Page 237 of Sin Bin

“Really?” Impressed, Meadow took another sip, savoring the rich flavor before swallowing. “So delicious.”

“Glad you like it.” Logan retrieved a platter from the side table and set it down between them. “Let’s start with an appetizer.”

“Ooh! Are those empanadas?”

“Sí, señorita.” Logan used fancy silver tongs to add two empanadas to her plate as he explained, “Empanadas Mendocinas are traditional Argentinian empanadas filled with beef, onions, paprika, hot pepper, cumin, oregano, hard-boiled egg and olives.”

“Mmm. Sounds delish.” Meadow picked up an empanada and admired the decorative crimped edge. Then she bit into the flaky pastry, humming in appreciation. “That is scrumptious. Wow.”

Logan looked pleased. “You like it?”

“Are you kidding? It’s incredible.” She took another bite, giving him an awed look. “Did you make these yourself?”

“I did.” His eyes glinted at her. “Are you impressed?”

“Beyond impressed.” She ate the last bit of empanada, delicately licked the juices off her fingers and made a satisfied sound. “You are truly a man of many talents, Logan Brassard.”

He gave her a sexy wink. “Isn’t that what I’ve been telling you?”

She laughed. “I guess I should start listening.”

They finished the platter of empanadas between lazy sips of wine, never taking their eyes off each other as the romantic music serenaded them in the background.

The appetizer was followed by a traditional Argentinian salad that combined hearts of palm, avocado and tomato with a fresh lime-cilantro dressing. Meadow was in culinary heaven.

“And now the main course.” Logan set a steaming plate in front of her.

“Yummm.” Her mouth watered as she stared down at the aromatic food. “What’s this?”

“Milanesa. The unofficial national dish in Argentina.”

“Really?” Meadow grinned. “I must say, I’m totally loving the theme of tonight’s dinner.”

He winked. “I aim to please.”

“Oh, you have. Very much.”

He grinned and motioned to her plate. “Milanesa is basically a thin steak or veal cutlet that’s breaded and fried. I wanted to fancy it up so I topped it with tomato sauce, ham and cheese—Milanesa Napolitana.” He paused, suddenly seeming nervous. “Try it.”

“With pleasure.” Meadow picked up her knife and fork, cut into the tender beef and took a bite. The explosion of flavor almost made her swoon.

“Well?” Logan watched her anxiously. “What do you think?”

“I think,” she said slowly, “it’s the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.”

His face broke into a boyish grin that tugged at her heartstrings. “You really like it?”

“I love it, Logan,” she gushed. “It’s divine.”

His grin broadened with satisfaction and relief. And her heart melted some more.

She ate another forkful and let out a rapturous sigh. “So freaking good.”

Logan watched her eat, taking pleasure in her enjoyment of his food. “This was the first meal I had with Santino, Roxanne and Cynara.”

Meadow stared at him. “Really?”

He nodded, tracing the rim of his glass with one finger. “It was my first night in their home after being adopted. Even though Santino and Roxanne had been nothing but kind and welcoming, I still felt out of place, like I didn’t belong there. None of it seemed real. I mean, I had my very own room in a nice house filled with nice things. I had a closet full of new clothes and shoes, and the kitchen was stocked with more food than I’d ever seen in my life. I kept waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under me. I kept expecting my social worker to show up and tell me the adoption had fallen through. But that’s not what happened,” he said with a reminiscent smile. “To commemorate my first night with them, Santino and Roxanne decided to prepare a special dinner for me. They wanted to celebrate my Argentinian heritage and show me that I was very much part of their family.” He looked down at his plate, his expression softening with gratitude. “This is what they made for me. From the first bite to the last, I thought it was the most amazing thing I’d ever eaten.”

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