Page 62 of Single Mom's Secret Diary
The quiche is good—creamy, flaky, salty. It has small pieces of shallots and ham. I wonder if he made it himself. But I know better than anyone that some skills don’t transfer between the different kinds of food preparations.
Either way, I like how much he enjoys feeding me. Just like Ryder and Ezra seem to. It’s always good food, too. I have absolutely no complaints.
Wyatt returns as I’m sipping the last of my coffee.
“Did you want another cup?” The casual coldness from the first day I came to work here is gone. At least, when he speaks to me, it is. Poor Laurel is getting the grumpier version of her boss. I heard him snapping at her as she walked him through whatever task she felt was urgent this morning.
Is she regretting that now? Probably not as much as most people would. Some are simply gluttons for punishment.
She stopped a few times to shoot a passing glare at me in his office. Like she’s checking to be sure I’m not rifling through his things.
I shake my head. “No. I’m okay. Do we have a new batch to taste?”
A small smile flashes across his mouth. “We do.”
He unlocks his small fridge where he keeps the chocolates he makes for me to try. How easily he pivoted to protect me makes me warm inside. Wyatt hides so much of himself behind that brisk exterior. That intellect. The disinterest in other people.
But he’s attentive. Sensitive. Focused on what’s important to him.
He sits in the seat opposite me, letting me keep his comfy computer chair. I grin at him and am rewarded with another small smile. His pale eyes are shining, though. He really is beautiful, especially when he’s happy.
That strikes me in the heart, makes it skip a beat. I’m part of what makes him happy.
Can he see the new level of emotions in my eyes? I don’t think he can see it. His focus is on the tray in his hands. Which is good for me. I’m not quite ready to confront what’s going on inside right now.
Setting the tray down, he points to four groups of chocolate pieces. “Control. One-to-two ratio vanilla and oil. One-to-one ratio. Two-to-one ratio.”
We’ve gotten really close, and every tweak seems to get us closer to perfection. This one works with the new oil we’ve tested and the new vanilla paste Wyatt made himself. I got to watch the process, although I’m not allowed to do more than taste when I’m down here.
I take the control piece and taste it. The greasy flavor and the tang of bitterness are still just there. Tasting the next is not better. Even though he emulsified the oil with the cocoa more thoroughly, it’s still greasy. The one-to-one is a little better.
God, we’re so close.
When I bite into the last one, eyes closed as it slowly melts over my tongue, my shoulders relax and fall back. I’m smiling before I meet Wyatt’s intent gaze.
I find no faults with this one, and it must show on my face because Wyatt is standing.
Laughing, I get to my feet, too. “This is the one.”
He pumps his fist before I’m off my feet. Wyatt has me in his arms and is spinning me around. I can’t stop laughing.
Grinning like a fool at him, he matches my smile. The kind of wide, toothy thing I only get to see when he’s on the brink of making me come. Wyatt plants a kiss on my mouth, brief but intense.
Then, he sets me down, hands still on my waist. The wild look he gives me makes me think of someone just registering that they’ve won the lottery. “I have to tell Ezra.”
“Well, go on, then. Tell him.” I cup his cheek before shooing him along.
Hesitating, he nods, a smile flashes across his face again, and he’s marching out of his office. Out of his lab.
I take the second half of the sample and try it again.
It’s so good. No one would ever guess that this is dark chocolate. That it has all of the health benefits. But it tastes like the milkiest, smoothest chocolate bar I’ve ever had. Wyatt did an amazing job.
I make my marks on the papers underneath each chocolate to indicate my notes and initials.
Laurel appears in the doorway with her hands on her hips. She’s wearing a tight blouse that highlights her perfect curves, blonde hair styled perfectly to highlight her bright blue eyes and full cheekbones.
She really is quite pretty, could be a bombshell if not for the constant scowl from my presence.
