Page 109 of In Plain Sight

He flushed a deeper pink. “Thanks. I made pot roast and homemade buns.” His smile faltered. “Is that okay? I should have asked if you liked it before?—"

“It sounds incredible,” I assured him, leaning in to press a kiss against his lips.

He sighed softly and gripped my hips, holding me in place to prolong the kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that all week,” he said, his mouth hovering close to mine.

“Me too.” I kissed him again but pulled back before either of us could get too into it. “You look really good tonight,” I said, letting him see my appreciation as I checked him out.

The slim fit black pants and a royal blue button-up he’d put on made his eyes pop and looked incredible against his light coloring and blond hair.

He bit his bottom lip and raked his gaze up and down my body. “Thanks. You do too.”

Unable to help it, I pressed another soft kiss against his lips.

“Come in.” He waved for me to follow him into the living room. “It’s almost ready.” He paused and ran a nervous hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I’m so chaotic right now. I’ve just never done this before. Made dinner for someone like this. I don’t know how to act.”

Reaching out, I took his hand in mine and gave it a soft squeeze. “Thank you.”

“For what?” He ran his thumb over the back of my hand.

“For inviting me over, for cooking for me. It means a lot. And this is the first time I’ve done something like this too.”

His features relaxed, and his lips tilted up in a soft smile. “I like getting to share these firsts with you.”

“Me too.”

“Do you want to have a seat?” He flicked his gaze to the small table in the corner of the room. “I can get you a drink while I plate everything.”

I glanced at the table, and my heart melted at the careful way he’d set it and the small cluster of tea lights he’d used as a centerpiece.

“How about I get the drinks while you plate the food?” I suggested.

“Yeah, okay.” He smiled, the last of the tension leaving him. “That sounds good.”

His kitchen smelled even more heavenly than the rest of the apartment, and my mouth was watering by the time we were sitting at the table, our plates and drinks in front of us and the tea lights flickering in the dim light, casting a romantic glow over us.

Luka watched anxiously as I took my first bite. The taste of meat and vegetables and an array of spices exploded on my tongue, and I didn’t bother tempering my groan of approval.

“This is incredible,” I said when I’d swallowed. “I’ve never had pot roast this good before.”

He beamed and watched as I tore a piece off one of the buns to dunk it in the gravy. “You made these too?” I asked, popping the piece of bread into my mouth.

He nodded, his cheeks flushing soft pink. “Yeah. They’re my dad’s recipes. He used to bring this to every potluck he was invited to.”

“It’s amazing. One of the best meals I’ve ever had,” I said honestly.

Smiling, Luka picked up his fork and dug into his food.

We didn’t talk much as we ate, but that was mostly because the food was so good I was having a hard time pacing myself. When our plates were empty, I helped Luka bring everything into the kitchen and loaded up the dishwasher while he took care of the leftovers.

“Do you still have some room left?” he asked when the kitchen was cleaned up. “I made dessert, just in case.”

“You did?” I couldn’t help asking. He’d already put so much effort into the meal, it meant a lot that he’d made dessert too.

He chewed on the corner of his lip and nodded. “Apple crumble. And I have some vanilla ice cream to go with it. Youmentioned you like that a while ago, and I have a really good recipe for one, so I thought I’d make it just in case.”

I didn’t even remember telling him that was my favorite dessert, and the fact that he’d remembered such a small detail about me made my chest tighten and my stomach do a little flip-flop.

“I’d love some,” I said, my voice a little hoarse from the swell of emotions rushing through me.

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