Proud to Serve Her(5)

“A grenache, but close to burgundy.” He appreciated her delight and held the glass out, enjoying the way her cool fingers brushed his to take it.

Setting the bottle down, he shuttled aside her coffee cup. “What we have here is a selection of cheeses, some smoky, some sweet. Each comes served on a thin bed of bread. Bread is better than crackers because each flavor will spark another. I would suggest that you begin with this pumpkin slice, with bleu cheese and the raisin. They are cut so that you eat each one whole, allowing the flavors to dance on your tongue.”

She rolled the wine in the glass, her expression rapt as he explained, her attention dipping to the plate and back again. Hesitation made her smile hitch. “I’ve never been a fan of bleu cheese.”

Damon crouched next to her chair. “It’s not about like or dislike. It’s about teasing your palate, allowing you to experience the flavors. The pumpkin and the raisin bring out different aspects of the aged cheese, each allowing the other to tell you a different story. The pumpkin is autumn fresh, new and brazen. The aged cheese is like the wine, it takes on elements of experience while the raisin is both sweet and tart, giving the bleu a new lease on life.”

Her white teeth pulled on her lower lip and he wanted to run his tongue over her pouty, pink mouth, tug it with his own teeth and then feed her. But it was best to go one step at a time. Like the cheese and the wine, she needed to acclimate, to sample and let the food bring out new layers.

And he could sample them all.

She seemed to lose some inner struggle and laughed. It was a gorgeous sound. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone talk about food this way before.”

“Too many people treat food like fuel. Firing up to rush from one place to the next. I get it. I’ve been there. But I can enjoy it now. Would you allow me to show you how?”

She smothered her laughter and the hint of color in her cheeks flared again. He liked keeping her off balance. He nodded to the plate. “Choose the pumpkin bread and try that with the cheese.”

He wanted to make the selection and offer it to her himself, but he was still playing the role of waiter. She hesitated, but reached for the pumpkin bread square and lifted it to her mouth. Anticipation curled in his stomach as her lips parted.

“Close your eyes, take a small breath through your nose. Let the smoky combination tease your palate and then taste with your tongue.” He wanted to follow the path of that bread and kiss her with the flavor warm on her lips, but he forced himself to remain still.

A hint of rebellion slipped through her gaze, followed by the barest sensation of impatience. Impatience for him or impatience for herself, he wasn’t sure, but her lashes fluttered down and her nostrils flared. She slid the bite into her mouth.

She was still for several seconds before gliding her lips against each other as though savoring the flavors and a mild ecstasy rippled across her expression.

Her eyes popped open, surprise and delight filling them. She pressed two fingers to her mouth. “Wow.”

“Indeed. Now sample the wine, a careful sip, just enough to let it swirl through the flavors already on your tongue.” How he envied the wine as the crystal touched her lips and she took a small drink. The color in her cheeks deepened, flushing to a healthier pink that heightened the sparkle in her eyes.

“Good?”

“Amazing.” She held the glass away, looking at it with wonder and then inspected the plate with a curiosity that filled his soul to satisfaction. “They’re all different.”

“Of course. Each one has a different story, a different experience waiting for you to discover.” He stood slowly, reluctant to continue the game and disappointment flashed across her face.

“I should probably wait for my dinner date.” A forlorn note creased the words. “I thought he would be here by now.”

“Then it is his loss for being late. But you have another course coming and we can easily prepare him anything he wishes. Don’t let his absence rob you of this opportunity.” He promised to kick the crap out of himself later if this backfired, but the air of loneliness around the woman diminished. She’d thought he was the waiter and he’d intended just a little bit of fun, but watching her rapture over the food, the careful way her teeth grazed her lips, and how she savored the wine were doing wild things to his cock.

He wasn’t sure she’d allow such abandon with her date.

She set the wine glass down with determination. “You know, you’re right and I am now very curious about the rest of this cheese.”

“That’s my girl.” He grinned. “I’ll be back in just a few minutes.”