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Brock snickered. “She looked ridiculous. I would have let it stay there, but I didn’t think she’d want bugs flocking to the sugar left behind.”
So that was what he’d witnessed. Knowing didn’t make him feel any better. Brock had been the first to get into a steady relationship. There was no telling what might happen the more time he spent with Jessica.
Ian cleared his throat and reached for an English muffin. He buttered it before placing it on his plate. “The surprises keep coming, don’t they?”
Jessica gave him a confused look.
“Your talents in the kitchen. I didn’t realize you knew your way around as well as you do. What else do you like to make?” He took a bite out of his muffin, the buttery flavor melting in his mouth.
She shrugged. “I make a lot of things. Since my mom was always working, I learned a lot about cooking through trial and error.” She held out her mug to him. “Here, try this. It was one of the first things I learned to make.”
Brock snorted. “If you ask me, hot chocolate isn’t all that difficult. Cocoa powder, sugar and milk. That’s all it takes.”
Jessica shook her head. “No, this is different. You should try yours too.”
The two men brought their mugs to their lips and took a sip. Jessica’s attention shifted from one to the other. She had a small smile on her face, like she couldn’t wait for them to rave about it.
Brock lifted his shoulder. “Okay, it’s better than I thought it would be.”
A burst of creamy milk chocolate assaulted Ian’s tastebuds. It was warm, not too hot, like a cashmere sweater on a cool autumn morning. The whipped cream only added to the richness of the flavor. But there was a hint of something else he couldn’t quite figure out. He smacked his lips and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Howdidyou make this?”
Jessica winked at him. “A chef never reveals her secrets.” She leaned closer to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Her lips moved to his ear and she whispered, “Maybe one day I’ll let you in on some of them.”
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He still couldn’t get over the way she could make his body react to her. If this wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was.
Love. Yes, he’d tried the word out multiple times in his head. He wasn’t ready to bring the feeling up to Jessica, though. He knew her well enough to understand that one word could scare her off. She might be able to handle running from a bunch of drug dealers, but she wouldn’t be able to cope with how serious his feelings had become.
He knew how ridiculous it all sounded. But it was like he’d told her already; he didn’t fall easily. For him to even be attracted to her was an anomaly. So he could trust his gut when it insisted there was something serious developing between them. Maybe, if he could be so blessed, something even better than what his parents had.
