“Great! Now move on to the tomatoes.” She pressed the basket into my hands.
“Tomatoes?” My face fell.
“Call me if you need me.” With those words, she walked into the dining room.
I raised my eyes to Tynan, who looked at me with a teasing smile.
“The whole basket. Why do you even need so many tomatoes?” I mumbled.
Instead of answering, Tynan picked up the second cutting board and another kitchen knife that was much smaller than mine.
“What are you –” I stared at him in surprise.
His competent fingers made quick, confident cuts and in a matter of three seconds, he moved on to another one.
“How?” I returned to my cutting board determined to speed up my process.
While I was wrestling with the wet and slippery skin of my tomato, he finished cutting all of them. When I tried to mimic his movement, the knife slipped and landed on my thumb. I gasped, feeling the sharp sting of pain.
Almost immediately Tynan was right in front of me, examining my wound.
“Here,” he said in a low voice.
I forgot about my cut when he rinsed my hand in cold water, and the next moment he sat me up on a kitchen counter. I watched him looking through the cupboards.
“What are you looking for?” I asked, enjoying his attention more than I should have.
“I saw some clean cloths. Here.” He took out his knife and easily cut a thin strip of fabric.
I watched him examine the wound before carefully wrapping the material around my thumb.
“Thank you,” I whispered, staring at his face.
He moved closer, standing between my legs, I leaned in for a kiss but he only pecked my nose, moving away.
“Not fair,” I protested.
“And this, too,” Frid walked in and paused, looking at the two of us.
Tynan accepted the basket.
“Is that all?” he asked.
“Yes,” Frid answered, her curious eyes shifting from me to Tynan.
The dinner was loud and disorganized. We still did not have a kitchen table and Grace scolded Victor about it, as Frid was dying laughing. Sol and his girl were sitting close together, whispering to each other, oblivious to everything around them.
I was seated on one of the remaining chairs while Tynan sat cross legged on the floor beside me. My eyes kept returning to the handsome curve of his neck, the shape of his beautiful eyelashes, his strong profile. From time to time, his hand landed on my knee almost absent-mindedly, in such a familiar, intimate way that it made my insides melt.
After dinner, all of us made it to one of the cliffs where Victor and Tynan built a bonfire and Angela took out two bottles of wine from her canvas bag.
I smiled, enjoying the dim light of the moon and the countless stars up above. I was comfortable and warm, snuggled on Tynan’s lap. For the first time in a while he appeared relaxed; the hard, guarded expression he usually carried changed into something more calm and secure. His hand was holding a bottle of wine and a lazy smile played on his lips, as he listened to Victor entertain us with stories from when they were young. The umber of his eyes reflected the wild dance of the flames and I knew right then and there that I had never been in love with anyone or anything before Tynan. The overwhelming feeling descended on me all at once, and the next moment, there was not enough air to take a breath. I closed my eyes, leaning back on his chest, placing my head on his shoulder.
If I died right now, this minute, I would not have any regrets because I knew what it was to be happy.
I felt a tear rolling down my face. As if he knew what was on my mind, Tynan’s fingers touched the moist skin on my cheek. Slowly, he moved his head, brushing his mouth against mine, as if we had all the time in the world. Suddenly, his soft caress and the taste of sour wine on his lips was all that mattered. The moment was absolutely magical, and soul crushing. And it was all mine.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
