“You live here?” was her wide-eyed question when I finally killed the engine in the garage of the house I was staying at.
I didn't even have a chance to reply because she was mouthing off again, eyes adorably wide behind her mask.
“I mean I don't really know what I was expecting but this is way too big. Even for you.”
“Go big or go home, am I right?” I wriggled my eyebrows at her and got a playful laugh in return.
“Technically we are home.”
She opened her door and got out.
It was such an offhanded statement but it stayed with me as I unlocked the door and turned on some lights for the first night since I'd started staying here.
The idea of being home with her had a very delicious appeal and once again I found myself thinking uncharacteristic thoughts.
“So, sodas huh?” she asked with a raised eyebrow as she settled before the gleaming granite counter.
“Ok, so full disclosure, we're not just going to be drinking sodas. We're going to be drinking sodas with my special ravioli casserole,” I told her, all the while rolling up my sleeves to get to work.
“Wait,” she gave a small disbelieving laugh. “You're going to cook? Should I be worried about my safety?”
I stopped and turned to her with a stare of my own. “Yes and no and why do you ask like my cooking is the most preposterous thing in the world?”
Her mouth hung open in a small, adorable ‘o’. “You're actually serious.”
“Just wait and see.”
I started getting the ingredients out of the fridge. I had wanted to cook tonight not just to impress her with my culinary skills but because I missed it. It had been forever since I ate a meal prepared by my own hand and I missed the aroma of cooking food.
“I feel like there's a story here. Did you just learn this recipe?” Her eyes still retained an improbable glint in their colorful depths.
“Hey, I can cook, what's the big deal?”
“Nothing, I guess I just don't understand why.”
“Why not? My best friend Eddie thought it was a useless skill but honestly, it was either this or knitting.”
Her laugh reverberated around the hollow kitchen as I put on an apron.
“Knitting? Aren't you a little too young for that?”
“Well, for some reason they were the only two skills my litany of babysitters could offer.”
An alarm bell went off in my head at the fact that I was starting to over share.
“Wow, that just slipped out. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to . . .”
“No, no, no. It's fine.” She reached out and gave my hand a small squeeze. “I didn't expect your childhood to be peaches and rainbows,” then she gave a sheepish shrug like it was she that was supposed to be embarrassed by this fact.
With all the ingredients before me I started on one of the easier dinner meals I'd cooked.
“You know, it still amazes me the fact that you can cook,” Butterfly said as I was putting the dish in the oven.
“Well, I am full of surprises,” I told her as I closed the oven door and started untying the apron. “Looks like we have about forty five minutes to an hour before that gets cooked.”
She cocked her head and watched me throw the apron aside and come around to stand next to her.
“Oh, and that thing I wanted to tell you. I did your little dare.”
“My little . . .” her eyes widened with realization. “No way! I guess you really are full of surprises. How did it go?”
“Horribly. Who knew how important one little word could be?”
“Important is not the exact word I'd use but moving on,” she reached up and plucked something from my hair. “You just never cease to amaze me, Carson Miller.”
Her eyes were so shiny and innocent that I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and tucking her waterfall of colorful, shimmery hair behind both her ears and cupping her face.
Her soft skin felt satiny beneath my fingers as I connected the unexpected splash of freckles on her cheeks to form invisible constellations.
I found that even those haphazardly placed dots of color added to the perfection that was her.
“I believe I was promised a kiss.”
Her lips stretched out into a smile that made me overly aware of the pleasant plumpness of them.
“See, I knew that's why you bothered. You're not even subtle, Mr. Miller.”
I had to bite down the laugh that threatened to erupt. I was caught but honestly it was too good to pass up.
“You can't renege on it now,” I told her with a smirk.
“Technically, you still have like two minutes before the day is officially over but,” she stopped and gave a dramatic sigh. “Fine, you get just one . . .”
That was all the permission I needed to connect our lips.
I had imagined kissing her more times today than I was proud of, how her lips would taste and now I found that the real thing was a thousand times more than anything I could ever imagine.
I had kissed countless women and experienced all types of thrills but all of them were mild and mostly in anticipation of sex, this was completely different. There was a slight buzz that tasting her luscious lips produced in the air between us that was deliciously novel and had me hooked from the very first second.
