Fell In Love With My Roomy Chapter 137

Soon I hear the steps down to our door and the key turning in the lock. I smooth my hands over my dress as I watch him come inside. He's got his fancy black Patagonia winter coat on, backpack over his shoulder. He looks tired; he's been doing school all day and he's been texting me, promising me he'll come to see me as soon as he's done since he left.

"Juls!" He calls and then promptly stops in the entryway, eyebrows pulling together.

"Hi," I nearly whisper, giving him a grin, and his lips part.

He takes in the room, looking confused, but still happy. Like he was in disbelief.

"What'd you get up to this afternoon, huh?" He teases, and I press my lips together, feeling my head getting dizzy. I love him when he looks like this, all college student.

"Nothing much," I tease, and he chuckles, tossing his bag.

"C'mere, sweetheart," he says, and I watch a smile quirk up the corner of his mouth. I hurry over, and he picks me up, giving me a quick spin.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" I whisper with a quiet laugh, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he answers, looking pleased. He gives me a quick kiss and then sets me back on my feet. "You're gorgeous," he insists, and I feel a giggle escape my throat. "I didn't know you had this planned."

"It was a spur-of-the-moment surprise," I shrug. "I hope that's okay."

"Sure, baby, it's great," he shrugs. "I thought about bringing you to dinner—"

"Actually, I thought... thought I could cook dinner," I answer, feeling my cheeks flush. "Or we could, you know, together. I got the stuff to make a pasta dish."

"Yeah, I'd like that," he nods with an easy smile. "Just... what about Mark and Kyle?"

"I already asked, and they said the apartment's ours tonight," I whisper, putting my hands on his chest, and he raises his eyebrows. "Now come on, take off your coat. It's my turn to be the romantic one."

He chuckles, unzipping it to reveal a black hoodie, and I walk to the kitchen, opening the fridge to find the ingredients and parts for the dinner I had planned.

"One sec," he says, and I nod, watching him disappear to his room.

I set everything out in its proper steps and turn on our speaker, putting on an easy cute playlist for our evening.

"Okay, we can start," he says, and I twist around, seeing him in a grey dress shirt and slacks. He sets a large box down on the table beside my gift to him, and my lips part. "What? You're not the only one who knows how to dress up."

"Touché," I tease as he walks back around the island. He grabs my waist, pulling me towards him, and I laugh, wrapping my arms around his neck. "My god, you're hot," I whisper, and he chuckles.

"That's my line," he whispers back, lips brushing mine, and I smile. "Which you are, by the way."

"I tried," I shrug.

"Look, baby, I'm so sorry I didn't do more to plan today, my day was busy, and... I didn't know what to do for you," he mumbles, shaking his head. "I know how you feel about this day, and I've never had a Valentine's day before, I don't know how they work and—"

"Nothing felt right?" I ask quietly, and he blinks, like that was exactly what he was planning to say next.

"Yeah," he admits, and I smile.

"I didn't either," I shrug. "I had Abby help me think of something, so we can thank her," I tell him, and he raises his eyebrows. "I know this is a big day for you school-wise. I also know you spent all weekend doing nice things, and that my birthday's in six days; that's a bit much to expect," I remind him, and he sighs. "You're here, I'm here, and we're going to have fun. So start acting like it."

"Alright," he chuckles, and I lean up, pressing a kiss to his lips. "So, master chef, what do we do first?" He asks, and I grin.

"We mince two shallots and three Roma tomatoes," I tell him, gesturing to the cutting board. "Or you can heat the oil in the pan and measure some chicken stock."

"I'll do that," he shrugs, and I nod, feeling him kiss my cheek.

I carefully dice the veggies, watching him follow through the instructions I give out loud. This was something Dad taught me to make a long time ago; it was sort of a risotto-style pasta dish.

He finishes his part and leans back against the counter, watching me mince the garlic too. I look over my shoulder for a second, and he meets my eyes with a big grin.

I feel him move behind me a second later, hands going around my waist. He grins into my neck, and I press my lips together.

"Do you need help with something?" I whisper, finishing my light garlic mince, and he shakes his head.

"Nope," he mumbles, pressing his lips to my shoulder, and I laugh quietly.

I move out of his grasp a second later, going to the stove, and I try hard to keep the flush in my cheeks back. He's so flirty sometimes that it's impossible to ignore him.

"There's a bottle of wine in the fridge if you want," I shrug.

"Wow, you really went all out," he teases. "Trying to seduce me, huh?" He asks, and I hear the fridge door open.

"Isn't that what you do on Valentine's Day?" I ask, tossing the garlic and shallots into the oil, stirring them around.

"I don't know, this is my first one," he says, and I hear him pull the glass bottle out, shutting the door again. "No matter what, I think that should be what we do on Valentine's Day."

I smirk, stirring things some more, and then I add the tomatoes. I hear him untwist the cap and find two glasses in the cupboard. The wine slowly glugs into them, and I turn to accept the glass from him.

"Here's to us," I whisper, tapping mine against his, and he puts his arm around my waist.

"To us," he nods. "God, I love you," he adds, pressing his lips to my temple, and my body warms considerably.

"I love you too," I whisper, leaning into him a bit.

I go back to dinner, adding some stock and the mostly uncooked pasta to the pan with some of the wine from the bottle. I let it simmer, keeping my eyes peeled for when it was time for more stock.

I feel his hand roam down to my butt, and I gasp a bit, clearing my throat. I expect it to stay there, but it passes down to my skirt, lifting it slightly.

"Kent!"

"What?" He asks in a light teasing voice, and I swat his hand away.

"I'm focusing," I warn, and he rolls his eyes, moving his hand up my back instead, and I feel my dress cover my butt again.

"You worry too much," he whispers, and I chuckle, moving the food around in the pan again. "You know, this is kind of fun."

"What? Messing with me while I cook?"

"Well, yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about," he laughs. "I mean.....this, cooking dinner, a bottle of wine, just you and me."

"Yeah, I know," I whisper. "Mark called it 'playing house' while I was on the phone earlier," I explain, and he raises his eyebrows.

"Some parts of it still exist every day," he shrugs, setting his glass down and placing both his hands on my waist. "Getting to come home and see you, sleep in the same bed."

"You like those things, huh?" I ask quietly, and he presses his lips to my shoulder.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he answers, sweeping my hair off my neck and lightly kissing it. My knees nearly buckle at his comments, and I lick my lips, dumping in the last of the stock.

"Your sweetness is showing," I tease, and he chuckles softly, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I know," he mumbles. "But that's okay."

"Mmm, I love you," I whisper with a small laugh. He laughs softly into the side of my neck, and for a moment, my mind skips ahead.

I see us doing this again, a few years from now in our own place. Fifteen years from now when he comes home from work. I see me remembering moments like this when we're older. I've never thought much about where my future would take me; I always just assumed it was where my research did. I know now that it's wherever he goes.

The food finishes cooking, and I silently wish it needed longer. I liked standing here with him like this.

I pull it off the heat and grab two bowls out of the cupboard, serving some for each of us.

"Take your wine and let's go to the table," I whisper, kissing his cheek, and he nods.