The peace soaked into my body and I craved more. “I won’t steal your silver.”
He flashed a smile that lit up the whole night. “I’d hate to have to frisk you.” The deep timbre of his voice rumbled over all my nerve endings, caressing them and exciting them at the same time.
He saved me from making a fool of myself by turning back to the fridge.
I shamelessly wandered through the main level. A flight of stairs with the plushest carpet I’d ever seen flanked the other side of the kitchen wall. The carpet color was like cream and light gray had a baby, and the way it curled around each step reminded me of a shallow creek trickling over rocks.
Down a hallway next to the stairs were a few doors. Probably a bathroom and a den. His bedroom? My pulse sped up. Upstairs or down, how had I ended up this close to Teller Bailey’s bedroom?
Teller appeared by the island, and I let out a startled cry. I slapped my hand over my racing heart. It wasn’t just the surprise. He fit this house. It was like the place assembled itself around him. “How does such a big man move so quietly?”
“Dad was a mellow guy unless we made a lot of noise while hunting.” He lowered his voice to a gruff growl. “‘Jesus, boys, there’ll be no deer left in the western hemisphere if you clod around like that.’”
I smiled. I hadn’t known Darin Bailey other than by reputation. Everyone had liked him except for my parents. Once I was older, I’d realized that was often a testament for the other party. “Your sisters didn’t hunt?”
He shook his head. “They learned how, but they’d rather not hang out with ‘a bunch of stinky guys’ in a deer stand.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Time to eat.”
I should be used to eating around Teller. He supplied me with jelly beans regularly, sometimes brought Curly’s, or we each munched on our separate lunches and dinners when we could. This time was different. I was in his domain, and while he hadn’t cooked for me, it was his personal food he was serving me.
I could not view it as more than it was. He was a nice guy. He’d no doubt fed every woman he’d brought over, only he hadn’t directed them to a guest room and told them good night at the end of the meal.
Running my hand over the table, I sat. “I’ve always loved this style.”
“Jonah made it.”
Summer’s husband made the most beautiful furniture. I’d never be able to afford his work.
Teller set a piping-hot dish down. When he took the cover off, I was greeted with smothered pork chops and cubed potatoes. Another dish of diced squash was next to it. Not even Curly’s served food this good.
I accepted the dish from him. “I’ve admired the pieces he has in Eats and Seats.” Jonah had been another guy Scott had disliked, but then Jonah and Teller used to be best friends.
“He’s only getting better and more in demand since he doesn’t have the time he used to.”
A wistful hand wrapped around my throat. I didn’t know Jonah or even Summer, but there was a time when I had hoped to be that happy couple growing a family. I’d been determined to do things differently. I’d be nothing like my mother, and Damien would be the opposite of my father.
Turned out, he’d been very similar. A user and a cheat.
I stabbed a potato. The buttery, savory flavor of the food carried me away. I moaned around my mouthful and shoved a forkful of pork chop in. “Oh my god. This is amazing.”
Teller was frozen, his fork poised over his plate. Hunger raged over his face, but he paid no attention to the food, his focus on me.
Nervous, I concentrated on the meal in front of me. I had to be wrong. At the very least, he wasn’t thinking aboutme. Teller was a flirt. He made everyone around him feel special. So in that regard, I wasn’t special, but I was grateful I was no longer on the outside looking in.
After we were done eating, I helped him clean up the dishes and admired his dishwasher. He caught me inspecting it, gave me an amused twist of his lips, then left me alone to fondle his appliances.
“I didn’t know you had a thing for ovens,” he said.
“I have a major thing for ovens. Especially when you have more than one.”
“A fan of multiples?” When I rolled my eyes, he smirked. “I can show you to your room.” He went to the entry and retrieved the bag I had packed.
“Oh, I can carry that.”
He ignored me and started for the stairs. I couldn’t follow him. At the bottom, I toed out of my shoes.
He looked over his shoulder from three stairs up.
“I’m not touching that nice carpet with shoes,” I explained.
