Текст книги "Searching for Always"

Автор книги: Jennifer Probst

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Текущая страница: 12 (всего у книги 20 страниц)

He paused for a beat. His eyes burned. “We’ll compromise. I’m no saint, and I can’t leave you untouched tonight.”

“Should we go into the bedroom?” she asked bravely.

His smug grin caused goose bumps to prickle her flesh. “We don’t need a bedroom, little one. Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?”

Her tummy slid to her toes. His gaze raked over every inch of her body until her breath strangled in her throat and she was unable to move. She’d never felt so alive. Her nerve endings thrummed until waiting for him to finally touch her became almost painful. Stone dragged off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. Her fingers rolled into fists with the urge to reach out and grab him.

“You’re dressed for naughtiness tonight. I think that’s what you want, isn’t it?” He finally closed the distance and backed her up against the wall. His bare chest pressed lightly against her breasts. His thighs intertwined with hers.

A moan escaped her lips. “I want you to touch me,” she said huskily.

“I want that, too.” His hands pulled through her hair, dragging the strands forward and draping them over her breasts. “I’ve dreamed of you naked except for all this hair. Dreamed of you in many positions naked. But first you have to reach under that short skirt and remove your panties.”

The dirty command was like a lightning shot straight to her core. She grew wet and achy. “I thought you’d do that for me,” she managed to grind out.

He never stopped touching her with light, teasing strokes. Her cheek, her collarbone. Her jaw, her lips. Brushing the hard tips of her breasts pushing against the thin silk. Arilyn fought for sanity. Her experiences were more traditional. She’d never done it against a wall, almost fully dressed. “I may be bossy, but I always leave the choice up to you. Want this to go any further? Remove them. Hike up your skirt and pull them off, then hand them to me.”

Oh, he was bad. The command stole her breath, but she wanted to do it, craved to see the lust light up those dark eyes and know she was the one who put it there. He took a tiny step back to give her room, and Arilyn tugged up her minuscule skirt, hooked her fingers around the waistband, and pulled her panties down. Very slowly, she stepped out of them, one leg at a time. Straightened. And pushed the lacy, damp fabric in his hand.

“Oh, yeah, you’re a bad girl,” he drawled. He brought the lace to his nose and took a deep breath. “And you’re very aroused.”

A blush tinged her cheeks, but she was too far gone to care. These games made her hotter than Hades, and all she wanted was relief. Her folds were so swollen and wet, Arilyn figured one touch of his fingers would set her off. And oh, how badly she wanted that orgasm.

He watched every catch of her breath with that half smirk tugging at his lips. Moving closer, he dipped down and nudged her legs further apart with his thigh. Cool air rushed over her. She gritted her teeth against the sharp arousal, and he muttered something under his breath.

“So damn responsive. So sexy. I’m never gonna get enough of you.”

He lowered his mouth to hers, sipping at her lips like a drink to savor before finally sinking his tongue deep. She sighed, twining her arms around him. Arilyn sank into the kiss and his embrace like she belonged there. Like she found home. His taste swamped her, his skin burned beneath hers, and she twisted for more of him, afraid she’d never get enough of this man.

He possessed her completely, diving in and out, controlling the kiss until she hung on and let him take her. And then his knuckles rubbed against her swollen heat. Like a cat, she writhed, pride and dignity long gone under the tempting siren song of orgasm. Little mewls escaped her lips as his fingers brushed her clit, circled, then rubbed so lightly she thought she’d go mad for more contact.

“Oh, please,” she moaned into his mouth.

“You want to come?” he muttered darkly. “How bad?”

“Bad.” She dug her short nails into his back and tried to open her legs wider. “Crazy bad.”

“You can take more.” She let out a little scream as he pushed his fingers deep into her channel. God, the pressure was so good, and he twisted and hit that sweet spot, driving in so hard the climax shimmered before her in all its glory.

“Stone.”

“Ride my hand while you say my name again.”

