Page 59 of A Table for Two
“Yep. And I didn’t buy it. I made it,” she said, dancing her way back over to the waffle maker. “It’s far cheaper these days with the price of extract going up in the stores.”
He whipped his head in her direction. “I don’t even know what to say. You are truly an amazing woman. I’d love the recipe to the syrup and extract, if you don’t mind sharing.”
“Sure.” Serenity sidled up next to him. “But if you tell my secrets, I’m never feeding you again.”
Gabriel threw his head back and laughed. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple. “Baby, that’s a serious threat, and as much as I love eating your food, I’m taking these recipes to the grave.”
She joined his laughter, and it took them a few minutes to calm down. He’d missed being with her this way. He stroked a finger down her cheek. His gaze drifted to her mouth, and memories of kissing her flooded his mind—the plush softness of her lips, the sweet taste on his tongue. He had to kiss her again. He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. He’d meant it to be only a quick one, but the moment their lips connected, he was lost. Passion erupted, and he gathered her closer. Gabriel left her lips to trail kisses over her jaw, along her throat and the portion of her chest visible above her sleeveless top. Reaching up, he cupped her face and reclaimed her mouth. She gripped his shirt, meeting him stroke for stroke. He groaned. Feeling himself on the brink of losing control, he eased back.
“Um…we’re supposed to be cooking.”
They were cooking in his mind. With her eyes still closed and her lips moist from his kisses, she made an alluring picture, tempting him to have one more taste. His stomach growled again, ending the interlude. “I guess I should start on the bacon.”
“And these waffles and eggs aren’t going to cook themselves.”
She gave him a smile that stirred something deep in his belly. He momentarily froze.What the hell is going on?He had never experienced these kinds of crazy emotions with a woman, particularly one he’d known only a short time. He dropped his hands, and Serenity backed out of his embrace.
Gabriel turned to the counter and busied himself with his tasks. They worked in companionable silence as Jill, along with Anthony Hamilton, sang about being so in love. “I take it you’re a fan of Jill Scott.”
She placed a done waffle onto a cookie sheet and placed it in the warmer drawer on the oven. “I love her music.”
“I was checking out things to do in the Bay Area and saw that she’ll be at Yoshi’s in Oakland next weekend.”
“Are youserious? I’ve been trying to catch her in concert.”
She’d just given him the opening he needed to ask her out again. “If tickets are still available, would you like to go?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes sparkling with happiness.
“I’ll check and see while we’re eating.” He turned his attention back to the bacon and transferred the crisp strips to a paper towel to drain. Minutes later, they filled their plates, got glasses of orange juice, and took everything out to her deck. Serenity went back inside to bring out the warm syrup. Gabriel seated her, then went around the table and took his own chair. He was eager to try the waffles and the syrup. First he ate a piece of the fluffy waffle plain. It was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and slightly sweet. And delicious. Next he added the syrup. Unable to resist, he dipped his finger in for a taste before sampling them together. It was so good, he couldn’t stop a groan. He glanced up to find Serenity watching him with a quiet smile. “This is the best syrup I’ve ever had, and I’m never eating the store-bought ones again.”
Serenity smiled. “It really is hard to go back once you’ve tried it. I can’t remember the last time I bought some. Jellies and jams, either, for that matter.”
Gabriel paused with a forkful of eggs halfway to his mouth. “You make your own jams, too?”
She nodded and wiggled her eyebrows. “I see that gleam in your eyes. I take it you’d like to try some.”
The corner of his mouth kicked up in a grin. “Hey, I can’t help it. You know how I feel about food.”
Chuckling, she rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
While she was gone, he took out his phone and checked to see about the concert tickets. He smiled when he saw they hadn’t sold out and quickly purchased two tickets. Briefly, he considered booking them a room for the night but changed his mind. He was already in too deep, and since he hadn’t made any concrete decisions about the future of their relationship, he didn’t think it would be a good idea.
“I have some strawberry jam you can try,” Serenity said, setting a saucer with a slice of buttered toast, a knife, and a jar in front of him, then reclaiming her chair.
Gabriel spread some of the jam on the bread and took a hefty bite. He shook his head. “You’re killing me here, Serenity. How am I supposed to go back to the other stuff after this?”
With a pleased look on her face, she bit off a piece of bacon. “Since you were nice enough to do my yard, you can take a jar home.”
“Thanks. Oh, I got us tickets to the concert. I chose Saturday as opposed to Friday night, so you won’t have to worry about rushing after work.”
“I appreciate that.”
“Maybe we can make a day of it and have dinner beforehand. The concert starts at seven thirty.”
“If we can go to Everett and Jones in Jack London Square, you have a deal. I have a taste for some barbecue.”
“You’ll get no argument from me.” They finished eating, and Gabriel helped Serenity clean up. Bringing her into the circle of his arms, he asked, “What are your plans for the rest of your day?”
