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Maybe it was because it was a genuine attraction.
Or perhaps it was because I couldn’t ignore the way my belly dipped when he looked at me.
“So, what’s going on here?” Jesse asked as he moved in my direction with his eyes focused on the display behind me.
I turned slightly, keeping my eyes on him until he came to a stop beside me.
Okay.
Okay, so it was the way he smelled, too. I wished I knew more about guy’s fragrances, because I didn’t know how to describe what he smelled like other than to note I liked it a lot. Unsure that I’d ever be able to stand this close to him again, I wanted to be able to find something that would remind me of him. I already knew how easy it was to forget the things that I promised myself I wouldn’t.
“We’re testing hot sauces,” Cristina answered.
I was baffled by her ability to be unaffected by Jesse. How did she just offer up an answer like it was no big deal to be speaking to him?
“Testing hot sauces?” he repeated.
“Yep.”
“And what’s the consensus?” he asked.
“We haven’t gotten that far,” Janelle revealed.
His brows pulled together. “Why not?”
“Faye,” Cristina declared.
Jesse’s eyes went to his cousin, who had resumed her position directly across from me. “What’s wrong with you?”
She swept her hand out in front of her, allowing it to stop on me. “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m completely sane. It’s my friend Sawyer that has gone bonkers.”
In the next instant, I felt Jesse’s gaze on me. Though I was terrified I’d make a fool of myself, I twisted my neck and looked up at him. “Is it true? Are you crazy?”
I shook my head.
“She is,” Faye insisted.
Jesse’s lips twitched. “Why would my cousin say something like that about you?”
By some miracle, I found my voice. “Because she’s convinced that by trying something new, she’ll be traumatized for life. Apparently, she’s not very daring.”
A curious look washed over his face. “And you are?”
I shrugged. “I’m trying to be, but I’m not sure hot sauce consumption fits the bill.”
Without being asked, Jesse picked a chicken tender up off of my plate. Then, he dipped it into the sauce at the end of the line, the one deemed to be the hottest, before he popped it into his mouth.
He chewed for a few seconds, nodding as he did it. Without revealing anything about how his mouth felt, Jesse picked up another tender, dipped it in the same sauce and held it up to my mouth. “Let’s see what you think,” he urged.
I swallowed hard. This was far too intimate of a gesture for me to handle. I was tempted to take the food from between his fingers to feed myself, but just as I was about to do it, I remembered that I was supposed to be living my best, most joyful life. I was supposed to be bold and daring. So, I parted my lips and allowed Jesse to place the chicken on my tongue.
He removed his hand and watched me as I chewed.
Nerves built in belly.
And a moment later, he asked, “So, what do you think?”
“It’s a little spicy,” I admitted.