Arilyn slipped into a primitive animal state she never knew existed in the world of sex. Her body demanded, and she rolled her hips over his hand swiping her clit with just enough pressure to clench every muscle in her body as she waited. Again and again she rode his hand while he whispered dirty commands in her ear, finally taking her mouth deep and hard and shoving her hard against the wall, lifting her up slightly to get even deeper.

“Stone!” she screamed as she came hard, shattering around him as waves of release gripped tight and threw her around. He never stopped the motions, forcing her to ride out the rest of her climax until pain and pleasure blurred into one, and she fell into another mini orgasm. After endless minutes, she slumped against him, her skin damp with sweat, limp and completely satisfied.

“God, you’re fucking magnificent,” he said, scooping her up and cradling her in his arms. He walked to the couch and sat down, cuddling her close. “I want to do that so many times you beg me to stop.”

She lay her wobbly head against his chest and breathed in his musky scent. What had just happened? She had never done anything close with her previous partners. Sure, she enjoyed sex and the beautiful rise and fall of pleasure, but this type of carnal delight was nothing she had ever experienced. It was sex stripped bare. Animalistic. Brutal pleasure.

She wanted more.

“Now can we go into the bedroom?” she murmured against him.

His muscles stiffened. “No, little one. I can’t take you tonight the way I want. You’re drunk.”

She lifted her head and glared. “Am not. Just a bit tipsy. When did you suddenly become a gentleman anyway?”

He laughed and pressed a hard kiss on her lips. “I haven’t. But I don’t want our first time to be blurred by alcohol. I intend for us both to be stone-cold sober when we start this affair.”

The word stole some of her happiness. That’s right. It might be great sex, but to Stone, that was all it ever would be. Could she handle it? Could she accept such amazing pleasure without an emotional connection? Was she strong enough to walk away at the end with her head held high and no regrets?

“Ah, you’re quiet. Let me tell you exactly what I want, Arilyn, so we both know where we stand. I want you in my bed. I want to give you multiple orgasms, excruciating pleasure, and sleep with you at night. I refuse to let you belong to anyone else during our time together and vice versa. We can keep the affair out of the public eye if you’d like, but I don’t give a crap either way. I’ll take you to dinner and the movies and we’ll date. And when we’re no longer content or happy with the arrangement, we swear to be honest with the other and walk away with no lies. That’s what I can offer.”

Arilyn studied the man before her. Yes, he was honest to a fault. He was also giving her the choice. She could walk away or accept his terms. The problem?

She wanted him. He’d stirred a hunger she never knew she owned, and Arilyn wouldn’t be satisfied until she followed the path to the end. She tried to live her life with some simple rules. One of them was not to make decisions based on regret. If she declined a choice, would she ever regret not trying? The answer helped guide her.

In this case, the answer was simple.

She would always regret not having Stone Petty in her bed.

“I agree.”

He arched his brow. “That was quick. No thinking about it? We’re very different, you know.”

“I know. But this isn’t for always. It’s only for the moment.”

His face tightened, then slowly smoothed out. “Yes. It is.”

“I’d like to date. But I don’t want Eli or Luther to get a hint we’re together. It could make classes more complicated,” she said.

“Agreed.”

“And don’t think I’ll go easy on you in class. I’ll treat you the same as always.”

He chuckled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, I better go. It’s late.” He kissed her thoroughly and stood. “Would you like to have dinner tomorrow night?”

She grinned at his formality. “Yes. But why don’t you come over here? I’ll cook.”

“Sounds great.” He headed toward the door.

“Stone? I need my panties back.”

One eyelid dropped in a naughty wink. “Think I’ll keep them as a souvenir. Night.”

He left with her panties. Arilyn sighed and laid her head on the aqua-blue couch. What an odd night. He had stripped for her, she had had an orgasm, and they had decided to embark on an affair.

Bad girl.

