into your good graces when you find out—I am a master of the outdoor kitchen.”
“The outdoor kitchen…” Shea repeated.
“That’s right. Smoking. Grilling. Pit cooking and the like. Can’t have you running around thinking I’ve got no skills.”
Dev gave her that look he sometimes did—the one Shea knew would be inevitable that night. Only, what would happen now that there was no one else around to make them break the spell? When he looked at her like that, not a single innocent thought came to her mind. Shea felt wanton, being there alone with him and wishing he was up to no good.
“Alright, hot shot. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
25
The Dance
Dev
“I’ll clean up,” Dev offered, rising from the table reluctantly. They’d been outside for nearly two hours and the air was getting cool. Even the heat lamp next to the table and the warmth from the grill were no match for the cool air coming off of the creek. Dev had another outdoor space on the other side of the house—one with a fire pit and a different view—but he preferred the creekside. The hammock strung up closer to the water was his absolute favorite spot.
“Why don’t you put something else on?” he commanded gently.
The music had stopped half an hour before. He didn’t know whether Shea had noticed. It was one of those things that he was always tuned in to. With anyone else, he’d have excused himself for a minute to put on a new record. But he’d been too content outside, spending time with Shea.
He had, indeed, impressed her with this steak. He knew it from the way she closed her eyes and sighed contentedly when she chewed—and not just on the first bite. On a scale of “one” to “morning buns,” Dev estimated his steak had ranked somewhere around eight or nine.
Dev hadn’t minded when she’d called bullshit on him eating just for sustenance, either. The Malbec she’d paired with his steak had, indeed, brought him joy. His favorite part of the evening so far was the moment when she’d moved over to his side of the table and taught him how to taste wine. She’d come right into his space, soft hand had covering his as she’d guided him on how to swirl.
“You got any Stevie Wonder?” she called behind her shoulder as she walked back into his house and toward his record collection. She gave him a little wink without bothering to wait for an answer. It was more validation that she approved of his little quirks as much as he approved of hers. She’d been dropping small flirtations like that all night. He didn’t want to be rude and blow off the dessert she’d made in the name of doing what he wanted with her. But, seriously…when did he get to kiss this woman?
It was all Dev had been able to think about since she’d walked into his house. Ten times already, he’d wanted to and nearly had. Now she was just baiting him. Even more so when she put on Songs in the Key of Life. Any woman who didn’t appreciate the talent of Stevie Wonder was not the woman for him.
“You’re killing me,” Dev murmured around the first bite of her dessert—pound cake like he’d never had before. Dev rarely went farther than was necessary to taste in the name of social politesse. But Shea’s pound cake was so good—so sweet and rich with a hint of something amazing—he wanted to devour the whole slice.
She’d served it with whipped cream that she’d whisked by hand when she found out that he didn’t own a mixer. Watching the juiciest parts of her jiggle as she beat the cream until it was stiff was one of the best things Dev had ever seen. Every house he’d grown up in had been filled with women who loved food. But watching Shea cook ignited something in him.
For dessert, they’d opted to eat in the great room, where they lounged on the sofa, facing one another, side-saddle. His arm that rested on the top of a pillow ached to reach out and touch her mirrored hand.
“Tell me something,” Shea began as her fork worked at her own serving. “What’s the deal with you and food? It would be one thing if you didn’t have any taste. But I saw the way you ate at Evie’s and I saw the way you ate tonight. You fight loving to eat. But why?”
Dev smiled for a moment and considered feeding