Page 10 of Second Chances
I wonder how many other women his ‘meal’ has pleased.She shook her head slightly at the unwelcome thought that crossed her mind. She didn’t want to think about him cooking for other women.
Darcy noticed her silent movement and, as if reading her thoughts, continued gruffly, “I don’t usually cook for other people, mostly just when Georgie comes to visit; she tells me which ones are really good.”
It wasn’t an explicit, ‘I’ve never cooked for another woman except my sister before,’ but then again, she hadn’t had the courage to ask him that question outright.
Probably because you were afraid of what the answer might be.
“When did you learn to cook?” she asked.
His face shadowed, but he answered her question, “I would help my mom when I was younger before she passed away. I picked it up again only a few years ago though. I was going through some… things… and one day when Georgie was here, she asked me if I would cook for her. So, I did and then it kind of became our thing.”
The love he had for his mom, and especially his sister, was palpable in his answer as was the pain he felt when he reflected back on his past; she could tell it was hard for him to open up about it.
“So, what’s your favorite meal that you make?” she asked, trying to lighten up the conversation as they finished their meals.
“Fettuccini Alfredo. By far,” he said without hesitation.
“So why didn’t you make that tonight?”
Laughing, he explained, “Because when I made it for Georgie, she said that it was so good that I couldn’t make it for her anymore otherwise she would get fat; I didn’t want you to not eat enough because the meal was too fattening.”
At his response, Beth burst out laughing. Sure, she tried to exercise or run on a semi-regular basis, but she’d never been one to bethatconcerned about how much she was eating. She ate relatively healthy ninety percent of the time; the other ten percent, she let herself enjoy. She also laughed at the fact that he had thought so much about making sure she wasn’t concerned about getting fat on his dinner, and yet whether she liked mushrooms or not didn’t even cross his mind.
“You have nothing to worry about there - I will always eat enough, if not too much,” she informed him wryly, bringing a smile to his face.
“Good to know,” he began, “because I plan on making sure you burn through all those calories.” His eyes smoldered at the end of his statement, sending a searing heat straight through to her core.
She crossed her legs as she felt a familiar dampness between her thighs; he noticed her movement and smiled appreciatively, knowing the physical effect that he had on her. Her face flushed, remembering the promise from his earlier email. She ducked her head so as to not fuel any more flames; she still had a goal to accomplish tonight.
“So, what’s for dessert?”she asked as she toyed with the remaining few noodles on her plate, trying to draw the conversation back onto food.Or anything that isn’t going to get you in trouble.
When he didn’t answer right away, she looked up to see why he was silent and found his molten stare practically undressing her.
“I’m looking at it,” he replied hoarsely, and he looked as though he would take her right there on the table if she gave him the slightest hint of acquiescence.
Deep breath. Take control. There’s plenty of time for mind-blowing sex later.
Collecting herself, she gave him her best unaffected, all-business stare and responded, “I’m glad you’re seeing our conversation as a treat instead of a chore.”
Her tart reply managed to dampen his sexual aura; his mouth thinned and he stood up, mumbling that he would be right back. Beth took his thirty-second absence to regain her composure, her senses only still slightly heightened by her attraction to him when he returned with a large bowl of fresh fruit mixed with chocolate-covered strawberries.
“This looks wonderful - thank you,” she smiled sweetly, picking up a strawberry and biting half off into her mouth. She’d meant for her action to bring down the sexual tension between them, but when she saw his response, Beth realized that she’d done the exact opposite of what she had intended.
Licking her lips elicited a muffled groan from Darcy that had her nipples hardening instantly. The desire between them was thick and heavy; it was like kerosene begging for a match to be struck. Her body pleaded for release but, thankfully, her mind remained resilient. She set the other half of the strawberry down on her plate, not wanting to ignite a spark.
“We have to talk about this morning,” she began, her voice thick with a mix of desire and desperation.
Her eyes begged him not to push her away, but as she spoke the words, she saw the hardness begin to take hold on his face; his mask of composure struggling to take over and shut him down.
“Please,” she added softly, knowing that blowing up at him over what he did wasn’t going to help either of them or the issues between them. She needed to coax out of him the trust and openness that she knew was inside.
Well, that she hoped was inside.
At her plea, his mouth thinned yet he acknowledged her statement with a slight nod.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, that I didn’t want to stay with you, but I have other obligations. I have my own life that I’ve worked hard to achieve and I need you to respect that, and me.”
“God, I know, Beth. I’m such a fucking asshole,” he said vehemently, shocking her with his outburst as he ran his hand roughly through his hair.
