The Ranger's Passionate Love

Jason paused, fork half-way to his mouth.

"You have no idea," he said. Then he finished taking his bite.

Kyara smiled, and turned her attention to her own food.

They ate for a while, just sharing the experience in silence.

"You really should be selling this," he said. "It's far too good to hide away."

Kyara kept her eyes on her plate.

"It doesn't really fit the cafe thing."

"So change it," Jason responded immediately. "The cafe thing doesn't work out here. You need something that will bring people in from other towns. This," he gestured, a chunk of chicken speared on the end of his fork, "will do it. I would drive a pink tricycle naked through town if it got me to this."

Kyara flushed and tried not to smile.

"I might insist that you do," she said.

Jason chortled, but then grew quiet.

"Seriously," he asked, "Why not do this?"

Kyara contemplated the question for a moment.

"I considered it, of course. It's what I love to cook. But it's so ... Southern. And up here really, really isn't."

"That doesn't make it bad," Jason pointed out. "Just different. People might like a little different around here."

Kyara arched an eyebrow at him.

"Is that my appeal? Different?"

"You know it's more than that, though I'd certainly like to taste you, too."

Kyara fought back rush of heat and desire, struggling to return to the topic at hand.

Jason chuckled. "Though that may be a bit much to ask on a first date."

Kyara's eyes almost popped out of her head.

"We are not on a date," she said emphatically.

Jason looked down at the table between them, half-eaten food piled on their plates.

"Really? What do you call two people who like each other having a meal?"

Kyara swallowed, the taste of the food suddenly gone to ash in her mouth.

"This ... is a business meeting. Nothing more."

The confident smile that had been playing around his lips withered away.

"May I ask why that's all this is?" he asked at last.

Kyara took a deep breath.

"It just is, okay? I came up here to get away from all of that, not to fall right back into it," she said. Plus, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anyone. Kyara kept her eyes firmly on her plate, not wanting to see his reaction. Even so, she could just see his chin as he nodded.