AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was mysterious, and yet I knew what she was and what she could do.
More than that, I knew there were feelings for me in there, despite our differences.
“Why do you like me?”
She chuckled. “You just asked me a question.”
“And I’m asking you another.”
“Are you demanding my response?”
I added the liquid parts of the recipe to the bowl and swirled them with my fingers. “Is that a problem?”
“Only if you don’t ask nicely.”
“Aren’t I nice to you all the time, little Lanthie?”
The blushing commenced in a way that made me want to keep teasing her. But I gave her a rest for a moment, realizing she needed some of her brain to finish making our dinner. Once the oven was heated and the cake batter was in a tin, I helped her set the table. I returned to the oven to place the cake inside and then washed my hands. Mentally, I knew the cake would be ready once we were done eating.
Though the smells were enticing, and the plates were prepared to fine dining perfection, there was something else I hungered for at the moment. And she was sitting right across from me. I had to push through my desire just to take a bite of the rare steak she had made for me. Juice coated my tongue along with enticing spices and a touch of her love.
Yeah, there was love in here. There were plenty of things that existed between us that hadn’t been unearthed. There were things I wanted to say without saying them, things I wanted to recognize that were too scary to say out loud.
But Galanthia wasn’t bothered by the silence. She was visibly content to eat without speaking, perfectly balanced by the sound of the oven clicking every so often. When our plates were clear of food, she gathered them and set them in the sink, immediately diving into the cleaning process.
I caught her hand. “You can rest. You don’t need to do everything.”
“I could say the same to you.”
“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t talking about the kitchen mess?”
My internal clock beeped. I pulled on a glove and pulled the cake from the oven, delighted by the smell of it. Galanthia too was engulfed by the delicious sight, and I hadn’t even applied the chocolate icing.
I handed her the tub of icing. “Help me with it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Goosebumps flooded my torso as I grabbed two large offset spatulas. “That’s what I like to hear.”
My mouth was about to get me into trouble. I had to behave. I had to be good. She wanted to talk and have dinner, not ravish each other.
I glanced at her.It wouldn’t hurt to flirt, right?
Galanthia helped me with the cake. She rotated the plate carefully as we applied icing, moving in synchronized motions that enticed me. Women like Galanthia just didn’t exist outside of Silverdawn. After a few failed dates, I’d realized I wouldn’t ever be able to bond with someone over baking, or anything for that matter.
But she was open to me. She was careful with her tools. She was willing to let me take the lead even if neither of us had decided who would do what. Once the cake was finished, I noticed the mess we had made in the process with globs of chocolate on the counter and on our bodies.
I snickered while plucking a bit of it from her cheek. She watched with heated intensity as I sucked the chocolate from my finger, tattoos coming to life again with such brilliant gold that it made me wonder what else would light up her eyes.
No. Bad.I reached for another blob of chocolate.You’re just horny because you’re sad.
Galanthia cupped my cheek, rubbing her thumb over what was likely a chocolate mess. She raised the digit to her lips and slowly licked away the chocolate while holding my gaze.
“I won’t do that,” she whispered. “I won’t hurt you.”
“But you already have.”
Yep, there went another boat of words I didn’t want to say. Just complete and utter crap was leaving my mouth these days. Being around Galanthia opened me up too much. I had to shut things down. I had to lock the door and throw away the key. Locks were useful in my brain, more so than in my home.
