Page 28 of Winner Takes All

I grin, grabbing a handful of fresh herbs. “Oh please, I was born ready,” I quickly reply.

Kofi looks between us and laughs, joining us as ingredients are placed at our workstation. This is incredible, and something I never would’ve gotten to do if I wasn’t here with Victor. The man can charm anyone and most likely has brothers all over the world. This alone is a reason to stick to his side.

We start chopping, sauteing, mixing, and tasting, all while Kofi keeps up a steady stream of stories and jokes. He has a waywith words, and his accent makes everything sound like it has an extra little sprinkle of magic added.

“Did Victor ever tell yuh about de time he tried to cook for de whole unit in de middle of a jungle training?” Kofi asks, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

I glance at Victor, who suddenly looks like he wants to disappear.

“There’s no need to be sharing stories,” Victor says.

Kofi laughs as he turns back to me. “He didn’t tell me. I can’t wait to hear,” I quickly say.

Kofi is loving every moment of this. “It was a sight to behold. We’re deep in de jungle, sweating like stuck pigs, and Victor decides we need a proper meal. He sends all of us out trapping rabbits, and we come back with about twenty of em. In the meantime he collected some roots and berries, whatever he could find. He even built himself a stove out of rocks and everyting. We thought he was mad.”

“It sounds a bit crazy to me,” I say with a chuckle. It also sounds incredible. How fun would it be to make an outdoor stove and cook with only what you have in the natural environment? I’ll have to try it when we get back home.

Victor lets out a groan. “Kofi, man, you’re supposed to be my brother, not make me sound like a lunatic.”

Kofi ignores him and continues. “Yuh know what? He made de best damn meal any of us had ever tasted in de field. No MREs for us for dinner wit Victor there. Even de commanding officer was licking his plate clean. He didn’t complain at all about the special mission within our training.”

I laugh, imagining Victor orchestrating a gourmet meal in the middle of the jungle. This man is much more talented than I imagined. I’m glad I’m not competing against him anymore. I want to learn from him, and maybe, just maybe, teach him a few things as well.

“It seems you’ve always been a culinary rebel. I guess that’s why our last challenge didn’t bother you at all,” I tell him with a smile.

Victor grins, pride showing in his face. “I like to keep things interesting.”

“And keep everyone around you well fed,” I tease, nudging him with my hip.

He leans closer, his voice dropping to a flirtatious whisper. “I always aim to please. Just ask, and I’m your willing puppet.”

“I might take you up on that,” I tell him as I lick my lips and watch his pupils dilate. He’s so easy to tease and I’ll benefit from turning him on as soon as we’re alone again. I can’t wait.

The playful banter keeps up as we cook, and I love how Victor watches me, his eyes full of humor and something more that makes my stomach do several flips. There’s an easy rhythm to our movements, a connection that feels natural, like we’ve been doing this for years instead of days.

I guess technically we’ve been doing this for years, given we shared culinary classes in high school. We’ve always sparred, but we’ve also always come together. Maybe fate’s playing a part in us being together. Who am I to deny anything the universe throws at me?

Before long the beach crowd gets into a partying spirit. I smile as the live band turns up their volume and plays a lively reggae tune that has my feet itching to move.

“Come on,” Victor says as the last of our food finishes. “I want to dance.” He takes my hand and pulls me from the kitchen.

“We’re supposed to cook more,” I say with a laugh, but I easily follow him.

“We’re in the Bahamas which means we cook, dance, swim, and make love. Let’s live,” he insists.

“You better not step on my toes, Fortier,” I warn.

“Oh, we’ve moved to last names now?” he teases.

“When I want to save my feet.”

He throws his head back and laughs. It doesn’t take long to reach the dance floor, and Victor immediately pulls me against him, before sending me back out and twirling me, making me laugh with raw joy. Kofi joins us on the dance floor with a stunning woman, showing his own dramatic moves that make the entire crowd cheer and laugh as they dance around us.

“You have some serious moves, Fortier,” I say.

“Impressed?” he asks.

“Very,” I admit.

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