and a few paver stones through dirt-packed areas were randomly placed to aid a person from one building to another.
Eden opened the door. Damn. She’d changed into a summer dress and was wearing heels. He made a show of bending sideways to look at the three-inch platforms. She laughed, kissed him on the cheek since he was bent down, and twirled to go up the stairs, speaking as she moved. “Stop, my toes were getting a workout.”
Watching her go up the stairs was a treat. The muscles of her trim legs led to those thighs that he wanted to discover with his tongue and fingertips. The thought of driving this woman crazy with need and then pushing her over the top and crashing with her had been vibrating under his skin since this morning.
When they got to the kitchen, she pointed at a chair. He glanced over and a sterile pad was spread across the table with a set of tweezers, a small scalpel, and butterfly bandages. He glanced at the red and festering wound where he’d pulled the wood from his skin. There was definitely something left in there. He dropped down into the seat and she took her place in front of him. Laying a sterile sheet on her lap, she positioned his hand so she could see better. She used the scalpel to lance a small piece of the skin that had been separated when the splinter punctured it. She removed the embedded shard in less than ten seconds. “There. May I suggest wearing gloves in the future?”
“Then I wouldn’t get such personalized service.” He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.
She broke off the kiss and shook her head slowly from side to side as a slow smile spread across her face. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”
He slid his hand behind her neck and pulled her back to him. “Not for you. Never for you.” The slow heat he wanted to build smoldered, banked against the thrill of discovering every inch of her body. She placed both hands against his chest and pushed gently. He released her immediately.
“The food is going to be ruined if we don’t eat soon.” She stood up and handed him a butterfly bandage. “To keep that clean until it heals.” She disposed of the rest of the implements and the sterile pad before she handed him a bottle of wine. “I don’t know if you like white wine, but I thought it would go with the chicken. Would you mind opening it?”
“Of course.” He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, but the fact she’d gone out of her way to make the dinner nice fueled that little spark in his gut that knew this woman was special.
He opened the wine and sat it on the counter. “Do you want me to set the table?”
She glanced over at him from where she’d removed two plates full of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. “I’ve already done that.”
He glanced at the kitchen table and back at her. She nodded to the back door. A smile flashed and she gave a self-conscious laugh. “It’s only a card table and folding chairs, but I thought the idea of eating al fresco was too tempting to pass up, and now that I have a private area to do that, well, it was a no-brainer.”
“Would you like me to carry those out?” He lifted his hands to help.
She shook her head. “I’ve got these. Would you bring the wine and open the door?” He snagged up the bottle and they made their way out to the landing he’d just finished. She’d put a bright yellow spread over the cloth with red napkins and white place settings. The total effect was attractive in a home-spun way. After she placed the food, he withdrew her seat and she blushed as he assisted her. Or perhaps the blush was fanned by the kiss that he placed on her cheek before he sat down.
“This looks amazing.” He poured her a glass of wine and then himself. “When did you have time to cook this?”
“I didn’t have any patients on the schedule today and Allison was the only one who stopped by in the morning and then Gen came over this afternoon to visit. She’s so glad you’re here. I think the tiff she and her mom are having is hard on her.”
He used his knife and fork to cut the juicy meat from the bone. “My