A week before their high school graduation, Ellie's boyfriend walked her to her door and kissed her goodnight, just like any other night. But there was nothing ordinary about what followed. Austin disappeared without a trace, never to be seen again...
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I woke up to the smell of bacon and despite everything that had happened over the last 24 hours; I was smiling. So much had changed in such a short amount of time, and I still didn't know the complete story, but from what they'd told me, they were living a nightmare. That was, however, not what had me smiling. Being with Austin did.
I found him in the kitchen, in front of the stove, scrambling eggs. He had his back to me, so I took a second to appreciate just how good he looked. It was hard not to compare this serious grown-up version of him to when he'd been a high school senior full of dreams and easy smiles. But regardless of who he was, his presence made my heart beat faster.
His short, dark hair glistened in the morning sun and his tanned skin stood in stark contrast to the white t-shirt. I stared at the muscles in his back and shoulders, at how they moved and flexed as he whipped the whisk around. The fact that he knew how to cook just added a big plus to his already overflowing sex appeal. Yeah, this man could convince me to do almost anything, unless it was to leave him alone. I was pretty sure I'd never be able to do that again.
And that was a big problem.
With a last glance at the basketball shorts that hinted at the tight ass I knew he had, and the long muscular legs, I made a conscious effort to focus on what he was doing instead of how he looked.
"Good morning," I said after clearing my voice, and stepped over to the counter next to him.
"Good morning," he responded, and turned his head to face me. There was a soft smile on his beautiful face, but he looked tired. And I noticed he hadn't bothered to shave.
"The eggs will be done in a minute. There's coffee over there," he said and gestured to a coffee pot in the corner.
I must have grimaced because he laughed. "I don't have any tea, Ellie."
"Oh," it shocked me that he remembered. "That's okay."
"Maybe the bacon will do," he suggested and pushed a plate of crispy bacon towards me.
"Bacon always helps."
I bit into one of the crispy pieces while I watched him pour the egg mix into the sizzling frying pan like he was some kind of breakfast expert. The confidence he had in the kitchen, among other places, was sexy. I had to swallow down the sudden thirst that had nothing to do with my want for a cup of breakfast tea.
Damn, I really needed to get a grip. My plan for closure was not working out the way I'd planned it to.
"Can I help with anything?" I offered, after making a conscious effort to focus on breakfast instead of the gorgeous man in front of me.
"I'm not sure if the bread is still good, but it's in the big drawer next to the fridge. If it is, can you drop a couple of pieces in the toaster?"