It was like the more I had, the more I craved. There seemed to be no end to this craving for her that she stirred up inside me. It looked like I would never get enough of her and I realized at this moment I would've gladly spent my entire life unwrapping the enigma that was this ravishing woman.
The need for air was the only thing strong enough to remove me from the river of sensations I was currently happily drowning in.
“On the cheek,” her warm breath fanned my face and did nothing to subdue the mild tingles on my lips. “You gotta let me finish next time, dude.”
Her words were saying one thing but by the warm flush that had graced her cheeks and the fact that if her eyes got any brighter I'd lose the use of mine, I could tell she was just as affected by our kiss as I was.
“Right. Next time,” my voice sounded strange to me as I gave her a wink and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “So, about those sodas. I think I saw them in the fridge.”
I had to leave her vicinity before I found myself kissing her again.
I distracted myself from those thoughts by sticking my head in the cool fridge and retrieving two cans of Coke from the six-pack stashed there.
“Here you go,” I tossed her one and she deftly caught it before disappearing beneath the counter.
Walking around I found her sitting on the floor and opening her soda, the latter which gave off a fizz that briefly punctuated the sound of gentle bubbling coming from the oven.
Once her drink was open she pushed the stool she was previously sitting on away and scooted over to make space.
Without invitation I sat beside her and opened my drink.
“You know, I haven't had a carbonated drink since middle school,” I told her as I shook my head to clear the rogue bubble that had wandered up my nose. I had totally forgotten how much I hated fizzy drinks.
I turned to find her staring as if she'd just seen a UFO. “I know you're kidding. You are kidding, right?”
I shrugged. “I'm not. When I found out these things can kill you I didn't drink anything but water and juice until I hit the legal drinking age.”
“I'm sorry, Coke will kill you but alcohol won't?”
“I didn't say that. What I meant was if I'm going to consume what's going to kill me, I'm sure as hell not going for the one that'll leave me stone cold sober when it happens.”
I took a sip of my drink and watched her play around with the ring pull on her can, her nails giving off different colors as they moved.
“I just don't see the appeal, probably never will.”
She rested her head on my shoulder.
“Well, I think it's a good thing,” I buried my face in her hair, in her heady vanilla scent. “So, how was your day?” I asked as our free hands entwined on my lap.
“Boring. Got some knick-knacks I'll never use and wandered around town, you?”
“A bit better than yours. My grandmother visited, I gave some strangely sage advice and, oh, I think someone is stealing from me.”
She raised her head and stared at me with raised eyebrows. “It was a good day then?”
“Complete opposite actually.”
She chuckled and resumed her previous position on my shoulder.
“So how does one steal from the  formidable Carson Miller?”
“Well, ideally, they start by forging my signature, then they move on to creating bogus projects which they demand money for, then they proceed to use aforementioned forged signature to fast track the release of the money. Easy peasy.”
“Wait,” Butterfly sat up again. “You're actually serious.”
“It's been going on for two months now, under my nose and I had no idea.”
“It sounds like such an elaborate scheme and with everything I imagine you have to deal with everyday I don't know how you could've known.”
Her words brought a smile to my face. “I appreciate your defending me but it still doesn't excuse my incompetence. Boy, the board's gonna have a field day when they find out. They already hate me enough as it is.”
“Then let's catch this son of a bitch,” she dropped her can and shifted closer to me. She was already close enough and all the motion did was make me hypersensitive of her soft, lithe body next to mine.
“Or bitch. It could be a woman, let's not be sexist.”
Her warm laugh gave my heart inexplicable joy.
“Of course, whoever it is. So what's your plan? An elaborate scheme deserves an elaborate trap, wouldn't you say?”
“I'm happy you want to help, truly, but I still have lots to do before I get round to catching the bastard,” I raised our interconnected hands and placed a light kiss on her knuckle. “I love your eagerness though.”
“Of course, no one gets to frustrate my Carsey Warsey,” then she reached up and kissed my cheek.
I had to blink multiple times before my brain came back online. “Ok, I know what's next and I have to beg you not to make that awful nickname a thing.”
