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“Being in the kitchen is relaxing to me. Therapeutic as well. I forget all my troubles.” As the mixture began to bubble, she turned off the heat. She filled their mugs and added a generous shot of alcohol.
“Don’t worry. I’m not driving.” He chuckled. “The car is.”
Grimacing at his ridiculous attempt at humor, she gave him a little extra splash.
She dolloped cream on each beverage, sprinkled on more spice, drizzled chocolate across the top, and then garnished with cinnamon sticks.
“Is this a drink or dessert?”
“Yes.”
Together they laughed, creating a bond more intimate than anything they’d shared so far. “Would you like to move to the living room? It’s more comfortable.”
Once they did, she curled into the far corner of the couch.
He sat on the middle cushion, not crowding her but at the same time, not giving her room to stretch out.
Hayes lifted his cup in her direction. Responding to his unspoken suggestion, she touched her rim to his.
He took a sip and nodded his appreciation. “This is amazing.” Then he coughed. “Holy…”
“You told me to bring on the spice.”Sir.She lowered her head, and her hair fell forward to shield her face and hopefully hide her grin.
“Damn. The chiles snuck up on me.”
“It’s meant to. The heat will build for a moment, then mellow. You get all the notes of the flavor that way. Makes it richer and more complex.”
“Maybe like the chef herself?”
“I’m hardly a chef.”
“Does it describe your personality?”
“I’ll leave it to you to decide.”
They fell into companionable silence, watching the tree lights blink on and off.
By the time she drained her mug, sleep threatened to pull her under. Tipping back her head, she closed her eyes.
She had no intention of drifting off, but when she reopened her eyes, Hayes was in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher.
Shocked, she stood. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re worn out.”
“You didn’t have to—”
“Yeah. I did.” Drying his hands on a towel, he looked in her direction. “Only fair after you did all that work.”
Abigail didn’t recall ever being so well cared for by a man, and she savored the experience. “You’re spoiling me.”
“I’m guessing it’s about damn time someone did.”
Does it come with a price?If so, was she willing to pay it?
He dropped the towel, then walked toward her. “That was the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had.” He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
That sent her soaring in a whole different way than his earlier sizzling possession.
