AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But I worried I might not be able to resist him.
I didn’t think I was being overly presumptuous. Sure, Jack had mentioned repeatedly that we needed to look out for one another, which is why he took care of me the way that he did.
Me not being able to resist wasn’t to say that I knew he was attracted to me or even wanted something serious himself. But there was no way I could ignore the looks I’d seen on his face several times now. He didn’t just look at me, he studied me. And I couldn’t discount the way it felt when he touched me.
Jack held me in a way that I imagined a man would and should hold the special woman in his life. I’d have been lying if I said that being wrapped up in his arms didn’t leave me with an overwhelming sense of longing.
In the interest of self-preservation, though, I had to keep it together tonight.
Dinner and dessert.
That was all this would be.
Since Jack was cooking, I had expected that we’d just eat at his place, but he insisted on bringing it over to me. Apparently, he wasn’t ready for me to go out in the cold so soon after I’d been sick, and I found that to be incredibly sweet of him.
So, I was here with the dessert I’d made—peanut butter bars—and I was impatiently waiting for him to arrive.
As though on cue, a knock came at my door.
I didn’t want to be overly excited about this, but I was. My belly was a bundle of nerves, and I thought that was strange for a girl who’d promised herself that this was going to be strictly a friendly dinner between two neighbors.
I opened the door and felt the chilly air stinging my face almost immediately. “Hi,” I greeted Jack, as I stepped back to allow him to come inside.
“Hey,” he returned, carrying two reusable grocery bags.
Jack set the bags down, removed his boots at the front door, then carried the bags to the kitchen. Whatever he had made smelled delicious.
“How are you feeling today?”
God, he was such a good guy. He was still concerned about me, even after he knew that I’d turned a corner two days ago.
I couldn’t hold back a smile, but I forced myself to keep the tone of my voice neutral when I answered, “I’m so much better. And I’ve got my appetite back, too.”
Jack reached inside one bag and replied, “That’s good. I was hoping you’d be hungry.”
I purposely ate an early lunch today so that I’d be ready to indulge in whatever he decided to bring for dinner tonight.
“What did you make for dinner?” I asked, hoping I sounded interested, but not as eager as I felt inside.
Pulling out a covered glass baking dish, he answered, “My mom’s lasagna recipe. It comes with salad and a side of garlic bread topped with cheese. What’s for dessert?”
“My grandma’s peanut butter bar recipe.” His face lit up, and I loved the look of it so much, I added, “They have a chewy cookie base with lots of peanut butter flavor. Then, they’re topped with a layer of creamy peanut butter before I spread a thin coat of chocolate frosting on them.”
Following a beat of silence, Jack declared, “If it weren’t for the fact that I was worried about you having not eaten well for a few days while you were sick, I’d say we should skip dinner and go straight to the dessert.”
I bit the corner of my lip to stifle a smile. Jack’s eyes dropped to it, giving me another sign that he might have intentions of this not being a dinner meant for just two friendly neighbors. And I had to admit that it was taking everything inside me not to suggest we skip dinner and dessert and go right to a different kind of main course.
Ignoring the way that made me feel, I said, “I really want to try your lasagna. Plus, I’m starving.”
His features warmed. “We’ll eat dinner first.”
Before he arrived, I’d gone about setting the table, but since I didn’t know what he had planned to bring, I had to grab a few extra items for the table.
Within minutes, the two of us were sitting across from each other, and it was one of the most exciting moments I’d experienced in quite some time.
After Jack and I had each put some food on our plates, I didn’t hesitate to dive in. I also didn’t hold myself back from moaning the moment I tasted the lasagna.
“This is delicious,” I commended him.
