“Hold your hands out and I’ll put a bowl in them.”
She did as instructed, and Charlie nestled a tasting bowl in her hands. In her mind, she could see the white porcelain with the decorative ridge 2/3 of the way up the bowl.
“The spoon is at three o’clock. We will be totally silent during the process so as not to give away either of our preferences.” Charlie’s directions sounded like a warning for Nash. He didn’t have to worry. Nash was a big boy—he could handle losing this taste-off. His confidence was refreshing, and Kenzi breathed a silent thank-you to the heavens for a man who didn’t need emotional coddling. Clyde had been like that, and it wore her down until she was a maudlin nub.
She fumbled for a moment before finding the spoon and then did her best to get ice cream into her mouth. She hoped it wasn’t slightly melted, because she’d end up dribbling it down her chin and her shirt.
“Hmm.” She rolled the cold cream around in her mouth. The vanilla did a slow waltz with her taste buds, and then, WHAM! A cherry cut in the middle of the dance and took her on a sequined tango around the room. The cherry consumed her senses, taking over to the point that she forgot vanilla was even a part of this experience. She swallowed and licked her lips. “That was delicious.”
Neither Charlie nor Nash commented. Charlie handed her a warm cup of herbal tea to cleanse her palate, and then she had bowl number two in her hands. The vanilla did the same slow tango. This time, the cherry came in sweet, asking for the next dance instead of demanding it. Then, it wrapped around her tongue and maneuvered with sophistication. There was enough of a tease that she wanted more.
“The second one,” she pronounced.
“Yes!” Nash’s clothing rustled and she pictured him throwing his arms in the air.
Which meant she had probably hurt Charlie’s feelings. “Charlie?” She tugged at the neck tie and blinked as her corneas flooded with light. Nash was pumping Charlie’s hand.
Charlie was shaking his head in disbelief. “I wondered about working with an upstart who didn’t grow into this business, but I think you’ve got what it takes.”
“Thanks, man. That means a lot to me.”
Charlie gathered the tasting bowl from Kenzi’s hands.
“You’re not upset?”
“Upset over cherries? Nah.” He leaned a little closer. “I’d be more upset if he’d let me win—those pie cherries would have been a huge mistake.” He winked and then picked up his tray and hurried out of the room.
Nash crashed next to her on the love seat. “That was fun.” He tugged on the tie hanging around her neck. “It looks good on you.”
Kenzi eyed him. “You know that was a test, right? Charlie was testing you.”
Nash picked up one end of the tie and used the point to draw swirls on her arm. “Did I pass?”
She grinned. “With flying cherries.”
“Good.” He scooted closer. “We should celebrate.”
She leaned into him. The pale scent on the tie was nothing compared to the full force of Nash’s scent. He was manly and strong and daring. “What did you have in mind?” The game they’d been playing for over a week moved to real life. There were feelings between them, feelings that were strong and noticeable and insistent. They demanded to be recognized and acted upon.
Nash’s chest rumbled with a growl so low, so primal, it sent a spike of desire through her veins. He dropped the tie and cupped her face in his hands. “Probably something I shouldn’t be thinking about.”
She moistened her lips, her throat having gone dry and her heart speeding. They shouldn’t. She shouldn’t let this go any further. They weren’t meant to do more than work together, but Kenzi wanted more from Nash than his keen business sense—she wanted his heart. And it felt like he was offering it to her, guardedly. “I think we’re thinking the same thing.”
Nash’s eyes turned hungry and his lips consumed hers. She met him, kiss for passionate kiss, as the office faded away and all that was left was the feel of his hands as they combed gently through her hair and the warmth of his lips.
If ever she had kissed a man who was a real man, she didn’t know it. Nash was definitely a man. His broad shoulders were taut under her hands and yet he held her gently, pulling her closer to him as if he’d been in need of her his whole life. She wrapped her arms around his neck, never wanting to let go as her head lifted higher and higher, soaring through space and twirling in fields of daisies.
He gasped for air and pressed his forehead to hers, holding her in place with his fingers on the back of her neck. “Sweetheart,” he whispered, “that was incredible.”
Kenzi’s heart lifted, and all the fears she’d held on to since Clyde dropped to the floor like thousand-pound weights and rolled away. “There’s something I want to share with you.” She kissed him once again, a quick kiss to verify that this was really happening. The moment felt like a dream. A delicious, safe dream where she floated on a river of whipping cream.
“Anything.” He kissed her back, his thumb brushing her cheek.
Kenzi tipped into his touch, never wanting to let go. Yes, sharing her special place with him was the right thing to do.
