“Of course you could. But I offered, and you would never turn down free food.” He flashed me a grin as he sat me down on a stool, then walked over to the fridge.
“You’re too damned smooth,” I grumbled, ignoring the ache in my nether-regions as he studied the contents of the fridge.
“There’s no such thing.” He grimaced at our food. "No more casseroles. Guess I've got to cook."
“Or we could go over to your parents’ house,” I pointed out.
His grimace deepened.
All of my remaining desire vanished, though the ache remained. I leaned across the counter, toward Rocco. “They deserve to know the truth. Whatever your brother has decided to be called, he’s not dead, and they deserve to know that. They’re ridiculously good people, and ridiculously kind.”
Rocco shut the fridge, crossing the kitchen and dropping his hands to the counter. His face was tight, his grimace deep. “Oscar doesn’t want them to know.”
“I don’t think it should be his decision to make. You’ve been keeping him here, away from the people who brought him into the world and love him enough to talk about him almost constantly; you’re lying to them as much as he is.”
Rocco’s grimace twisted further. “Right to the gut, huh?”
“You know I’m not one to coat things in fluff.”
“I know. I love that about you.” His expression was distant as he considered it, and neither of us touched on the “L” word he had dropped.
Though my lower belly did clench a little more.
“I’ll need to talk to him, first,” Rocco finally said.
“He’s out there somewhere.” I gestured toward the porch. “Let’s go talk, and then we can go to your parents’ place with or without him.”
Though Rocco looked a bit nauseous at the idea, he dipped his head in a nod and headed toward the door. “I’ll buy you food on the way.”
“I don’t understand your obsession with feeding me,” I remarked, following him out of the room. He slowed, so I fell into step beside him.
“You know how you couldn’t help but touch my wolf all the time?” he checked.
“Yes.” That would be a hard one to forget. Rocky was snuggly as hell.
“You’re driven to provide for me and him through touch. We’re driven to provide for you through food and protection.”
“Sounds like you got the shitty end of the deal, then.”
His lips curved upward a bit. “I’d cook for you all day if it meant you’d kiss me like you just did again. So I’d say I got the better end of the deal, by far.”
He tugged the sliding door open, and I tried not to blush. It mostly failed, but Rocco didn’t show any sign that he’d noticed the blush.
As much as I hated feeling like things were a bit cheesy between us, I also loved it.
A lot.