I pull my gaze up toward the top shelves of the kitchen, reminding myself that I’m still Susanna’s husband. It doesn’t matter that her heart no longer beats. My eyes shouldn’t be wandering over another woman’s body. I know better.
She spots the plate of food on the counter, and her brow furrows, confused. “Is this for me?”
I nod. “Thought you might be hungry after your job search. I’m glad it was a success. I knew you’d find something.”
“Oh,” she replies, her features tightening in pity. “I already ate. Um, Dominic, the owner of the bar, gave me a free dinner tonight as a way to welcome me to the team.”
“Dominic. This is the man who hired you?” His name is bitter on my lips. He hires her and immediately treats her to a meal? Is this a workplace or a hunting ground for him to prey on vulnerable women?
“Yes, and oh my god. He’s so gorgeous, I could barely speak when I first walked in. We’re talking, underwear model hot.”
Of course, he is.
“Wow,” I reply sarcastically, unable to hide my ire. “Yet he remains in humble Mapletown, serving booze to the average folk. I’m sure he’ll be granted Sainthood any day now.”
Natalie nods, ignoring my barb. “Such a nice guy. I was nervous at first. Wondering how I was going to concentrate, working closely with someone that good-looking…”
“That would be quite the struggle, I’d imagine.” I stop listening after that as my fists clench at my sides. Her voice becomes a distant murmur. At one point, I hear the words “so sweet,” but that only makes it worse. Whatever game this Dominic is playing, Natalie seems to have fallen for it. I don’t trust him, and I hate that she does.
My gaze lands on the uneaten sandwich I made for her. Tidying settles me, so I reach for the plate with my hand in corporeal form and bring it to the trash can.
“Wait,” Natalie says, holding up a hand. “You’re throwing that away? Why?”
“Because you already ate.”Dominic fed you, I want to say, but it would make me sound jealous and petty, which I’m not. I’m concerned about her safety in the workplace. That’s all.
“Well, don’t waste it.” Her voice has softened, and I look up to find her smiling warmly at me. “You were so kind to make me dinner. I’ll wrap it up and have it for lunch tomorrow.”
Words leave my head as she approaches, the scent of strawberries making my head fuzzy.
Natalie takes the plate from my hand, and her slender, delicate fingers brush against mine, sending sparks down my spine. She tilts her head to the side. “Thank you, Winston.”
I forget what I was doing, what I was thinking. Was I upset about something? For the life of me, I can’t remember what it was. My hand shoots out, grabbing hers and pulling her close. She gasps but doesn’t pull away. Her breath is hot as it fans my chest, and it smells sweet. Not like the fruity smell of her hair. More like a decadent cupcake. I can’t stop staring at her lips, slightly parted and so unbelievably soft.
“What are–” she begins, but when I swipe my thumb across her bottom lip, she stills.
“Chapped.”
Her forehead scrunches up. “What?”
I reach for the glass on the edge of the counter and put it to her lips without looking away. “You’re dehydrated. Drink.”
She shakes her head defiantly. “No, I’m not. How would you even know that?”
I can tell by the way she sticks her chin out that she’s being difficult on purpose. Trying to goad me.Brat.But she has no idea how closely I’ve paid attention. I know when she hasn’t had enough water. I know far more about her than she realizes. “How much water have you had today, Natalie?”
As she chews on the inside of her cheek, I see defeat in her eyes. “Fine,” she says, taking a large gulp.
I feel victorious and can’t hide my smile. Then a spot on Natalie’s dress catches my attention. “What is that?”
She looks down and chuckles, taking a few steps back, seeming grateful for a reason to put space between us. “Oh, ketchup from my burger. Guess I should be more careful, huh?” I watch as she grabs a plastic bag from one of the drawers and puts the peanut butter and jelly sandwich into it.
When the drawer remains open, I step in front of it, clearing my throat. “See this here? When you open a drawer or a cabinet, it’s customary to close it once you’re done.”
A pretty pink color climbs up her throat and colors her cheeks as she makes anoopsexpression. “My bad. I thought I did.”
“If you had, you would’ve heard the sound it makes when it shuts.” Irritation sends a growl through my chest, and it becomes harder to suppress when she’s looking at me like that. Like she sincerely meant to close it, and in no way sought to bug the daylights out of me. It’s hard to believe, considering how often she leaves things wide open, but instead of pushing the subject, I let it go. The sight of her twirling a loose blonde curl around her finger is too distracting anyway.
“By the way, I learned some crazy shit about Mapletown while I was there,” she says, unbothered by my criticism. “Dominic seems to know everythingand everyone.He knows about you too.”
