Page 14 of Taste The Smoke
“If you’d asked, I would’ve given up the info. The fact that you’re being evasive means he has and it must have been good for you to still be seeing him.”
“I need to go. We can talk tomorrow.”
“Fine, but I wantallllthe juicy details.”
“Bye, girl.”
Laughing, Phaedra said, “Bye. Oh, and don’t be afraid to get your freak on.”
Disconnecting, Kenya tossed the phone on the bed. “Crazy woman,” she muttered as she brushed her hair. But her sister’s words kept playing in her mind. And with the way Alonzo’s kisses made her forget her own name, it would take a Herculean effort to keep herself in control. The last time she’d impulsively jumped into bed with a man soon after meeting him, he’d started trying to control her every move. It took her less than a month to walk away. The next time, she kept intimacy out of the equation for almost four months until she felt the relationship was onsolid ground. A year later, she saidI do, andthathadn’t turned out well, either. Now, Alonzo had come in turned her solitary world upside down, and tempted her to want to do all the things her sister and Jayana mentioned. Kenya couldn’t figure out what to do. She only knew that the attraction between them rose higher each time they were together, and at some point, they’d act on it. In the meantime, she was going to keep following her mother’s advice to be in the moment and let the rest take care of itself.
The sound of the doorbell interrupted her mental debate. When she opened the door, the sight of Alonzo standing there with that sexy smile made her heart rate kick up. She didn’t know which she liked better—the business clothes he’d worn on their previous dates, or the jeans and pullover tee that showed off his sculpted arms and chest to their best advantage. Realizing that she was standing there staring at him like an awestruck teen, she stepped back and waved him in. “Hey, Alonzo. Come on in.”
“Hey, beautiful.” Alonzo dipped his head and placed a gentle, lingering kiss on her lips.
Just like every other kiss they’d shared, this one stirred not only her passions, but also her emotions. It was the latter that frightened Kenya. She felt herself falling for him much too quickly.
“I’ve been thinking about kissing you again for the past week,” he murmured, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her closer before kissing her again. “We should probably get started on dinner before I skip straight to dessert.”
Her head came up and she saw raw desire in his eyes. A little shaky and off-balance from the kiss, she backed out of his arms and finally noticed the large bag he held in his other hand. “You’re probably right.” He followed her to the kitchen and placed the bag on the counter. “What are we having?” Kenyapeeked inside, expecting some kind of aroma to hit her nose, but she didn’t smell anything. Turning, she met his amused gaze.
“We’re having lemon butter scallops, pasta, sautéed spinach, and French rolls…as soon as I prepare it.”
I know this man didn’t say what I think he did. He’s going tocook? “Wait. I thought we were ordering something. I didn’t expect you to…to make the food, especially something so?—”
“It’s not that difficult to make, and if you’re worried whether I can cook, you can watch me.” Alonzo placed a kiss on her temple and went to the sink to wash his hands. While drying them, he asked her where to find the pots and pans he needed.
She washed her hands and helped empty the bag. He’d even brought wine, which she put in the refrigerator. “I guess it’s a good thing I decided to make dessert, instead of getting something store bought. I really would’ve felt bad.”
“Why? There’s nothing wrong with taking a shortcut, especially since you work all day. I just happen to enjoy cooking. It relaxes me.”
Kenya stared. Never had a man cooked for her, not even the man she’d married. He always had one excuse after another as to why he couldn’t even open up a can of soup. Yet this man had offered to cook for her three weeks after meeting him. Any doubts she may have had about his ability to pull off the meal were banished as she watched him moving around her kitchen with the skill of a trained chef. She went to the family room and turned on some music. Because her grandmother loved to sing while cooking, she’d had speakers installed in the kitchen.
“Perfect,” Alonzo said when she came back. He’d poured glasses of wine for both of them and handed her one. “Ain’t nothing better than a little R&B, a good meal and a beautiful woman.” He touched his glass against hers and held her gaze as they sipped, then turned his attention back to the stove.
“It smells incredible.” Kenya observed as he made the sauce in the same pan as he’d seared the scallops, drizzled some over them, then drained the pasta and added it to the rest of the sauce. Her stomach growled and it was all she could do not to grab a fork from the drawer and steal a taste.
He chuckled. “Hungry?”
“Starving. I’ll get the plates from the dining room.”
When she handed him the vintage China, he said, “These remind of the ones my grandmother had in her China cabinet. I can’t ever remember seeing her use them, though.”
Kenya smiled. “My grandmother didn’t believe in letting hers sit in a cabinet and collect dust. We used them at least twice a week. If I ever get married again, I’m going to do the same.” The words slipped out before she could call them back. There was something about him that made it so easy to share her feelings.
Alonzo angled his head. “Do you think you’ll ever want to get married again?”
If he’d asked her that a month ago, her answer would have been a resoundingno. Make thathell no!However, being around him these few weeks had her rethinking what she really wanted. Buried beneath all the pain, hurt and betrayal, Kenya was still a romantic at heart. “I don’t know. After how things went down with my ex, I never wanted to hear the word marriage again. But now…” She shrugged. “If I can find a man who will be honest, loyal and chooses to put me as his priority, I’ll consider it.”
Moving close to her, Alonzo tilted her chin and leaned down, leaving a mere inch between them. “If a man loves a woman, he’ll give her those things and more, including his time, his effort, and his passion. She will never have to struggle financially or emotionally, or have to worry about him breaking her heart because her heart would be his. And no real man would break his own heart.”
Kenya’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath stacked up in her throat and she couldn’t take her eyes off his. His passionate declaration made her emotions surge and nearly overwhelm her. As if he understood, Alonzo wrapped her in his arms and just held her as she listened to the strong, steady beating of his heart.
Moments later, he said, “Come on, baby. Let’s eat. We’ll talk after dinner.”
Still trying to get her emotions under control, she nodded. While he added portions of the meal to the plates, she removed the rolls warming in the oven, placed them in a small basket and grabbed the small bowl of butter she’d taken out to soften when he first started cooking. They carried everything to the dining room. Alonzo went back for their wine and the bottle, then sat across from her. She lifted her glass. “To the cook.”
Smiling, he touched his glass to hers.
