Page 43 of What Love Can Do

“Yes, you did. Very wise things. But probably the wisest thing you said was ‘For crikey’s sake, you cross that bridge when you get there.’ The same applies to all those questions you just threw out, Quinn. If it’s really your dream to open a restaurant, do it, then answer each of those questions only when you need to.”

He leaned into her and pulled her hips against him. “You know, that is very wise advice. I should listen to myself more often.”

They kissed, and suddenly, frozen coldness touched her cheek. She shrieked.

“What is this anyway?” Quinn said, holding up the frozen pulp bag.

“Mango. I wanted to try a mango-coconut cupcake recipe. Thought it would be tropical enough to impress Guy Santoli, though I just know the ingredients over there will be better. In Miami, I can find some key limes to add a little zest to the frosting, but for experimental purposes, this will do.” She picked up the mango packet and sliced it open with a sharp knife, then broke off a little corner piece and held it to Quinn’s delicious lips. “Open,” she said.

He reeled her in with his arms and opened his mouth just enough for her to see his tongue and make his lips look plump and inviting. She kissed him, softly at first, then a little deeper while feeding him the piece of frozen mango pulp. “Mmm…”

“You like it?” she asked.

“I like you,” he replied. “I like this game. What else you got?”

Lilly thought about it. She’d never had sex in a kitchen before but had always wanted to. “I have lots of things I can make you try,” she said, reaching across the counter for a jar of California orange honey. Cracking it open, she leaned into Quinn, noting the way he bit his lip, looking amused, and reached behind him to grab a strawberry.

“I like the way you think, little darlin’,” he said, continuing with his cowboy theme.

With a paring knife, she hulled the strawberry then scooped it through the surface of the orange honey, bringing the sinful treat to his lips. He sank his teeth through it and closed his eyes, reveling in the exquisite combination of flavors. Unable to just watch, Lilly pressed her body against his chest, between his open knees, and covered his mouth with hers, tasting the sweetness on his tongue and lips.

They went through several food tests this way, from marshmallow to chocolate to peanut butter and banana, and every kiss got sweeter and sweeter. The dress shirt was lovely and all, and really did look smashing on him, but it had to go. After slowly unbuttoning it, she pulled apart the halves to display that ridiculously awesome rugby chest of his that drove her crazy, dipped a finger into the jar of orange honey again and drew a line from his neck all the way down to his waistline.

“So much for a shower,” he muttered through another kiss.

“We can always take another one. In fact, I think we should put that on our list of things to do next,” she said, her whole body on wet fire. God, she was going to miss him when it was time to go, but more and more, she felt—no, knew in her heart—they could actually do it: date long distance while she was in Miami then figure out where to go from there.

“I love this idea, and since you haven’t actually gotten around to baking anything, I suggest…we go fulfill this shower idea right away.” He kissed her cheek, grazing his lips all the way to her ear, making her skin prickle with heat all over.

“Let’s go,” Lilly said seductively. “But first…” She took a step back, slipped out of her T-shirt and jeans, leaving on her bra and panties underneath her pink and black apron, and raised her arms out wide. “How do I look?” she asked.

“Good enough to eat,” Quinn said, his eyes roving over her, nostrils flaring with restrained desire.

But then, Lilly heard the familiar jingle of keys on the side kitchen door. “Quick!” she said, reaching for her clothes and doing her best to throw them back on in the two and a half seconds she was afforded before her mother came waddling into the room with arms full of bags. “Mom!”

Mom stopped cold, her eyes flitting from Quinn to Lilly and back to Quinn, who’d abandoned his stool to stand.

“Mom,” Lilly said, stepping into her jeans. “I thought you were heading into San Fran.”

“I’ve texted and called you like eight times,” her mother said, and a moment later, Avery Benson appeared, along with Cook and Mellie, all carrying the same boxes of goodies, supplies, banners, and tablecloths they had packed for the bridal show. “I wasn’t feeling well and decided to skip the expo. Figured we’d pick up groceries on the way back.”

Avery’s slim form appeared in the doorway, amazed, bemused, and she let her bags plop with a loud thud onto the kitchen floor. Her wide eyes took in Quinn standing half naked in the middle of the Russian River House kitchen. “Well…well…what do we have here?”

Catching Lilly’s eye, Quinn reached for her hand in solidarity, but something inside Lilly froze. Maybe it was because her mother and Avery were standing there, judging her, or maybe because it was difficult to rewire a brain that had spent a whole life fearing them both, fearing the judgment that came with living in a small town, but she couldn’t take his hand. “Alright, you’ve seen enough,” Lilly hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. “You can go now.”

“I can go?” her mother sassed. “You’re in my kitchen.”

“Um, this is my kitchen, for your information. The only thing you ever do in it is drop groceries.”

“I see. I love your new attitude, Lillian. Where’d you get it? Ireland?”

Lilly glared at her mother. “I didn’t get it anywhere,” she said. “And we weren’t doing anything wrong. I’ll clean up now. I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry? God, she hated the sound of her own voice sometimes.

“Weren’t doing anything wrong? Could’ve fooled us, Lillian,” Avery said. “Next thing you know, you’ll be gone and never speaking to your mom again. Some people are just influential that way. And just as disloyal.” Avery opened up boxes and began pulling items out to put away.

Lilly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. How embarrassing! Quinn would never want to live here now that he saw firsthand what some people were like. Lilly knew she should say something, stand her ground and defend Quinn. He hadn’t done anything to deserve this hatred, and besides, he’d been a paying customer for two weeks now too.

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