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Authors: Laurel Cremant
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articles and blog posts he’d read regarding the constructing of a perfect table
for romance.
Candles, check.
Turning to another cabinet, he pulled out
a bottle of wine and glasses. Uncorking the bottle, he filled the two glasses
and added them to the setting.
Wine, check.
“There should also be a few premixed
salads in the fridge. Would you mind pulling one out?” he asked her, hoping
that his expression was as innocent as he was trying to project.
She turned from the counter to look at
him. Her gaze fell on the table before connecting back to him. He could see a
spark of suspicion as he began to back out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”
“I just need to use the restroom. I’ll be
right back.”
Her expression relaxed. “Sure, no
problem. Ranch or vinaigrette dressing?”
“Ranch,” he said as he hurried away.
Reaching the bathroom, he closed the door
and grabbed a bottle of cologne. He rarely wore the stuff, but the year before,
Pepper had commented on how much she liked that particular scent. Pinecones
dipped in vanilla, she had said with a sexy smile. He sprayed a bit of the
cologne on his neck and chest.
Sexy cologne,
check.
He left the room and paused to turn on
some music before proceeding to the kitchen. Her back was to him as she
finished filling a large bowl with salad.
The crooning voice of Robin Thicke filled
the air as he reached her. Her back stiffened before she whipped around and
looked at him.
Music, check.
Her eyes narrowed at him, and he just
smiled at her in return.
“Everything looks good. You ready to
eat?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize how long we were
out.”
“Great, I’m starving.” He reached around
her and grabbed the salad bowl. “You go ahead and sit down, and I’ll set out
all of the food.”
She tossed him another wary glance before
sitting down. He placed all of the food on the island, and before he sat down,
made sure to dim the lights.
All systems go.
He pulled his chair close to hers and
began adding salad to her plate. It still surprised him how doing the simplest
of things with Pepper made him feel good. He’d never realized just how
impersonal his dating life was until he found himself eager to perform the
simplest task for her.
Looking back over the years, he realized
that she had always been the exception. Besides his family members, she was the
only other person he ever brought gifts for, or made the effort to spend time
with. All of his other friends and acquaintances knew that the only way they’d
see him was if they scheduled an appointment through his assistant.
Regardless of his schedule or stress
level, he and Pepper had dinner at least once a week. They celebrated every
major personal and professional milestone together. They both had spare
clothing at each other’s homes. Hell, he even tracked her menstrual cycle to
know when to have his stash of seventy percent dark Belgian chocolate at the
ready.
She had always been different. It had
only taken him a decade to realize why.
He leaned back in his seat and let his
gaze roam over her features. He had always considered her beautiful, but now he
saw more than just his best friend who happened to be pretty. He saw the woman
who had pushed and praised him. The woman who had stood by him yet always
called him on his bullshit. The woman whose advice he always sought and whose
disappointment could make him weak. He saw his best friend and finally lover.
He saw the woman it took him years to fall in love with, and she was fucking
beautiful.
“I know what you’re trying to do, you
know. The wine, the music.” She sniffed the air. “The cologne.”
She was also too damn smart for her own
good.
She picked up her glass of wine and
sipped it experimentally, before tossing him a bored look.
He reached out for her free hand and
engulfed it in his own.
“And what exactly is that?”
She rolled her eyes at him, her look
obviously questioning his intelligence.
“Your little
articles and blog posts he’d read regarding the constructing of a perfect table
for romance.
Candles, check.
Turning to another cabinet, he pulled out
a bottle of wine and glasses. Uncorking the bottle, he filled the two glasses
and added them to the setting.
Wine, check.
“There should also be a few premixed
salads in the fridge. Would you mind pulling one out?” he asked her, hoping
that his expression was as innocent as he was trying to project.
She turned from the counter to look at
him. Her gaze fell on the table before connecting back to him. He could see a
spark of suspicion as he began to back out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going?”
“I just need to use the restroom. I’ll be
right back.”
Her expression relaxed. “Sure, no
problem. Ranch or vinaigrette dressing?”
“Ranch,” he said as he hurried away.
Reaching the bathroom, he closed the door
and grabbed a bottle of cologne. He rarely wore the stuff, but the year before,
Pepper had commented on how much she liked that particular scent. Pinecones
dipped in vanilla, she had said with a sexy smile. He sprayed a bit of the
cologne on his neck and chest.
Sexy cologne,
check.
He left the room and paused to turn on
some music before proceeding to the kitchen. Her back was to him as she
finished filling a large bowl with salad.
The crooning voice of Robin Thicke filled
the air as he reached her. Her back stiffened before she whipped around and
looked at him.
Music, check.
Her eyes narrowed at him, and he just
smiled at her in return.
“Everything looks good. You ready to
eat?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize how long we were
out.”
“Great, I’m starving.” He reached around
her and grabbed the salad bowl. “You go ahead and sit down, and I’ll set out
all of the food.”
She tossed him another wary glance before
sitting down. He placed all of the food on the island, and before he sat down,
made sure to dim the lights.
All systems go.
He pulled his chair close to hers and
began adding salad to her plate. It still surprised him how doing the simplest
of things with Pepper made him feel good. He’d never realized just how
impersonal his dating life was until he found himself eager to perform the
simplest task for her.
Looking back over the years, he realized
that she had always been the exception. Besides his family members, she was the
only other person he ever brought gifts for, or made the effort to spend time
with. All of his other friends and acquaintances knew that the only way they’d
see him was if they scheduled an appointment through his assistant.
Regardless of his schedule or stress
level, he and Pepper had dinner at least once a week. They celebrated every
major personal and professional milestone together. They both had spare
clothing at each other’s homes. Hell, he even tracked her menstrual cycle to
know when to have his stash of seventy percent dark Belgian chocolate at the
ready.
She had always been different. It had
only taken him a decade to realize why.
He leaned back in his seat and let his
gaze roam over her features. He had always considered her beautiful, but now he
saw more than just his best friend who happened to be pretty. He saw the woman
who had pushed and praised him. The woman who had stood by him yet always
called him on his bullshit. The woman whose advice he always sought and whose
disappointment could make him weak. He saw his best friend and finally lover.
He saw the woman it took him years to fall in love with, and she was fucking
beautiful.
“I know what you’re trying to do, you
know. The wine, the music.” She sniffed the air. “The cologne.”
She was also too damn smart for her own
good.
She picked up her glass of wine and
sipped it experimentally, before tossing him a bored look.
He reached out for her free hand and
engulfed it in his own.
“And what exactly is that?”
She rolled her eyes at him, her look
obviously questioning his intelligence.
“Your little
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