“Please, tell me.”
“It’s really good, Levi,” I reassured him. At his look of worry, I patted his shoulder and then reached into the cabinet and found the spices I was looking for. “Do you trust me?” I asked as I opened the top of the container of allspice.
The look in Levi’s eyes was hard to acknowledge. I’d meant the question in terms of him trusting me not to ruin dinner, but he was clearly thinking about the question very differently.
He managed a nod.
“A dash of this,” I said as I added the allspice. I reached for the paprika. “And about half a teaspoon of this. It’ll give it just a little more kick.” I stirred the spices in and then got another clean wooden spoon and dipped it into the broth. I took a taste and then held the spoon to his lips so he could try the rest of it.
Levi didn’t move as his eyes held mine and just like that, the air around us changed and I realized why. My dick went from interested to hard as I stared at where Levi’s lips were hovering near the edge of the spoon. The same edge where my lips had been just a moment ago.
I held my breath as Levi finally leaned forward and closed his mouth over the spoon. His eyes lifted to meet mine as he swallowed. The sight of just a little moisture clinging to his lips was my undoing and I was dropping my mouth to his before I could even consider my actions.
The sound of the outer door slamming had Levi jumping back just before my mouth came into contact with his.
“I’m here!” I heard a woman’s voice call out.
Levi stared at me, wide-eyed with flushed cheeks. My own body was screaming at me to grab him, uncaring that we were no longer alone. I gripped the spoon in my hand as if the action could somehow keep me from reaching for him.
“Hi sweetie, sorry I’m late,” the voice said and I barely noticed the young woman round the corner. She seemed oblivious as she shrugged off her jacket and dumped it and her purse on the small table against the wall.
“Oh,” the woman said when she finally realized Levi wasn’t alone. I forced my attention to her and that seemed to knock Levi from his daze.
“Sherry, this is Phoenix. He’s a new volunteer. Phoenix, this is Sherry.”
“Hi, Sherry,” I said as I reached out my hand to her.
I barely heard her as she welcomed me and began making small talk, because my eyes strayed back to Levi who’d dropped his gaze.
“Um, I’m going to go start getting things ready up front, okay?”
The confusion in her voice finally seemed to get through to Levibecause he looked at her and nodded. “Um, yeah, okay. Do you need help?”
Sherry looked back and forth between me and Levi and shook her head. Where she’d been friendly before, her eyes were clouded with suspicion as she pinned me with her gaze and took a step closer to Levi. “If you need anything, just call out, okay?” she murmured to him as she patted his arm.
He nodded.
I received what I was sure was some kind of silent warning from the girl before she left. If I hadn’t still been reeling from the near miss with Levi, I would have smiled at the thought of the petite girl threatening me with bodily harm if I hurt the young man across from me.
Levi was the first to move. He moved past me to stir the soup again. “It’s really good. Thanks. I’ll remember that for next time.”
It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the spices I’d added.
“No problem. They’re my mom’s secret ingredients,” I said as I tried to get back on track. I took the spoon I was still holding and went to the sink to clean it off.
“Tell her I’ll take the secret to my grave,” Levi joked in an attempt to get us back on even footing.
But his words struck a chord and pain seared through my chest.
“Phoenix, are you okay?”
I glanced at him and saw him watching me with worry. I nodded and tried to smile, but wasn’t sure I managed to pull it off. “I keep thinking it will get easier.” I shifted my eyes back to the sink. “You’d think after six years, itwouldbe easier.”
“What?” Levi asked, his voice soft…and close. I sensed rather than felt him at my side.
I shook my head. Luckily, Levi seemed to realize what I couldn’t say.
“I’m sorry,” he offered. I felt his hand come to rest in the middle of my back and begin moving in large circles in an attempt to soothe me.
