Looking over at Connor, she couldn’t help but admire the hard, flexing muscles in his back and shoulders as he installed…something…over the door leading out to her small deck. He was truly an amazing male specimen. Too bad he was such an annoying jerk. And too bad she liked that about him. Secretly, she loved his teasing and the evil glint in his eyes that never failed to make her heart speed up.
Sighing, she turned away from Connor, focusing on the shrimp that were sizzling in the butter and garlic. She was going to make jambalaya and turned on the burner in the back, setting a pot of water there, needing it to boil before she poured the barley in to simmer.
Once the shrimp were pink and curled up, she added the diced turkey-sausage, hoping that Connor wasn’t one of those men who could tell the difference between pork sausage and turkey sausage, then she cut up the chicken breasts, adding everything into the pot, stirring to coat the mixture with the butter and garlic. Diced tomatoes, were added when all of the meat was cooked through and simmering. Then tomato paste and seasonings.
She was lifting the spoon to her mouth, ready to taste the sauce when heavy hands came to rest on her hips and a strong hand directed the spoon to Connor’s mouth instead of her own. He tasted the chicken in the spicy tomato sauce, then nodded. “That’s good!” he grumbled. Then moved off to work on…something else.
For a long moment, Lena was too stunned by his intimate touch to move. Okay, so he hadn’t touched her “intimately”, but the way he’d casually walked up to her and put his hands on her hips, tasting the meal over her shoulders…it had felt intimate. Intimate and cozy, she thought.
Shaking off that sensation, she stirred the barley, making sure that it was cooking properly, then put a lid on the jambalaya so that it could simmer for a while, allowing the garlic and cayenne pepper to meld together with the flavors of the meat, peppers, onions and mushrooms.
“Is it almost ready?” Connor called out.
“Almost,” she replied back, a smile of anticipation on her features, but she hid her face by leaning into the pots on the stove.
Turning, she reached into the fridge and pulled out the ingredients for a salad, wondering if he wanted the additional vegetables or if he’d think she was silly. Shrugging off her concerns, because she wanted a salad, she started chopping and dicing, tossing everything into a bowl.
Setting the table was a new experience as well. Being alone most of the time, she normally just ate on the sofa with her feet propped up on the fluffy ottoman. But with Connor here…perhaps sitting on the sofa was just too intimate. Besides, she’d never used the small dining table that she’d bought when she’d first moved into this townhouse.
“That looks nice,” Connor said, startling her and she swung around.
“I wasn’t…it was just…”
“I like it,” he replied, then took the water pitcher that she’d filled up with ice water and poured some into each of the glasses. “I normally eat standing at my sink or while sitting on the sofa while watching a game.”
She smiled at the image, but lifted her eyes to his. “Is this too awkward?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Are you planning to seduce me through food?”
The idea was so outrageous, Lena sputtered. “No! I was just…I thought…” she stopped when she caught the teasing glint in his eyes. “You’re horrible,” she muttered and moved into the kitchen. It was the best way to hide her amusement.
