“It’s late.”
“I thought you’d be hungry, so I kept some things warm for you.” She walked over to the stove and grabbed one of the aprons hanging nearby. She tied it around her waist, and the ties tangled in her hair. “Can you help me, please? I’ve got this awful hair caught.”
Awful?Kit went to her aid, and touched the curtain of her hair. It caressed his fingertips. He parted it and tied the strings.
“I’m sorry about this,” Hallie said over her shoulder. “I should cut it off, but—”
“No!” he shouted so loud she jumped.
She looked at him like he was crazy.
“There, you’re all fixed up.” He was a fool. All it took was the whispering brush of her hair across his skin and he was burning up.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starved.” Kit spun around in self-defense and got a mug from the shelf. Then he froze. It was a bad tactic. He had to go back over to the range to get the coffee.
“Go sit down and eat so it doesn’t get cold. I’ll bring the coffee and some bread and butter.” She dished up some stew and handed it to him, taking the empty mug out of his hand.
Kit sat down and stared at the food. He didn’t have any silverware.
Hallie brought the coffee and looked at his untouched plate. “Oh! How silly of me, I forgot the fork.”
She—and her hair—spun around.
He took a huge gulp of hot coffee, which burned his mouth and throat, and probably the inside of his stomach.
“Here,” she said, holding out a fork and napkin.
He took them and dug into the stew. Just as he had his mouth open over the fork, she walked across the kitchen, her hips swaying in the same rolling, undulant motion of her hair.
Damn, it was hot in here.
Her dressing gown was some pink thing that belted around her waist. Her waist was small for such a tall woman, and her hips were just wide enough to cradle his own.
Kit shoved the tasteless stew into his burned mouth and chewed. He was in bad shape tonight.
“There,” she said, setting a plate of bread and some butter on the table.
He shoveled more stew in his mouth.
She sat down, put her chin on her hands and smiled at him.
He stopped chewing and stared back.What the hell was she doing, watching him eat?
She picked up a slab of bread and spread butter on it. “Here, have some bread. Maddie just baked it this morning.”
She’s buttering my bread?
Kit forced his mouth into a grimace. It locked his jaw and kept his mouth from gaping open.
When he didn’t take the bread, she laid it on the rim of his plate.
“How is it?” she asked.
Hard.Very, very hard.
“The stew. It’s okay?” she repeated, still sweetly staring at him.
