Page 97 of Revenge Puck

“The whole ‘look how put together I am’ routine.”

I take a sip of wine, watching her over the rim of the glass. “You think this is a routine?”

“It’s very deliberate.”

“Everything I do is deliberate.”Including you.

Her eyebrows lift at that.

My chuckle is low. “You prefer men who don’t know what they’re doing?”

Her trim shoulders rise and fall. “I prefer men who don’t strategize every move.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I mean,it is, but she doesn’t know that… “This isn’t strategy.”

“No?”

“No.” I tilt my head toward the stove. “If it were strategy, I’d be making something easier. This took hours.”

She looks surprised by that. “You’ve been cooking all afternoon?”

“Since before I called to invite you over.”Because like I said, deliberate.

Her eyes narrow at me above the rim of her wine glass. “You decided you were inviting me before you even asked?”

I shrug, reaching for the colander. “I had a feeling you’d say yes.”

Pouring the noodles back into the pot, I add a ladle of sauce, tossing it carefully, coating everything in deep red ragù. Juliettewatches my hands the entire time, and I’m hyper-aware of it. The way her gaze slides over my wrists. My fingers. The flex of muscle when I stir…

“Hesitation wastes time.”

I plate the pasta, deliberately slow now, letting the sauce fall in thick ribbons.

Juliette sips. “Or it builds anticipation.”

I glance up at that.

She’s smiling into her wine glass.

“You enjoying this?” I ask.

“Watching you?” She tips her head. “Verymuch.”

I set the plates down but don’t hand hers over yet. Instead, I move toward her; lean my forearms on the counter, caging her in, causing the air to shift.

“You like a man in his element,” I say, nuzzling her neck and causing her to sigh.

“I like a man who knows what he’sdoing.”

“Like me.”

She laughs quietly. “That’s what worries me.”

I frown. “Why?”

“Because. Men who know exactly what they’re doing usually know the plan and how to get there.”

“And?”