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Kendrick pulled the chicken out of the fryer and plated the pieces. in a plastic basket. Then he pulled the fries out, which Sanjay hadn’t seen him cook. “God, that smells so good.”
“Hungry?” Kendrick slid the basket to him. “I can make another batch really quick. Why don’t you take a break and eat.”
“Hells yes,” Sanjay said. “I can’t remember the last time I ate.”
He wasn’t going to argue about being fed, though he felt guilty for taking someone’s order. Now that person was going to have to wait a little longer.
But Sanjay didn’t feel so guilty that he’d turn the food away. Once the chicken cooled enough, he sank a wing into his mouth, moaning at just how delicious it tasted.
Kendrick winked. “Right?”
“I don’t know what you used to season this, but you should sell the seasoning in a store.” Sanjay popped a few fries into his mouth.
“Nah. I don’t need the money.” Kenderick lowered another batch into the fryer, along with some fries. “It’s my mom’s secret recipe, anyway.”
Sanjay caught the hint of sadness in Kendrick’s voice but didn’t pry. “You’ve got to at least give me a small bottle full of it. I can fry up my own food and make it taste as amazing as this.”
“Thanks.” Kendrick said. “I appreciate how much you like it.”
“I’m not pandering to you.” Sanjay scarfed down another wing. “It’s the truth. I don’t think I’ve ever had wings this good. I can taste paprika and something smokey.”
Kendrick chuckled. “You’re not getting me to spill my secret, Sanjay. I’ll take the recipe to my grave.”
“You can’t blame me for trying.” Sanjay stopped talking and devoured the rest of his food. He even licked his fingers when he was done. “That hit the spot. You give Deep Dish a run for its money.”
“No way,” Kendrick said. “Roman is an amazing cook.”
“So are you,” Sanjay said. “Don’t doubt your skills, Kendrick.”
Kendrick went into the fridge and pulled out a small cocktail glass full of banana pudding and gave it to Sanjay. When Sanjay took a bite, he moaned again. Kendrick should have been working in a five-star restaurant. Sanjay hoped the people of Midnight Falls appreciated the guy’s talent.
As the night wore on, the bar grew more crowded. Laughter and conversation filled the air, along with the mouthwatering smells of sizzling meat and fresh-baked bread. Sanjay found himself getting lost in the rhythm of cooking, forgetting about his problems.
Jake walked into the kitchen. “Hey, guys, how’s it going?” He looked at Sanjay. “I see Kendrick gave you the job of taste-testing.”
“I’ll have you know I’ve been sweating my balls off in here,” Sanjay said as he licked the spoon. “We’re caught up on orders.”
“I got caught up on orders. You helped get the pot roast ready,” Kendrick said.
“And ate an amazing dinner.” Sanjay scraped the cocktail glass to see if he could get any more pudding out of it. “I’ll gladly taste-test for you anytime.”
Jake wrapped his arms around Sanjay, giving him a small kiss. “I like the way you just licked that.”
“I’m not old enough to hear this,” Kendrick said from the fryer. “You’re hurting my delicate ears.”
“Kendrick, Sanjay is my mate,” Jake said.
“Seriously?” Kendrick grinned. “Congrats to both of you.”
“Thanks.” Sanjay twisted in Jake’s arms to get to his cocktail glass so he could get another bite of the banana pudding. Wait. There wasn’t any more. Drat.
Jake leaned forward and licked the side of Sanjay’s mouth, sending waves of need through Sanjay. “You had a little pudding there.”
“So you decided to use your tongue to clean it up?” Sanjay asked.
“Didn’t want it to go to waste.”
“I can still hear you two,” Kendrick said. “This is a kitchen, not a hotel room.”