She giggled to herself. About time.

twelve

ARILYN FINISHED TENDING her herb garden. Tilting her head up to the weak rays of sun that streamed down, knees in the dirt, she smiled. Gardening was like meditation and helped ground her mentally. Nature in all its forms reminded her there was a place for everyone in the great, big world.

Humming under her breath, she plucked a few leaves of basil and oregano for dinner. She had enough time to begin cooking, shower, and get ready for her date.

In a way, Stone had been right. She woke up with a headache and a hangover, and wondered if she would’ve regretted taking him into her bed. Remembering him in his uniform, unbuttoning his shirt in a class-act strip show, her mouth basically watered for him to do it again. The way he’d dared her to take more, though she already knew he wouldn’t have gone any further with an audience. No, that was his way of forcing her to take control and take what she wanted.

The man was brilliant.

Wiping the dirt off her jeans, she brought the herbs into the kitchen and began grinding them for the meal. Her famous vegetarian lasagna was hearty, and the soy protein crumbles she used as a substitute for meat would be perfect for Stone. Crushing the organic tomatoes she purchased at the farmers’ market, she slipped into the beauty of preparing wholesome food to nourish, sinking into the sounds and smells of the cozy kitchen.

Once the lasagna was in the oven and she’d kneaded the dough for the bread, Arilyn took a quick shower and changed into a long gauzy skirt and a pretty button-up cream peasant blouse. It may not be sexpot, but the loose material floated over her body and gave her a feminine, flirty look. She even put on some of the red lipstick Kennedy had bought her and donned long, jangly silver earrings that made noise when she moved her head. The coconut body oil rubbed into her skin gave off a yummy scent and wet sheen.

She was ready.

The doorbell rang.

Arilyn glanced at her watch. Hmm, he was early. She smiled and flung open the door. “I hope you brought your—Poppy! What are you doing here?”

Her grandfather stood on the porch with a small brown bag in his hand. His silver brows drew together in a fierce frown. “I ran away.” He stepped over the threshold and dropped his bag. “What are you cooking? That smells good. I’m starving.”

Her mouth fell open.

This was so not happening.

“Are you okay? What happened? Did you tell them you were coming over?”

He went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “A, you need to buy some beer. I’m not really a wine drinker. The center doesn’t know ’cause I snuck out the laundry room.”

Arilyn groaned. “Poppy! You know you can visit me anytime, but you have to tell them.”

He pulled out some cheese sticks and began munching. “Emma told Ted I was a bad influence, ’cause she’s mad I got Ted hooked on poker and took his money. Emma’s sweet on Ted and jealous he spends more time with me. I set her straight, and then Al got all crazy ’cause he’s got a crush on Emma—which I don’t understand, because the woman is a real pain in the ass—and then the staff got involved and sent everyone to their rooms. Like I’m five and need to be punished. So I figured screw them. I walked into the laundry room, borrowed one of the uniforms, and walked right out the back with my bag. They need better security. Got any soda?”

“Soda is bad for you and so is beer. I’ll get you some water.” She rubbed her temple. “Umm, okay, why don’t you bunk here tonight? Did you bring your insulin and your shots?”

“Of course.”

“I thought things were getting better. Didn’t you go on an outing a few days ago?”

He rolled his eyes. “We took a bus to the Poconos, where they had this dance teacher trying to show us how to country line dance. Lame. I found a ride down the road and hit the casinos instead. It was awesome, but I got in trouble again. Was told the program I signed up for was the only thing I could do, and that I wasn’t allowed to go off on my own.”

Emotion surged. Dammit. Her grandfather wanted to embrace life to the very last minute. Inside, he felt young, and diabetes wasn’t about to stop him. What was she going to do?

“Poppy, I want you to move in with me. I’ll look for a bigger place and hire a nurse, and we’ll make it work.” She couldn’t stand knowing he was unhappy. He’d taken care of her and supported her, and he deserved a home he loved.

