Page 56 of A Chef's Kiss for Christmas
Warren rolled his eyes. “He might not be as useless as I made out. But I can’t imagine there will be much for him to do anyway.”
Anna looked at the hotel, rubbing her hands together against the cold as she contemplated whether she still wanted to hang around, or give up and go home. “Is Lewis here?”
“No. He’s still in London.”
“Ivy?”
He shook his head. “She left an hour ago.”
Disappointment tugged at Anna’s belly. “I’ll probably just find food at home then.”
“Want a lift?” he asked, tipping his head at the car.
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded her acceptance and moved to get in the passenger seat.
Once the engine was on, Anna held her hands in front of the air vent to warm her chilly fingers.
She inhaled deeply. “Why does your car heater smell so delicious?”
He chuckled as he put the car into gear. “It’s not the heating. It’s my dinner.” He indicated the back seat, and she turned to see a shopping bag. “I take dinner from the hotel sometimes so I don’t have to cook at home.”
“That smells amazing,” she said, inhaling the delicious aroma. “What is it?”
“Beef stew and dumplings.”
She groaned. “Heaven.”
He laughed properly now. “Now, you’re making me feel as though I should offer to share.”
“Oh, no,” she said automatically. “I wasn’t hinting at that.” Though maybe she should. If she wanted to spend time with him, it wouldn’t hurt to be more proactive.
“Can you stop drooling all over my car, please?”
“I’m not…” She trailed off when she caught the playful glint in his eyes. “Don’t tease me.”
He concentrated on the road for a moment. “There’s enough for two if you want to eat with me.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“I can provide drinks and possibly rustle up dessert,” she offered.
He turned onto the side road. “Sounds good.”
Apparently, her timing hadn’t been bad after all. Warren had just stopped the car outside Anna’s flat when he swore under his breath.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He looked thoughtful. “I just remembered I have dinner for my neighbour too. I messaged to tell her I was bringing food, so she’ll be waiting for it.”
Anna’s smile felt insincere. “If you need to go, it’s fine…”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can grab myself a sandwich.” Swallowing her disappointment, she reached for the door handle.
“Hang on,” he blurted. “I could drop her food off and come back…”
