‘I might even make a fruit punch or cake for your family, just as a little thank-you for having me.’
‘You don’t need to. But if you’d like to, I’d be happy to help.’
‘I’d like to,’ she said lightly as she tied back her hair.
He was both bewildered and pleased by the current turn of events. To think he was worried about them being bored on his parents’ island. He was never bored with Ellie around.
Chapter Twenty-Five
As Ellie and Alex washed their hands and put on white aprons, Alyssa wrote out the instructions for the curry, explaining a few of the techniques and trickier elements to Ellie as she went and patiently answering her questions. Then she said, ‘I’ll be grilling on the barbecue outside if you need me. Everything I need for the meal tonight is fridge one. But feel free to take anything you want from the pantry. I’m afraid fridge two and three are for the wedding. Have fun!’ Alyssa walked out of the kitchen back door with a cheery wave.
‘Ready?’ asked Ellie, re-tying her apron.
He looked around the huge kitchen, uncertain of what to do. He’d never been much of a cook. Had never needed to be. There were always personal chefs, nutritionists, restaurants and room service that could do a better job than him, and he’d never felt the inclination to even try.
Before he had a chance to regret his life choices, Ellie had gotten him straight to work preparing the vegetables. As he was trying to peel a slippery onion, he felt her eyes on him.
‘What?’ he asked.
Her lips were twitching as if she were trying to stop herself from laughing. ‘Is that how you peel an onion?’
He rotated the brown vegetable thoughtfully. He’d never peeled an onion before and he hadn’t realised there could be a wrong way.
‘You’re peeling it like a banana.’ Ellie stared at him as if he had two heads.
‘How do you do it then?’
She nudged him with her hip and he took a step backwards, unsure if he could trust himself around her. She grabbed thesad half-peeled onion from his hands, her fingers gentle yet confident. She’d plaited her hair down her back and he fought a ridiculous urge to stroke the braid as it swung between her shoulder blades. She was so full of vitality and feminine power that she almost dropped him to his knees.
‘Like this, you great big idiot.’ She giggled, and he watched over her shoulder as she chopped off the tail and top. As the layers were released, they fell like petals across the wooden chopping board. Turning a little, her dark eyes sparkling with humour, she said, ‘See.’
‘Oh,’ he whispered. More in reaction to her close proximity than his ignorance.
Her gaze softened, flicking down to his mouth momentarily. It was an open invitation and he leaned closer, but she took a step away from him, visibly shaking off the tension with a shiver of her shoulders. ‘God, you make me… laugh,’ she said with a weak chuckle, her cheeks warming to a rosy pink.
A sense of pride radiated from his chest straight down his spine. He shouldn’t be so pleased that Ellie found him attractive, but he was. Relieved and glad that he wasn’t the only one unsettled by the chemistry between them.
Except, he was beginning to crave more. Every day, little by little, the fire between them burned hotter and brighter, and he wanted more. Despite his fears and the potentially terrible consequences that might follow.
‘I’m useless in the kitchen. You need to give me exact instructions.’
‘Don’t you cook for yourself?’
‘Nope, except breakfast. I’ll always make you a nice breakfast.’ He couldn’t resist giving her a cheeky wink. If only to see her flush once more.
When she did his body reacted instinctively and he became light-headed as all the blood rushed to his groin. A physicalreaction that he most definitely shouldn’t be having while chopping root vegetables.
He tried to refocus on the task at hand, and it didn’t take long to prepare the ingredients. Admittedly, Ellie had been the one to do the majority of the work. He’d been too busy staring at the curve of her neck and the strand of hair she’d missed when tying it up, longing to feel the silky softness run through his fingers. Thankfully, she was unaware of how awkwardly he was chopping things into the wrong size or shape. She didn’t seem to mind his poor offerings, just helped him with the patience of a saint until all of the ingredients were ready and sat in orderly piles awaiting fire and spice to become something new and wonderful. They just had to throw it together and hope for the best.
‘Penny for your thoughts?’ asked Ellie softly.
‘Nothing really. It reminds me of directing.’ He gestured to the piles. ‘Everything prepared and ready to go. Endless possibilities. That’s what I’ve always liked about being behind the scenes. My family always wants to be the centre of attention, but there’s something magical and beautiful about being the one in charge of bringing it all together.’
If he hadn’t been watching her so intently, he would have missed the way her pupils expanded, and her tongue poked out to wet her lips. ‘You’re such a romantic,’ she said huskily.
His heart stuttered in his chest. Everything was better with her. Whether it was house-hunting, swimming with pigs, watching a film or even cooking.
She always made itbetter.