She waited for his excitement, but instead he laughed and took her in his arms for a hug. The smell of Old Spice and Irish Spring soap comforted her. “Sweetheart, don’t be silly. I don’t want to live with you. I actually like the center for what they offer. I’m just finding my way. Besides, you’d cramp my style.”

She sniffed against his shirt. “I love you. I want you to be happy.”

He patted her shoulder. “Life isn’t about constant happiness, you know. Sometimes it’s work, and you need to allow time to do its magic. I’ll be fine. I like being able to walk to your house, take care of the dogs, and be a part of your life. But I need to live on my own. Can I stay for dinner?”

“Of course. I’m cooking vegetable lasagna.”

“Sounds perfect. You have enough for three, right?”

“Yeah, I forgot to tell you I’m having—where are you going?”

He trudged toward the door. “Going to invite Joan over for dinner.”

“No! Absolutely not.”

Her grandfather clucked his tongue. “Why not? I had a great time last week. She’s alone too long in that house with her binoculars. She needs company.”

Arilyn shook her head. “She doesn’t have friends because she’s mean, Poppy! And it’s a telescope so she can spy on the whole block!”

Poppy laughed. “Smart woman. Now, don’t be rude. You’re usually the first one to say we need to open our house not to the easy ones but to the more difficult ones who need love. I like her. She’s got spunk.”

“Ugh. I never said that. Plus, there’s another reason.”

“What?”

“I’m having a date over for dinner,” she finally burst out.

“Really? That’s wonderful; no wonder you look so nice. I always said you should wear more makeup. Then it will be a celebration. We’ll get to know him a bit better. I’ll be right back.”

Her voice died out. She watched her grandfather disappear to invite the Wicked Witch of Verily into her house, where she’d probably sneak in a hatchet and cut down the Tree of Spite on her way home. The night was officially ruined. No hot sex. No slipping her panties off under the dinner table. No crazy orgasms.

She’d be lucky if Stone didn’t run for the hills now and sign off on the whole thing.

Arilyn reached into the refrigerator and uncorked a new bottle of wine.

She was going to need it.

THE DATE WAS NOT what he expected.

When she opened the door, his breath literally caught. She was gorgeous. Didn’t matter if she was in yoga pants, a short skirt, or nothing at all. The woman owned her body, and he loved how each motion held an undercurrent of deliberate grace. Like a dancer, she moved as if music were always playing.

He handed her the bottle of wine and the six-pack of beer, bent to kiss her, and stopped cold.

Seemed his date had become a threesome.

And not in a good way.

Mrs. Blackstone—was that her name?—stood a few feet behind Arilyn, glaring in her usual way. He’d met her only a handful of times, but she was a constant complainer and the cops usually ducked when she called. She’d been the one to catch the vandal in action over the summer, but she kind of scared him with her narrowed eyes peering behind thick frames and a harsh manner. What was she doing here?

Another older gentleman had his back to him. Probably her grandfather. Stone leaned over to whisper, “We have an audience?”

“I’m so sorry. My grandfather surprised me and invited the witch—er, Mrs. Blackfire to dinner. I couldn’t stop him.”

She looked worried, as if he’d be pissed. Actually, his sense of humor kicked in because it was kinda funny. Stone patted his pocket. “Guess I won’t be handing over these babies tonight.”

She flushed, but then a chuckle escaped her lips, and Stone couldn’t help it. He leaned down and kissed her again, right in front of her audience. He had a feeling Arilyn would always be picking up strays along the way and inviting them to dinner.

“Stone Petty?”

He jerked back at the familiar, booming voice. Lifted his head. “Patrick? What are you doing here?”

Patrick let out a laugh. “I’m Arilyn’s grandfather. You’re her date?”

Arilyn glanced back and forth. “You two know each other?”

Stone grinned and moved forward. “Are you kidding? We call him ‘the Hustler’ down at Ray’s Billiards. He’s always making our wallets lighter on the force. How the hell are you?”

