When I open the door for Nas, seeing him takes me by surprise all over again. He stands at the door wearing an all-black button up with dark gray pants, and the world’s most gorgeous smile. In one hand is a large black duffel bag, containing whatever food he intends to cook for us tonight, and in the other is a single long-stemmed rose that looks as if it just bloomed this morning before being plucked and brought to my doorstep. The moment I see it, Nas extends his hand and gives it to me.

“Good evening, Alina,” he says as I take the rose from his hand and bring it to my nose. “You look incredible as always. It’s nice to see you again.”

“Thank you,” I answer with a smile I try to contain but it grows too fast. “You look good, too, but I think you know that.”

Nas smiles, and I think I even see him blush a little. “Thank you. Can I come in?”

“Of course.”

I step out of the way and let Nas walk into my living room, the smell of his cologne finding its way into my nose as he strides in and looks around, nodding.

“You have a nice place,” he says as I close the door behind us. “Everything is clean and neat. You must be very disciplined.”

“Disciplined? That’s an interesting word choice for somebody who writes BDSM. Did you think I wouldn’t catch that, Nas?”

Nas smiles as he eyes the kitchen and steps that way. “I knew you would.”

Sexual tension is born in the middle of the room as both of us smile to ourselves as we head into the kitchen, where Nas places his duffel bag on the counter and starts to pull out platters covered with foil and Tupperwear dishes filled with sides. My eyes immediately go to the green beans in one platter, and the freshly baked macaroni and cheese in another, just as the strong and delicious scent of multiple seasonings takes over. It’s obvious Nas knows a thing or two about cooking, and he arranges his dishes neat and orderly on the counter as if everything has to have its place, even though it’s my kitchen. As he puts it all together, I remember the main character from The Patient being methodical about where things went, almost to the point of being completely anal. It played into how and why he’s a Dom. It’s a need to control your surroundings and put things just the way you want them. It seems Nas wrote a lot of himself into Dr. Malcolm Colson.

“So, how was the rest of your day?” Nas asks, and I look up to find him eyeing me carefully. “Anymore trouble with your ex?”

I smile as the memory of what happened on the phone today comes back to me.