Page 19 of Salty, Spiced, and a Little Bit Nice

Alec dug into his food, so I bit down my reply and started on mine. When the heavenly combination of sweet strawberries and gooey, fluffy pancakes exploded in my mouth, I let out a low, throaty moan that wasn’t suitable for the breakfast table.

Those girls he was talking about? Yeah, they knew what was up, because honestly, who wouldn’t want to be eating these for the rest of their lives?Just for the pancakes alone, I’d marry him in a heartbeat.Men who can cook are hot AF.He was an excellent cook.

Perhaps that first bite was a fluke. I was starving, so my tastebuds were probably warped. But when the second and third bites were followed by the second and third moans, it became obvious that his pancakes were making me experience something orgasmic.

In fact, the closest thing I’d had to a non-battery-operated orgasm in a while.

“Whoareyou?” I looked up to see him staring at me, his eyes darkening, and his fork suspended midair. “Eric never mentioned his friend being a culinary genius.”

He slowly lowered the fork, his eyes still on mine. “Told you so.”

“Relax. I won’t leap over this countertop and profess my undying love to you, or, God forbid, jump your bones.” I speared the last piece, then wiped the remaining strawberry jam with it, making sure not to miss a single morsel. “Not even your pancake can make me like you.”

“Maybe my homemade waffles could change your mind.”

Glasses + pancakes +waffles? I could be in huge trouble.

“Anyway, I spoke to a few of our regular contractors,” Alec said, his attention already back on his food. “Most of them are in the middle of other projects, so the earliest someone could start on your shop is in four weeks.”

Relief whooshed through me. I would have liked someone to start as soon as possible, but that was still much better than the nine weeks I was told yesterday.

“But he’s got a reputation for overcommitting to too many projects. I’m waiting to hear back from one more guy, who’s away on holiday. He’s not due back until next week.”

“Great. In the meantime, I was planning on cleaning up the debris in the shop, so it’ll be ready for when the contractors start working. Can you recommend a good brand of chainsaw?”

He looked up, his eyebrows disappearing into his forehead. “A what?”

“A chainsaw. To cut up the fallen tree into smaller pieces, so it’s easier to dispose of.”

He placed his fork on his plate. “Ellie.”

“Alec.” I echoed his tone.

“Have you ever used a chainsaw before? Or any other power tools?”

“What kind of question is that?” I pretended to be offended. “You think I’ve never used a power tool just because I’m a girl? That’s very condescending.”

“Both my sisters know their way around power tools. Beingcondescending is the last thing on my mind. Just answer the question.”

“I’m an expert with a drill.” I held back a grin, because it was kind of fun to wind him up. “I assembled my IKEA wardrobe back home all on my own. With a sliding door. Have you done one before? Those things are hard to put together.”

Alec let out a loud sigh. “Let me try again. Do you have anyrealrenovation or building experiences outside of IKEA wardrobes?”

My grin finally broke. “If you have to be that specific, then no.”

“Do you know that a chainsaw in an untrained hand is practically a lethal weapon?”

“Now you’re just being dramatic.”

“No, I’m being realistic.” His tone was growing impatient. “Eric will never forgive me if I told him that you’ve lost a hand—or both, or your feet—because you used a dangerous power tool without training. You should wait for the tradesmen, because they’ll have the proper tools, and they can get it done in no time.”

“I’m not going to lose a hand, or a foot, or any parts of my body.” My grin vanished. “Because you know what? I don’t have much of a choice. The repairs are going to drain almost all my savings, so the more things I can do by myself, the more money I can save.”

Alec was quiet, looking thoughtful, giving me the impression that he was regretting his careless remarks. But a minute later, he shrugged. “Suit yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. FYI, the nearest hospital is fifteen minutes away. Please don’t list me as an emergency contact.”

And just like that, our temporary truce flew out the window and was shattered into a billion tiny pieces. “Don’t worry. Not even if you’re the last man in the whole universe.”

“Good.” Polishing off his last piece of pancake, he stood upto rinse his plate and stack it in the dishwasher. “Great chat, but I have an on-site meeting at seven.” Without another glance, he bounded up the stairs.

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