Page 4 of Forbidden Flames

Charlie strolled over to the colossal fridge, looking like a culinary superhero on a mission. He began loading his arms with ingredients, but not without giving Emily a mischievous glance over his shoulder.

"Hendrix is riding solo for Christmas dinner, Em," Charlie declared dramatically. Dumping his culinary loot onto the prep table, he straightened and pointed a quart of cream at Emily. "And guess what? You're on the lonely-hearts train too." He turned to Hendrix, who was eyeing Emily with a mix of curiosity and confusion. "So, the two of you will be sharing the yuletide feast."

With theatrical flair, Charlie swung open another fridge door, revealing an array of neatly stacked containers. "Ta-da! I've already prepped the meal. All you need to do is pop each of these bad boys into the oven according to these instructions," he explained, handing a piece of paper to Hendrix. "And voila! You'll be treated to a scrumptious Christmas feast."

Charlie started to make his exit, then remembered a crucial detail. "Oh, by the way, it's not turkey since it's just the two of you. I upgraded you to a roasted chicken. Consider it a festive poultry downsizing."

And just like that, the culinary master vanished, leaving Emily and Hendrix to grapple with the sudden twist to their holiday plans. Emily stared at the list, then looked up at Hendrix. He waited, anticipating her response.

As he observed, her peaches-and-cream complexion warmed into a fascinating shade of pink. Even her pert nose joined the party, turning a delightful shade of rose. Hendrix couldn't help but find the entire situation utterly captivating. Who knew Christmas dinner arrangements could be so entertaining?

“You don’t have anyone to share Christmas dinner with?” she asked, her voice tight and a bit squeaky. Another “tell”?

“Nope,” he replied.

“What about your family?” she asked, her finger tapping nervously on her notebook.

Hendrix barely contained his laughter. She was just too adorable! "My mother's Christmas routine is like a sitcom. She storms into my sister's place, showers her two grandkids with gifts, turns them into sugar-fueled maniacs, and then peaces out, leaving my sister to deal with the aftermath."

Emily's lips formed a perfect "O." "Where does your sister live?"

"California. They moved there a while ago," he replied.

Her pretty eyes widened. "So, you haven't spent the holidays with them in a while?"

He nodded, fully aware of the sympathy train about to leave the station. With a deadpan expression, he added, "I've become quite the connoisseur of turkey sandwiches. Festive, right? I pair them with a bag of chips, pretending they're mashed potatoes."

Bingo. The sympathy melted her! Hendrix loved the way she responded with such kindness and compassion. It was one of the reasons why everyone on her staff bent over backwardto keep things running smoothly—they all wanted to impress Emily.

"Oh no!" she gasped, clearly horrified at the thought of Hendrix having a pitiful turkey sandwich for Christmas dinner. "You can't do that! You're coming to my house! Charlie is right. We'll make the feast together and enjoy it. No one should be stuck with sad sandwiches on Christmas!"

And just like that, Hendrix found himself invited into a festive culinary adventure, courtesy of Emily's determined holiday spirit. Who knew a pity-inducing turkey sandwich could lead to a Christmas feast collaboration? Hendrix certainly hadn't seen it coming.

It took a great deal of effort to stop himself from punching the air victoriously. “That would be really great. Thanks Em. What time should I be there?”

She thought about it for a moment, her pretty, white teeth biting down on her lower lip. “Well, we’re closing early today, so…what do you think? Are you a Christmas movie fan?”

He wasn’t. In fact, he had no idea what she was talking about. But if it meant spending extra time with Emily, then he would watch every damn tear-jerking movie she’d ever even heard of.

“Huge fan,” he lied. “Love every moment of them.”

He was rewarded by seeing her whole face light up. “Wonderful! Then why don’t you come over in the morning, whenever you wake…?” Her voice trailed off and she laughed when his dark eyebrow lifted. “You get up at the crack of dawn, don’t you?”

“Every morning. I prefer to run in the dark.”

“Every morning?” she whispered as her eyes moved over his shoulders and chest, the only parts of her body she could see because of the metal prep table between them.

“Every morning. Running eases the stress and wakes me up. Gets me mentally ready for whatever might come during the day.”

She licked her lips, unconsciously nodding as she let her eyes continue their perusal. “And then you…lift weights?”

He shrugged, his body tightening with her questions and the way her pretty eyes kept moving over him. “I have a series of weight lifting exercises. Sometimes, I change it up and use body weight exercises. Those use different muscles.”

“Body weight exercises?” she asked, her voice a bit breathless now. “What are those?”

“I use my own body weight in different poses. Leg lifts, body lifts, things like that,” he explained, noticing that his voice was becoming husky. Hendrix couldn’t help it, not when she looked at him like that, as if she wanted to lick every inch of his body and find out…what?

Damn, he couldn’t think clearly. Not when Em was looking at him as if she were finally realizing that he was male.

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