Page 52 of Unraveling Rain
Xander tries—and fails miserably—to stifle a laugh. My sister rolls her eyes and heads for the stairs.
“I’m out of here. I can’t stand one more embarrassing comment from you.”
I grin as she tries to hide her smile.
“You two are the last ones here. Please, Rain, behave. I’ll see you Saturday,” she calls over her shoulder.
“Bye sis. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
And then it’s just us.
Xander plants his hands on his hips. “Okay, Chef. Now what?” He looks like Granny when she used to scold us from the porch—usually Miles or me.
“We have to bake five pies for St. John’s Day. It’s the last thing left for the feast. I told Granny I would take care of them since I thought there would be more people here.”
“I may be just one person, but I’m strong,” he says, flexing his biceps.
Good God, the way his muscles strain against his shirt is so sexy. I could melt in a puddle of goo right here and now.
“And I’ll do pretty much anything you tell me to do,” he adds with a wink for good measure.
When our gazes lock, desire flashes in his usually dark brown irises, threaded with gold.
“Really? That’s good to know.” I turn and walk away, adding a little extra sway to my hips. Behind me, I hear him groan.
“But for now, let’s focus on these pies. If we don’t have them ready, or don’t make them well, Granny won’t let us hear the end of it.”
“So… does that mean I’m invited to the St. John’s Day gathering?” he asks, hope slipping into his voice.
“Maybe,” I say, barely suppressing a laugh.
“What does my invitation depend on?” he whispers near my ear, startling me.
“On how good of a sous-chef you turn out to be.”I lean my back into his chest.
“Jesus, woman. Do not tempt me if we need to focus on baking these pies.” He wraps his arms around my middle and nuzzles my neck. The sensation steals my breath.
“There’s a real bed upstairs,” he murmurs against my skin, pressing kisses along my collarbone. “We wouldn’t have to worry about how we’re going to fit like we did in your van.”
I force myself to pull away. “Yeah, about that.” I take a deep breath.
He eyes me for a moment, then presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Yeah, okay. We need to stay on task.”
“Before we start baking, I want to clarify something,” I say, turning to face him. “You know I really like you, and it took a lot of self-control not to give in just now.”
We both grin.
“But it doesn’t feel right to have sex at my sister’s therapy center, you know?”
He nods, and I sigh in relief.
“I completely understand. Actually, it makes me like you even more.”
I frown, curious.
“You are respectful and can understand boundaries. Even though you’re a complete firecracker most of the time.” He smirks.