“No promises,” she winked.
Just as I leaned in to kiss her the ding of the oven sounded out.
“Saved by the bell,” she pressed my nose with her index finger.
Letting out a half-hearted groan, I stood up and gathered my almost forgotten drink.
Donning a pair of black oven gloves I opened the steaming appliance and gently gathered the dish inside it.
The steam from it curled upward in delicate swirls as I set it on the granite counter.
“Voilà,” I announced when it was carefully set.
“Oh my God Carson, this smells amazing!” Butterfly exclaimed as she stood up and took in a breath of the steam.
“I can still detect that note of skepticism in your voice and let me tell you, I don't like it,” I removed the gloves from my hands and walked over to the other side of the kitchen to get a knife.
“Let me help. Where do you keep the dishes?”
“Top cupboard, I think.”
I heard the clink of china and then I was painfully aware of her standing beside me. That damned vanilla scent was getting to me.
“That looks good, and most importantly, edible,” she commented as I plated the pasta.
“If you're impressed by this you should see what I can do with the rest of the food groups,” I licked a drop of marinara sauce that had found its way to my thumb.
She bit her lower lip, the motion distracting me for a moment, before her beautiful face broke into an irradiating smile.
“I have no doubts, Carsey.”
Visibly wincing I took my soda and food. “There's that atrocious nickname again, just great. Come on, let's go upstairs and eat, it's much nicer up there.”
I led her up to the balcony outside the master bedroom. It was big enough to hold two overstuffed black couches and a wooden coffee table. Curling around the glass railing was a length of cute fairylights. It seemed tacky in my opinion and I was glad to be leaving soon. Crowning everything perfectly was the amazing view of the city.
The twinkling lights were reminiscent of stars on a clear night and seeing as how everywhere was quiet it was indeed like we were alone in our own galaxy.
I dropped unto the couch and felt it depress with her weight.
I watched her take a bite and her doe eyes widen.
“Oh, wow! I was not expecting that. Jesus, how is it so good?”
“Told ya,” I winked and started eating mine.
“You know, it doesn't matter how much I see this, it's still gonna be magnificent. I mean nothing compares,” she said as she point to the view in front of us with her fork.
“I disagree. The view from where I'm sitting beats everything,” I replied, my eyes never leaving her face.
She turned and when she realized what I was talking about, rolled her eyes. “Please don't be cheesy. I already have enough cheese in this,” she gestured to the plate in her hands.
I set my plate down on the coffee table.
“I'm not kidding. You're more magnificent than any skylines I've ever seen, and believe me, I've seen a lot.”
She placed her pasta beside mine and turned fully to me.
“I already think your cooking is amazing, Carson, no need for the flattery.”
I mirrored her action and we ended up with our noses almost touching.
“Um, I know it's amazing, I was just telling you my opinion.”
“Well, in that case, opinion received. Thank you.”
Reaching out, I replaced a loose strand of her hair behind her ear and traced my thumb over the delicate skin of her cheekbone.
“I'm sorry for taking you away from your glitter cake and fireworks,” I heard myself say.
She just smiled and leaned into my hand. “It's ok, I have all the fireworks I need right here.”
I wasn't entirely sure what happened after that but the next thing I knew was she was on top of me and her hair was tickling my face as I got lost in the suppleness of her lips.
My hands traveled over her jean-clad thighs, roamed over the sharp curve of her hips and finally settled on the warm skin underneath her stylish rainbow sweater.
Her hands were not still either. Somehow they had found their way into my hair and knotted around the strands, making me moan as they gently tugged.
Much to my disappointment she withdrew all of a sudden.
“Do you have any idea what we're doing?” she whispered with her forehead still on mine.
“No, but I have a feeling if we keep going we will.”
“Is that so?” There was a barely suppressed laugh behind the question.
“Unless you have a better idea.”
She bit her already swollen lower lip, behind her mask her eyes twinkled with wicked allure.
“As a matter of fact, I do,” she leaned closer and I had to distract myself from the realization that she was flush against my chest. “But it involves a lot less clothes. Are you in?”
With a smirk serving as my answer I reclaimed her lips.