Just a Taste by Shannyn Schroeder

anything, but I haven’t been in there. I’m trying to decide if that’s because I’ve been busy with everything else or if I’ve intentionally avoided it.”
    Liam stepped closer and rubbed a hand on her back. “A little of both, I suspect. After my dad died, it took me a long time to be able to go back to the pub, but now, it’s the one place that I go to feel close to him.”
    She nodded and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of his hand stroking her back. He abruptly stopped and it was like being jerked awake from an excellent dream. She heard his coffee cup hit the trash can, so she opened her eyes and walked out the back door, still cradling her cup to keep her hands warm.
    She unlocked the truck and popped the window open. She led the way into the back of the truck and flipped on the lights. Cold air blew in through the window and Carmen shivered. When Liam stepped up beside her, she began a quick tour of the equipment. Liam followed first with his eyes, but then began to move and shift to get the feel for how everything was situated. He spun and turned and reached, keeping his stance wide. The man damn near filled the entire truck. It was possible that he might not be able to have someone work with him because he took up so much room.
    Then without warning, he turned and bent over, to search the refrigerated compartments and storage. His ass thrust right at Carmen and she couldn’t look away from the way his jeans hugged him. Lord, what was she thinking? She shook her head and stepped back, trying to figure out where to go, how to escape. Liam straightened and looked at her.
    God, did her face show evidence of where her thoughts had just wandered?
    â€œThe setup and layout are perfect. Gus nailed it. Everything is within reach if you’re working alone, but there’s ample room for someone else.”
    She huffed a laugh. “I’m going to take my ample ass back into the house to get the groceries I picked up so you can practice on the grill.”
    She started to edge past him, but he braced his arms across the span of the path.
    â€œI wasn’t implying anything about your ass.”
    Crap. She felt her cheeks flame. “I know. But you also said there’s ample room in here and there isn’t.” She inhaled slowly. “It’s almost stifling.”
    He stared into her face for a moment and she had a hard time keeping eye contact. She didn’t know what he was searching for. Her gaze wandered to his lips and she wondered what his beard would feel like against her face during a kiss. She cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me.”
    He flinched as if he just realized he’d been staring, and then he stepped aside. She couldn’t move fast enough to get out of the truck. As she sped back to her kitchen she was struck by the idea that she made it through her first visit to the truck since her father’s passing because she was too busy thinking about Liam kissing her to think about being sad.
    A good distraction truly worked wonders. She grabbed the bag of food she’d hastily shoved in the refrigerator last night and then polished off her coffee before heading back outside. She had things to do in the house. She had an entire list of projects to complete.
    But what she wanted to do was watch Liam cook in her dad’s truck. Which meant that she couldn’t. The man had a girlfriend. What had gotten into her? She hadn’t had a boyfriend in so long, she couldn’t remember what a date felt like, but she’d never in her life tried to poach another woman’s man.
    Taking the bag to the truck, she decided the smartest move would be to pass it through the window and go back to her own work. She held the bag in the air, not quite tall enough to set it on the counter inside the truck. Liam saw her, she was sure of it. She waved her arm a little and he caught her wrist.
    â€œWhat are you