AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Weird for longer than that tended to be blamed on the people and started trouble.
When everything was ready, we ate outside. Finn’s aura shined with joy when we sat down, and having been a foster kid, I understood how nice it was to have what most took for granted.
“Shit, this is extra,” he moaned after his first bite. He tried the salad next and shook his head. “I don’t know that I’ve ever had a salad this fresh.”
“It’s nice getting it right from the greenhouse,” I agreed. “When I helped Sia, she had a whole dance with restaurants and all these extra hoops to stay under the radar for such a large operation. It was impressive, but I was so jealous she could have everything to cook just about anything at her fingertips totally fresh. Unfortunately, she can’t cook.”
He snickered. “It’s such a weird thing that witches are either gifted cooks or just look at you like you’re nuts to suggest they do more than zap a meal.”
“Yeah, it is.” It was nice having him around and we had a fun meal, talking about plans and the next few days. Even if tomorrow was Easter, neither of us celebrated, and we just decided to get work done.
I swam for a bit while he cleaned up—which was really nice and something I wouldn’t take for granted—and then we took in his rental. All of it was good, working together after and he was an interested student.
But something changed and I missed what. The next morning, there was an air of… Challenge? I couldn’t put my finger on it. He came to breakfast shirtless, and I got that feeling of when I guy was trying to push my buttons to notice him.
Or I just needed more coffee. Probably that.
“Do you sleep?” he asked as he stared over all I’d done. He scrubbed his hand over his longer hair that was sticking up all over and looked sexier than guys who worked on theirs to try for that feel.
“I slept great,” I promised. “Just woke with ideas of what Meave was saying about catering and the party. I could use some input.”
He nodded and sat at the island counter, reaching for a piece of jam crumb cake but then froze. “Wait, what of this can I eat and not like zonk back out?”
He was so adorable how he asked and sounded so confused even though I couldn’t blame him for checking. “I don’t use emotion-infused jams for test cooking. I’d be all over the place and probably on the ground a complete mess.”
He nodded but glanced at me while he picked up the cake. “I thought you said it doesn’t work on you?”
“No, it works on me, believe me. I can’t use it to set my mood and then use magic to make the next batch. I can’t loop it like that, it all voids out.”
He made a noise as he took a bite and then moaned, likemoaned. “This is fucking amazing, Adrena. Holy shit. If you feed me like this, I’m going to need extra lists of what you want me to harvest so I work off the calories.”
“I can manage that,” I chuckled, really enjoying watching him dig into what I made. It was different than when Thora tasted my stuff. This was… Primal.
It made something pull low in my stomach and reminded me how sexy it was that a man truly enjoyed what I offered even if it was just my talent for cooking. I slid over the cheesecake next and he let out a deeper moan as he tried it.
“This isseriouslya winner.”
“Good. I was thinking of making a few pans of that with nostalgia or happiness and taking it over to the teacher I met yesterday, Sarah, so her students will be in a good mood when she brings up I’m looking for help. I already posted on one of the college online job boards that I was taking applications and resumes. I think I’m going to try and see who I can get for after school Monday.”
He nodded. “And walk them through a few basics like you did me and see who’s interested?”
“Exactly.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
I was hoping so. The timer went off and I pulled out an egg bake so we were having more than carbs and sugar for breakfast. He was totally into that too. It was cute but really sexy.
We cleaned up from breakfast and headed to the greenhouses, this time riding one of the ATVs I had at the house. He was really into the learning as I had been when I was younger, well a lot younger than him, but I didn’t think curiosityreally ever went away, and I always thought it was a good quality to have.
He had the brightest damn smile when he saw how to pop out the jaboticaba. He ate it out of my hand just like the little boy had done yesterday, and a boy Finn might still be, but little he was not. And I was a bit damp when he licked his lips and told me it was sweet while giving me a heated look.
So yeah, not like yesterday.
It made me want to show him the rest of everything—including my body—but I stuck to work, showing him how to eat lychees and mangosteen which was one of my favorites. Honestly, I loved most fruit and it was all my favorite. I didn’t want to overwhelm his palate, so for the moment we stuck with that and we got to picking.
“How did you learn all of this? I mean, I know it’s a profitable market niche as you can’t get these at just any store, but you seem to really be into it.”
I smiled sadly, focused on the mangosteen tree in front of me, thinking about the first one I’d ever seen.
