She gave him a smile and ticked down the list of available items to entertain a ten-year-old. “Wanna see what’s playing at the movies?”
“Nah. They just have lame stuff for kids.”
“You are a kid,” she teased. Her fingers itched to ruffle his cowlick but he was becoming a bit more standoffish with her treating him like a baby. “You too old now for Disney?”
He rolled his eyes. “Can we go to GameStop?”
She raised a brow. He gave a defeated sigh.
“Wanna bake cookies? I have some leftover holiday ingredients. You can try to bake the biggest cookie in the world.”
He seemed to consider the option, though it was obvious he wondered if it was too babyish. She upped the ante. “Then we can walk to the Chinese restaurant and get soup and eggrolls. We’ll eat backward. Dessert first, then dinner.”
“You still have the sprinkles and green M&M’s?”
“I do. But you better be prepared. I’m going to win the cookie challenge. We each get a tray and no peeking until we’re done. Deal?”
“Deal!”
She cleaned up her work and headed to the kitchen. Though their apartment wasn’t huge with a big yard and fancy furniture, Ella had made it home. Using her knack for brightening up rooms with accessories and a fresh coat of paint, the two bedrooms were cozy and peaceful. The kitchen was big enough so she purchased a mobile island and topped it with mesh baskets full of bright fruit and dried herbs. Pictures crowded the walls with her favorite sayings from poets, and she’d upgraded the low utility light to a pretty Tuscan chandelier that brought pop to the room. The farm table and benches were set by the big window to get the most light. Hand towels beautifully stitched hung by the stove and dishwasher.
She tuned to one of her playlists on her iPhone and cranked the volume. Queen ground out Another One Bites the Dust and she slipped out two cookie sheets while Luke pulled all the ingredients out of the cupboards. They belted out the lyrics in perfect tune and began kneading dough into cool shapes in an attempt to dazzle the other.
Contentment flowed through her veins as she relaxed into her typical Saturday night. She pushed back her hair with sticky fingers and rainbow sprinkles flew up in the air, getting stuck in her sweater.
The lights went out.
Everything ground to a stop except the music, which kept blaring loud. She reached over and turned off the music, switching quickly to the flashlight app.
“Mom?”
“Don’t panic, sweetheart. Probably just a brownout or something. Let me get some extra flashlights just in case.”
“This is kind of creepy.”
She felt around in the dark for her famous junk drawer that contained so many weird parts she probably could’ve built a nuclear bomb. “It’s a nighttime adventure. Remember when I used to take you on those walks when you were little?”
“The moon had to be full, you always said. Even though I worried about werewolves.”
“I told you they don’t exist.”
“But you’re afraid of vampires.”
“Well, I think they do exist. That’s why I keep tons of garlic around at all times. I read Dracula three times, you know.”
That got her son to laugh, and Ella finally found another flashlight. She was just going to brave going into the basement to check the circuit breaker when the doorbell rang.
Her heart pounded. She didn’t know anyone to drop by on them, and she’d heard of strange things happening during brownouts. Swallowing, she eased over to the window and peeked through.
Connor Dunkle stood on her doorstep.
With a rush of relief, she flung open the door and held back a gasp.
My God, he looked good.
Struck mute for a moment, she gave in to impulse and hungrily took him in. Dressed in a button down navy blue shirt that clung to his broad chest, a casual jacket, and dark-washed jeans, he simmered with delicious masculine testosterone. Usually a hint of stubble clung to his square jaw, but tonight he was clean-shaven and smelled of spicy cloves. His thick dirty blond hair fell in waves over his forehead, brushing his ears, and those sea blue eyes framed with thick lashes struck her mute for a few seconds. He towered over her in a mass of rock-hard muscle, giving her the impression of both strength and protectiveness.
He was a walking, talking specimen of everything a woman dreams of in a man. Both Hemsworth brothers mixed with Daniel Craig and a sprinkle of old-fashioned Redford. Her poor body roared into overdrive and she felt a damp rush of moisture between her thighs.
God, she was acting like a sex-starved teen. So. Embarrassing.
Finally, he spoke. Even his damn voice was gravel and satin mixed together in a symphony to the ears. “I saw your lights went out. Looks like some of the other houses on the block are affected. You okay?”