Taming the Street Racer ✔️

40 | birthday girl

Gracie tells us that her other soccer friend Allison offered to have her mom pick up Gracie and take her to Talia's. I call the number in my phone that I have for Allison's mom to confirm the plan and to make sure the story checks out.  Twenty minutes later, Gracie is packed and on her way to her very first sleepover. I swear I see a tear slip from Gray's eye as Allison's mom's car drives away.

Then it's just Gray and me. Alone. On my birthday. My mind goes wild with possibilities.

Gray leans against the kitchen counter, folding his arms across his chest and watching me. "Well," he says, "I guess I better get started on dinner. Dinner for two now."

I walk into the kitchen and slide up onto the counter, watching as he starts cooking. I twist a flirtatious tone into my voice. "So you're a street racer, a stock trader, and a cook? Is there anything you can't do?"

He stops for a second and moves his body close to mine, placing arms on both sides of my body. His eyes are on my lips as he speaks, "You tell me, birthday girl."

I lean over to kiss him but he's already gone, getting busy preparing our food. I sigh, knowing he's going to drive me insane tonight. "At least tell me what you're making. It is my birthday, after all..."

He laughs, turned away from me and focusing on boiling water. "You'll find out in thirty minutes, babe. Are you going to help me or not?"

I hop off the counter and come up behind him, hugging him and peering over his shoulder. "No, I think I'll just annoy you while you cook." He turns his head and I feel his cool breath on my face. Watching him being so focused on cooking just makes me want to distract him even more.

"It wasn't a question as much as a demand," he says raspily, turning back to his task. He's literally just boiling water right now. He grabs two tomatos from the counter and presses them into my hand. "Chop these."

"Yes, chef." I snatch the tomatos from his hand playfully, grabbing a knife from the drawer. I place a chopping board next to him and start cutting the tomatos. "Just letting you know, you just gave me a deadly weapon. I don't think you thought this through."

Gray just shakes his head and taps my ass with his wooden spoon. "You're distracting me from my craft. Would you do this to Gordon Ramsay while he's preparing a meal?"

"There are many things I'd do to you that I wouldn't do to Gordon Ramsay. Things I can't say in front of Chewie," I mumble under my breath. From the way his breath staggers for a second, I know he heard me loud and clear. I smile to myself.

I finish chopping tomatos just as Gray pours something into the water. He turns his body in a way that keeps me from seeing what he's pouring into the pot. I slide the chopping board of chopped tomato toward him, then kiss his shoulder.

"I'm still not telling you what I'm making," he says, a smile in his voice. "I'm focused."

I kiss his neck before walking away. "We'll see about that, Gray."

For a few minutes, I curl up on the couch with Chewie, scratching him behind the ear and listening to Gray cook behind me. Then I get an idea--a way to relieve some of the sexual tension that's been building up all afternoon. I grab my overnight bag from the floor and slip into the bathroom, making sure to close the door loudly to let Gray know that I'm up to something.

When I come out, I quietly put Chewie in Gray's room and shut the door, not wanting him to see what's about to happen. Then I sneak up quietly into the kitchen and lean my hip against the island counter, folding my hands behind my back. I clear my throat loudly, effectively getting Gray's attention. He turns away from where he's plating our food and drops the wooden spoon in his hand.