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laughed, “Um, I’m pretty
sure you have that backwards.  You did all the work and I am not complaining.” 
     
    Chuckling, he told her, “I need
to feed you but I’m going to collect myself for a bit first.”  With that, he
stretched them both out and pulled the comforter over them.  She was pulled to
the crook of his shoulder, finding she liked that very much.  They settled into
a comfortable silence.
     
    After a while, she said,
“Seriously though, thank you, Sean.”
     
    “For what?” he asked
sincerely.  “I haven’t done anything you haven’t returned and then some.  I
feel better than I have in forever.”
     
    “For not scaring me.  For
being part of my dissertation.  For being a gentleman.  For being such a
considerate and fantastic lover and ending my dry-spell with fireworks. 
Just…thanks.”
     
    He didn’t say anything for a
moment, stroking his fingertips along her bare shoulder.  “You’re welcome,
Riya.  Thank you for being here.  And being so much more than I could have
imagined.  You’re a seriously cool woman.”  She glanced up at him and smiled. 
His hazel eyes were lovely and bright.  When she’d met him, she’d sworn they
were grayer, but now they seemed green.  “I really should feed you,
sweetheart.” 
     
    Sean placed a kiss on her
lips before getting up and padding into the closet.  She was very
appreciative of the view as he roamed around naked.  He came back with a
button down shirt and told her to throw it on while he made lunch.  She
took it with a smile. 
     
    He pulled on an old pair of
basketball shorts and headed to the kitchen.  She climbed from the bed,
resisting the urge to lie back against the cream sheets.  In the bathroom,
she washed her face, pulled a brush through her hair, and cleaned up before
pulling Sean’s shirt on and following him. 
     
    He’d turned on the stereo
and The Eagles were just beginning Take it to the Limit .  The song
certainly was fitting, she thought with a smile.  She stood in the doorway of
the kitchen, watching him for several moments before he became aware. 
     
    Sean was barefoot,
bare-chested, and his hair was ruffled.  He was cracking eggs into a bowl and
there were already two piles of diced ingredients on the cutting board. 
He grinned at her when she entered and watched her as she took a seat on the
opposite side of the counter. 
     
    She asked him a few
questions as he cooked and it didn’t seem to distract him at all.  “How
has dating been since your divorce?” 
     
    He sent her a half-smirk
before replying, “I’ve had dates…sometimes I think too many…but I haven’t
really dated since my divorce.  There’s a difference.”
     
    “You’re saying you’ve had
sexual relationships without commitment.  May I ask if that was a
conscious choice?  Did the women you dated feel the same way?”  She
watched the conflict play out over his face.  “No judgment, Sean.”
     
    He cleared his throat,
suddenly slightly uncomfortable.  “I don’t lie, ever.  I suppose
there were a few women along the way who thought they could change my mind, but
I didn’t lead them on.  I didn’t want them living with me, I discouraged
overnight stays, and I didn’t rearrange my schedule for them…that kind of
thing.” 
     
    Riya found that hard to
reconcile with the man who’d asked her to sleep in his bed, cleared a drawer
for her, and for all intents and purposes, would be spending time with her
alone the majority of the next seven days. 
     
    “My turn.”  He tossed
diced ham over the eggs he’d scrambled and poured into the frying pan.  “Tell
me how you got to this, your dissertation.  I’ve been curious about your
inspiration since I found the website.”
     
    “Tawny keeps asking me
that.  Generally, I come up with some story about an ex-boyfriend, trying to
understand men as a separate species and all that.”  He set a glass of iced tea
in front of her.  “The real