AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It turns out, Dean is a really great sous chef. He listens, follows instructions, and doesn't touch my ingredients without permission. It surprises me. Dean seems like the sort of man who’s in control of everything in his life. But it all starts to make sense when I realize he's helping not because he's trying to be helpful, but because he wants to be near me.
The thought makes me giddy, and the whole time we're cooking together, I'm fighting the urge to smile like a maniac.
"I didn't expect you to be so good in the kitchen," I comment as I stir the stuffing.
He looks over his shoulder at me where he’s dumping the apples into a large carafe. "Yeah? What did you expect?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I just thought you'd be a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. I mean, no offense, but I get the feeling you’re sort of set in your ways.”
He grunts but doesn't respond. Dean still hasn't changed out of the bottom half of his uniform, but his short sleeves let me see the flexing of his corded forearms as he works.
With Dean, the prep—my least favorite part of cooking—is fun. Before I know it, we’re done. The sangria is chilling, and everything that could be done early is finished, ready to be popped into the oven tomorrow for Thanksgiving.
"Okay," I say, putting my hands on my hips. "Time to clean up. Then, I think a movie sounds perfect."
"Mmhmm." Dean moves behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist and his head dipping down to press a soft kiss to the exposed skin of my shoulder. "Do you have any requests?"
"I thought maybe you could choose." My eyes flutter shut at his attention.
"How thoughtful of you." He moves his lips over my skin, sucking softly, and I can't help but tilt my head, letting him have better access. When he speaks, I can feel his lips moving against my skin. "Actually, I want to take you out. You don't deserve to be cooped up in this house."
Now I’m paying attention again."What? Really?"
I turn around to face him, and he kisses me softly, pulling me in. "I want to take you on a date, Delia. A real date. No sneaking around. Let me take you out."
It sounds wonderful, but there’s still the shadow of something hanging over the idea. "Are you sure? Brody..."
He presses a finger against my lips to shush me. Okay…message received. No talk about his son. "I'm not talking about Brody. Let me take you on a real date. I know the perfect place. We can talk about...all of this. And maybe make plans for tomorrow."
I can hear in his voice that this means something to him. In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. "A real date, huh? Well, you'll have to change out of your uniform."
He grins, a flash of white teeth, and my stomach flips. Oh, I’ll do just about anything to see that smile more often. I blow a stray strand of hair out of my face and relent. "Fine. Go get dressed, and I'll get ready, and we'll go out."
“You act like you had a choice, princess.” He chuckles, carrying dishes to the sink.
I stick my tongue out at him, and he growls, reaching out to grip my hips and pull me closer.
"You better watch it, princess. I have a feeling your punishment is going to come sooner rather than later."
I wiggle out of his grip, blowing him a kiss as I go. "Promises, promises."
"I mean it, Delia. I want you, and I'm going to have you. Every inch of you."
I bite my lip. "Yeah, well. We'll see about that."
"Now, go get dressed. I'm going to take a quick shower, and then we'll leave."
He gives me a gentle slap on the butt, and I yelp but move towards the bedroom. Dean might be able to take charge, and he may even have me. But if I'm going to continue with this unconventional flirtation, there's something I need to do first.
Once I'm alone in the guest room, I pull out my phone and compose a text to Brody.
Delia: There's nothing to talk about. I want to break up, just like I told you before. I'll find my own way back to Providence on Sunday.
Brody: No. We need to talk. I have a lot to say.
Delia: No. You're the one that chose to ghost me, not the other way around. You left me, and now I'm leaving you.
Brody: This is insane. Are you okay?
