Page 33 of A Perfect Match
"Well, well, well," he calls out, "if it isn't my favorite marshmallow maven."
Heat crawls up my neck."I was just—" I scramble for an excuse."Looking for my golf ball."
"A golf ball?"He raises an eyebrow as he shuts the grill.He slowly approaches the fence."In the dark?"
"Yes," I say firmly."I golf.I was practicing my swing.”
"In this tiny backyard?With a fence in the way?"
I’m glad it’s dark and he can’t see my cheeks flaming."It was a chip shot."
"Uh-huh."He's standing right at the fence now, close enough that I can smell the savory aroma of whatever he's cooking."And does your brother know you play golf in his yard after dark?"
"He doesn’t care.He supports all sports, especially mine."
Kru's smile widens."I still don’t believe you.Just admit it: you want to come over and help me test these recipes."
I should say no."What are you making?"
"Lobster tail with a brown butter sauce."He nods back toward the patio."It’s almost done.I'm trying to decide if it needs something else."
My mouth waters involuntarily."Smells amazing."
"You wanna try?"He tips his head toward the grill."There's plenty."
Again, I should say no.But I step closer to the fence without even realizing it.It jangles again as I thread my fingers through the links.
“I probably shouldn’t go farther than this,” I tell him.It makes sense in my head.If I don’t cross the fence, then this isn’t real, whatever this big, throbbing potential is between us.
If we can keep to the fence line, I’m safe.
Kru watches me with those intense eyes of his, and I fight the urge to smooth my hair, to check if I look okay.Which is ridiculous—he saw every last inch of me in Cleveland, there’s almost nothing left to hide from him at this point.
Except for the fact that this pesky attraction willnotgo away, no matter how much I ignore it.
“Give me a second.I’ll bring you a sample.”He heads to the grill, arranges some food on a waiting plate, brushes something over top of it all, and then takes some time to cut things up.He grabs a fork and comes back with the most gorgeous plate I’ve ever seen come out of a basic backyard grill.
The lobster tail is glistening with butter sauce.There's asparagus, too, and what looks like some kind of risotto.
"And you did all this just for a casual Wednesday solo dinner?"I ask.
"Recipe testing," he says with a shrug."Have to make sure everything works before I put it on the menu."
He picks up a fork, stabs a small piece of lobster, and holds it out to me."Try it."
I should take the fork from him, but something makes me lean forward instead, letting him feed me.The moment his eyes meet mine as my lips close around the fork, I know I've made a tactical error.
But then the flavor hits, and I don't care.
"Oh my god," I moan, eyes fluttering shut.I keep them shut as I savor and chew.I’m already craving more, even though I’m not hungry in the slightest.
When I open my eyes, Kru is watching me with an expression that makes my insides melt faster than the butter sauce."Good?"
"Good doesn't begin to cover it."I'm not even exaggerating.The lobster is tender, the sauce rich with hints of herbs I can't identify."What's in this sauce?"
"Secret recipe."He grins, forking another piece."Have some more.I want to hear that moan again."
I clamp my mouth shut, cheeks flaming.
