Page 60 of A Sudden Romance

“Hmm.” She sucked in a breath and swiped the white remnants with her tongue. “That’s creamy. I really like it.”

“It has cream cheese.” He set the spoon on the counter. With her eyes still closed as she puckered her lips, they demanded his attention.

“Did you add lemon zest?”

He leaned closer. Clearly, she’d hear how close he was. “You know your lemons so well.”

“Y–yes,” she whispered as if sensing his nearness. “I have a feeling you have another surprise for me.”

“You’re right.” His lips touched hers in the gentlest brush.

“Now, that’s my favorite taste.” She opened her eyes and gripped his shoulders before curling her hand around his neck and pulling him toward her. Their kiss escalated as he wrapped his hands around her slender waist. Everything else was gone save for the pounding of his heart and the sensation of her sweet lemon-flavored lips. He kissed her soundly, forgetting where they were until a beeping sound, another beep, and another had them tearing apart.

“Oh no.” She pointed to the smoke rising from the pan on the stove, and he scrambled for a kitchen towel, his mind blank, suddenly unaware of what to do.

Iris was already off the counter, and at least she had the mind to turn off the stove and switch on the overhead fan.

The scuffle of footsteps tromping through the house, the whine of the smoke alarm blaring, and the acrid burn of smoke circulating the kitchen had his mind spinning.

“What do we do?” Iris asked, her voice panicked.

“Open the windows.” He rose onto his toes to reach to turn off the smoke detector.

“What happened?” several voices asked, but he just opened another window. Iris was coughing.

“It’s a fire,” a deep voice sounded, probably one of Iris’s brothers.

“It’s fine.” Sabastian swung the kitchen towel through the smoke to whoosh it out the window. “Just a little scorched, um, frosting.”

Half of Iris’s siblings stormed into the kitchen to assess the details.

“Iris?” Nate and Logan asked simultaneously.

Through the corner of his eyes, Sabastian saw Iris nod.

“What happened, Iris?” Julia jammed her hands on her hips, not that she was a lawyer needing evidence, but acting like one.

“What... Sabastian said.” Iris’s cheeks flushed.

“Everything is fine.” He continued to swing the towel, and the cool air through the window diffused the burnt smell. The smoke seemed to vanish, tolerable to say the least.

“You heard him.” Logan clapped. “Let’s go and assure everyone there’s no need to evacuate.”

They left a few at a time until, alone again, Sabastian took a breath and faced Iris. She was leaning against the counter, inhaling and exhaling. Her cheeks were aflame. His fingers itched to touch her, but he’d already blown it. “You okay?”

“I’m more than okay.” She cackled, shaking her head. “Are you?”

If she wasn’t terrified they’d almost been caught, then hey. “As long as you are.”

An hour later, with the fire commotion long since over, they all gathered in the family room by the Christmas tree. Some people, including him, stood while others sat on the rug, sofas, chairs, and the rock ledge before the fireplace.

Kyle held two of his grandkids, and Regina held another as Kyle read ’Twas the Night before Christmas. Reading the book whenever they decorated the Christmas tree had become a tradition, a custom that still stood among a few the family had.

After Kyle’s reading, Regina asked Julia to sing. Another tradition ever since she became a singer. Her beautiful voice sometimes surprised Sabastian as it could be grating when she accosted her sisters. Oddly, though, Julia hadn’t had concerts lined up for the last two months.

Then Sabastian and Iris handed out the printouts of the songs they’d selected, and the family concluded the evening with Christmas carols.

Iris slipped up to his side and whispered, “Is it okay if I share your song sheet?”

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