Page 49 of I Dated a Retired Hero

“Whoa. Watch it. That’s hot.” He paused, and his bronze cheeks darkened. “Right. Sorry.”

Litha finished and tossed her blanket aside. She got up and stretched. “I’m gonna get dressed, and I will be right back.”

She grabbed some clothes from her drawers and went into the ensuite.

When she came out, he was standing and looking around. There was a soft smile on his expression, and she looked at what he was seeing. It was her report cards, academic achievements, and an album and posters from her dance career.

“You have a shrine to yourself?”

She shook her head. “It was a shrine to family pride. My activation made me leave my name behind, but I didn’t leave my family, and they only left me when they had to.”

“How many do you have?”

“This farmhouse. They are all gone. My great-grandparents immigrated when they activated and met here in Aksalla.”

“Both sides?”

“Yes.” She shrugged. “They were very proud of me and my surviving an unheard of power level. I have embraced it recently because it lets me threaten Torun. That is a sport in and of itself.” She smiled. “Right. Got to make more coffee and get the dough for the dumplings started. I am really running behind.”

He smiled. “I have done the dough, made what I hoped were the fillings you wanted, and am uncertain as to what you need for your sauce.”

She stared at him hopefully. “Really?”

“Really. I am guessing you hadn’t made the dough before, and that is the one thing I am very good at. The fillings can be tweaked now that they are cooked and cooling.”

She held her cup wide and hugged him. “Thank you so much.”

He wrapped his free arm around her. “It was my pleasure and a bit of fun. The dough has to sit for six hours, and oh, shoot, the pastry.”

He unwound from her and sprinted down the steps.

Litha couldn’t fight her grin as she walked in after him while he was pulling the pastries out and exhaling slowly. “They’re fine. Just some dark edges.”

He set them down and looked at her smile. He leaned in and kissed her, and she went up on her toes. She was exhausted but relieved. When she lowered herself, he had that soft expression again.

She clutched her cup and went to make more, only to find a carafe waiting for her. She poured it and took a sip. The sugar was already in it. Yay.

“So, where do we start with the sauce?”

She laughed. “You will like this. It starts with sugar.”

He nodded. “Just tell me what to do.”

She slugged down some more coffee and went to the pantry, pulling ingredients from every shelf. With her arms full, she walked over to the stove and got started, telling him what she was doing as she was doing it. The smell started off slowly, and when she was finished with her witchcraft, she watched the thoughtful expression on Sergei’s face.

She giggled. “You should try the family chilli recipe.”

“I would like to. Not a lot of tomato-based foods in Erradian cooking.”

She grinned. “Well, since you have saved me so much time, I can make a batch, but I am making enough to freeze later.”

“I will enjoy learning it.”

“It takes about five hours, but only half an hour is active.”

He grinned. She stared, and when it clicked, she blushed. “I am going to go to the freezer.”

“I will follow.” He snagged a pastry and started munching.

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