Page 54 of What We Break
"Perfect," I manage. And I'm not talking about the sauce.
12
LAINE
Iwant to lick that little dab of sauce off his lip. It's taunting me. Begging for me to do it.
He makes a low hum and locks eyes with me. I swear the heat between us is almost visible. Then his eyes go wide, and he's suddenly all excited puppy energy again.
"Holy shit. What's in that?"
I clear my throat. Right. The sauce. "Secret ingredient."
"Come on." He's practically bouncing. "You can't say 'secret ingredient' and then not tell me. That's cruel and unusual punishment."
"Dark chocolate. Just a tiny bit."
"You're kidding." His face lights up like I've just revealed the secrets of the universe. "Chocolate? In pasta sauce?"
"I learned it from one of the Abuelas in Mexico. She said everything good needs a little surprise."
Reid grins, wide and delighted, and my stomach does this stupid fluttery thing. "Smart woman. I'm going to think about this for the rest of my life. Chocolate in pasta sauce. Game changer."
We're standing way closer than we need to be. Neither of us backs up. His hip is almost touching mine, and I can feel the warmth radiating off him. He's so relaxed in his own place, and I'm shocked howmuch I like this side of him. Most guys work so hard to impress on dates — showing off what they know, taking charge, proving how competent they are. But Reid's just... present. Actually here. Helping me stir things and asking questions and bumping my hip with his like we've been doing this for years.
Well, maybe performing a little. But it's charming rather than annoying.
"Can I ask you something?" I say.
"Sure."
"When I said I wanted to cook instead of going out... were you disappointed?"
He screws up his face, and taps his chin, making me laugh. Then he drops the bit and smiles.
"Honestly? For like thirty seconds. I had this whole plan."
"What kind of plan?"
"Fancy French restaurant. Good wine. My shirt that doesn't have holes in it." He laughs at himself, rubbing the back of his neck. "I even watched YouTube videos about wine so I wouldn't sound like an idiot. I wanted to show you I was serious."
"You watched YouTube videos about wine?"
"Two of them. I can now tell you the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet." He pauses. "Okay, no I can't. I retained nothing. But I tried, I swear."
I'm laughing, and he's grinning at me like making me laugh is the best thing that's happened to him all day.
He watched YouTube videos about wine. For me. This man studied wine like it was a final exam because he wanted to impress me at dinner.
That's either the sweetest thing I've ever heard or I need to seriously recalibrate my standards.
"And now?" I ask.
"Now I think I had it backward. This is better. You, here, in my kitchen, teaching me things I'll probably forget by tomorrow." His voice softens. "This is real."
God, I like this guy. A lot.
The pasta timer goes off, and Reid looks at the pot like it might bite him. "Uh... how do I know when it's done?"
