Page 21 of Personal Foul

Romilly:I think you’re drunk on power. I’d like to read people’s minds. Imagine the secrets everyone has that you could discover.

Kaiden:Devious. Love it. I have one. Would you rather have to use shrimp-flavored toothpaste or deodorant that smells like cheese?

Romilly:Gross. So much gross. I think the cheese is the lesser evil.

Kaiden:Agreed.

Romilly:Would you rather kiss everyone you meet or never kiss anyone again?

Kaiden:The thought of not kissing you is too awful to think about. So, I guess I’ll kiss everyone, but only on the cheek. Except you I’ll kiss on the mouth.

Romilly:Are you flirting through text?

Kaiden:You bet I am. I need any edge to woo you properly. Are you wooed?

Romilly:Very.

Chapter Eleven

Kaiden informed her he was free after twelve thirty on Friday, so she asked him to be at her place at five. Because he was training, she decided to cook a little healthier dinner. Looking over recipes, she settled on sautéed chicken and tomatoes with roasted artichokes. Knowing he didn’t drink, she bought iced tea to give him an option. Then she set her table about four hours early because she was nervous as hell. Over the past week, they texted each other for hours and she learned so much about him. So far, their friendship was very different than anything she had before, but she absolutely loved that he was sharing. She was sure it was probably hard to trust people and it humbled her.

When a knock came on her door a few minutes before five, her heart jumped in her throat. She’d spent the day cleaning and took one last look around to make sure everything was nice and in order. Romilly took a deep breath and then opened the door. A full bouquet of roses, already in a glass vase, greeted her. The sweet scent tickled her nose. Then they lowered and Kaiden’s smiling face appeared.

“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady,” he murmured.

She grinned. “You’re a smooth talker, aren’t you?”

Romilly backed up and allowed him inside, taking the roses as he handed them over, and kissed her cheek. Excitement fluttered through her body.

She placed the vase on the table and turned back to him, not realizing he was directly behind her. His hands came up to steady her as she bumped into him. Romilly stared at him, and her heartbeat sped up as her throat suddenly went dry.

Every thought going through her mind came to a screeching halt. His gaze dropped to her lips, and she licked the dryness off them. The world seemed to stop, suspended fromone breath to the next, and then he slid a hand under her hair and around the back of her neck, bringing her up to meet his lips. At first it was just a mere dusting of mouths, but then he pressed deeper, his tongue grazed the seam seeking entrance. She opened for him, moaning into his mouth, the kiss fanning the embers of something sensual … sexual. Fire roared through her blood, bringing to life a deep need she never knew she had. When they finally came up for air, she got lost in the feral heat of his gaze.

He cleared his throat, looking as shell-shocked as she felt. Romilly was glad she wasn’t the only one. Kaiden kissed her forehead before stepping back and giving her a quick smile.

“I, ah … it smells wonderful in here,” he said.

“Th-thank you,” she replied. “Go ahead and sit. I just have to plate the food. Would you like water or iced tea?”

“Water. Do you want me to help?”

“If you could grab the water from the fridge. I’ll take one, too.”

“No problem.”

While he grabbed the bottles of water, she hurried into her small kitchen to put the food on the plates. Then she took them to the table. Kaiden held out her chair as she sat before sitting himself.

“Thank you.”

“My momma raised me right,” he teased. Then he took a bite of the chicken and a moan burst out. “My God, this is good.”

Heat erupted over her cheeks. “Remember when I went to live with my aunt, and I was depressed? Not only did I teach myself to draw but I also obsessively watched the Food Network.”

He blinked, staring at her for a moment. “You’re an amazing woman, you know that?”

She honestly didn’t know what to say to that. “I don’tthink I’m that unique.”

“You are,” he insisted. “You overcame a very dark point in your life that not many people would be able to do.”

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