“Good. Guess I’m bustin’ in on your date, huh? Hey, wait a minute.” His face scrunched up. “Are you the jerk cop in her class giving her trouble?”

Arilyn groaned. “Poppy! That was between us.”

Stone laughed. Her skin grew more flushed. He couldn’t wait to show her the many ways he intended to make her blush later. “Me? I’ve been a model student. Besides, aren’t you supposed to lead by example? Seems you have a bit of a temper yourself.” He tugged at her hair and she gave him the familiar glare he knew and was beginning to like.

“I refuse to allow you to bait me tonight. Stone, this is my neighbor Mrs. Blackfire.”

Stone straightened and entered the senior firing squad. He offered his hand. “A pleasure to meet you again, ma’am.”

She shook his hand with pure suspicion. “I know who you are. Why aren’t you in uniform?”

“I’m off duty now.”

“What if something happens and the town needs you? The board said you were short staffed. That’s how drug dealers invade small towns, you know. Lack of police supervision.”

“That’s true. A solid reminder not to bother the police unless it’s urgent.”

She sniffed. “Are you referring to me personally, Officer?”

Stone grinned. “Were you the one who called three times to make a citizen’s arrest on the poor kid who delivers newspapers?”

“I caught him spying through my window. He may have been trying to see me in a compromising position.”

A shudder shook him at that visual. Patrick looked amused, though, and seemed to be a bit sweet on her. Interesting. “The paper got caught in one of the bushes and Pete knows how you like it centered on the front porch. You almost got him fired.”

“If he can’t throw, he shouldn’t be hired for such a position.”

“He’s twelve.”

“Good, he’ll learn early.”

Oh, yeah. This was gonna be a fun night.

Patrick eyed the six-pack of IPA and lunged for it. “You brought beer! My kind of guy!”

He caught Arilyn’s eye roll and held back a laugh. “Just one, Poppy! I mean it.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course. And it’s IPA, my fave. Joan, wine?”

Mrs. Blackfire sniffed. “Half of a glass, please. I noticed that tree branch is still overgrown. It’s sticking out on my property. If you had let my tree guy cut it, we wouldn’t have this problem.”

Arilyn sighed. “You wanted to cut it down, not trim it!”

“A good thing they gave me back my money. I can’t afford to waste money with Social Security.”

Patrick interrupted, his tone firm. “Joan, I thought we discussed the tree. It’s not a danger, and Arilyn won’t cut it down. But if we’re going to have a nice dinner together, we no longer bring up the tree. Agreed?”

Silence descended. Stone held his breath, even though he had no idea what was going on. Somehow, he sensed a shift and didn’t know if it was going to be good or bad.

Mrs. Blackfire grunted. “Fine. Make it a full glass of wine, please.”

“You got it.”

Patrick smiled and winked.

Arilyn looked surprised. There was definite history between her and the neighbor. In Stone’s experience, neighbors made for the most dramatic fights in cop history. Stone walked into the small kitchen and began pouring the drinks. “Something smells good.”

She pushed her hair over her shoulder, donned oven mitts, and began serving. “Lasagna.”

“One of my favorites.” His stomach grumbled on cue. “I skipped lunch.”

She shot him a glare. “That’s not good, Stone. You should keep a granola bar in your car, or some fruit. It’s not good for your body to slip into starvation mode. Messes up your metabolism.”

“My shifts have been switched around since I got back to work.”

“How long have you been a cop?” Patrick asked.

Stone handed Mrs. Blackfire her wine, uncapped an IPA for himself, and checked on Arilyn. She seemed to have everything under control in the kitchen, so he sat down on one of the stools. He sucked at anything domestic anyway. She might as well find that out now. “Enrolled in the academy after graduation. Worked the Bronx for a number of years, then transferred to Verily.” He left out all the important parts.

“Tough neighborhood. Needed a break?”

“You could say that.” He pictured Arilyn’s ears pricking. “Got into a bad situation on a domestic abuse case. Things got ugly. I had to transfer. I picked Verily.”

