Eyes squinting into the steam, Henry stirred the bolognese sauce. If he was starved, she had to be. Somehow, in the past few days, they’d often forgotten to eat, grabbing bites when they could. It was about time for a proper meal.

“And then what?” she asked, perched on the counter near the stovetop.

“And then nothing.”

“Come on! I want to know everything.” Ellie picked up a slice of carrot from the cutting board and nibbled on it.

She’d been grilling him about his entire life as he prepped brunch, and for once he didn’t mind. It was cute, really, how fascinated she was by even the drollest of memories. Things like what his favorite lunch had been in third grade, and how his mom hadn’t said a word as she'd packed the same turkey sandwich with salt and vinegar chips every school day for nine months.

Ellie picked up another carrot. “How’d you get interested in cooking, anyway?” she asked. “I need to learn. I mean, I know who taught you, but…”

He shrugged. “Aunt Mary knew the logistics of cooking, but she wasn’t really into it,” he said. “So once she taught me the basics, that kind of became my territory.”

“Did you ever think about being a chef?”

“Actually, yeah. For a little bit, in high school. But, you know—it’s really difficult for a chef to make a decent living. The military gave me everything I needed. And I did get to cook there. Once you’ve cooked for two hundred soldiers, there’s not much about a kitchen that can intimidate you.”

Ellie laughed, crossing her ankles. She was adorable in just his T-shirt. It drowned her, making her look even younger and more fragile.

“What about you? I still remember you when you were really little, always freaking out whenever you’d get to go to a petting zoo.” Shit, you shouldn’t have said that. Why remind us both of her age?

But Ellie didn’t seem to mind. “I don’t know, I always thought I’d be a vet,” she said. “Growing up, you know, in the suburbs, it was a big deal if one of my friends even had a dog.” He did remember. And how she'd lined her room with every stuffed animal there was. “Me, I always wanted to live on a farm with every type of animal imaginable. But you know what they say. Grass is always greener.”

“So then why the fundraising thing? Where’d that come from?”

“I don’t know. It just makes sense. And of course, there are all kinds of nonprofits and NGOs for animal rights, so it can definitely tie in. I just… I don’t know what to do. This is harder than I thought.”

“What is?”

“Being an adult.”

“Yeah,” Henry nodded, unable to maintain eye contact. “It is. That’s something they don’t tell you.”

“But you… you had to grow up really fast,” she said.

“I don’t know anything different,” he said.

“Still, it’s gotta be hard,” she nudged him for more information.

“I wouldn’t know,” he said. “That’s like telling someone who’s never watched television, never even seen one, that they’re missing out. Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. But they have no context for it.”

“I guess so,” she said. “So. Tell me about your first love.”

“My first love?” he asked with a laugh. “That’s a subject change.”

“Sorry. But I’m curious. What was she like? Blonde, I’m guessing.” There was a hint of hurt and jealousy in her voice.

“First love, or first girlfriend?”

“Aren’t they one and the same?”

“No. I’ve never been in love.” He said it so matter-of-factly, but didn’t even know it was true himself until he heard the words. Damn. If that’s not something.

“Seriously?” she asked. “Never?”

“Seriously. But girlfriends? Sure. I guess that would be my high school girlfriend. Stephie.”

“Did I ever meet her?” Ellie asked.

“I’m sure. I think so. I know she came over to your house a couple of times.”

Ellie shook her head. “I don’t remember.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.”

“Was she blonde?”

Henry couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, she was.”

“Figures.” Ellie put another carrot slice in her mouth.

“Don’t fill yourself up on carrots,” he told her. “Here, taste this. Tell me what you think.” Henry spooned up some of the sauce, blowing on it and cradling a hand to catch any drops. As he fed her, her eyes closed and she let out a quiet moan.

“Oh, God, Henry, that’s good. I mean, it’s really good.”

“Yeah?” he asked, mesmerized by her lips. “You think I should taste it?”

“Sure,” she answered, eyes still closed. He dropped the spoon on the counter and kissed her. She was taken by surprise, but her body responded instantly, chest rising and breath quickening.

Henry placed his hands on her knees and spread her legs apart so he could situate himself against her. “I don’t know,” he whispered to her. “It’s kind of salty for my taste. You got something sweeter?”

