Free Mirepoix (A Recipe Of Love Book 1) by Paige Conners Page A

Be good. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Remember the safe word is banana.” She blows me a kiss as she walks out the door knowing it will automatically lock behind her.
    “Well she’s unique.”
    “Yeah she’s one of a kind, I’m lucky she’s my hetero life-mate.”
     

10
    As soon as Lindsay leaves, I find myself sitting on my island with Joe standing between my legs. I’m still not positive how it happened, he must be a superhero, maybe a ninja. He is a superhero ninja! Clearly the only explanation of how I went from standing to being on the counter in a second. He is also a giant. I’m sitting on the counter and he is finally at eye level to me. His hair is down brushing past his shoulders and I find myself fascinated by the shiny strands, I wonder if they will feel like cool silk in my hands or maybe soft and warm.
    No, bad Frankie! Don’t think about how flirty he is being, he embarrassed you. I feel myself shutting down and pulling back remembering how I felt walking home. The avalanche of self doubt is starting, right now there’s just a warning rumble but I know what’s coming. My shoulders pull forward as I try to curl in on myself. I tilt my head so that if my hair weren’t knotted up I could hide behind it. My hands start shaking so I sit on them to hide them.
    “Stop.” I feel the warmth of his hand on the side of my neck, his thumb rubbing my jaw. He is trying to be gentle with me and tilt my face to his. I can’t stand to see what’s in his eyes so I stubbornly try to keep my face down. His other hand comes up and mirrors its twin, with both hands he is able to tilt my face back and force eye contact. Instead of the pity or disappointment I brace myself to see, his eyes are blazing with anger and lust.
    “Frankie I said stop. We have a lot to talk about in order to get things straightened out. I want you to look at me so that you can’t take something the wrong way, you can see what I’m feeling and not twist my words. I’m not normally so blunt but I think I need to be so that you understand where I’m at in my head regarding you.”
    He stops speaking and is looking me straight in the eye. I can’t nod to let him know I understand because of the hold he has on my face. Even if he wasn’t holding my head I don’t think I could have moved. I’m paralyzed with shock. I’m the field mouse that stays frozen hoping the hawk that’s circling won’t be able to see it anymore.
    “Now I will explain about the other day and lunch. Then we will figure out how we can make this work. I’ve thought long and hard and we need to have an open honest discussion about our needs before we try. I also need to learn your triggers because I don’t want to see you curl in on yourself like you just did because of a misunderstanding.”  He tells me while maintaining the most direct eye contact I have ever experienced.
    “I was never told you were there. What’s her name took it upon herself to decide I wouldn’t want to be bothered, when she brought the food back she told me you just dropped it off. I tried calling you to find out why you didn’t stay but Anthony cleared up the confusion for me. Now I can’t promise not to be too busy for you in the future but I promise I will never use someone else to blow you off. I will explain to you myself if there’s a reason I can’t be interrupted. Do you believe me honey?” His voice is slow and deep as he tells me this, I can hear and see in his voice that he regrets any pain this caused me.
    “I believe she lied to me and that you will blow me off yourself. I also believe that your hostess is a bitch and wants you for herself, therefore she’ll do anything she can to sabotage us.” I try to pull away so that I can drop eye contact, I don’t want him to be able to see the pain that thought causes. She’s probably more his type, a bubbly blonde bimbo. I would say she’s more secure in herself than I am, but she clearly isn’t if she’s