He took a sip of his beer and waited for the twenty questions. Hell, it was the truth, and he had nothing to hide. Patrick swigged his beer, stretched out his feet clad in old-man shoes, and nodded. “Yeah, that’s how that stuff works. I kinda lost it in Nam years ago. I was commanded to take out a child for getting too close. Kids back then held grenades like stick candy, but it was my instinct to protect. I couldn’t do it.” His lively green eyes dulled as he got sucked back into the memory. “Damn war was so dirty. Good guys and bad began to blur. Anyway, I refused, citing my moral obligation to protect, so my officer commanded Bill Evans to listen to his order instead. Bill did. Shot the kid right in front of us. I think about Bill all the time. Remember his name, and think of that big chain-type restaurant. I think of how bad I wished Bill had gotten out clean and opened up a food chain empire.”

Patrick stopped talking. Arilyn walked over and gently touched his shoulder. “What happened to him?” she asked softly.

Patrick squeezed her hand. “The child died. Child was clean.”

Stone fought through the punch of emotion at the waste of war. The things people had to live with in the dark of night, when all they wanted was justice for all.

“Things got bad after that. I started with eight guys. Lost five. Bill was one of them. Sometimes I wonder if he didn’t fight hard enough after that incident because he couldn’t live with himself anymore.”

Arilyn pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “I’m sorry, Poppy. You never told me that story.”

Patrick stroked his arm, where his tattoos held the memory of the men he’d lost. “Lots I don’t tell people, honey. A man needs some secrets. Some need to bleed out to heal. Others you just live with.”

With sheer astonishment, Stone watched as Mrs. Blackfire reached across the kitchen table and grabbed Patrick’s hand. They both shared a look that Stone didn’t understand, and he didn’t think he was meant to.

“My husband died at the Tet Offensive,” she said. Her voice lacked emotion, but her face screamed otherwise. “We’d only been married a year. I didn’t want him to go, and neither did he, but the draft has no mercy. He accepted his fate with pride and a head held high, even though people spit in his face.” Rage shimmered in her eyes. “He was a good man. We decided to wait to have children until he returned. I was stupid back then. I thought he’d come back. He didn’t, of course. I lost him with thousands of others. Of course, if he had come back, he wouldn’t have been the same anyway.”

Stone had heard about the Tet Offensive from some vets who’d made it out. It was the biggest surprise launch of attacks by North Vietnam against the United States and South Vietnam. Massive numbers of troops on both sides were lost, until it was a bleeding black hole in history that no one forgot.

Patrick reached out and put his other hand over hers. “I lost many friends during that mess. It was a bloodbath. Took me a long time even to be able to sleep again at night. What was his name?”

“Ryan Blackfire,” she said quietly. “He was quite gentle. Loved reading. Wanted to be a history professor and teach kids about their heritage.”

“Joan, your face must have been the last thing he saw. You gave him something worth hanging on to, until the last moment. I know this for a fact. The women we loved were the only thing that helped us keep our sanity and humanity. You gave that to him.”

Stone held his breath, not wanting to interrupt the poignant scene. Somehow, the silence that descended was full of understanding and mourning.

Arilyn sank into the last chair, dinner forgotten. They all stared at the elderly woman, who recited her story as if she were reading a book. Stone knew better. Her wounds had never healed. Maybe by her own choice. Maybe not.

“How old were you?” Arilyn asked.

Mrs. Blackfire removed her hand from Patrick’s and shook herself out of her trance. “Old enough. Twenty-two.”

“You were so young,” Arilyn said softly. “I’m sorry.” Simple words that couldn’t heal, but by being spoken, it was a start. Stone stared. Arilyn’s natural need to heal carved out the lines of her face. Stone bet she ached to wrap her up in a hug but was too scared her neighbor would strike like a cobra.

