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“Dry?” Jasmine supplied.
“Yes.”
Jasmine smiled. “I like the sweet wines the best too.”
Aaron poured her a glass of white wine. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” First, the legs, and now wine. Brynn was surprising him at every turn tonight. What had changed?
“The meatballs can go in the oven now,” Atlas instructed.
Pippa set her drink on the island. “That’s me.”
Brynn slowly sipped her wine, as if savoring every note.
“Okay, Mason, you can shut the sauce off and everyone can gather round the island here. I’ll show you how to make bow tie pasta, or as we Italians call it, farfalle.” Atlas waved them over to the mixer, picked up the silver attachment, then placed it on the KitchenAid.
Aaron moved behind Brynn, wrapping his arm around her waist, and she relaxed against him. They’d come so far from the woman who flinched away and couldn’t even be in the same room as him.
Atlas walked them through how to feed the dough into the machine, starting at level one and turning the knob to get the pasta as thin as a three or four on the dial, depending on what type they were making. But Aaron couldn’t look away from the beauty in his arms. He treasured this gift. Brynn’s long eyelashes almost touched her cheeks each time she blinked. And she had a smattering of light freckles on either side of her button nose. His palm skidded over her stomach, electric heat unfurling inside him.
Her breathing hitched.
Aaron leaned in, taking a lungful of her sweet floral scent.
She sipped her wine as Pippa took the first turn making pasta. Aaron swirled his thumb back and forth over Brynn’s belly, not moving his hand. She pressed closer to him, as if they were magnets drawn together, two unstoppable forces. He had no control over his cock. The moment she’d come down the stairs with those bare legs, he’d been half hard.
With her pressing against him, there was no way she wouldn’t feel what she was doing to him. So why isn’t she moving away? Unless . . . Did she like knowing she had this reaction from him? Was this her way of telling him she was ready for more?
She took another sip of her wine, then placed it on the counter as she took her turn with the pasta.
The front of his body tingled where she’d been. He curved forward, as if every cell in his body couldn’t resist the pull towards her.
I need to get myself under control. I can’t scare her away. Slow and steady.
If only his cock would get that memo.
Dinner was full of laughs and fun stories. Brynn didn’t share much, but she listened and joined in the merriment. She’d drained her glass and had another. Her hands roamed up and down Aaron’s thigh. It must be the alcohol, though, because Brynn had never been so forward with him before. He’d kissed her temple, and her cheek tonight, but he didn’t dare go for more, afraid of losing himself in her honey-tinged lips.
“This was a lot of fun. We’ll have to do it again,” Mason said, looking between Atlas and Aaron.
“Absolutely.” Atlas pulled on his coat, then grabbed Jasmine’s.
“Maybe I could pay you to come to the center some time and teach a culinary arts class to the kids who are interested?” Aaron asked Atlas.
“Sure. We’re closed Mondays and Tuesdays, so one of those days would be good. I’d be happy to volunteer an afternoon.”
They all turned towards the women who were laughing and hugging goodbye. Jasmine leaned in to whisper something to Brynn who turned her back to the men as she spoke into Jasmine’s ear.
“I’m glad we had an excuse to get away for a few hours. Pippa needed this,” Mason noted.
“Brynn too,” Aaron agreed. It was wonderful to see her eyes lighting up throughout the night.
Mason zipped his coat. “I can bring Dani back in the afternoon. I have a feeling they’ll be up all night and will then need a sleep-in.”
“I appreciate it. Dani has therapy at two, so any time before one is good. Next time they can come here,” Aaron suggested.
“Sounds like a plan.”
