Play Maker(35)

I was almost completely submerged in the enormous tub, the smell of lavender surrounding me. This was complete and utter heaven. Don’t get too comfortable, I told myself, but it was hard not to feel a little jealous of someone like James who experienced such opulence on a regular basis and probably didn’t even realize how lucky he was. Just another reminder of how different we were. He would probably laugh at my apartment, which was barely larger than this bathroom. But I didn’t want to think about that now. Closing my eyes, I let the events of the day dissolve into the hot water. I felt my stress leave my body as I floated there, completely lost in the sheer indulgence of the moment. I had never felt so relaxed, so calm. It was wonderful.

It wasn’t until I heard the gentle knock on the door that I realized I had actually fallen asleep. I shot up in the tub immediately.

“Yes?” I called out, my voice a little raspy.

“No rush,” James’ sexy accent came through the door. “Just wanted to let you know that the food was here.”

“Ok, thanks,” I responded, feeling some of my tension return. What was I doing? First the tub and now dinner? I was breaking so many of my own rules. And for what? A nice bath and a meal?

Oh, but what a bath it was. My treacherous tummy also gave an encouraging growl. I was hungry. No, I was starving. Why had I left my dinner uneaten on the kitchen table? I had been so tired and worn from the day that I hadn’t felt like eating then. I tried to remember what I had had for breakfast but couldn’t remember. Had I eaten anything that day?

Realizing I had stupidly flung my clothes at James before stepping into the bathroom, I drained the tub and dried off with one of the billions of lavender scented towels. For a minute, I thought of walking out of the bathroom in a towel, or less, but then my stomach growled again. I was hungry and should probably eat something before I jumped James’ bones. Two robes hung on the back of the bathroom door. It was amazingly soft and fluffy, like a cloud. But I couldn’t ignore the feeling that had settled in my chest. The feeling that I didn’t belong here, in the expensive robe, in the expensive room, with a guy like James. I peeked out of the bathroom. I couldn’t see him – or food – anywhere.

Then his head popped out of the bedroom.

“Hey.” He grinned and my knees went a little weak. “How was your bath?”

“It was great,” I told him honestly, feeling strangely nervous. Somehow I felt more naked than I had when I had been actually naked in front of him. It didn’t make sense. I twisted my damp hair into a bun at the nap of my neck.

“I put the food in here,” he said, gesturing for me to join him.

I was about to ask why, but when I came into the bedroom and saw what he had ordered, the question died on my lips. I stared. The entire bed was hidden by trays of food. I stared at all the dishes, covered with gleaming silver tops. He must have ordered the entire room service menu.

“I couldn’t decide what to get,” he told me, guiding me over to the bed. “And when it arrived there wasn’t anywhere else I could fit it all. Besides,” he gave me a boyish grin. “I’ve always loved eating in bed.”

Oh, I know, I thought, remembering all the ways we had devoured each other on this bed in the past. But those naughty thoughts of mine were overcome by my hungry stomach, which was now completely focused on the enticing scents wafting up from the covered trays on the bed. It was exactly how it was in the movies, those big dramatic domed tops, the silver polished so keenly I could see myself in them.

I was starving.

And yet, I hovered in the doorway, not really sure how to proceed. This was so extravagant and so generous that I wasn’t sure what to do with it all.

James put his hands on my shoulders.

“I forgot most of what I ordered, but I’m pretty sure there’s an order or two of those waffles I’ve heard so much about. All we have to do is find them,” he teased.

“Is that a challenge?” I glanced back at him, eager to fall back on the playful, casual tone that I had become accustom to. That I was comfortable with.

There was a twinkle in James’ eye. “First one to the waffles gets the cherry on top.”

“Deal.” I ducked away from him, grabbing the closest tray to me and lifting it up.

It revealed a plate of roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and asparagus. It smelled incredible, but it wasn’t the waffles. On my right, James had reached for another covered tray. Beneath it was a piece of blueberry pie with a dish of ice cream. The buttery scent of the crust and the sweetness of the berries made my mouth water, but it wasn’t the waffles. We kept going around the bed, revealing tray after tray of delicious offerings, but still no waffles. Finally, I heard James crow in triumph.

“Victory is mine!” He lifted the tray of waffles in the air.

But as he was celebrating, I uncovered the last tray on the bed and found another order of waffles.

“And mine!” I showed him the second tray.

Before I could stop him, though, he had reached over and snatched the cherry from the top of my waffles and popped it into his mouth.

“Hey!” I objected as he then quickly ate the cherry off of his. “That’s not fair.”

He just grinned at me, looking too gorgeous for his own good. “All’s fair in love and waffles.”

The word ‘love’ hovered between the two of us, inflating the room with a strange tension.