How Cassie Got Her Grind Back(Divine Creek Ranch 23)(55)
“Like with the étouffée, I’d take my time.” After he finished peeling the onion, she watched in fascination as he held it securely in his strong hands. His fingers were long, and his nails neat, clean, and short, as he sliced the onion in half with a quick motion.
She took in a deep, cleansing breath. “I’ll bet.”
He turned the onion and sliced in the other direction, producing a completely diced onion in seconds. “I’d let things heat up, but not too hot, not at first.” Next he cored and seeded the bell peppers. “Low heat is best. And I don’t rush. I never rush a good thing.” He was looking directly at her, his hands stilled, before going back to work.
She pointed to the strainer hanging in the pot rack when he asked, and he opened the package of crawfish over the sink and dumped them in to finish thawing and rinse under the tap water. After washing his hands again, he went back to chopping the bell pepper and then the celery and then smashed a clove of garlic under the flat of the blade.
“If I let things get hot too fast, like with the garlic, the aroma and the essence peak too early, and it’s just so much cooked, smooshed vegetable in the skillet and the scent of singed garlic hangs in the air for a long time.” He scrunched his nose in distaste, and she giggled. All his food analogies were totally turning her on, and then he said, “I want it to peak as I put a bite in your mouth. I want you to moan because it’s so good the flavors burst on your tongue.”
Holy crap, I think I just burst!
She licked her lips and giggled as his gaze fastened onto her mouth, and he licked his lips before going back to work. He tested the heat of the skillet and added butter to it and smiled as it liquefied and spread slowly in the pan. “See? No odor, no smoke, just a slow…melting.”
She squirmed in her seat, slowly melting, and patted her damp forehead as he tossed handfuls of onion, pepper, and celery into the skillet with the garlic. “You are such a tease. You make cooking a very sensual experience.”
Standing in front of the stove, stirring the vegetables as they began to coat with melted butter, he looked so at ease, self-confident, as he shot her a sexy grin. “It’s a good thing.”
He adjusted the heat again and then came to her, drawing close enough she had to spread her thighs to accommodate him. The motion drew her attention to how tingly and wet she was getting and how much she wanted him there, touching her and stroking her with those capable fingers. His hands were warm through the fabric of her slacks as he rested them on her thighs. “Are you wet?”
His body heat drew her to him, so comforting and exciting at the same time, and he shuddered as she brushed her lips against his throat and whispered, “Very. And I’m so hot, too.”
Ivan bit his lip, and his eyes smoldered as he gazed into hers. “How hot?”
“Simmering. Slowly.”
“Not too hot?”
“Not yet,” she whispered. “But I want to be.”
He backed up an inch. “You want to be?”
She held his gaze, tipping on the edge of one of the biggest decisions she’d ever made in her life. Continue on, celibate and unfulfilled…or take a chance. “Samson?”
“Wishes like hell he was here right now.”
“I do, too.” She shivered as he stroked her cheekbone and reached up to hold his hand against her cheek. “I don’t know what the protocol is here. I know my friends are happy in their physical…sexual relationships, but I’ve never asked any of them how they actually started.”
Ivan nodded, and vulnerability shone in his eyes, which reassured her. She didn’t like feeling at a disadvantage. “It’ll be late when Samson gets done, but I took the liberty of texting him your address.”
“I’ll put an extra key under the potted plant on the porch for him. Do you think he’ll come?”
“He might. I’ll let him know about the key.”
Her breathing was shallow, as if she’d just run around the block. “Will…will you stay, Ivan? Stay here, with me, if that’s okay?”
“If it’s what you want, but I’m not sure how well I’ll resist temptation.”
“I didn’t ask you to resist,” she murmured before he leaned down to meet her halfway in a kiss. “I’ll make the rice, if you’d like?”
He shook his head. “Let me take care of feeding you. I want to.”
Nodding, she looked around the kitchen, which was already tidy, besides his slight mess, and then she turned. “I’ll be in the back.”
“Doing what?”
She peered out the front windows and was pleased to see Bill was indeed gone. She’d been in such a rush to get inside and hide her goodies earlier that she’d never even noticed his Lexus parked out front. “You said you found Bill on my bed, right?”