“No, I haven’t.”
Walking over to the refrigerator, I opened it and did a quick scan. “I don’t have a whole lot of food, but I can whip us up something if you want.” When I glanced back at her, she was looking around my place. “Want a tour?”
Her head jerked back as she faced me. “I’d love one. But first, how about you go change and I’ll find us something to eat.”
“Are you sure?”
Bella nodded and moved next to me to survey the food I had. The heat from her body caused my heart rate to pick up.
Focusing on the contents of my fridge, she said, “I’m positive.”
“You don’t mind if I shower, do you?” I asked, reaching for my pistol. I always kept my firearm locked up.
Bella’s eyes were on my gun as I picked it up and held it. She shook her head as if shaking away some thought, and then looked up at me. “I don’t mind at all.” Her eyes drifted down to my mouth, and I couldn’t help but remember something my father had told me once.
If a woman stares at your mouth, you best kiss her right away.
I leaned down and gently kissed her. She reached up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around my neck, prompting me to deepen the kiss. I could get lost in it real quick if I wasn’t careful.
When Bella finally broke the kiss, her chest rose and fell quickly. She was just as affected by the kiss as I was.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your kisses, Hunter.”
Reaching up, I tucked a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled. “Anytime you need them, they’re yours.”
Our eyes met. Something about the way she looked at me told me exactly what she was thinking.
“They’re only yours, Bella.”
A soft exhale slipped from her barely parted lips before she whispered my name. “Hunter.”
Before my body told me to do something I knew I shouldn’t, I took a step back. “I’m going to go shower and change.”
She swallowed hard as she nodded. “I’ll, um…I’ll find us something to eat.”
Fifteen minutes later, I headed back downstairs and heard Bella talking to Jack.
“The key to pasta, Jack, is knowing how long to cook it. Of course, it depends on the pasta as well. Linguini works best for this recipe, and your daddy just happened to have some.”
Jack barked, and I smiled.
“I like to use fresh parsley, but I think the basil will be okay. If I remember right, your daddy loves basil.”
I rubbed at the sudden pressure in my chest as I listened to Bella talk to Jack. God, I loved having her in my house. It felt so damn right. Taking in a slow, deep breath, I headed toward the kitchen. “What smells so good?”
Bella looked up from the stove and smiled. “I’m making a garlic lemon pasta. You probably smell the garlic.”
“You remembered I liked garlic.”
She giggled. “And the tub of fresh garlic in the fridge was also a giveaway. Same with the basil. You should come get some from my garden.”
“Your garden? Bella, it’s February.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have a greenhouse attached to the main barn. I’m growing some herbs, and I’ll have you know, I also have a ton of garlic.”
I winked. “I’d eat garlic on everything if I could.”
“Well, I put a healthy dose of it in your pasta.”
I watched as Bella put pasta in two bowls, then placed pieces of bread on the side. “Looks and smells delicious. You made garlic bread too?”
She smiled. “I just brushed some butter on two pieces of bread and then put it in your toaster oven. I need to get one of those, by the way.”
I glanced over at it and laughed. “Willa talked me into buying it. Works like an oven, as well, and it’s nice when it’s just me I’m cooking for.”
Sadness swept over her face but disappeared quickly. She motioned toward the table. “Shall we sit down and eat?”
“Yes, of course.”
Jack, who normally went and laid in his bed or on the sofa, settled down next to Bella. I grinned. “Looks like he’s made a new best friend. Should I be jealous?”
Bella reached down and gave Jack a quick scratch behind his ear. “He’s a sweet boy. He followed me all around the kitchen once he finished his treat. I think he ate the container it was in, though.”
I laughed. “Yeah, he likes those, and empty toilet paper rolls. I’ve got to be sneaky about throwing them away or he’ll dig through the trash. I have no idea how he knows they’re in there.”
She chuckled and reached for the pepper I kept on the table.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” I asked.
“I better not. I’m driving, and I don’t drink often.”
“Do you mind if I have a beer then?”