Page 107 of A Little Naughty

She presses her lips to mine, and I catch her face, giving her a better kiss. “And Bender saved Porkchop.”

CHAPTER31

JEMIMA

“Bring the water to a boil, then add the dry pasta.” Raif stands in front of the stove, showing us the correct way to make pasta. “Some people salt the water. Others don’t.”

“What do you do?” Nikki looks up at him from where she’s standing beside me.

We’re both wearing aprons, and I’m holding a wooden spoon ready to stir when told.

He gives her a wink as he picks up the jar of sea salt. “I always salt the water.” With that he grabs some with his fingers and circles it into the steaming pot.

“Wait!” My eyes widen. “How much salt was that?”

He shrugs. “A pinch.”

“But how do I know if your pinch is the same size as my pinch?” I wave the wooden spoon. “What if I get it too salty, and you can’t eat it because I pinched too much?”

“Don’t pinch too much.” He says it like it’s so obvious.

I exhale a frustrated noise, looking at Nikki. “Like I know how much to pinch.”

“How could anyone possibly know that?” Nikki agrees.

Raif exhales a chuckle, sliding his hand around my waist and kissing the side of my cheek. “You’ll get the hang of it with practice.”

“First you said brown the peppers and onions until they’re done, and now you’re saying my pinch is the same size as your pinch.”

“I think you’re taking this too seriously.”

“Of course, I’m taking it seriously. I don’t want to ruin your dinner!”

Raif scratches the side of his jaw, and Nikki puts her hand on my arm. “Why don’t you stick to Hamburger Helper? I really like that chili mac.”

My lips tighten, and I lower the spoon, walking away from the stove.

“Hey!” Raif jogs up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You do a lot of things around here for us. You don’t have to cook, too.”

“What do I do?” My voice is pouty, and I feel like a failure.

“You sing to us!” Nikki calls from where she’s watching the pot for any sign of bubbles.

“You work at the paper.” Raif kisses the side of my neck, sending a cascade of tingles down my arms. “You do the laundry…”

“Oh, yes. Don’t forget how I turned all the whites pink.”

“Martha says I look good in pink.” He stands straight, turning me to face him. “She said it flatters my skin tone.”

Pressing my lips together, I do my best not to laugh and spoil my pity party.

“I can think of several other things you doverywell.” He’s giving me that bad-boy grin, and I lose my fight.

Leaning down, he kisses my lips slowly, pulling the top one with his teeth and the bottom one before slipping me a little tongue. I’m not pouting anymore.

“When is it going to boil?” Nikki’s still at the stove waiting with the box of penne in her hand.

With one final peck, he starts back for the kitchen. “There’s an old saying, Nik.” He steps up beside her again. “A watched pot never boils.”

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