Stone couldn’t imagine Mrs. Blackfire at twenty-two. Happy. In love. Full of life. The woman across the table emanated a bitter strength that told a different story of how her life turned out.

“I made do.” Mrs. Blackfire stiffened her spine and her voice.

Arilyn offered a small smile. “You deserved more than that.”

Her neighbor looked startled. Cleared her throat. “Are we going to eat, or are you gonna launch into one of your healing chants?”

Patrick laughed and the spell was broken. Stone moved from the breakfast counter to the sturdy pine table and sat down. Arilyn handed out plates filled with steaming lasagna, fresh bread and butter, and a small side salad. Stone took a big whiff. Damn, it smelled good. When was the last time he had a home-cooked meal?

Too long ago to remember.

He took his fork, dug into a huge portion, and popped the bite in his mouth.

Stone didn’t know how long he chewed before the taste hit him. Along with the texture. What the hell kind of lasagna was this? He frowned, trying to figure out why the meat was soggy and tasted like crap. The tomatoes were good, but his teeth caught a carrot and some mushy stuff that mingled in his mouth. And not in a good way.

He managed to swallow. Shot a glance around the table.

Mrs. Blackfire chewed, then spit it out. “What is this?” she shrieked.

Patrick looked resigned, picking around the junk and trying to find a piece of plain pasta.

Arilyn blinked. “Vegetable lasagna. I told you.”

Mrs. Blackfire shook her head. “This is no lasagna, girl. And this is no meat.”

“It’s a soy substitute exactly like meat. Fresh vegetables, tomatoes, herbs. Oh, and the ricotta cheese is tofu based.”

Stone pushed his plate away. Nope. Not even for sex could he choke that junk down. If the guys at the station heard that he had even tried tofu, his man card would be yanked for good. “Umm, Arilyn, thanks, but I’m not as hungry as I thought. I’ll have bread.”

She glared and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “You said you were starving! What’s the matter? It took me all afternoon to make this. It’s healthy and filling.”

“Definitely healthy. And I do appreciate it. I had a late lunch, though.” He reached for bread, spread butter on it, and shoved it in his mouth. He’d fill up on carbs and it would be fine. He chewed, but the bread refused to dissolve.

Oh, hell, no. It was as if a field of wheat had been harvested and spread over his tongue. Crunchy seeds snapped under his teeth. Bread wasn’t supposed to taste like this! He managed a swallow and surrendered.

So did Mrs. Blackfire. And Poppy. They all stared at Arilyn and their plates in shared misery and guilt.

“You don’t like it?” she asked. Confusion flickered in her green eyes. “It’s all organic ingredients. I don’t understand.”

That’s when his heart did a strange flip-flop. He should’ve felt irritated at her for starving him, reminding himself once again why they were terrible together. But when was the last time a woman had cooked for him? Cared about his diet?

He spoke up. “Arilyn, thank you. I know you cooked your ass off for us, and we appreciate it. But we’re just not as highly evolved. At least, not yet.”

She nodded. “Too many processed foods and sugars in your regular diet? You can’t appreciate the flavors of food in a natural environment?”

“Yes!” they all said in unison.

Poppy lit up. “Can we order a pizza?”

“I don’t like peppers or anchovies,” Mrs. Blackfire stated.

“Pepperoni?” Stone suggested. “And half veggie.” Poppy and Mrs. Blackfire stared, obviously not happy with that. “It’ll be good for us,” he said more firmly. “Okay?”

Poppy nodded. “Okay. I’ll get the phone. Garlic knots, too?”

“Definitely.”

He snuck a glance over. Prepared for her temper or general crankiness over having her dinner guests rebel after she had spent her day trying to please them. He didn’t blame her. He’d probably be bitchy if he tried to do something nice that no one wanted.

Instead, a reluctant smile tugged at those lush lips. “Fine. But I want black olives and eggplant on mine or I’m not eating it.”

Stone realized she was even more trouble than he realized. Because she was beginning to touch not only his body but his heart.