Page 24 of What Started In Deception
“Thanks,” he said, sensing that she wasn’t entirely comfortable as she crossed her arms, then quickly uncrossed them again. “So, how can I help with dinner?”
She stood on her tiptoes, peeking into the bag. “Um, you can wash and cut up the peppers. It looks like you got onions and mushrooms, too.”
He nodded. “I got a little bit of everything. We never covered what you do and don’t like.”
“I’m pretty easy. I can’t think of a whole lot that I don’t like.”
“Except chicken feet.”
She grinned. “Except that. It’s safe to say we have that in common.”
He chuckled, thrilled as hell that she sent him another unguarded smile—her second of the night. “I’m happy to dive in.”
She set him up with a cutting board and a knife not far from the five-burner cooktop, as he washed the red, yellow, and green peppers.
He brought the vegetables over to the counter, recognizing the pretty flower arrangement from Marney’s place on the dining room table. “I like your flowers.”
She looked to where he did. “Thanks. My mom liked fresh flowers on the table. She always bought something new every week.”
“They’re pretty,” he said again, deciding that there was no need to bring up her family’s tragedy when they were still getting to know each other.
She nodded. “So, what are we doing with the salmon?”
He shrugged as he sliced into the red pepper. “Pan-fried certainly works for me, unless you’re thinking of something different.”
She shook her head. “That sounds fine, but I have to be honest and say that I don’t cook a lot of fish. I’m afraid I might ruin it.”
“Do you want to switch? You can handle the veggies, and I’ll take care of the fish?”
She nodded. “Sure.” She moved to his spot and got to work, slicing her way through the red pepper like a pro as he took the half pound of wild-caught salmon from the bag. “The pans are in the cupboard to the right.”
“Thanks,” he said as he opened the cupboard door and crouched down, perusing his options, noting that she owned top-of-the-line cookware.
She went after the yellow pepper next. “Do you do a lot of cooking when you’re in DC?”
“Some, but usually I’m at work.”
“Do you always do undercover stuff?”
He grabbed two fourteen-inch pans, one for the vegetables and the other for the fish. “Not always. If I’m not undercover, I work bank robberies.”
“Oh.” She met his gaze as she grabbed the green pepper. “And you’ve always done that?”
He shook his head. “I’ve always worked in violent crime, just in different aspects. I spent my first four years out in LA on a gang task force.”
She winced as she started slicing. “That sounds like it could be scary.”
He nodded, opening a cupboard to the left of the microwave, looking for her selection of oils, grabbing a bottle of the organic avocado. “It had its moments.”
“What is a task force, exactly?”
“It’s a group of law enforcement agencies that work together. I worked closely with the LAPD and the DEA. It wasn’t uncommon for the US Marshals to get involved, too, especially when we ran raids.”
She started on the mushrooms. “Huh. But then you moved to DC?”
He nodded as he leaned against the counter, watching her work when there wasn’t much that he could do for the moment. “They transferred me three years ago.”
“Do you get a say in where you get transferred to?”
