Page 127 of Could Have Been Us
She looks down at her shirt and shrugs. “Stella is really not careful when cooking.”
I tilt my head at her with a grin. “Hey! I’m careful.”
“The kitchen would say otherwise,” Jack says with a snort.
“We did get a lot on the floor.”
“There was no way I could’ve predicted the bag would rip,” I defend myself since they’re ganging up on me.
Kinsley snorts. “I said it was ripping!”
“I don’t recall that.”
Jack takes a few steps closer, inspecting the kitchen. “Is that egg on the cabinet?”
“No. It’s . . . not.”
It’s totally egg. I dropped one of those too.
Kinsley laughs. “It’s egg.”
“Traitor,” I whisper.
Jack walks deeper into the kitchen, looking at the carnage. It’s bad. I mean, there’s flour everywhere, and the egg thing is just one of the issues. I turn, putting my back against the counter so he can’t see the batter that spilled when I closed the lid on the waffle maker.
“Stella?” Jack peeks around to see what’s behind me.
“Yes?” I ask with a smile.
“What are you hiding?”
“Me?”
Jack’s gaze turns playful. “Yes, darling. You. What are you hiding?”
I bat my eyelashes dramatically. “I have no idea what you mean.”
His arms cage me in. “What’s behind you? More of a mess?”
Kinsley lets out a snort.
“Nope. I don’t make messes.”
His deep throaty laugh fills the room. This is the man I love. The fun, playful one who likes to tease me.
Two can do that.
I reach into the batter behind my back and then press my hand against his cheek, grinning as the mixture slides down his face. Kinsley gasps, and Jack just stares at me. “Oh, no. Did I make a mess?”
I am so in for it.
At the first chance of escape, I better run and pray he doesn’t catch me.
Jack doesn’t miss a beat. He turns, and I dart out, but his arm wraps around my middle, hauling me to him as flour rains down around me.
I squirm, laughing as he covers me with the dust.
There’s no way I’ll let this go. I grab my own handful and toss it blindly over my shoulder at him.
