“Yes! That’s it. It was very entertaining.”
“Wouldn’t it be cool if someone from Galdiart could invent that here?” Talk about money not being a problem. If they could bring that technology into anyone’s living room affordably… money wouldn’t be a problem.
I chuckled at my train of thought, and Doryu looked up from his herbs. “Something funny?”
Waving him off, I changed the course of the conversation. “Can I help?”
“Sure,” he said. I sidled up beside him at the counter, and he handed over the herb-chopping to me. “You have to do it just so, or else the flavors aren’t as potent.”
“Can you show me? I’m hopeless in the kitchen, always have been.”
He stepped behind me and put his arms around me, his chin almost resting on the top of my head. Wrapping his big hands around mine, he gently guided me to chop the green plant so the aroma filled the air. “Just like that,” he said, his words rumbling his chest against my back.
He stayed at my back moments longer than he needed to, and I chopped the parsley slower than I strictly had to. I was a thick girl. I’d always used the word curvaceous, because I wasn’t so big that I felt completely bad about myself. I rocked the chub. But he made me feel like the smallest, daintiest girl.
I liked it.
His scent was addictive. It was faint—I almost didn’t catch it over the herbs. But I turned my head to ask him if I was chopping correctly, and it tickled my nose. He smelled like spices, similar to cinnamon. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but I wanted to rub my body all over him.
Coming off of the sexual high from the night before, I didn’t feel right about practically purring in Doryu’s arms. I stiffened my spine and turned back to the task at hand. “Do you have anything else you need chopped?”
He must’ve been able to sense my change in demeanor, because he backed up and grabbed kitchen shears to cut the meat with. “No, the rest comes dried in these plastic canisters.” He opened a cabinet and showed me a surprisingly vast spice collection.
“Your kitchen is better stocked than mine ever was. I’m no good at this.”
“Axoular says it’s because we didn’t have access to good food or plenty of it for so long.”
It made sense.
The meat went in the skillet, and he shooed me away to finish. “I want it to be a surprise.” He handed me a glass of wine and pointed to the couch. “This place is so small we can still talk.”
He kept me laughing and asking questions as he sautéed his concoction. I didn’t even see him prepare it, but when he invited me over to the table to sit down, he had the meat and vegetables over rice with brown gravy.
I wanted to know what kind of meat I was about to eat, but I didn’t want him to think I didn’t trust him to properly prepare our dinner, so I refrained from asking.
A few bites in I was fairly certain it was some sort of deer. Whatever it was, the dish was delectable, and I ate every bite.
Conversation lagged as we ate. My attention was all on the food.
“I’m glad you liked it,” he said as he finished his plate.
“Absolutely. If we grow up and get married, you’ll be the official cook.”
I’d meant it as a joke, but he turned his head toward me with a questioning look.Oh dear lord, don’t use jokes he might not totally understand!
“Is marriage a possibility here, in this place, at this time?”
“No, I’m sorry. I meant it jokingly. I’m not interested in marriage, not yet.” I’d need a good long time, lots of relationship, and probably a few years of living together first. I wasn’t Riley. Her life was working out well for her, and that was great, but my path was my own, and I wasn’t prepared to share it with anyone quite so permanently.
Maybe having three guys in my life could be a good thing. I could try to keep things casual with all three of them, sort of rotate them in and out. They were all very busy, and wouldn’t have the time to commit to a relationship anyway.
A tap at the door saved me from any further explanations about what we may or may not do with a relationship in the future. Doryu opened the door to find Alexander. “I thought you might be here. I’m heading home, would you like to tag along?”
“I sure would!” I said. “I don’t think I can find my way back yet.” Jumping up, I took my plate over to his sink and rinsed it off. Ordinarily I’d offer to help clean the kitchen, but I was more interested in escaping our uncomfortable conversation as well as the attraction I felt toward him. He made me want to tear my clothes off and give him a booty dance.
As I turned to say goodbye, I slammed into Doryu. He bent and gathered me into his arms, into a bear hug. I was engulfed in warmth and comfort. I melted into his embrace, not so much turned on as comforted and protected.
I wanted to be someone that took care of herself, but I was in a big new world with people I didn’t know. The comfort and protection I felt coming off of Doryu in waves nearly brought me to tears. My life had done more than turned upside down. It had somersaulted into an inferno of insanity.
