"Never wipes the corners of his mouth. They were a little orange."
"By the way, I also agreed to buying him ice cream and popcorn when I take you both to a game."
"I was gone fifteen minutes. How did the shit hit the fan so quickly?"
"Babe, his eyes were this wide." I held out my fingers like goggles in front of my eyes to demonstrate.
"Ah, he brought out the big guns. You'll grow immune to it."
Didn't seem likely. Milo had me wrapped around his little finger. But I didn't want to waste time challenging her assumption. I had other things on my mind. I glanced over my shoulder to confirm that Milo wasn't on his way in. We were in the clear. I backed Lori against the counter.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm about to kiss you. Have a problem with that?"
She wiggled her ass a little. "Not at all."
I brought her sweet face close to mine and sealed my mouth over hers. This was heaven. She was my heaven. I'd seen her this morning. How could I need her so much already? At this stage, we were just supposed to get to know each other better. I was supposed to take her out, show her and Milo a good time, but not go around promising him things, bonding with him. My rational side was warning me that I was already in too deep with Lori, that I should stomp the brakes. My instincts bulldozed over my rational side. Holding her in her kitchen and kissing her was exactly what I wanted to do.
"Stop that sound," she whispered as she pulled back.
"What sound?"
"I'm not sure. Was it a growl? Was it a groan? Sexy as hell, anyway. Makes me want to climb you."
"Jesus, Lori. How d'you expect me to control myself when you say that?"
"Maybe I don't want you to control yourself." She gave me a sassy smile, but moved away as we heard Milo gallop through the house.
"What are all those herbs for?" she asked while Milo set the table. He was proficient enough that it was clear he did it quite often. I was impressed by Lori's education skills. You wouldn't have caught me dead doing a chore at his age.
"Thyme and oregano. They're great with fries."
"And what kind of cheese is this? Cheddar?"
"No. Something better. You'll see."
"You should be a chef," she said.
"It's my hobby."
"You're a pro at it."
"I considered going to culinary school in my twenties, after college." The buns were almost roasted. Everything else was ready.
"What made you change your mind?"
"I loved the club more than cooking. I worked there straight after college. When my grandfather died, my father took over. He'd never worked before, so he
made a mess of things, nearly bankrupted the club. He convinced Nana to put up the restaurant as collateral for another debt of his. She nearly lost it. That happened about three years ago. It's when I took over, before Dad could do more damage."
"Why do I get the impression you don't get along with your dad?"
"Because I don't. I didn't get along with my grandfather either. He put Nana through a lot with his cheating. Dad didn't do much better in that department."
"How did you save the club and the restaurant?"
I hesitated. "I had a trust fund from my grandfather. I hadn't used it before on principle, and it was enough to get out of trouble."