AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It smells great in here.” He presses a kiss to my cheek before brewing himself another cup of coffee. “Thank you for making breakfast.”
“Don’t get too excited yet. I made the pancakes from scratch.”
Carter’s eyebrows wing up. “And nothing was burned. Nicely done, Smoky.”
“Shut up.” I laugh.
We both load up our plates. I’ve got several pancakes on my plate while Carter has a modest three. We sit at his breakfast bar, that same easiness settling between us that’s always there. Carter takes a bite of his pancakes and freezes. He chews quickly and then audibly swallows.
“They’re horrible, aren’t they?” I take a bite out of my stack and immediately spit them back out. “Oh, Jesus. What did I do?”
I have to take a big gulp of coffee to try and wash the taste out of my mouth. “Why are they so bitter?”
“Do you mind if I look at your recipe?” Carter asks.
I hand over my phone to him, and he reads through it. He frowns as if he’s not sure what could’ve caused it. Then he studies the pancakes themselves. “How much baking powder did you put in?”
I think back. “Three tablespoons, I think? That’s what the recipe said.”
“Oh, Smoky,” Carter laughs. He hands me back my phone and prompts me to look at it again.
I read through the ingredients list again. “Oh… Oops.” I bite my lip when I look at him. I was only supposed to be three teaspoons in. Not three tablespoons. “In my defense, I had to put a tablespoon of sugar and two tablespoons of oil in. I just sorta assumed I was supposed to keep the tablespoon theme going.”
Carter throws his head back in laughter. It makes me grin at him, even though he’s laughing at me.
“Come here.” He puts his hand on the back of my neck and pulls me into a kiss that sends me into a tailspin. Fuck me, I think I could love this guy with my whole being. Stop it. Now is not the time for those thoughts.
When he pulls away, his face is flushed with desire, and it takes everything in me not to jump his bones. “If you didn’t have to work today, I’d be taking you to the floor,” I rumble.
“Fuck,” he whispers. Then he shakes his head to clear it of the lust. He stands up with our plates in hand. Since our eggs were the only edible thing I made, those were already gone.
Carter puts the dishes in the sink and then pulls out a toaster from a cabinet. He pops in bread for both of us to toast. I’m mesmerized by his confidence in the kitchen.
“One day, I will make you a meal that will blow your mind,” I say with determination.
“Yes, you will, and I can’t wait.” He smiles at me with such softness I know he genuinely believes me. “I’ll have to think of some recipes to make together. It could be fun to see what we’re able to create.”
I grin. “I like that idea.”
Carter finds the manila envelope on his counter. “What’s this?”
“Oh, yeah. I had to run out to my truck to get my overnight bag and found that on your front porch.”
“Hmm. That’s odd.” He opens the flap and frowns at the contents. “Do you know what this means?” He hands me the sheet of paper.
Back off now or you’re going to regret it.
“Back off of what?” I ask.
Carter shrugs. “I have no clue. Do you think it’s just a prank or something?”
“Could be. Do you want me to call Cooper Jackson and get his opinion?” I know Carter went to school with Cooper, and with him being Sonoma’s police chief, there aren’t many other people I’d trust with something like this.
“No. I’ll hold on to it just in case, but I’m betting it’s just some prank or something.”
“Okay. Let me clean up from breakfast, and then I’ll let you get back to your day.” I start on the dishes with Carter’s help. I didn’t make too big of a mess with my pancake attempt, so we’re able to get them cleaned up quickly. Then suddenly I’ve got my stuff gathered and no desire to leave.
Carter lingers next to me with his hands in his pockets. He seems just as hesitant about me leaving as I am. “What are you up to today?”
