“Whichever you don’t.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“It’s the truth.”
She glared at me.I blew out a breath.“Look, it really doesn’t matter.Either way, we’re both going to be sloppy when we’re done.”
And no, that shouldn’t have sounded sexy at all, but I was a desperate man, and anything having to do with Daruka was sexy at this point.
“Fine,” she said, nudging the closest jar of mustard toward me.
“Okay, follow along behind me,” I instructed.“Make sure you coat every bit of the meat.Don’t be shy.It takes far more spice than you think it does.”
Now I was imagining slathering something sweet on her body—honey, maybe—but if she noticed, she did a damn good job of pretending not to.
We worked silently for a time.She caught on quickly, probably because she wanted to stop brushing against my hands every time she tried to spread the herbs.
“Sorry,” she muttered after we’d worked in silence for several not uncomfortable moments.
I stopped massaging mustard onto the nearest brisket.“What?”
“I said I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
She waved her salt- and herb-encrusted hand in my direction.“If I hadn’t decided to go for a swim in the moat, you never would have dived in after me—although I’d like to point out that I didn’t need your help.”
“Are you serious right now?You’re apologizing and then immediately pointing out how dumb I was for trying to help you?”
“Not for trying.I appreciate the consideration.It just wasn’t needed is all I’m saying.”
“What about Krishna?Was his help needed?”
There it was.The tell.She lowered her gaze and refocused her efforts on spreading the herbs over a section of the meat that was already plenty coated.
“Is there something going on between you two?”
“He’s my friend.”She lifted her gaze to glare at me.“And for your information, yes, he did help me.But that’s beside the point.He’s just a kind person.And frankly, it’s nice to hang around someone who has no ulterior motives.”
Well, hell.
I quickly slathered mustard on the last chunk of meat and left her to add the dry rub while I slid each slab of brisket into its respective smoker.Without a word of acknowledgment, I headed to the outdoor sink to wash my hands and shed my apron.
Daruka joined me.“So what’s next?”
“That’s it,” I said, drying my hands.“You’re free to go.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the row of smokers while tossing her apron onto the counter.“Don’t we have to, I don’t know, pour barbeque sauce on them or something?”
I snorted.“We’re smoking them.You just let the smoke and heat do their job.I’ll check the temperature in a few hours, make sure they still have plenty of wood chips, but that’s it.So go on, go back to your room.Or wherever you were before you wandered out here.”
“Why are you so defensive all of a sudden?”
“Because I got your hint about ulterior motives, Daruka.And it pisses me off because you’re right.I do have ulterior motives.I want you.I want you underneath me.I want you on top of me.I want you in the shower, and I’m pretty sure that can’t even happen.”
“It can’t.”Her voice was breathy.“When we’re in mermaid form, we don’t have sex organs.Well, besides our breasts.”
I threw my head back and closed my eyes.“Fuck.You have the most magnificent breasts I’ve ever seen.I can’t get them out of my head.”
