After another furtive glance at the pie, he promised his bear they could have another bite later tonight. He couldn’t risk a trip into the kitchen when Sasha looked ready to leave. She scraped the last few crumbs off of her plate and licked the fork. That time, she caught him staring.
“Tasty?” he asked.
“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life,” she said. “I’m going to have to get the recipe before I leave.”
“You’re going to have to pry it out of her cold, dead hands,” Mack said between bites.
“A chef has to guard her secrets.” Madison grinned. “How will I get anyone to come back if they learn all of my culinary tricks?”
“I bet you could write a cookbook,” Jack said.
“I’ve thought about it,” Madison said. “Maybe I’ll write one someday. I have a lot of Mack’s mom’s old recipes.”
“That would be fun, honey,” Mack said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“I couldn’t cook like you even with a recipe to follow,” Sasha said. “If I could burn water, I would.”
“I know a little about burning things,” Madison said. “But you get better with practice.”
“Now I just need someone to practice on.” When Sasha looked directly at Jack, a flicker of desire coiled in his belly. His bear forgot about the food and turned his attention toward her.
“I’m going to start putting the leftovers in the fridge,” Madison said. “But again, eat up. The kitchen’s always open.”
“Thank you,” several people responded in unison.
As Sasha pushed back from the table, Jack scrambled out of his chair. He caught up with her at the base of the staircase.
“Do you have anything planned for tonight?” he asked.
“I have a date with a hard lump of clay.”
“Sounds serious,” he joked.
“We’re in a love-hate relationship.”
“Maybe you should break up.”
She laughed. “What are you up to tonight?”
“I was headed out to take a walk around the lake. Would you like to join me?” His heart beat faster as he waited for her delayed response.
“Well … I should be working on my project…”
“We could work off some of the apple pie so we can have more later.”
“You really know how to tempt me,” she said.
“So?” He held out his arm. “Can I be your date tonight?”
“Well … you are more interesting than a block of clay.” She looped her arm through his. “I guess I can procrastinate a few more minutes.”
“Don’t worry, princess, I’ll get you back before you turn into a pumpkin.”
Her soft laughter warmed his heart. Over the years, he’d spent time with several women, but none had held his attention the way she did. After several weeks, he’d end up bored and ready for a new experience. For the first time in years, he didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world.
After slipping a thick wool jacket over her shoulders, he ushered her into the brisk night. The moon rose over the mountains to cast a silvery glow across the landscape. He’d watched the moon rise over the Taj Mahal, the pyramids of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower, but none of those moments compared to this one.
“The lake’s so beautiful,” Sasha said.
“Yeah,” he murmured, but he wasn’t looking at the lake.
The reflection of moonlight off her hair was enchanting. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. Soft red strands curled around her shoulders. Her wool dress hugged every voluptuous curve. His fingers tingled with the need to touch her. He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Let’s go that way.” He jerked his head to the left.
“Sounds good.”
She looped her fingers through his arm. Heat seeped through his shirt to warm his flesh and goosebumps popped up where she touched him. Desire swept through him with enough force to awaken his bear. The beast stretched and inhaled her subtle, floral perfume. He released a low growl which rumbled in his chest.
“Your bear’s restless,” she said.
“Do you ever have that problem with yours?” he asked.
“Sometimes. If I don’t feed her, she turns into a little monster.”
“Mine too.” He was hungry all right, but not for food. He quickly changed the subject. “So, how did you get into art?”
“When I was growing up in foster care, I didn’t have a lot of friends. I spent a lot of time alone. Art became the only way I could express myself in a way that made people pay attention. I had some amazing teachers in high school who encouraged me to become an artist.”