Ellie bit her lip and glanced down. Henry let her keep his shirt on, liking the sign of ownership it suggested. Reaching over, he set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes before flicking off the stove and Ellie laughed. As she leaned back on her forearms, the back of her head rested on the windowsill. Henry bent down, burying his head between her thighs. He couldn’t get enough of her. Kissing her mound, tracing her crevices with his tongue, he loved watching her when she was first getting aroused.

“Better?” she asked.

“Much better. I could eat this all day.” She laughed, arching her back and pushing her pussy against his face. He sucked and kissed on her clit, lifting his head every so often to see how much wetter she’d become.

The sounds of the softly clicking timer could barely be heard over her groans. “Fuck me?” she started asking, but he didn’t answer.

Her folds were completely engorged and coated in her juices. “God, Henry,” she called out, fucking his face vigorously. “Are you going to fuck me? Please.”

“Sorry, kitten,” he told her. “Not until you’re ready.”

When the timer rang, Ellie slammed it off. “You want me to fuck you?” he asked, looking up at her. She glared at him, too frustrated to speak. “Why don’t you hand me that?” he asked, nodding to one of the extra carrots beside her. Ellie’s eyes widened. She picked up the smaller of the two, but he corrected her. “Come on, you can take bigger than that,” he told her. “I want you to watch.”

Standing between her legs, he slid a thumb into her mouth. “Suck,” he commanded. With her saliva, he kept working her clit with one hand while positioning the carrot at the start of her wetness.

“Henry…”

“No talking.” He inserted it, inch by inch, keeping an eye on her face as she watched herself take it all in.

“It’s cold,” she told him, but pushed against it.

“I said no talking.” As he started to fuck her, she let her head fall back. “Keep watching,” he instructed.

He made her come quickly, no more teasing or stopping. “Fuck. Oh my—fuck, Henry,” she cried as her pussy took in the whole thing.

“Good girl,” he whispered into her neck, kissing it as she shuddered. Sliding the carrot out slowly, each movement sending new shockwaves through her, he was fully aware of just how hard he was. “Taste yourself,” he told her, holding the carrot to her lips—now warm and covered in her come.

Ellie responded without hesitation, lapping her juices up. “See how sweet you are?” he asked.

“I want to taste you,” she told him, full-blown desire in her eyes.

Without a word, he backed up and unbuckled his jeans. “Get on your knees.”

Her eyes got bigger at his size, but she didn’t move away. “Just the tip,” he reassured her, and she parted her lips. Henry took his cock and spread his pre-cum across her lips, one hand gently on her head. She licked her lips and opened her mouth.

Feeling himself in her mouth, he knew he wouldn’t be able to last long. “Damn,” he told her, resisting the urge to fuck her mouth. Don’t hurt her. You don’t want to hurt her.

One of her hands was on his thigh. He placed his palm on it, guiding her to encircle the base of his shaft and stroke his tightening balls. “I’ll tell you when,” he whispered. He didn’t want her to swallow him if she wasn’t ready. If she didn’t want to.

He could sense her confidence growing, lips wrapped around teeth as she started to take him farther into her mouth. Henry used all his willpower to not pound the back of her throat. He was covered in her saliva. Where’s her other hand?

Looking down, he could see that she’d started playing with herself as she continued to suck and lick him. She’s insatiable. The sight of her fingering herself got him closer to coming.

“Almost.” He pulled her hair into a knot at the back of her head to get a clear view. She was going at him like she couldn’t get enough. Every time she pulled back to his tip, he was given a clear shot down the T-shirt to her stunning breasts.

“Fuck, now. I’m going to come now.” Instead of pulling away, she grasped the back of his thighs and took him deeper into her mouth than ever. He could feel himself emptying into her mouth. He wanted, desperately, for her to swallow him but knew he couldn’t ask that of her.

She held him in her mouth until he started to soften. When she finally released him, she smiled up at his face. She’d taken all of it in one clean swallow. “Damn, you’re like a pro,” he told her. She giggled as she cleaned him up, licking the last of his come from his shaft, being careful at the tip knowing how sensitive he was.

“You taste good,” she told him, sitting back on her heels. “But I knew you would.”

“And what about you?” he asked. “I saw you getting yourself off again.” She blushed, but barely. “Did you come?”

She shook her head. “I was too… preoccupied.”

He couldn’t stop replaying how she'd looked on her knees before him. Already, he was starting to harden again. “You want me to take care of that?”

“Yes, please.” She removed the shirt and tossed it onto the breakfast table, ready for him to fuck her properly on the kitchen floor.