Page 18 of Smooth Moves
“You like it?” She watched him.
He nodded and swallowed a heavenly mouthful. “Oh my God. This is best thing I’ve ever had.” He didn’t wait to see if she liked his compliment before falling on his food with complete abandon. He didn’t come up for air until he’d scraped his plate clean and licked his fork.
When he did glance up, he saw her staring at him. Embarrassed, he apologized. “Sorry. I missed lunch today, and I haven’t had anything this good in forever. Reid can’t cook either, and the few meals Naomi has made were good but nowhere near this.”
He saw her pleasure, and it warmed him to know he’d earned that shy smile.
Shy?Jordan?He blinked, stunned to see another side to the mouthy woman who didn’t take any of his crap.
“I like to cook, but I haven’t had anyone to cook for but Rafi since I got out four months ago. And before that it had been a good year since I’d been dating.”
He didn’t believe it. “No husband, fiancé, boyfriend?”
“Nope. And no lasting boyfriends during my time in the Army. You know how it is. It’s hard.” She shrugged and ate with manners, reminding him to do the same.
Still, something didn’t seem right. Jordan was fucking awesome. How could she still be single? And why did that matter so much? He focused on his plate. “You mind if I get more?”
She moved to stand, and he waved her back. “I’ll get it. You eat. You’re too tiny as it is.” He ignored her glare and got himself another huge helping. If she’d fixed dessert, he might have to break down and marry her.
A joke, but something about that thought stunned him enough to have him freeze his fork by his mouth.
“Cash?”
He shrugged the foolishness away and ate at a much slower, more mannerly pace. “If you’d have fed me first then asked for my help with your brother, there’s no way I could have said no.”
“You didn’t say no.”
“But I did ask you to help me at my mom’s.” He sighed. “I won’t take it back, but damn, girl, I’m willing to trade you anything if you’ll cook for me again.”
She laughed. “You really are easy to please. Who knew?”
“That’s classified. You can never tell.”
Jordan snorted. “Who’d believe me if I did?”
“Have I called you a brat lately?”
“I believe you did.”
“Trust me, sweetcakes. It fits.” He loved how red her cheeks got when he called her pet names. Such an adorable bundle of rage.
“You know what else I bet fits? Your head up your ass. Keep it up and we’ll see before the night’s over.”
He choked on laughter and had to drink his water to breathe again. But it was worth it, especially when Jordan broke out a homemade cherry pie.
* * *
Jordan dared him to be mouthy again, holding a slice of pie in front of him. Cash had fallen on her food as if the Russians were coming, and nothing could have pleased her more. Call her old-fashioned, but Jordan liked cooking for more than just herself. Especially for someone who appreciated it. She was an independent woman who’d made her place in the world all by herself. She was single by choice, and she had no problem indulging in casual sex when the mood struck.
So it had always surprised her to find she took after her mother when it came to relationships. Maria Younger liked to coddle Carl, the same way she’d taken care of Jordan’s father. Jordan took pleasure in cooking for, cleaning up after, and generally sharing herself with her boyfriends.
She’d dated some nice guys, but timing and her work in the Army had made commitments tough to keep. Had she found someone who truly clicked with her, she’d have changed a few of her decisions. But no one had pressed all her buttons, not like…not like the man she didnotconsider anything more than a friend and coworker.
Yes, she’d made her best dish to persuade Cash to help her brother. And, yes, she’d made a cherry pie for dessert because she knew it was his favorite but also to seal the deal concerning Rafi.
If only she could stop thinking about Cash in any non-platonic kind of way. She had intelligence, yet lately she seemed to be thinking with her ovaries and not her brain.
“Seriously. I have no idea why you’re not married right now. You’re cute, and you can cook.” Cash finished his slice of pie and sat back, patting his washboard of a stomach. “Oh, that’s right. You’re mouthy. Forgot about that.” His eyes sparkled, as if he enjoyed their verbal sparring as much as she did.
