Love Under Two Benedicts(21)

“Holy cow, everything in this house is big!” Kelsey immediately blushed when she said that.

Steven met her gaze for a long moment and then said, “The beds in the guest rooms are a standard queen size.” There, let her see what she did with that.

“I see.”

Like hell. If she had asked why the bed in the master bedroom was larger, then, he could have explained it was meant to be shared by three. Steven smiled and then continued the tour on into the kitchen.

“Oh, my God, this is gorgeous!”

They’d had the granite countertop imported from Canada and chosen large rectangular ceramic tiles for the floor. Both surfaces shimmered in shades of autumn brown and, the decorator had said, contrasted well with the pure white, hand-carved wooden cabinets they’d had installed.

He’d chosen to have a center work island in the midst of the room as he liked the look of it. And, while he didn’t do a lot of cooking in this room, those who did told him he’d chosen the spacing and set-up well.

He smiled as Kelsey inspected all the drawers, looked in the oven, and cooed over the dishes in the cabinet.

“I guess it would be sexist of me to say this kitchen is wasted on a bachelor who rarely cooks.” She grinned as she said that. Matthew laughed, and Steven only shrugged.

“I had to figure Susan would have told you neither of us cook much. And it’s okay, you can be sexist. I don’t cook here often, but aunts and cousins and my mom do from time to time. They like it.”

“What’s not to like?” Kelsey finished her inspection, then perched herself up on one of the leather stools that lined the island on one side.

“Okay, I’m ready to watch others cook my dinner.”

“Hope you like stir-fry,” Matthew said.

“I do. And I like roast chicken, too. ”

Steven wondered if she was laughing at them, just a little. And he decided it was fine if the answer to that was yes. If she could laugh at them, she had to feel at ease with them. Whether she realized it or not, Ms. Kelsey Madison had taken a step away from “sex only” and toward a full-fledged relationship.



* * * *



Kelsey could hardly believe it, but touring Steven’s home and sitting in the kitchen bantering while the two men prepared dinner felt more intimate than sex had the night before. She began to suspect that she may have bitten off more than she could chew with these two Benedicts.

She sipped the wine Steven had poured, a crisp Chablis that was one of her favorites, and took a moment to search her emotions.

While the moment felt intimate, it didn’t feel threatening. She was still captain of her ship, in charge of her destiny, and that destiny had been carved in stone.

She might hook up with the male of the species from time to time in order to play, but she’d live the rest of her life alone.

“I think you qualify for some sort of award,” Matthew said.

Kelsey tilted her head slightly. “For what?”

“Making no comment so far on our technique.”

She set her glass down and used two fingers to gently turn it as she considered all the possible responses she could give him.

“Well, in fairness, I was going to wait until I got dressed again later before giving either of you a score. Last night might have been a fluke.”

“Smart ass,” Steven said.

She watched as he began to sear the beef strips in the wok. Matthew finished chopping the vegetables, then checked the rice in the steamer. The kitchen filled with the smell of food, and as always, even when it wasn’t her own food, Kelsey took a moment to close her eyes, inhale deeply, and appreciate the aromas.

She opened her eyes to encounter the two men treating her to identical heated gazes.

“There should be a rule about distracting the cooks,” Matthew said.

“I agree.” Steven put his attention back on the wok.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was simply…enjoying the scents.”

It had been a long, long time since Kelsey had allowed herself the freedom to flirt. When Matthew speared her with another stare, she said nothing, simply batted her eyelashes.

“Us, too, come to that. You smell sultry, savory, and sexy.”

“Ooh, alliteration. Be still my heart.”

“You know,” Steven said conversationally, “smart asses run the risk of being spanked around here.”

“You might call that another family tradition, one that’s not spoken of very often,” Matthew added.

The air fairly crackled with sexual tension. Kelsey felt it along her arms and legs, then spiraling deep into her, settling low in her belly. Her nipples tightened and her pussy gushed. She’d never been spanked in her entire life. She didn’t know what to think about the fact that the mere mention of the possibility of a spanking had her dripping with horniness.