Free Eddie’s Prize by Maddy Barone

‘til later. Much later.”
    Lisa turned resolutely back to the kitchen. The table in the windowed nook was set with what would have been antique china even during her time, and a vase of autumn chrysanthemums was in the center. It was very pretty. A covered dish sat at one end of the table, little tendrils of steam escaping from under the lid, and a basket covered with a cloth was beside it. Maybe she was hungry after all, and not just for Eddie. Although, she smiled to herself, Eddie would make a great dessert.
    She could hear Eddie splash as he washed and allowed herself to visualize his lean muscled chest and narrow waist. His face was arrestingly handsome with its high cheekbones and perfect lips. But at the moment, it was the rest of him she was interested in. She had slept with several men in her life. Her lovers ran the spectrum from high school classmates to jaded Hollywood movie stars. Whoever they were, her lovers had one thing in common—she cared for each of them, if only for a little while. Eddie was no different. She had only known him for a day, but she already liked him. Tonight she would go to bed with him happily. He was, after all, her husband. A handsome husband with a body so sexy a movie star would envy it. Lisa closed her eyes to savor the slow burn that spread through her body. She wanted his sexy body pressing into hers in the worst way.
    Eddie came back into the kitchen with his hair damp and tousled, wearing a fresh shirt and a smile. He put a light hand on her back and seated her at the table with the grace of a gentleman. He smelled of strong soap with a hint of lavender. Lavender was not a scent she ever associated with a man, but it was good on him.
    Eddie looked at the place setting at the opposite side of the table with a small frown. It wasn’t a big table, but he seemed to mentally measure the distance between their plates until he pushed the serving dishes to the middle and moved the other plate setting close to hers.
    “Our first supper,” he breathed, picking up her hand to kiss the back. “Let me serve you this first time.”
    Lisa thought the roast beef in gravy with potatoes was a bit fatty, but warm and filling after a long day. There were corn and biscuits, which seemed like over-kill on starch, and the apple pie for dessert brought the calorie count way over her limit. When she tried to take only small portions, Eddie piled more onto her plate, telling her she didn’t need to stint. This was their wedding supper, and she couldn’t expect so much food at every meal. Eddie wasn’t the sort of guy to chat while eating. He ate neatly but steadily, devouring what was on his plate without talking. Looking at the mound of food he consumed and comparing it to his lean narrow belly, she couldn’t imagine where he put it.
    As soon as he was done eating, he offered to help with dishes.
    “Because I don’t want us to waste any time,” he said meaningfully.
    “We could let them sit until morning,” she suggested, wondering if her foot was too cold to slide into his lap.
    Apparently he liked rules and schedules because he shook his head. “Better do it tonight so we don’t need to worry about anything except us later. Right? I’ll heat the water.”
    Right. No dishwasher in 2064. It took a while for the kettle to heat, and while it did, Eddie showed her where their cold box was and how to store leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Lisa shuddered. No refrigerator and no microwave. Did he expect her to be able to cook?
    Together they washed the dishes, dried them, and put them away. That was sort of fun. Eddie talked to her about the animals he worked with. She thought it was interesting Eddie was a veterinarian who loved his job. When the last plate was put away, Eddie took her towel from her hands and leaned in for a gentle kiss.
    “Why don’t I bank the fires while you get ready for bed,” he murmured into her ear.
    An eager quiver went through her. She kissed him back, letting