Page 87 of Break My Fall

“Did Cassie make the sea bass as well?”

“Nope. That’s all me. It’s best right out of the skillet. I have everything prepped. It only takes a few minutes. I was hoping you’d keep me company while I cooked.”

“Gladly.”

She leaned against the counter as he pulled the salads from the fridge where he’d stashed them earlier, then started the risotto. “How did you have time for this? I don’t typically have sea bass in my fridge. Wait.” She narrowed her eyes and made an adorably disgruntled face. “Were you planning this meal for someone else?”

“Jealous, Dr. Quinn?”

“Yes.” Her answer held no hesitation.

Oh, he liked the idea of a jealous Meredith. But he wouldn’ttease her about it. Ever. “As a matter of fact, I threw myself on Cassie’s mercy. I asked her if she had any sea bass, and she did.”

Meredith pretended to clutch her pearls and spoke in a horrible Southern accent. “Why, Chief Ward, what is the meaning of this? Leading my baby cousin into a life of crime? Having her steal from her employer?”

He pointed a spatula at her. “I’ll have you know that your baby cousin didn’t steal from her employer. She orders seafood on Thursday and had time to add to the order for me.”

“I didn’t know that.” The adorable disgruntled face was back. And the fact that he thought it was adorable was proof of how far gone he was.

“She stopped in a few weeks ago to see Donovan. I have no idea how it came up in conversation, but Donovan must have told her that I love fresh seafood. She offered to let me place an order with hers if I wanted something specific. It was a long shot today, but she caught the guy making the delivery before he left Asheville. They’d gotten fresh sea bass in this morning.” He tapped the fillets he’d pulled from the fridge. “These babies were swimming yesterday.”

“How does she get fish that fresh? It has to be outrageously expensive.”

Gray gave her a look.

“Oh. Right. She isn’t paying for it.” She frowned. “But you are.”

He stepped closer to her, lifted a curl from her shoulder, and rubbed it between his fingers. “I don’t have a lot of experience with dating. It probably would have made more sense to take you to a nice restaurant, but I didn’t want to give you a chance to change your mind. Since we don’t have any fine dining in Gossamer Falls, at least none that we mere mortals can access, I thought I’d bring the experience to you. Here. In my home. Is that okay?”

Meredith trembled against Gray. He’d thought of everything. And he’d been so intentional about his decisions. “More than okay.”

“Good.” He didn’t move toward her, but his eyes spoke of so many things she’d barely given herself permission to dream of.

“Now”—he reached for her waist, and with far less effort than it should have taken, he lifted her to the counter—“tell me more about your childhood while I cook.”

So she did. She told him about growing up in Gossamer Falls, running around all over Quinn land, going off to college and being so homesick she thought she would die from the agony of it.

She watched Gray move around the kitchen with a grace that spoke of his confidence in his skills. And she discovered that she liked watching him cook.

And that wasn’t something she’d ever thought about any man. Ever.

He plated the bass, risotto, salads, and crusty rolls and turned to her. “I’ll be right back.” He left the kitchen a few times, taking the dishes with him, and finally taking her water.

When he returned the last time, he stepped in front of her and placed his hands on her waist. “Dinner is served.” He pulled her off the counter and set her feet on the floor but didn’t move his hands.

She looked up at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat and decided that she wasn’t the only one drowning in sensation.

“We should eat.” His voice was gruff, his hands still firm at her waist, his body unmoving.

“The food could get cold.”

“Yes.”

“Gray?”

“Yes?”

“Would it mess up your plan for the perfect date if you kissed me first?”

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