Haunted by the Past

Chapter 17: Enigma

Copyright 2018 © Rosesareforever      

Haunted by the Past

Chapter 17

Enigma

It was a quarter past seven when Stephanie walked into David's apartment, calling out his name as she let herself in. The clerk at the entrance had immediately granted her access to the premises. Apparently, she was on the list of people that had free access to the apartment. She hadn't known. She should've. Of course, David would list her name, seeing as she'd been living at his place for weeks before she left.

Taking a quick look around, she realized that he hadn't arrived home yet. Strange. His meeting must have run late. Making herself comfortable, she settled on the couch and turned on some music, closing her eyes. It had been a long, dreadful day. While she was glad to be back at work, she couldn't say she'd missed her boss. Neal was still the same asshole as he'd always been. Part of her was grateful that he hadn't changed his demeanor towards her after she'd gotten hurt, the other part despised his arrogant attitude.

The door opened with a screech, ending Stephanie's thought process as her attention was shifted to the man entering the apartment. He looked delicious, wearing a tailored suit, his hair tousled. "Hi," she announced, sitting a little straighter.

David looked up in surprise before a smile stretched his features. "Hi honey, I'm home," he joked, putting his briefcase down and unbuttoning his coat.

Stephanie shook her head, grinning, watching his every move. "You're late," she admonished.

His eyes caught hers. "I wouldn't have been had I known a beautiful woman was waiting for me."

She nodded. "I should've texted."

David lifted his shoulders. "You can come here whenever you want. You don't need permission."

"But I do," she objected. "It's your home."

Walking towards her, David easily lifted her from the couch as if she weighed nothing and settled her on the railing between his legs. "You're welcome in my home whenever you want to be here," he repeated, then kissed her softly, silencing her protest.

Stephanie's heart skipped a beat. He was getting way too good at charming her pants off and effectively finishing their arguments. Distracting her with kisses was his favorite occupation. "That's cheating," she breathed as he nipped at her shoulder with his teeth, pushing her blouse aside to expose more skin.

"It's being productive," David corrected as he ran his hands up and down her side.

Stephanie leaned back, careful not to lose her balance. "You have an answer for everything."

Chuckling, David took a step back and walked towards the kitchen island. "What are you in the mood for?" he asked as he started to pull open cabinets.

"You decide," she told him as she pushed herself off the couch and stood up.

Half an hour later they were sitting across the table from each other, a bowl of mac 'n cheese in front of them. "This is heaven," Stephanie declared, still awed by David's cooking skills. It was strange to find a man who was so capable of taking care of himself. He kept surprising her. She'd honestly always believed that he had a housekeeper who did all his cooking and cleaning.

"So...," Stephanie started, knowing it was a risk to commence a sore subject. "You've been married."

David dropped his fork, the metal clinking against the floor with a thud. Looking up, Stephanie stared into his startled eyes. Her breathing staggered. "I have been," he eventually replied, his shoulders sagging.