Page 58 of The Overdue Kiss

Tendrils of steam drift up in hypnotic swirls from the pots, filling the space with the mouth-watering aroma. He offers the spoon to me, dramatically bowing over it. “You have earned the honor to pour.”

“Thank you, chef.” I cradle it with mock awe.

He winks at me, laughing.

My heart skips at the sound, my daydream coming back in full force. But it’s not a fluffy vision. It’s an ache, one that ripples through me and is impossible to ignore. The question is—do I want to anymore?

Oof.It’s a lot to process while wearing a hairnet.

Des holds the pots while I carefully scoop the fruity mixture into the jars. We set the lids on all the tops and move them back into the bubbling water.

“Now what?” I ask, watching the jars boil.

“Now, we wait.” He tosses his apron and our hairnets on a bar stool. “I promised to meet up with Cai and Tristen online for a quick game. You can join if you want. Or I could cancel if?—‍”

I wave my hands. “No, no. This actually works out perfectly. I have five chapters left in my ebook, and I’ve been dying to finish it. It took sheer willpower to put it down so close to the end. Would that be okay if I read while you play?”

“Sure.”

We settle on the couch, close but not touching. He slides on his headset and boots up his game console. I hear a muffled hum of voices rumble through his headphones.

“Is this okay?” he asks.

I nod, not wanting to interrupt.

“Do you want a blanket? I store one in the coffee table for when it’s cold.” He lifts the top of the table and hands me a fluffy navy blanket with snowflakes.

“Thanks.” I immediately curl up into the soft folds, enjoying Des’s aftershave lingering on the fabric.

The corner of his mouth picks up as he stares at me. I brush a wayward curl behind my ear, ducking away from the intensity. Sometimes it’s like he sees more than just my appearance, but everything inside me too. My fears, my thoughts, my desires, and everything else I keep hidden away.

He sees me. All of me.

The question is whether or not that’s a good thing. I fidget, picking more frantically at the blanket’s loose thread the longer he stares.

“What is it?” I ask.

He lifts a shoulder like it’s not important.

“Am I hogging the blanket? Did you want to share?” I toss half of the blanket over Des’s lap.

“I’m…I’m just glad you stayed.”

Sound blares through the headset, and he rolls his eyes skyward. “I’m not talking to you guys. Nope, we’re not talking about that. Or that either. I’m only staying on to whoop you guys at football.”

I bite my lip to hold in a giggle as the smack talk starts up.

“Yes, I have a friend here, but she is not playing,” Des says, his finger tapping the controller buttons.

“Maybe another day,” I say, opening my phone to the e-reader app.

Des laughs. “Oh man. Cai heard you and challenged us to a 2v2 with his fiancée. You in?”

“I used to play with my brothers, but I should practice before I agree to anything.”

“Come over anytime you want.”

Noise blares through the headset again, and Des shakes his head. “We are about to play a silent match if you two don’t stop.”

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