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"I don't mind."
"I love your house. And the view is to die for."
"Thanks. That's what sold me on it."
I wanted to be near the ocean, and this property was the first to come up. It was far too big for one person, but I hadn't wanted to wait longer. The kitchen opened up to a formal dining area, and a tall breakfast bar separated the two spaces. I pointed to one of the two tall chairs under the counter, and said, "You can sit there while I cook."
"What's on the menu, chef?" Lori climbed on the stool and drummed her palms on the counter, eyeing the double oven on the other side. I leaned with an elbow against the surface, placing my other hand on the short backrest of Lori's chair.
"I have chicken legs. Could whip up a tomato sauce and boil brown rice. I also have pasta. Like gorgonzola sauce? I know an excellent recipe with cream and a mix of gorgonzola cheese and parmesan."
She wrinkled her nose. "Chicken with tomato sauce sounds good."
"You really want to go for the pasta, though."
"How could you tell?"
"Body language. So, why say no to something you want?"
"Oh my God, you can't corrupt me like that. Of course I'll go for the pasta."
She laughed, and seeing her plump lips open up like that for me made me wonder what else I could corrupt her to do. I came closer, moving my hand from the backrest to her back. Lori straightened but didn't pull away.
"I'm very good at corrupting."
She laughed again and tilted her head to one side. "And you had me all convinced you like to follow the straight and narrow path."
"What gave you that impression?"
"Not sure." She licked her lower lip, and I nearly closed the distance and kissed her. Then she averted her gaze, so I backed off. What the hell was I doing, anyway? I moved through the kitchen and took out all the ingredients, starting to prepare our dinner.
"Wow, you really cook!" Lori exclaimed while I was chopping onion.
"Yeah. It relaxes me. You thought I'd invite you in for frozen pizza?"
"That possibility crossed my mind." I heard the smile in her voice and looked at her over my shoulder.
"Your bar is pretty low, isn't it? Let's see if I can impress you."
"Game on, chef."
From where I was standing, I had a direct view of her long legs under the counter. Her skirt reached just over her knees, and my fingertips itched with the impulse to touch her and push the fabric all the way up her thighs. How smooth would her skin be? How delicious would she taste?
"How long have you known Matt and Amber?" she asked, effectively cutting through my thoughts. I set the sauce to simmer and turned to face her.
"Since middle school. They're my best friends."
"It's very sweet of you to pay for their wedding menus."
"I have another surprise up my sleeve, but I'm keeping mum on that."
"Tell me," she beckoned, but I shook my head. "You're doing this on purpose."
"Of course I am. Payback for doubting my cooking skills."
She broke out into a full-on belly laughter that filled the whole kitchen. I couldn't look away from those full lips, those long legs.
Once the food was cooked, we took everything outside on the deck. It was immense. She was right; the ceremony could easily take place here. I had a rattan couch on one side, and a table for six next to it. We ate at the table.
