Breakfast was a much lighter affair than it usually was. Rox wasn’t grumpy about being awake, she was up before him. And there was a smell coming from the kitchen that drew him to the kitchen by his nose. Kind of like those cartoons, the smell had him up on his tiptoes following it out of the bedroom.

Contrary to popular belief, chefs were not known for their cooking at home. Usually so beat after prep and lunch or dinner service, Rox was more than happy to have a bowl of cereal when she came home. And mornings were usually reserved for coffee and more coffee. It was a welcome sight to see her in the kitchen, looking so comfortable and relaxed. She had some music playing and was shaking her butt as she flitted from the counter over to the range.

Leaning against the living room entryway, watching her from across the open living area, Liam observed as she cracked eggs, poured ingredients into bowls, and checked on things in the oven. Unable to hold back anymore, he crossed the space to the kitchen and was rewarded with a bright smile.

“There you are, sleepyhead. I was wondering when you were going to get up.”

“The smell of whatever you’re cooking is the way I would love to wake up every morning.” Ah, the L-word. He’d said it last night with no expectation that she would say she loved him back, but he had hoped. It had been hard to push down his disappointment when she didn’t say it back, but he didn’t want to push her. And it seemed like she was trying to show him how much she cared about him after he’d said it. That could be enough—for now.

“I thought we deserved a hot breakfast after our day yesterday. I called in a couple of people to do morning prep, so we can hang out and chill, since I don’t need to be in until four.”

“And did you clear this schedule change with the boss?” he whispered.

“I think he’ll be okay with it,” she whispered back.

“What are you making?”

“Eggs benedict! If you’re going to have a hot breakfast, you might as well go for it.”

“Very true,” he said, pulling out one of the stools by the island. “It smells delicious.”

“It will taste even better.”

They had a leisurely breakfast out on the patio, overlooking the ocean. The crashing waves and seagulls in the distance had them both content and generally quiet throughout their meal. Rox rested her legs in his lap, as he massaged her legs and feet. She took to feeding him slices of fruit she’d prepared.

“You just can’t help but prep, can you?” She gave him a sheepish smile.

“You know me, once a prepper, always a prepper. Now hush and eat this,” she said, popping a small piece of pineapple into his mouth.

“Come here,” he said, taking her arm in his hand and pulling her from her seat. He settled her straddling his lap and she went back to feeding him pineapple. Then she started to grind on him gently. At first, he thought he might be imagining it in his oversexed mind, which was always in overdrive whenever Rox was near. It wasn’t until he saw her smirking when his shaft was sitting up at attention that he realized she was toying with him. Two could play at that game. Her sleep shorts were barely more than boy shorts.

He pulled himself out of his boxers and she pretended to be oblivious, reaching for another slice of fruit and pushing it into his mouth with a mischievous grin. Some of the juice from the peach slid down his chin and she leaned in to lick it off, nipping his lip as she licked her way back to his mouth. That was the final straw, and he lifted her and pulled the edge of her shorts to the side, impaling her on his shaft. She gasped and leaned into him, rocking her hips gently before she started grinding on him slowly. Not one to want to play by her rules anymore, he grabbed her ass and began to move her up and down on his shaft.

She cried out as he pulled her down even harder on top of him. Attacking his neck with kisses and nips, she started working with him to bring them both the release they so desperately craved. Wanting a bit more leverage, he grabbed her ass again, this time standing with her on his lap and laying her out on the table, never leaving her. He started to pound into her, shifting the table with each push. She wrapped her legs around his back and used that leverage to help push him even deeper into him. The blood left the rest of his body and raced toward his cock.

Reaching out, he pinched her nipples through her tank and Rox threw her head from side to side as she clenched around his cock so tightly he thought he might blackout as his climax raced hers. She cried out his name and he followed her immediately, collapsing on top of her. Both breathing heavily, she ran her fingers through his hair. Pushing himself off her, he held out his hand to help her off the table.

“Always the gentleman,” she said, going up on her tiptoes to kiss him on his nose.

“Not always,” he said, giving her butt a smack. She jumped and laughed throwing her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. Looking up at him, she gave him another kiss on the lips. She hadn’t said she loved him yet, but he knew she had to feel it. Someone couldn’t make you feel like this unless they loved you too.

* * *

Sweat rolling down his back, Liam wasn’t sure how this evening had gotten so out of hand. They’d had one bachelor and one bachelorette party roll in at eleven. They didn’t know each other, but he’d had to kick at least five people out for practically fucking in the booths and in the bathroom. Those groups on top of their normal Saturday crowd had everyone running ragged.

