Page 17 of Recipe for Romance

“I thought there would be more of a science to it,” she remarked. Aiden had built it up so much that she half expected there to be a lecture and slideshow showing her the proper procedure beforehand. If he had been trying to intimidate her, it didn’t work.

Aiden shrugged, handing her the apple before easily grabbing another three off the tree with one hand. “Yes and no. A lot of it is about timing. If the apples weren’t ready, they’d be a lot harder to pull, but since it’s harvest time, we’re in luck and they practically fall into your hand.” He placed his pulled apples in a crate near the base of the tree. “You do have to be careful not to be too rough with them, though we can be a little freer with these since they won’t be sold in stores.” He nodded at the branch nearest to her. “Want to give it a try?”

“Sure.” Nicole reached out, expecting no trouble only to find that the apple she’d chosen wouldn’t come easily. Instead of trying for another of the literal dozens of apples on that tree, she fixated on the stubborn one and kept trying. When the branch started to come with the apple, she tossed her hands up with a huff. “Seriously, apple?” A soft chuckling came from next to her, but when she turned toward it, Aiden covered his mouth with a fist, coughing into it. Nicole stifled her own smile at his lightheartedness. “Help me, Obi-Wan. You’re my only hope.”

Aiden shot her a pointed look. “Not sure how I feel about theStar Warsreference, though I’ll let it slide since you weren’t referencing the latest movies or prequels,” he remarked with a shudder.

Nicole’s smile widened. “I didn’t peg you as a movie guy.” At his raised brow, she lifted a shoulder. “I guess I just assumed you live and breathe food and nothing but that.” Picturing Aiden doing something as normal as going to a movie theater was almost impossible, though she could see him going to a screening of an artsy documentary about the history of the cucumber.

Aiden scowled for a moment. “Maybe a little, but I do make time for some things occasionally. I overhear a lot in the kitchen and try to keep up with what seems popular.” He came closer to her, his citrusy forest scent washing over her, clouding her senses until she found her body swaying toward his. “Besides, there’s more to life than cooking. Right?”

Nicole swallowed thickly, nodding silently as he reached out and cupped the back of her hand before lifting it toward the same, stubborn apple she’d been having trouble with moments ago. “Uh-huh,” she squeaked. The feel of his rough skin against hers was not something she expected to turn her on as much as it did, but as he closed his hand around hers, the two of them gripping the apple, she had to look away to hide the fierce blush that had taken over her cheeks as she imagined that rough hand on her most intimate parts.

“Firm grip,” he instructed. The low timber of his voice sent a shiver up and down her spine and Nicole tried not to think about other contexts in which that briefing would come in handy. “Now twist lightly as you pull.” They did the action together, the apple popping right off the branch immediately. If she wasn’t so ridiculously turned on at the moment, Nicole would have danced with joy. “You did it.” Aiden released her hand, his arm dropping back at his side as he took a step away from her.

Smiling down at her full hand, Nicole beamed at him. “Thanks.” She brought the apple up to her nose to get a hint of the sweet smell, only to pull it back with a frown on her face. “It smells more like dirt than fruit.”

Aiden chuckled, the sound slightly gravely as took the apple from her and put it in the crate with all the others. “That’s because it’s dirty,” he sassed. The corner of his mouth ticked up into an almost smirk, Nicole doing a mental fist pump at the sight of it. Even if it was at her expense, she was excited to see the almost smile on his face. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail back behind her ear. When he pulled his hand back, he shook his head like he’d just done something wrong. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Nicole breathed out.

If anything, she wished they were back at his house and not in the middle of an orchard filled with people so they could do a lot more than he just had. They stood still, staring at one another, the silence and tension that existed between them stretching until Nicole thought it would snap. She’d always hated lulls in conversation, but for different reasons. This one was making her want things she knew she shouldn’t, but the impulse to just lean up on her tiptoes and kiss him was too strong. Licking her lips, Nicole took a step forward only to halt her tracks at the sight of an older woman approaching.

“Aiden Nolan Kemp,” the woman called. Aiden winced and turned toward the sound, an apologetic look on his face. “What makes you think you can waltz onto this property whenever you want without at least stopping inside to give me a hug?”

Aiden wrapped his arms around the woman who was only just the slightest bit shorter than him, squeezing her before stepping back. “Sorry, Mom.” He placed his hand on Nicole’s back and pushed her forward. “I was showing Nic the orchard. You remember? I texted about her yesterday.”

The woman’s blue eyes lit up as she turned to Nicole who was still stuck on Aiden’s shortened version of her name. Most people defaulted to Nicki, the same name her mother called her. No matter who else used it, it never felt the same and actually rubbed her the wrong way, but she liked Nic. It was short and sweet, just like she was and tried to be. “I do remember,” his mother replied. She pulled Nicole into a hug, the crush of her sturdy frame pulling a quiet “oof” from Nicole’s chest as she did. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Nicole. You can call me Cora.”

Once the woman had released her and she could breathe again, Nicole smiled at the older woman. “Pleasure to meet you, Cora,” Nicole told her, meaning every word.

Not only was it nice to meet the woman who raised Aiden, but it was nice to be around another mom. Nicole had missed that connection so much. Even though Cora wasn’t her mom, the woman with the short brown bob streaked with gray reminded her enough of her mother that it put her more at ease than she’d already felt. A lot of women gave off that inherent “Mom vibe,” the desire to care for and nurture those around them coming off in waves.

Cora was like that. Nicole hadn’t realized just how much she missed having that around until that moment. “Thanks for letting me into your orchard.”

Cora’s hand waved her comment away like she was shooing a fly. “Of course. Any friend of Aiden’s is always welcome.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she gazed between the two of them. For the second time that day, Nicole wondered just how few women had been brought there by the man. “So, are the two of you staying for lunch?”

Nicole’s eyes shot to Aiden’s, the uncertainty in his eyes foreign looking. “We really should start working on her chef skills.”

Cora smiled, lacing her arm through Nicole’s. “It’s a good thing we have a perfectly good kitchen then, isn’t it?” Turning back toward the house, Cora started to fill Nicole in on all the ingredients she had available and peppered her with questions about her favorite foods.

Nicole glanced over her shoulder at Aiden who was tagging along behind them, his hands shoved into his pockets and a resigned look on his face. When he spotted her eyes on him, he shrugged helplessly and shook his head, but he didn’t seem upset by their change in plans.

Truthfully, Nicole wasn’t either. The location of the kitchen didn’t really matter. All that did was that she would be working with Aiden. Something about it being in the kitchen he first learned to cook in felt extra special, and suddenly she was glad of the turn of events. If she couldn’t get the man himself, she would settle for getting as much insight into him as possible. It would probably never be enough, but for now, it would have to suffice.

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