Page 62 of Holiday Hostage
The fireplace was calling my name.
I couldn’t wait to cuddle up in front of it with a nice meal and even nicer after-dinner sex.
18
MAVERICK
The deep need to make today special for Payton dogged me through the entire day.
We’d taken her out and taught her wilderness survival skills, and she sat with Tarron and Reed at the kitchen counter while I prowled through the cabinets.
“Reed.” I motioned him over with a flick of my fingers.
He hopped off the stool beside Payton and sauntered over. “Yes, fearless leader?”
“Cut the snark.” I rubbed a hand over my mouth. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to be an ass.”
“Eh. I stopped worrying about that a long time ago.”
He patted my shoulder and gave me a look so ridiculous I snorted a laugh. “You’re all talk, man. Bluster but no action. What’s up?”
“We promised to have Payton home by Christmas. She’s putting on a good show, but she’s upset. I thought a good dinner might help. I thought your dad kept a freezer or something.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s in the back room.” Reed headed across the kitchen, bypassing the curve where the modern black stove was tucked into a corner across from an old-fashioned potbelly stove.
I followed him into the dark room and squinted when he flipped the light switch.
Row after row of silver shelves filled the space.
I barely had enough room to walk between the shelving units, and only if I turned sideways.
Reed sidled toward the back and opened the lid on a massive freezer. “Looks like we’re set up pretty good. What about steak?”
I eyed the packaging, then the thickness of the steaks.
“Would be better if I’d thought to thaw them out earlier.” I held out a hand. “Let’s do it.”
Reed gathered up four of the steaks and pushed two into my hands. “It’s elk. Not sure if Payton will want to know that. She seems to like them.”
“I won’t say anything unless she asks.” I’d never lied to her, and I wasn’t about to start, especially over something as mundane as what animal the steaks came from.
We walked back into the kitchen in time to catch Tarron looping an apron around Payton’s waist.
She beamed that brilliant smile that ravaged my heart and made me want to hit my knees and worship her. “Can I help?”
“Yes.” Hell if I could deny her anything. I motioned at the stove.
“I need two skillets heated with butter or beef tallow.” I doubted Reed’s dad managed to keep butter around when he only came here in the summer, but stranger things had happened.
“On it.” She bent and dug two pans from beneath the counter, then held them up for my inspection. “Will these work?”
I’d been so distracted by the sight of her ass in the air that I almost lost the ability to speak. I nodded. “Fine.”
Reed elbowed me with a chuckle and took the steaks. “I’ll prep these.”
Tarron disappeared into the pantry, calling back. “I’ll dig up some sides.”
“Do you always cook together?” Payton opened the cabinet by the stove and hauled out a tub of beef tallow.
