Page 51 of Somebody To Love

“You’re so mean. That tidbit of information wasn’t in your eval.”

I frowned. “You’ve seen my evaluation?” How had that happened? I thought only Sylvia had access to the clients’ evaluations. And surely, she didn’t release that info to prospective dates?

“I’m saying that it must have not been in there, otherwise you wouldn’t have been paired with me, you know, someone so decent and kind.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Decent and kind? How about conceited and secretive?”

He seemed to think about my description of him and said, “Hmmm...maybe you’re right.” Then he stood up abruptly. “Dinner’s ready.”

“That fast?”

He gave me a beautiful smile. “What can I say? I’m gifted at many things, as you know.” He gave me a suggestive look and I rolled my eyes.

“You’re ridiculous,” I said as he pulled out a dining room chair for me to sit down. As I sat down he scooted my chair in and kissed my cheek. “I am ridiculous, but you love it.”

He turned away and finished getting dinner prepared and I just took that moment to stare at him. My whole body was aware of him. It was like whenever he was around, every cell of my body tensed.

He looked good tonight, wearing just a casual pair of shorts and a plain white tee. That plain white tee didn’t disguise the fact that he had great shoulders. I remembered what it felt like that night to wrap my arms around those shoulders. And at that moment, he turned around and sent me a knowing smile. I promptly looked elsewhere. He appeared beside me and started placing plates on the table.

“I saw you checking me out,” he said casually.

“I wasn’t checking you out.”

“Then what would you call it?”

“I was staring, spacing out in boredom, and you happened to be in my line of vision.”

“Ouch, are you saying that I’m boring?”

“If the shoe fits...”

He gave a bark of laughter and squeezed my shoulder. I shifted away from his touch. God, even a casual touch from him lit me on fire.

“Oh, I’m sorry.. .are we still not doing that no touching thing?”

“Yep.”

“That’s a shame. There’s so much of you I would like to touch. Or kiss,” he said, looking at my lips.

I nervously licked them and he followed the motion with his eyes. “Stop tempting me.”

He turned away and I fought back a smile. I was glad my no touching rule was hard for him too. He finished setting the table without another word and then he sat down across from me.

“So this is the masterpiece I created based on the paltry offerings in your refrigerator.”

And he was right it was a masterpiece. And to think that he had made all of this with some leftover herbs, half a box of pasta and a few tomatoes.

“This is wow, yeah, a masterpiece. I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” I teased.

I helped myself to a plate of it and dug in. “This is delicious. My compliments to the chef.”

“Thank you.”

“Maybe this can be your fall back career. You know when you retire.”

“I don’t plan on retiring.”

I looked at him in surprise. “You plan to work the rest of your life?”