favorite dishes.”
“Well, in that case, I really hope it turns out great. Sounds like Sophie should be thankful to have a friend who’s willing to cook her boyfriend meals.”
Kate blushed at his compliment and shook her head. “No, she’s an amazing best friend. She’s done so much for me that I should probably be cooking for her every night.”
“I know what it’s like to have a friend like that.” He nodded.
“Trent, right?”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “I’m surprised you remembered his name.”
“I have been known to pay attention when someone’s talking, you know,” she teased, feeling a flutter in her heart.
“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just nice. To hold someone’s attention enough that they remember something small like that.”
Ethan’s eyes grew soft as he looked at her. She felt as if there was something more he wanted to say but didn’t. Silence hung in the air, and she felt the tingle of energy pulse to life between them. Her heart raced and her hands itched to reach out and touch him. Something told her that if she didn’t keep talking, the chances of her body taking control and doing something rash in the middle of the grocery store was quite possible.
“So, what are you cooking tonight?” Kate asked, swallowing thickly.
“Me? Nothing. I’m not buying anything big, just the usual bread and fruit.” He looked down at his basket, noting the few things he had. “I don’t cook that much anyway. Not that I don’t enjoy it; I just don’t see the point when there’s only two of you.”
As soon as Ethan mentioned cooking for two, her breath caught and all the facts came rushing back. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, and before she had time to sensor her words, they poured out freely.
“What, is your girlfriend not much of a cook? Do you guys usually go out for dinner, then?” His eyes widened at Kate’s reaction, but then he smiled and looked amused, which of course made her even more annoyed. Again, her words spewed out uncensored like word vomit. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“I like watching you get flustered. You look beautiful.”
Kate tried to form a coherent sentence but came up with nothing. Ethan wasn’t sure if her lack of words was a good thing or a bad thing, but since she wasn’t yelling, he figured it couldn’t be that bad.
“Do you want me to answer your questions?” he asked. She still couldn’t form words, so she simply nodded.
“When I said that I didn’t cook because there were only two of us, the person I was referring to was Trent, my roommate. And no, my ex -girlfriend did not cook.”
Kate felt her heart skip and her chest tighten in the best possible way. She tried to play it casual, and bit down on the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling.
“And, well,” he continued, “I guess I already explained to you why I was smiling.”
Just thinking about his compliment made Kate even more flustered. She tucked her hair behind her ear and dropped her head. It was a moment before she calmed down and looked back at him. When she did, she couldn’t withhold her smile. Finally, the guy she’d been thinking about for the past week was standing in front of her, suddenly available.
As soon as the thought came to her mind, a little voice in her head said she was jumping the gun. After all, she wasn’t entirely sure he was interested. All she could do was remain calm and see how things played out. Gathering all of her courage, she told herself to relax.
Calm down, act cool. Just think like Elle, she encouraged herself. What would Elle do?
Kate held back a devious smile as a plan formed in her head.
“There are some tricks to picking out produce you know. I can show you a few if you want.” Kate gave him a look that she hoped he would interpret as flirty. Apparently it worked, because his beautiful smile returned along with a new glint in his eye.
“I’m all yours,” he said with a slow drawl.
In a rush,
“Well, in that case, I really hope it turns out great. Sounds like Sophie should be thankful to have a friend who’s willing to cook her boyfriend meals.”
Kate blushed at his compliment and shook her head. “No, she’s an amazing best friend. She’s done so much for me that I should probably be cooking for her every night.”
“I know what it’s like to have a friend like that.” He nodded.
“Trent, right?”
Ethan’s eyes widened. “I’m surprised you remembered his name.”
“I have been known to pay attention when someone’s talking, you know,” she teased, feeling a flutter in her heart.
“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just nice. To hold someone’s attention enough that they remember something small like that.”
Ethan’s eyes grew soft as he looked at her. She felt as if there was something more he wanted to say but didn’t. Silence hung in the air, and she felt the tingle of energy pulse to life between them. Her heart raced and her hands itched to reach out and touch him. Something told her that if she didn’t keep talking, the chances of her body taking control and doing something rash in the middle of the grocery store was quite possible.
“So, what are you cooking tonight?” Kate asked, swallowing thickly.
“Me? Nothing. I’m not buying anything big, just the usual bread and fruit.” He looked down at his basket, noting the few things he had. “I don’t cook that much anyway. Not that I don’t enjoy it; I just don’t see the point when there’s only two of you.”
As soon as Ethan mentioned cooking for two, her breath caught and all the facts came rushing back. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, and before she had time to sensor her words, they poured out freely.
“What, is your girlfriend not much of a cook? Do you guys usually go out for dinner, then?” His eyes widened at Kate’s reaction, but then he smiled and looked amused, which of course made her even more annoyed. Again, her words spewed out uncensored like word vomit. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”
“I like watching you get flustered. You look beautiful.”
Kate tried to form a coherent sentence but came up with nothing. Ethan wasn’t sure if her lack of words was a good thing or a bad thing, but since she wasn’t yelling, he figured it couldn’t be that bad.
“Do you want me to answer your questions?” he asked. She still couldn’t form words, so she simply nodded.
“When I said that I didn’t cook because there were only two of us, the person I was referring to was Trent, my roommate. And no, my ex -girlfriend did not cook.”
Kate felt her heart skip and her chest tighten in the best possible way. She tried to play it casual, and bit down on the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling.
“And, well,” he continued, “I guess I already explained to you why I was smiling.”
Just thinking about his compliment made Kate even more flustered. She tucked her hair behind her ear and dropped her head. It was a moment before she calmed down and looked back at him. When she did, she couldn’t withhold her smile. Finally, the guy she’d been thinking about for the past week was standing in front of her, suddenly available.
As soon as the thought came to her mind, a little voice in her head said she was jumping the gun. After all, she wasn’t entirely sure he was interested. All she could do was remain calm and see how things played out. Gathering all of her courage, she told herself to relax.
Calm down, act cool. Just think like Elle, she encouraged herself. What would Elle do?
Kate held back a devious smile as a plan formed in her head.
“There are some tricks to picking out produce you know. I can show you a few if you want.” Kate gave him a look that she hoped he would interpret as flirty. Apparently it worked, because his beautiful smile returned along with a new glint in his eye.
“I’m all yours,” he said with a slow drawl.
In a rush,
Similar Books
