Page 13 of The Soul of Archer
Her head whipped around to look at him. "You cook?"
"Yes, I cook. I'm no Chef Ramsey, but I get by." He laughed.
"I could go for a light snack. I had dinner with friends after work, but everything that happened...when I'm tense like this I go for either food or a run. It's too late for the latter so food it is then." She said as they headed upstairs.
***
Alora was feeling more like her old self when she came back downstairs dressed in her fuzzy Minion sleep pants and a black tank top. She followed her nose and ears. When she walked into the kitchen she found Lance talking to the man Krista had introduced as her brother Danny.
"Hi," she said nervously when both men looked her direction.
"Hello again Alora." Danny greeted. "I brought your car over, it's in Lance's garage."
"Thanks, I really appreciate it."
"No problem." Danny nodded, handing her the keys. "Lance, I'll see you in the morning."
"Alright, see you." Lance replied.
With a wave, Danny saw himself out the back door. Alora hopped onto a stool at the kitchen island and studied Lance as he turned to stir something on the stove. The man was big and lean, like a cat of prey. His back was wide and watching his muscles ripple under the drab green shirt he wore was sexy as sin.
"Something smells good."
"That would be my mama's famous hot chocolate. Good for coughs, colds, skinned knees, and just about anything that ails ya'." Lance winked. "At least that's what my sister says."
Alora smiled softly, resting her chin in her palm. "You have a sister?"
"A sister and a brother. I'm about twelve years older than my sister and fifteen years older than my brother." Lance answered, ladling hot chocolate into two mugs. "My sister, Jessi, is about to graduate from culinary school at UNC. She's a baker like you. My brother, Jake is a sophomore at M.I.T. He's studying to be an architect." He elaborated, sitting her mug in front of her.
Alora took the mug, blew gently on the liquid and took a swallow. Her eyes closed and then she moaned. The hot chocolaty concoction slid down her throat and tasted like pure bliss. She took another slow swallow savoring the taste. When her eyes opened again, it was to find Lance staring at her with an unreadable gleam in his eyes. One that made her thighs squeeze together and nipple pucker.
"Wow...this...it's delicious..." She breathed. She cleared her throat. "I wonder if your mama would be willing to let me try this in a cake or something?"
Lance smirked, "She might. As far as I know me, and mama are the only ones still alive with the recipe. It was her mother's, and her mother's mother, and so on, going back about four generations I think."
"Then, I just might have to call her up." Alora challenged.
As the two sat across from each other sipping their hot chocolate, their eyes remained on each other. She couldn't explain what the hell was happening except that it left her feeling almost breathless. Her body felt like it was on fire with the way he was looking at her. It was the same look he had out back of Sassy Explosions. Like he could eat her alive and in the best way possible. Her hands trembled slightly as she sat her empty mug on the marble top of the island.
"Lance..."
"Alora."
God his voice. It was deep, his southern drawl more pronounced. Licking her lips, she tried to speak again, "Lance, what...what is happening here?"
Lance polished off the last of his drink, sat his mug down and slid off his stool. He stood over her and rested his hands on her knees. "I have no idea. I will tell you this, I have never, and I do mean NEVER crossed the line with a client."
Alora's spine stiffened. So, she was just a client. Just like she had told Krista. "I see."
"Wait, let me..." Lance began, but she cut him off.
"There's nothing to say. Look, I got a busy day tomorrow so I'm going to turn in. I'll see you in the morning. Good night."
With that, she got off the stool and without a backward glance, left the kitchen and retreated to the room she would be using. Feeling like a complete idiot, Alora turned off the lights, climbed under the sheets and fought to keep the tears at bay.
'Idiot, idiot, idiot! Like a man like Lance Archer would even be interested in someone like me.'She chastised herself.
Taking a few slow breaths, she closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep. Yet her mind and her dreams couldn't keep those smoldering looks Lance had given her out. About an hour after she laid down, she bolted awake, heart pounding, her pussy wet and throbbing. She had been dreaming of Lance. Running her hand through her hair, she sat up.
