XV.Chef’s Mouse

My husband was definitely husband material.

Nah,more than husband material he was the whole damn yard.

The penthouse was saturated with the delicious aroma of homemade food which caused me to rouse from my bed,rubbing away sleep from my eyes.

My bare feet halted my silent movements when I saw his large back in the kitchen,bare back to be precise!He was shirtless,on view for me to see his corded muscles move with every movement of his hands.

"Half of me thinks you sleep in a gym"I mumbled as I slid into the high kitchen stool and balanced my elbow on the cold grey marble of the kitchen counter.

He turned surprised at my voice,a dish in hand and my jaw dropped.I knew he wasn't just lean but also muscular,the type commonly seen in swimmers and not the bodybuilding type but damn.

Without the evil armor called shirts he was drop dead gorgeous.From his wide shoulders,to his slender torso with packs men would kill to have,he looked like he just took his bath,his brown hair looked darker when wet and dripping.Rivulets of water trailed down his broad chest,a dusky pink nipple hardening when it trailed over it,I gulped and clenched my thighs.

I'm such a horndog.

"Ofcourse not,not even when I was cutting my bulk"Luca took my words literally and placed the dish on the counter,I chuckled with my hand over my mouth.I liked how he had a keen sense of humor,it made him effortlessly funny in his own dried up,nonchalant kind of way.

My eyes dropped to his grey sweatpants hung low on his hips,teasing me with his v-line,he was just across me,his eyes taking me in.

I looked kind of okay in my white loungewear set I guess,after our talk in the deserted garage last night I had stayed cooped up in my room all day.

"I didn't know you could cook"I sighed wishing I had magic to make his trousers just drop for no reason.What?!A girl could wish.

"It's not something I do all the time"He shrugged and placed another dish then leaned over the counter and twirled the pasta around his fork"but I was tired of seeing you order pizza like a frat boy"

"Hey!,I love pizza"

"It shows"He deadpanned his grey eyes so lifeless and empty it irked me.

"Are you trying to call me fat?!"I pounded my fist on the marble.

He perked up a brow like I was crazy and waved his hand towards the stack of empty pizza boxes beside the sink"No,I was talking about that"

I flushed shrinking in my seat"Oh…"

"Yeah"He mocked with narrowed eyes"Oh"

Gosh he's so sassy.

My eyes dropped in embarrassment to study the meal before me,pasta carbonara with seared pancetta.

It looked delicious,more like food art,it's aroma curling in visible clear fumes and into my face,closest shit I've had to a sauna in months.

"Staring at it is doing very little for my ego right now"

"Maybe that's a good thing,the world doesn't need an ego bigger than yours"I looked away from my meal and smiled at him,he scowled at me,his pink lips glistening with oil.I laughed and took slurped the pasta,an involuntary moan slipping out of me.

Oh my goodness it tasted exquisite,I dug into it humming with every flavored burst in my mouth

"You like it,don't you?"

He asked and from my periphery view I could see him walking to the sink to wash his empty dish.

"Like?!Oh my goodness it tastes amazing!"I perked up and he hunched over the sink his hands clasping the edges not washing any dish"Luca?"

"What?"

I rounded the counter bouncing in my feet thrusting my plate to him

"I want another round,you did really good"He didn't turn them leaned to see his face,a gasp left me"Oh my gosh you're red!"

I burst out laughing,he looked at me with a scowl and stormed away but that blush was definitely there!His ears were tinged a bright pink,his cheeks bright"Fuck off"

"Why"I whined trailing him to the sitting room"I can't believe you're blushing you're so cute!"

"It's allergies"

"Yeah right"I plopped on the couch beside me and crisscrossed my legs,he glared at the little space between us then at me in obvious warning signs that said why the fuck are you so close to me?!

But I didn't care,I was done caring and walking on eggshells around him,we were stuck together our whole lives anyway,might as well make the most of it

"Scoot over"

"No"I grinned,his grey eyes were darting over every features of my face in…panic?

"What?"My smile froze and fell

"I've never seen you this happy"He shrugged

"There's nothing a good meal can't do"

He rubbed the back of his neck while I shamelessly gawked at his stretching muscles "I wanted to be a chef"

That definitely grabbed my attention

"Why didn't you?"

His jaw clenched"My father didn't approve,it just wasn't my legacy,Vitelli's don't do mediocre stuff he used to say"

"There's nothing mediocre about being a chef.I know a lot of rich chefs out there and it's not just about the money too,doesn't he know how life changing a simple meal could be?It could alter one's mood and even cause a change of decision"I huffed,folded my arms and rolled my eyes.

He furrowed his eyebrows at my outburst and asked in realisation" What did your dad not allow you do?"

"An author"I sighed"If I wasn't a Minsky I'd be an author.I wouldn't have majored in economics too,I guess you would be a chef?"

"Yes"He grinned and had this far off look in his eyes even though he was looking at me"A worldwide chef with branches literally everywhere!And I mean everywhere not that dumb American segregation mindset where worldwide means only USA,I'm talking Africa,Asia too because contrary to beliefs they're more civilized than people think"

"I'd cook my recipes and maybe I'll be a grump like Gordon Ramsey"

"I can imagine a big bad enforcer wolf heading a kitchen in white apparel and probably a bossy mouse under his chef hat"

"If I'm a big bad enforcer wolf then you're the mouse"His eyes twinkled and something in me warmed when he leaned in to tell his joke.

I giggled"I'm afraid my kitchen skills might just turn you into a firefighter"

He smiled,a full blown smile that revealed a dimple on his right cheek,gosh he was beautiful and smelled really nice too.

"I can teach you"He replied,that twinkle morphing into one of mischief in a second"I can teach you so many things,you know that right?"

"Okay,slutty Chef"

His ears tinged pink again and I flicked it,this surprised him and his fingers brushed against it quizzically"Did you just flick my ear?"

"Yes"I replied and hugged a pillow to myself"What are you gonna do about it?Bite me?"

"Not unless you want me to?"He smirked

"What if I want you too?"

The temperature heated between us,his face dangerously close to mine,just a slight brush and our lips would touch,my eyes fluttered close as I leaned in

"We should go to a party"

"A party?"I shrieked my eyes darting open as i recoiled in embarrassment

"It's our last night in Vegas,I can't let you leave without this experience"

I guess we're going to a party but not before I empty that pot of pasta!