Page 57 of He Has Charm (Boston Brawlers Hockey)
The man with blue hair is unmistakable. “Jason Santos,” I say, and reach out to shake his hand. “What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on a cooking show somewhere or cracking the whip in the kitchen of some restaurant?”
“Normally. But when Harper called I jumped at the chance to work with one of my hockey heroes. Love the game, man. A real fan of yours.”
“Well that makes it mutual because you know I’m a fan of yours. Though I haven’t had a chance to get back to B&B since that night we met.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you talked to Jason that night,” Harper says.
“So what’s going on here today, sugar buns?” Her eyes shoot up to her hairline and I laugh. Jason takes it all in stride because he’s a cool guy.
“I’m here for your first cooking lesson. One of my sous chefs will be taking over the lessons after today, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity. Wish I had time to teach all six lessons.”
“Six cooking lessons. I love it.” I slip from my jacket and give Harper a hug. She’s not into PDAs, no surprise, but I need to show my appreciation. Jason busies himself setting up all the equipment and ingredients, organizing everything on the island, separating his side from ours to create three stations.
“Least I can do after the shoes.”
“I didn’t expect anything in return.”
“I know.” She shrugs. “But it’s not really a surprise because we talked about it.”
“Yes it is. This is an awesome surprise.”
Jason looks at us. “Are we ready?”
“Born ready,” I say. Harper rolls her eyes and Jason laughs.
“Since you’re looking for healthy food, today we’re making Cajun salmon with succotash and smashed potatoes with mustard greens. Veggies, proteins, fat, and a dash of carbs. I guarantee this dish will fill you up without weighing you down.”
“Sold,” I say.
As we cook, the kitchen seems to shrink and I bump into Harper or she brushes against me. We’re on one side of the island and Jason is on the other, giving us the play-by-play on what he’s doing and what we need to do.
Every time she laughs, every time any part of her touches me, every time the look of discovery lights her face, the sensual tension that I’ve kept on ice since that kiss in the closet, heats up. Little by little, my temperature rises until I feel a whole lot more than the heat of the kitchen.
If she didn’t flick those side glances at me, those half smiles, and tell me how impressed she was with me all afternoon, I might have been able to keep under control. But the simmer in her stare is unmistakable a bushel of chopped vegetables and a flurry of Cajun seasonings later.
We’ve cooked and eaten our dishes and her appreciative moan as she finishes her last bite nearly undoes me. After the fastest cleanup I can manage, Jason leaves us with our promise to come back to his restaurant soon.
The moment the back door closes behind the chef, I turn to her and one look at her jewel eyes tells me she’s the same place I am. Skating on the edge of temptation.
“That was fun,” she says, her voice breathy.
“More than fun,” I say. “Hot as hell.” Her eyes sizzle in answer.
I close the distance between us and take Harper in my arms, crushing her against the door in a soul-searing kiss as if I’m a man starving. She moans as she opens her mouth to mine and I grind against her. Devouring her mouth like she’s dessert, I move my hands down her sides and cup her sweet ass, pulling her against my full-blown hard-on.
“Maddox.” She says my name into my mouth like a desperate plea.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all afternoon. Hell,” I nibble at her lips, “I’ve been wanting to do this since our first meeting back in NOLA.”
“I know,” she says.
I laugh-growl. “Guess I never really kept it a secret, did I?”
“No, but then neither did I. When I eavesdropped on you in my shower, I… that was so unprofessional. But I couldn’t help myself.”
“I know how you feel.”
“I want to know how you feel.”
