“I wonder if he’s ever blended carrots with beets. Maybe that way, Ella wouldn’t toss them all on the floor.”
Seth laughed. “A beet and carrot blend would be fun to work with. Maybe next time we get fresh beets, we can try a dish mixing them with carrots to see if we can fool her.”
“Or maybe your friend could combine different apples and come up with something completely new. That would make the farm unique. Or combine an apple tree with a maple tree. We’d have maple apples.”
“Good ideas, kid. I’ll call him sometime and see what he’s up to these days.” Wyatt’s folks were both gone now. Maybe the farm could be a refuge for his friend, too.
They chatted easily as he taught Charlie the difference between a roux and a slurry, between a rolling boil and a simmer. The kid sucked it all up and followed instructions like a pro. “You’re already a good sous-chef. You’d be shocked at how many people don’t listen properly.”
Charlie grinned at him. “I like knowing things. Do you think dragons like pot roast?”
Seth laughed. “Don’t they eat raw meat? Not sure they’d be patient enough to make gravy.”
And that started a conversation about how dragons and their brucans might cook, and what their favorite meals might be.
Something Seth had never considered before. He wondered whether Olivia included any of Charlie’s ideas in her books. He imagined the kid would be a great brainstorming partner.
“Send a group text with a ten-minute warning, kid. We’re almost ready. You want to help me serve it up?”
Charlie nodded. “I don’t have my phone. We should get a bell here, too. I can run up and tell them.”
Seth pulled out his phone. “I’ve got it. Grab the plates, and let’s get the table ready. Don’t bring out the carrots until Ella’s here, then set them in front of her. Maybe she’ll try them if they’re your carrots.”
Mara was the first one to reach the kitchen. “Sorry. I was going to get down earlier to help, but I got caught up finishing the plumbing.”
Again, the thought of Chaos Machine wielding a pipe wrench got his system revved. He had it bad.
With Charlie there, he didn’t sneak a kiss, but when Mara grinned at him, he let his gaze roam her face, lips, and back up. Her eyes sparkled with desire, and Seth forced his body not to react.
Damn, he wanted to get his hands on those curves. Even thinking about how he could potentially screw up his place here didn’t stop him from imagining how she would taste when he finally got his mouth on all of her.
“Do you want me to put the roast on the table?”
Charlie’s voice interrupted Seth’s lustful thoughts, and he nodded. When the kid walked slowly and carefully with the platter, Seth brushed his lips lightly over Mara’s. “Hey.”
She returned the kiss with enthusiasm. “Hey, yourself. You’ve been working hard. Sorry, I didn’t get down earlier to help.”
He shrugged. “You were helping up there. The kid had fun.”
“He’s going to be an expert in every job on this farm soon.”
Seth nodded as Charlie bounced back in. “They’re all here, so I’m going to put the carrots in front of Ella and talk them up. Come on. Let’s eat.”
That sent his thoughts back to tasting all of Mara. Yeah, he wanted to eat.
He’d start with dinner first, and figure the rest out later.
Mara wanted to let the others eat and drag Seth back to the other farmhouse to have her way with him.
She’d thought their initial attraction was all about the physical. The man was a gorgeous specimen who probably inspired fantasies wherever he went, leaving lust-filled women in his wake.
She’d learned he was so much more than a gorgeous male. Beneath those impressive muscles beat a kind heart. One that made room for a cat and chickens. He not only tolerated Charlie’s incessant questions, he encouraged them, and taught the boy all kinds of life lessons along with cooking skills.
Seth lived with pain, but never took his frustrations out on others. He treated everyone with respect. He might not sing along with her Broadway songs, but he didn’t complain about them either. She thought she might have even caught him tapping along a few times.
He also lit her up when he smiled at her with that twinkle in his eye. His kisses had her dreaming of more. So much more.
Mara was pretty sure she was falling for Seth. She knew he wanted her; that much was obvious. But were his feelings involved, or was he just after a few nights of fun?
