Page 42 of The Darkest Knight

“Taylor. You haven’t met Reese, have you? I think my manners sucked when I didn’t introduce you two earlier,” Seth said.

The man, probably in his mid-forties, scraggly beard and thin shoulders, greeted her with a nod. “No, I haven’t. Sorry about my manners too, ma’am.”

“She’s the brains behind Step for Light,” Seth added.

Reese’s heart warmed that he chose to include her, even giving her props.

“It’s a mighty good thing you’re doing here, ma’am. I’ve already made it clear that I’ll donate my labor for the cause. That’s the least I can do for all the men and women who’ve fought for my freedom.”

“That’s amazing.” Her heart did a flip. She happened to turn her chin and caught the most amazing expression on Seth’s face. He looked almost…happy. For a man who was used to spending most of his time alone, he seemed to be settling into the fact that they were surrounded by a small crowd. His grin made her want to take up where they’d left off back at his cabin. She continued to watch him through the veil of her lashes, the butterflies fluttering wildly inside of her stomach. Yes, she was losing herself rather quickly.

“Lots of food, fellows.” Isla had brought a platter of grilled steak, handing it over to be passed around the group sitting on the long picnic table. “Eat up.”

When the platter made its way to Seth, he dropped several slabs of the juicy steak on his still full plate and he surprised her by tossing a few on hers too. In any other setting, she would have been aggravated by a man taking the initiative to give her more food, but somehow his grin made it impossible to feel anything but pleasure.

“She meant you too, even though she said fellows.” He winked, grabbed a piece of steak with his fingers and popped it into his mouth. She squirmed in the wooden bench. She wouldn’t mind having those sweet lips on her body, like right now.

“If I keep eating like this, I won’t fit into my clothes.”

“What a shame that would be.” The combination of his smooth voice and the naughty glaze in his eyes sent her libido into overdrive. He was flirting and she didn’t mind, not one bit.

Another platter of peppers and onions was passed around and this time she got the offering first, but instead of adding more to her plate, she dished a forkful onto Seth’s plate. He didn’t seem to care in the slightest. “Do you like Isla’s cooking?” she said in a whispered tone.

“Is that a trick question? Who doesn’t like her cooking?”

She returned his smile and refused to concentrate on the building of awareness in the pit of her stomach. Straightening her shoulders, she forced her mind back into a business state. “I have an idea.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Particles of excitement floated through her bloodstream. This was a lot different than the wall she’d encountered when she’d first arrived. “I overheard her stating that she is looking for a job until the baby is born. They could use the extra money.”

He nodded as he dunked his homemade tortilla into salsa, then bit into the soft bread. “Yeah.”

“How about we ask her to come here to Landing Knight to work as a cook? We will need someone for that position once we start having veterans arrive.”

One brow lifted. “We hadn’t gotten that far, had we?”

She gave a slight shrug, feeling like this could go several directions. “If I’m overstepping my boundaries, you know, spending ‘your’ dime…”

A slow grin crossed his lips. “You’re a partner.” He shoved a forkful of refried beans in his mouth. “If this is what you see fit, we’ll go forward with it.”

Her heart rocked. “So, we can hire her?”

“No, you can hire her. You came up with the idea so it’s only fitting that you give her the news.”

“Should we discuss the details first?”

“Later, when it’s not so crowded.” He popped the last bit of tortilla into his mouth. She’d never enjoyed watching a man eat more. “Are you sure you want to hire her?”

“Yes, of course. Why not?”

He dropped his gaze to her plate. “You have barely touched your lunch.”

“Oh…” she shoved tendrils of hair behind her ear. “You added too much to my plate.”

He chuckled and the husky sound fish lined her core with a candied hook. “I haven’t eaten this good since…can’t remember.”

“Seriously? You’re a millionaire. Something tells me you’ve eaten at Michelin five-starred restaurants.” She picked off a piece of tortilla and nibbled it.

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