The singer up on the small stage was some up-and-comer, Liam couldn’t even remember her name. She had a growly, rocking voice and was showing the guitar who was boss with her black curls whipping around her head. The guys in the place were a bit rowdy thanks to her on-stage performance. She had a great voice, but the attention she drew had little to do with that. Her bass player and drummer were backing her up and keeping the driving force of the music pounding through the floor and had everyone rocking out. He’d have to hire someone to help with the music side of things. He hadn’t imagined that this place would be getting calls from music studios trying to get their artists on their stage, but they were. They were booked with musical acts for the next five months.

He’d been busing tables, getting drinks, and helping bring food out to tables. Charlie and his new protégé, who looked like he might pass out at any moment, were a flurry of activity behind the bar. Stealing into the kitchen to give Rox a kiss here and there had been the highlight of the evening.

The kitchen would be closing in one hour and he’d make sure she rested because he had an additional workout for her later that night. Their morning and afternoon of leisure had given him a reserve of energy that he would tap into once they got back home. Some of the wait staff were in the weeds on serving, so he checked to see who needed help and popped back into the kitchen to grab a few plates for the various tables.

If he thought it was hot out on the main floor, the kitchen was at least ten degrees hotter. “Hot behind!”, “Corner!” rang out in the kitchen as everyone was working together to get all the food out onto the floor. He spied Rox working furiously at the plating area, a look of determination on her face. There weren’t many people who were this serious when it came to bar food, but she was. He loved watching her in her element.

Four plates appeared on the pass with the tickets for the tables he needed. He grabbed them and pushed out of the kitchen doors, setting them down at the tables. Mark would be happy, this place seemed to have picked up even more than before he left. They would have a huge cash flow to finance the place in NYC. Liam knew it had been a good investment.

He’d have to see how the scouted locations were going and figure out if Mark needed any help. Things over here had been so crazy, he hadn’t exchanged more than a couple of emails in the past few weeks. When the kitchen closed an hour later, he finally had time to take a breath. The bar would close in another hour, but Liam snuck into the kitchen to steal away a certain determined chef.

“I’m stealing your chef,” he called out to no one in particular as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen.

“Liam, I’ve got work to do. We need to clean things up and set up for the morning.”

“Do you guys mind if I take her off your hands?”

“Get her out of here, We got this chef, you need a break!” Came a chorus of voices as he pulled her out of the kitchen. He hustled her upstairs to the office to rest for a little bit and get some alone time with his girl. Closing the office door, he turned her and pressed her back up against the door.

“What the hell? I had work to do down there.” Her eyebrows were furrowed, delicious lips turned down in a frown, and arms crossed over her chest.

“I missed you,” he said, peppering her sweaty neck with kisses, tasting the salt off her skin. She pushed him away and swatted him with her hand towel.

“We have spent all day together. All this morning, afternoon, and evening.”

“Maybe seeing you in your chef’s whites just gets me going,” he said, pulling her back to him and continuing to kiss his way across her neck.

“I think you have an imbalance,” she said, moaning as he hit the spot just below her ear that seemed to turn her knees weak.

“You’re not playing fair.”

“I never said I would,” he said, nipping her neck. She shivered in his arms. He smiled against her neck. That was the spot that drove her wild. He’d be getting his way very soon.

“Just let me go down and help clean up,” she said in a rush. “I’ll be ready in twenty minutes and then you can take me home and show me how much you really missed me. I’ll even leave the chef’s whites on.” She sniffed herself, turning her nose up and pushing him away. “Maybe I’ll change into fresh ones. These are ripe.”

“I think you smell delicious,” he said, moving in again. She held him at arm’s length, pushing him back as she reached for the door handle. She opened it and kept her hand against his chest. “Twenty minutes, I swear. If I’m not done by then, you can carry me out.” She smiled mischievously.

“Promise?” he said, cocking his head to the side as a hungry grin spread across his face.

“Promise! I see that look in your eye, I’m setting a timer, so you don’t get a chance to try.”

She dashed out of the office like she was afraid he would follow. She was smart to worry, but the idea of throwing her over his shoulder, hands on her ass as he marched them out to his car, held him back. He wouldn’t actually do that in front of her kitchen crew, but the thought replayed in his mind as he headed back downstairs to help the guys behind the bar. Twenty minutes would be up before he knew it and once he got Rox home all bets were off.