"Darn." His dry voice made her roll her eyes.
"Yeah, you sound real heartbroken."
She moved to the fridge, grabbed the clear glass bowl covered by a cheese cloth and set it on the counter in front of him.
"I'll let you do the honors. You'll want to spread it out over the pizza sheet evenly and then we'll add sauce and the toppings." Rivka removed the cheese cloth and tipped the bowl over. The dough fell onto the pizza tray with a plop.
"You got this. It's like working with clay."
"Can't say I've ever done that."
"I figured, I'm just explaining the mechanics." He looked like a fish out of water as he placed his hands on the round ball and began to knead it.
"I'll grate the cheese."
They worked together in a silence she was grateful for.
"How's this?"
She smiled at the pan. "Great, let's get the toppings on and pop it in the oven."
Once their task was complete and the pizza had been put in the oven, they came into the living room to wait.
"Want to pick out a movie?"
"We could just watch Fringe. It'll be coming on in twenty minutes."
"I'm game."
****
Appetite sated, he leaned back against the couch beside Rivka. The credits to Fringe rolled, and he pondered what to do or say next. He'd never felt so uncertain in his life. Did he leave? Every moment with this woman was an adventure, and though he hated her distrust for him, he couldn't help but find the situation exciting. The more of herself Rivka revealed, the more he liked her. The question is, does she feel the same? He glanced over at her trying to gauge if he was making any leeway.
"What next?" she asked.
"You tell me."
"You're being awfully agreeable. Is this the norm?" She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m trying to be respectful of your wishes. You said you wanted a chance to lead and get to know me. I'm trying to dial back—"
"That's not what I wanted—"
"Then what is it? I'm trying to make this as painless as possible. I'm not good with emotions, or flowery words. That's not who I am."
"Who are you?"
"I'm still figuring it out. What I do know is from the moment I discovered you were my mate things changed. My mind is filled with images of you. I want to be with you every second of the day, and not just sexually. There's no sweeter place than in between your thighs. But you also make me laugh, and think. You just make me happy. That's a feeling that's been foreign to me for what seems like my entire life. So when you ask me to curb it I don't know what else to do but hold back. Because there's nothing tame or safe about the way I feel about you, Rivka T'Shar."
"Show me."
"What?"
"I want you to show me how you feel about me, Bastien. I'm wading through uncharted waters, same as you. I'm woman enough to admit I was overly harsh with you. I won't lie and say I'm over the hurt you've caused. But I am trying."
"Are you sure this is what you want because once we start on this path, there's no going back to the way things were."
She licked her lips and tucked her hair behind her ears.