Page 36 of Her Guarded Hero

“Liked is too mild a word, adored is more appropriate. Grandpa and I usually do roast beef or chicken, this is a wonderful change.”

“I’m glad you adored it then. I have to admit, when I get back home, I’m going to have to detox for a month.”

“What?”

“The food here has been pretty rich.”

“Don’t let Granddad hear you say that.”

Dalton took another bite of his asparagus. “Don’t you worry about him?”

“When I introduced him to turkey bacon, you would have thought I had poisoned him, even though I swear to God it tasted the same,” she looked up at him and giggled.

“It’s been in the last three years we introduced chicken into the mix three times a week. He can even identify a vegetable now.”

“Corn is a carb, not a vegetable. He uses a lot of butter.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth he regretted them.

“Don’t be snarky, it’s not attractive.” Aurora glared at him. “If you don’t think I take this seriously, you’re out of your mind. I want him to live forever. I don’t know what I would do without him. I’ve busted my ass changing his diet since Doc Barnes told me what’s what.”

She shoved out of her chair and yanked open the refrigerator and pulled out the carton of Vitamin D milk and slammed it onto the counter. Then she bent to the freezer drawer and pulled out the tub of vanilla bean ice cream and damn near threw that onto the table so that it slid over to Dalton who had to stop it before it fell onto the floor. Then she went to the freezer again and dug through bags of frozen vegetables until she pulled up a tub of non-fat frozen vanilla ice milk.

“Look at this. Do you see this?” She held it up triumphantly.

Dalton nodded, knowing that was the only response to give. She whirled to the cupboard and pulled out a glass and poured a glass of milk. “Drink this,” she said as she pushed the glass into Dalton’s face. He was doing everything in his power not to grin. She was beautiful when she was this worked up.

“I said drink it,” she said as she waved the glass at him again.

“I don’t drink milk. I drink Soy milk.”

“Figures,” she sighed. “Well, this is non-fat milk.”

He took the glass from her and looked at the carton on the table. Looking at the milk in the glass he could see it wasn’t nearly thick enough to be vitamin D milk. He gave her a slow grin. “You’re faking him out.”

“Damn right I am. First, I started changing the milk out with two percent, then I changed it out with one percent, this year it’s non-fat milk.”

“And the ice cream?”

“Same thing. I just keep refilling this high-fat vanilla tub of ice-cream with the non-fat vanilla. He thinks he’s getting his real treat, and he’s none the wiser. He still bitches about the chicken and the vegetables. There’s no way I can trick him on that.”

Dalton pulled out his chair and pulled her disgruntled butt onto his lap. “You’re brilliant,” he pushed his nose into her fragrant hair.

She giggled.

“I don’t know about brilliant, but I am concerned.”

“You’re an evil genius.” Dalton was having trouble paying attention to his words, she felt so good in his arms.

She turned around, so they were eye to eye. “Thank you, that means a lot.”

Her lips were so close, a whisper away from his. When he’d gone shopping for dinner he’d bought condoms. He wanted this, he needed this. Did she?

“You’re over thinking this, Handsome.” Aurora pressed a kiss against his temple. Then she kissed her way down his jaw until her lips hovered over his. “Ah Dalton, I want this. Don’t you?”

Dalton looked into her eyes and felt his heart expand. How could he hurt and feel so good at the same time? He shoved the question away, not wanting to face what it might mean. Instead he focused on the beautiful woman in his arms. She was the embodiment of joy, generosity and heat. For the first time in years he felt alive. This was real. She meant something.

His muscles tensed. Was he doing the right thing?

“Dalton? No second thoughts allowed, you seduced me with food. I’m a sure thing.”