SKYLER
The bacon sizzlesin the pan as I crack an egg into a glass bowl. Ben stands behind me, watching me with his chin propped up on his hand.
“How are these eggs any different from normal eggs?” he asks for the third time.
“Because I’m going to put Gouda in them,” I reply. “Cheddar cheese in your eggs is fine, but you have not lived until you’ve had Gouda scrambled eggs. That is the hill I will die on.”
“But you can just eat them plain and they taste just fine.”
I whisk the eggs together and sigh.
“You still have a lot of deprogramming to do, Ben.” I roll my eyes playfully and turn back to the stove to pour my thoroughly whisked egg mixture onto a hot pan.
Ben huffs through his nose before I feel, rather than hear, him walk up behind me. For such a big man, he’s surprisingly light on his feet. He places both hands on my hips and hooks his chin over my shoulder, his front flush against my back.
“So now that we’re arguing about scrambled eggs I’m back to ‘Ben’, hmm? C’mon, Baby Bird, you know I prefer you calling me something else,” he whispers the words right at my ear, turning my knees to jelly and my panties into a Slip N’ Slide.
How I can still be turned on after last night’s marathon sex, I’ll never know. But Ben has a way of turning me on with just a look, a touch, or a simple I love you breathed against my lips.
“Really?” I feign ignorance, keeping my attention on the pan. “And what word might that be?”
I gasp as his hand slides around to the front of my silk pajama shorts, inching lower.
“My Baby Bird was moaning it all night.” He buries his face in my neck. “But I’d be happy to give her a reminder right now.”
The light scratch of Ben’s morning scruff tickles my cheek. I moan softly as I lean back against him. “As much as I’d love that, Daddy, I’d rather not burn your breakfast, or burn my apartment down. We may have to keep our pants on until we’re done with the stove.”
“Then you’d just have to move in with me.”
I blink twice. Did Ben just ask me to move in with him? Before I can process this casual not-quite invitation, there’s a knock at the door.
“Who the hell could that be?” Ben grunts, his gaze narrowing.
“I’m not sure.” I hand him the spatula. “I’ll go see who it is. The eggs should be done in a second, so make sure they don’t burn, please.”
“Shouldn’t we do this the other way around?” he asks, but I’m already halfway across the room.
I open the door and the easy smile I’ve been wearing all morning starts to slip.
“Crystal?” I straighten my posture and mentally prepare myself for another blow-out argument. “What are you doing here?”
“Hey, Skye,” she replies, her voice small and nervous. “I’m, um, actually here to apologize.”
I’m not sure whether I heard her correctly.
“Apologize?”
“Yeah...” She takes a deep breath. “Could we talk for a minute?”
I eye her cautiously, not used to this calmer, softer version of Crystal.
“Uh, yeah. Sure, we can talk.” I open the door wider, and she takes a tentative step inside my apartment just as a yell comes from the kitchen.
“Eggs and bacon are all done, baby!”
Fuck. I was so caught off-guard by Crystal showing up here that I forgot her uncle was in the kitchen babysitting breakfast.
Crystal’s face pinkens as she recognizes the voice. “I-if this is a bad time, I can totally come back later.”