Page 53 of Masters of the Game: Colton
“I didn’t say I couldn’t do it, I said I’d rather not do it,” he responded the same way.
Deciding not to ruffle his feathers any more than they already were, she said, “Fine. Can I help you with-”
“I don’t need your help.”
He didn’t need it or didn’t want it? She decided not to let his attitude bother her as she moved to sit at the table in the kitchen. The same table she’d eaten her plate of spaghetti at yesterday…alone.
He placed the platter of foods in front of her. Biscuits, bacon, eggs, and shrimp and grits. She was impressed. “Everything looks delicious, Colton. I didn’t know you were a wiz in the kitchen.”
He took a seat across from her. “I’m sure there are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”
“Just like there are things you don’t know about me,” she countered.
They ate mostly in silence. Every so often, she would break into the quietude by complimenting him on the food.
“Oh my god, these shrimp and grits are to die for. The biscuits practically melt in your mouth, and the bacon is crisp, just the way I like it cooked.”
“Thanks,” he said, without looking at her.
“So, who taught you how to cook?” she asked.
“Everybody in the family. No particular person.” He surprised her when he asked, “And who taught you to cook?”
She lifted a brow. “What makes you think I can cook?”
He looked at her with a ‘duh’ expression on his face before saying, “I assume it was you who cooked that pot of spaghetti and not your fairy godmother.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, guilty as charged. I learned to cook from working in the soup kitchens with my mom.”
He nodded. “I’ve never met your mom, but the more I hear about her, the more I like her.”
“But not her daughter so much,” Kelly decided to throw in.
He stared at her for the longest time, but didn’t deny her words. He then said, “Let’s finish eating so we can talk. Then you can leave.”
**
As Colton and Kelly continued eating in silence, Tex’s words last night ran through his mind…
Stop acting like an ass. Everyone makes mistakes. Even you.
“Damn,” he muttered.
She glanced over at him. “What’s wrong?”
He looked over at her and fought against saying the words that filled his mind…
This entire thing is wrong. Wasn’t it just two weeks ago when everything between them was good. So good that when they made love, he didn’t know where her body ended and his began. So good that he couldn’t seem to fall asleep without her in his arms...
Instead, he just continued to look at her, then at her plate. She had finished eating. And so had he. He met her gaze and felt it. Like always, the chemistry that flowed so effortlessly between them couldn’t be denied. But with her, it wasn’t just a sexual thing. It was deeper than that. He loved her. He’d figured that in time, the more they spent together, she could grow to love him, too. That had been his plan. However, she didn’t trust him.Without trust, there could be no love. And knowing that really hurt.
Colton leaned back in his chair. “Okay, Kelly, I’m ready to talk.”
CHAPTER 22
Kelly leaned back in her chair. The time had come to release it all. Everything she’d been holding inside of her for years. She’d shared some of it with Hansen. But not all.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “Would you believe that, although I dislike Mr. Perkins intensely now, at one time I loved my daddy?”
