I stand up. “Sure, of course.” I shake my head, feeling like an idiot.
For the next thirty minutes, Mikayla directs me to the spice rack to pick out all the different flavorings she wants to add to the dishes she’s making. Thank God my mother got all the spices, so I have everything Mikayla asks for.
I show her where the dishes are, the pots and pans, then I sit back and watch as she makes chicken with a balsamic vinegar reductionsauce and roasted veggies from the oven.
For the first time since I moved in here, my house feels like a home. I take in the beautiful woman in my kitchen, the scent of garlic and rosemary and other spices I’ve never experienced before swimming in the air around us.
“It’s nothing special,” she says with a wink, repeating what I said earlier about my house. And I can’t help but smile back.
I take a bite and close my eyes at the flavors that rush over me. I’ve never had anything like it. There are hints of rosemary and thyme mixed with the balsamic glaze that she lightly added to the dish.
“This is amazing!” I say once I’ve swallowed my first bite.
“I’m glad you like it.” Mikayla gives me a smile while we eat in companionable silence.
Once we finish our meal, I take our dishes, and to my surprise, Mikayla comes over to actually try to clean them.
“I’m cleaning, you cooked,” I tell her, placing my body at the large sink and nudging her out of the way.
“I can dry and put them away,” she suggests.
“No, go sit and call your brother so he knows where you are,” I demand.
“You’re so bossy,” she complains. “But fine, I do need to call him.”
I smile when she walks to the counter and sits down with her cell phone.
Chapter Fourteen
Mikayla
Have you ever felt so comfortable with someone that it made you uncomfortable?
Caine is… well, simultaneously unsettling and comforting. It’s very confusing. I’m not exactly sure how to feel.
I’m having a difficult time defining what the deal is between us. We don’t know each other yet, but at the same time, he feels very familiar. And the way he held my hand in the car… I just stare at my hand as I remember the warmth of his simple touch. Itcomforted me. Yet, it also did other things.
The reason the conversation upset me when he asked about my car is that it was due for service the day my father passed away.
It’s a strange thing to recall. But a reality that I can’t ignore. It’s odd that it makes me sad, and now every time I think about my car, I think about my dad. Not that I need another thing to make me think of him. He’s never far from my heart.
But Caine sensed my sadness and held my hand. I know it was nothing more than an empathetic gesture, but even after the moment passed, he kept my hand in his. Every time his thumb skimmed over my knuckles, tingles moved up my arm, giving me goosebumps.
It doesn’t matter what my body feels for this man because it can’t be anything. He made that abundantly clear at dinner. I don’t know what happened in his past to make him so adamant about wanting to be alone, but if a woman as beautiful as Pamela couldn’t sway him, my big ass certainly won’t.
Not available,I remind myself.
I pick up my phone and call Jack, since that’s what I’m supposed to be doing… Caine is certainly bossy. He has the big brother… do what I say thing down pat. I picture him shaking his finger in my face and giggle.
“Hey, Micky!” Jack says excitedly into the phone when he answers.
“Hi! How are you?” I ask, matching his enthusiasm.
“I’m good. Work has been crazy this week. But whatever, how did the NCLEX go?” he asks, brushing his shit aside like it doesn’t matter.
“The test went well, I think. What’s wrong at work?” I ask, my brow furrowed in worry.
“We just have a lot going on now, but it’s fine. Really! It’s just work, you know? Where are you now? On your way to California?”
