Kitchen Temptation

Roy stood at the sink with his sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, warm water running over the plates Michelle passed to him. Steam curled upward, fogging the window slightly, carrying the lingering smell of garlic and roasted chicken through the kitchen.

Full didn't quite cover how he felt.

The meal had been incredible. Michelle had cooked like someone who'd been doing it for years, not a nineteen-year-old who'd spent the day figuring things out as she went. Roy could still taste the butter and herbs, the crisp skin on the chicken. His stomach was stretched tight enough that the waistband of his pants pressed uncomfortably into the soft curve of his belly.

A glance downward confirmed what he already knew. The pot belly had been there for years, slowly growing with office lunches and lazy evenings.

If Michelle fed him like that every day...

Roy huffed quietly to himself.

It would get bigger. A lot bigger.

Not the worst problem a man could have, he supposed, but still something to keep an eye on.

Michelle bumped his elbow lightly as she handed him another plate, smiling up at him in that bright, open way of hers. The kitchen suddenly felt a little smaller when she smiled like that.

Careful, he reminded himself. The wish had twisted reality around them in ways he still didn't fully understand. Michelle believed she belonged here. Believed she was his girlfriend. And he was glad for it. Having her as a part of his life was wonderful. But that didn't mean Roy could just lean into it without thinking.

Nineteen.

He was forty.

That kind of gap came with responsibility whether magic was involved or not.

Michelle was in a **** spot right now, even if she didn't realize it. New city. New life. And suddenly living with a man twice her age. The last thing Roy wanted was for her to feel like she had to earn her place here.

Plates clinked softly as he set the last one in the drying rack. Roy dried his hands slowly with a towel, glancing around the spotless kitchen Michelle had spent the day transforming.

"You know," he said thoughtfully, "I really love having you here."

The words surprised him a little even as he said them. Michelle froze for just a moment. Not long, but long enough for Roy to notice. A flash of worry flickered through his chest. Had he said too much?

Roy kept talking, softer now.

"I mean it. Coming home and seeing you here... it just feels right." His gaze drifted briefly toward the living room before returning to her. "I didn't expect that. I didn't expect to care this much, this fast."

Her eyes were wide now, focused entirely on him.

"But it's real," Roy continued quietly, realizing these truths deeper than he had before as he articulated them. "These feelings. Completely real."

His hand lifted awkwardly, gesturing around the apartment.

"And I appreciate everything you did today. The cleaning, the cooking, all of it. But you don't have to do all that to earn your place here, okay?"

Michelle blinked.

Then she burst out laughing.

The sound startled Roy.

"You're silly," she said.

Roy frowned, though the corners of his mouth tugged upward.

"Am I?"

"I'm not trying to win your favour," she said, shaking her head with amused disbelief. "I wanted to do that stuff. I was bored! And I like working. And I like taking care of you."

Her voice softened near the end.

"You make me feel special. I wanna make you feel special too."

Roy felt heat creep into his cheeks. Compliments had never been something he handled gracefully. A quiet, self-conscious chuckle escaped him.

"The only thing special about me," he said, "is the women I somehow end up with."

The thought had barely left his mouth when Michelle moved.

No hesitation. No warning. She kissed him.

Roy barely had time to register what was happening before her arms were around his shoulders and her lips were pressing against his again and again, breathless giggles escaping between kisses. A surprised sound slipped out of him before laughter followed it. Instinct took over and his arms wrapped around her in return.

Michelle kissed like someone discovering fire for the first time. Every movement full of excitement. Every touch eager.

Then Roy heard it.

The soft metallic sound of a zipper. His eyes opened just in time to see fabric slipping from her shoulders. The dress fell to the floor. Michelle nudged it aside with one bare foot.

Roy blinked.

Things were moving very quickly.

For a moment she paused, leaning close, smiling up at him with sparkling eyes.

"And cooking and cleaning," she murmured playfully, "isn't the only perk you get from having me as your girlfriend, Mister Man."

Her hands rested against his chest. Then she began to move. Slowly sliding downward until her knees touched the kitchen floor.

Roy's heart began to race. He had experienced this once before. Tabitha. The gas station restroom. The shock of it, the sheer disbelief that someone had wanted to do that for him. It had been incredible.

But this...

This felt different.

This was Michelle.

A woman he actually cared about.

And the sight of her kneeling there after everything he'd just been thinking about, power dynamics, responsibility, making sure she didn't feel like she had to prove herself, made something in Roy's chest tighten. Part of him was screaming to stop her, to reach down and take her by the hand. They could still have an intimate evening, sure, but when he was worried about her feeling pressured into pleasing him, this felt like too much.

But his body reacted faster than his worries. He could feel it immediately, the blood rushing into his groin, the urgent need to feel her take him into her mouth. As much as he wanted to stop her, he wanted her to keep going twice as badly.

Still, he felt that he needed to resist, at least a little. One small step backward. Another. The back of his hips bumped lightly against the countertop. Not rejection. Not exactly. Just... reflex.

Michelle didn't seem discouraged in the slightest. If anything, the movement only made her grin widen.

She crawled toward him. The sight of it made Roy's erection feel like it would rip his pants in two.

Cute, eager, determined.

Sexy.

Soon she was at his feet again. Small hands reached up. His belt buckle clicked softly as she unfastened it. Roy watched, almost frozen, as she worked with slow concentration. Button. Zipper. Each little motion careful, deliberate.

His pants loosened around his hips.

Michelle treated the moment with surprising seriousness, as though she were performing some kind of solemn ceremony. Fabric slid downward. The cool kitchen air brushed against him through the remaining layer of cloth.

Then her hand rested lightly against him through the fabric of his underwear. Her eyes lifted to meet his.

Bright.

Curious.

"Can I?" she asked.

Roy felt whatever resolve he'd been clinging to collapse like a sandcastle under a wave.

Looking down at her, he gave a small nod.

"Yes."

Michelle's smile spread instantly as her hands moved again.