She hung up the phone and slowly turned to find Jake’s big doe eyes drinking her in. She was so used to sleeping in the nude and walking around her master suite naked that only now, by the heat in his eyes, did she think about her state of undress.

“What?”

“You’re beautiful. Do you know that?”

Dominique suddenly felt shy. She walked over to the settee, picked up the satin robe thrown across it, and covered herself. “I do all right.”

“I like running my hand through the twists in your hair. How long have you worn it natural?”

“I cut out my weave about three years ago. Was referred to a woman named Mati who specializes in locs and other natural styles. She changed my life. I’m thinking about letting them grow long.”

“They’re nice.”

“Thank you.” Again, that awkwardness, and now Dominique knew why. It was the compliments. She wasn’t used to them, not on a personal level. Because of her position, people were often full of flattery. She always felt that wasn’t as much about her as it was about what she could do for the person giving the compliments.

Jake sat up on the side of the bed. “Was that work?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re kicking me out?”

Dominique smiled. “Don’t you have to go to work as well?”

“I have to be there at noon.”

“Then I suggest you get moving. I’m going to take a shower.”

Fifteen minutes later Dominique stepped out of the bathroom, having washed away last night’s pleasures, covered herself in scented cocoa butter, and decided that maybe spending a little more time with Jake wouldn’t be so bad. She stopped upon seeing the empty bed and then sniffed the air. Is that food I smell? Dominique slipped on a silky kimono, placed her feet into the jeweled mules she wore around the house, and followed the scent. She was shocked to enter her kitchen and encounter what smelled like a home-cooked meal.

She walked over to where Jake stood stirring something on the stove, and looked over his shoulder. “Did you go to the store?”

“Didn’t know what you had in your house, I take it.”

“I don’t cook much.”

Jake simply looked over his shoulder at her and smiled. He placed a cover on the skillet and turned down the heat. “Can you handle watching the toast that’s in the oven? I’m going up to take a quick shower.”

A short time later, Jake and Dominique were sitting in her rarely used dining room, eating a well-prepared vegetable omelet, toast, jam, and juice.

“This is delicious,” Dominique said, after finishing a hearty bite of the egg, peppers, and onion concoction. “I would never have come up with it.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jake replied. “Your kitchen is a haven for processed foods. I was surprised to find the frozen vegetables.”