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“Yes, just like that.” It was pathetic how my cheeks flushed red at the pride in his voice and I was grateful he couldn’t see me blushing like a stupid schoolgirl with a crush on the star quarterback.
He stepped back, and I relaxed, able to breathe normally again.
“Now take the dough and roll it out into small balls.” I did as I was told while he watched. “Put them on the baking sheet and flatten them a bit.”
“How long in the oven?”
“About ten minutes. Maybe a touch longer, but we’ll see.”
I placed the tray in the oven and closed the door, praying they tasted as good as the ones Cole made. We quickly tidied up the kitchen and when the buzzer went off, Cole grinned at me.
“Now it’s time to eat what we baked!”
He grabbed the oven gloves and opened the oven door. The scent of cocoa wafted out and my stomach growled loudly. Cole snorted with laughter while I cringed. God, I’d done nothing but eat since I arrived here. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be piling on weight. Just like Brent warned me would happen.
My tummy had already gone from concave to gently curved, and my cheeks were no longer as gaunt when I looked in the bathroom mirror. As much as I wanted to forget about all the awful things Brent had said over the years, it was hard. But as Cole slid the cookies we’d made on to a wire rack to cool down, I realized I no longer cared what Brent thought.
I knew Silas found me attractive. He was constantly telling me how pretty I was, how blue my eyes were, and how he loved it when I smiled. I also hadn’t missed the way Cole looked at me when he thought I wasn’t watching.
Truth be told, I enjoyed their attention, and they had been nothing but respectful. The only one who’d pushed my boundaries was Tanner. But that was before he knew who I was, so I didn’t hold it against him. Maybe he treated all women like that. I hoped not, but not all men were nice, as I knew to my cost.
But I wasn’t thinking about Tanner or the way he’d made me ache deep inside. I was ignoring him and pretending he didn’t exist.
“Here, you get to try the first one, Eva.” Cole folded his brawny arms across his chest and I tried not to admire the way his biceps bulged and the tee-shirt he wore rode up, revealing a tempting strip of golden skin just above his belt.
“Erm…OK.” I reached for a cookie. It was still warm and when I bit through the crunchy outside, the chocolate flavor exploded on my tongue. Oh my god, this was so good!
My first time baking hadn’t been a disaster after all. Seeing the surprised on my face, Cole laughed.
“Good, eh? I told you cookies were easy!”
“Cookies?” drawled a deep, oh-so-sexy voice. I looked up to see Tanner leaning against the door frame, shirtless, his corded arms and muscular chest covered in ink. The mouthful of cookie I was chewing solidified to concrete, and I struggled to force it down without choking.
“I’ve been teaching Eva how to bake cookies.” Cole grinned at me, ignoring the sudden tension in the room.
“Can I have one of your…cookies, Eva?” Tanner asked as he stepped into the room. I knew he was deliberately trying to make me feel uncomfortable. My cheeks flushed fire engine red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
“Sure, try not to choke to death.” My sharp rebuke surprised not only myself.
“I see our kitten has claws.” Tanner smirked as he reached out for a cookie. He bit into it while raking his gaze down my body. I wanted to run away, but forced myself to stay.
The man was an asshole and I refused to let him upset me. Cole was here, so nothing was going to happen. I could handle this.
“Delicious,” Tanner purred with a smile as his eyes lingered on the curve of my breasts beneath the shirt I wore.
“No more cookies.” Cole slapped Tanner’s hand as he reached for another. “They’re Eva’s and she gets to eat them all.”
Tanner pretended to pout, and I tried not to grin. He was an asshole, but something about him drew me in. Just like all of them did, but for different reasons.
Cole was the nurturing one. Silas made me laugh. And Tanner…well I sensed his darkness, and I instinctively understood it was rooted in pain.
I knew all about pain.
Eva
The illuminated numbers on the clock next to my bed told me it was after 3 AM. Outside, the wind howled and thick snow lashed the window. The forecast storm had started mid-afternoon and would last a couple of days, at the very least.
We were perfectly safe up here, Cole had reassured me, but it didn’t stop me worrying about stupid shit like what would happen if a tree fell on the cabin? Or the generator broke, leaving us with no power?
