Page 71 of When the Woods Go Silent

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

RUBY

“Don’t you have employees to do some of this?” I ask, hoping it doesn’t sound too much like complaining.

Torrence had invited me to meet him at the restaurant fast enough after I sent my text, but ever since I got here, all I’ve been doing is watching him chop vegetables and make pastry dough for tomorrow night’s dinner service. I don’t know much about running a restaurant, but this seems like grunt work.

“I enjoy it,” he says, barely looking up from the pot he’s stirring for yet another sauce.

I swallow a sigh, leaning back against the upper cabinets while my legs dangle from the edge of the counter I’m perched on. It was cool for about half an hour, watching him work, all sexy and stuff as he moved around the kitchen and showed off his knife skills and muscles while kneading bread dough. And of course, tasting things is always fun. Now, I’m just freaking bored, but I’m staying quiet about it because I don’t want to come across as a nag.

“Want to head to your place after you’re done? Maybe watch a movie?” I suggest, since he hadn’t seemed interested in hiking when I suggested it earlier.

“No,” Torrence says shortly, and I press my lips together to keep from mouthing off at him. Part of me knows I’m being petty, ignoring all his red flags just because Rose was so downon him earlier. But I have my limits, and he’s starting to tick me off. “Arlo and the others will be there. It’s no place for guests,” he adds after a few seconds, finally making eye contact with me.

“Bachelor pad, hmm,” I say, nodding like I understand. I mean, how bad could it be? Does he share a room or something? I thought this place was successful. Surely he has money, unless he sucks at managing it.

“I don’t date, Ruby,” he reminds me, turning his head to give me a sexy little bad-boy smirk. “I don’t go to dinner or bring flowers or watch movies.”

“Just sleep around?” I roll my eyes. He’s so on and off with me, and it’s getting old.

“Don’t do much of that, either.”

I’m starting to regret blowing Rose off for this. I should have listened to her and had a girls’ night. “All work and no play, then. Maybe I’ll just go find someone else to have a play date with.”

Torrence turns around and leans on the edge of the stove, his eyes flashing fire at me. I smirk back at him. He doesn’t like that idea, does he? I guess it’s time I start playing a different game and figure out what he wants from me.

“Maybe we’re better off as friends, anyway. Hiking buddies. I mean, you’re hot as Hades, but I do like flowers.”

“Buddies?” Torrence echoes, like he’s never heard the word before. He sets the wooden spoon down on the counter and flicks the stove off. Here’s the moment of truth, when I find out if he’s actually interested in me. I shrug at him.

“Yeah, like bros. Hey, who was that guy you sent over today with the samples? He was pretty hot. Does he date?”

Something my romance books would only describe as a growl rumbles in his chest, and I have to fight the urge to giggle. So he likes me enough to get jealous.

“You will never see him again. I forbid it.” Torrence crosses his arms over his chest.

And that? That makes me lose it. Laughter spills out as I shake my head at him, and he scowls. “Youforbidit? What are we, in the eighteen hundreds, and you’re my older brother?”

He glares so hard I think his eyes cross. “What do you want from me?”

“What do you want fromme?” I return, hands on my hips as he stalks toward my perch. I think about hopping down, but then I wouldn’t be able to look him straight in the eyes as his palms slap the counter on either side of my thighs.

“Look, I get it if you’re busy with the restaurant. That’s cool. But why invite me over if you’re just going to ignore me? I’m worth more than-”

His lips seal over mine, cutting off the rest of my words. I make a half-hearted effort to shove him off, slapping at his stupid muscley chest, but by the Goddess, he’s even better at kissing than cooking. What I’d rather do is tackle him to the ground and forget all about my plans to take things slow.

His arm circles my waist and yanks me forward, my knees spreading against either side of his hips. Even sitting on the counter, I have to tilt my head a little. His hand slides up my spine and tangles in my hair, giving it a warning tug that says we’re definitely more than bros. I grin around the kiss, squeezing him in the vise of my thighs.

“You know, I don’t really care about movies. They’re just an excuse to be in the dark together,” I murmur against his lips.

“I like that you’re a midnight creature,” he says, his voice all gravelly and needy. I feel victorious.

“Give me moonlight and stars any day over a hot sun.”

“What about ice and snow?” His lips are skimming my neck now, pausing to suck at the hollow of my throat before he kisses along my collarbone. I tilt my head back and rest it on the cabinet as he nibbles and kisses the top swell of my breasts, tugging down the neckline of my shirt. The way he’s fistingmy hair and teasing my skin makes me imagine so many more delightful things, and I feel my body undulating against him, showing him what I really want.

---