frowned and quickly shook my head.
“Uh, no thanks. I think I drank enough at Hank’s to last the rest of the year.”
He grinned and put the wine away, grabbing two cans of soda instead. “Yeah, you looked a little green for a second there.”
I snorted and accepted the soda with a nod of thanks. “I didn’t even realize how much I’d had until I tried to leave the table. Poor Elle damn near had to carry me to the guest room.”
He laughed and sat down beside me. Our knees brushed and my pulse stuttered. He was watching me and nervousness erupted in the pit of my stomach for the first time with him. Never in the course of our history had words failed me when it came to Sean. Until now.
“Um…”
“Yeah?” he
* * * * *
Though I had driven and jogged by Sean’s house numerous times over the past year, this was my first time actually stepping inside. It amused me to realize we had the exact same floor plan but with everything in reverse. His master bedroom was also at the front of the house but to the right, whereas mine was to the left. That meant I knew the layout of his home as soon as we walked in. I followed his broad back down the front hall past the living room and into the kitchen. His cabinets were the same as mine and we had very similar appliances. It was almost eerie.
“How long have you lived here?” I asked.
He took a moment to set his keys and wallet on the kitchen counter before pulling a chair out for me at the table. I dutifully sat and watched him think over his answer before pulling items from his refrigerator.
“About three years. Once I’d decided not to reenlist I started looking around for a place.”
“Oh? Where did you live before you enlisted?”
It was a simple question that rolled off my tongue without much thought. However, his reaction clearly showed the answer was anything but simple.
He froze in the act of arranging vegetables on a cutting board and the slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth disappeared as if it had never been. If I hadn’t been watching him so intently I might not have noticed how he stiffened. He grabbed the vegetables and turned away from me to rinse them in the sink. He’d been standing in profile before but now I got to watch his delectable ass. Not such a bad thing.
I waited until the running water wouldn’t drown me out and I could see his face again. He still hadn’t answered.
“Well?” I asked. I almost expected him to play dumb or change the subject but he did neither.
“I lived in Chicago with my father.”
“Really? I love Chicago.” He quirked a brow but said nothing as he began cutting bell pepper into strips. “I’ve only been there once, but the Field Museum is amazing.”
“Yeah. That is one of the finer spots in the Windy City.”
I watched him quietly for a few minutes in the hopes he would elaborate on his life up north, but he just kept chopping vegetables until he had a pan full of stir-fry.
“So…were you born in Chicago?”
I watched his chest expand as he took a deep breath and wondered if he would tell me to mind my own business. He wiped the back of his hand over his brow, though he wasn’t sweating.
“No. I was born somewhere in New York state. My father moved me to Chicago when I was a kid and as soon as I turned eighteen I left.”
I didn’t need a neon sign to know he didn’t want to talk about it anymore. I decided to be kind and change the subject.
“I’ve lived in Houston my whole life. I’ve actually only traveled out of Texas a couple of times. I absolutely love it. Do you miss living up north?”
His smile slowly reappeared as he seasoned a couple of steaks on a metal pan. “During the summer, definitely. In the winter when I can wear shorts on Christmas Eve? Not so much.”
We both chuckled at that and he set the pan in the oven. He pulled a bottle of wine from his refrigerator and held it up with a questioning look. I frowned and quickly shook my head.
“Uh, no thanks. I think I drank enough at Hank’s to last the rest of the year.”
He grinned and put the wine away, grabbing two cans of soda instead. “Yeah, you looked a little green for a second there.”
I snorted and accepted the soda with a nod of thanks. “I didn’t even realize how much I’d had until I tried to leave the table. Poor Elle damn near had to carry me to the guest room.”
He laughed and sat down beside me. Our knees brushed and my pulse stuttered. He was watching me and nervousness erupted in the pit of my stomach for the first time with him. Never in the course of our history had words failed me when it came to Sean. Until now.
“Um…”
“Yeah?” he
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