Free Creative License by Lynne Roberts Page A

didn’t eat…?”
    He stepped forward, his gaze traveling up and down her body. “I’m starving, but it will have to wait. The food looks almost as tempting.”
    Lily stilled, her eyes darkened with desire. Had her nipples had tightened too? He longed to discover the truth himself. Closing his eyes, he mentally sighed. She’d made him dinner. Although he wanted to lick her from head to foot, it could wait. “Shall we?” Caleb asked.
    “Oh!” She squeezed by him to retrieve a bottle of wine. The brush of her arm against his caused his erection to strain against his briefs. He’d never wanted a woman like this. It was a primal urge to possess. He shook his head.
    “I almost forgot.” She handed a bottle to Caleb. “You open it.”
    He glanced at the label and whistled. “This is a bit finer than the wine I usually drink.”
    Lily grinned. “Sorry, but those boxes are so damn hard to carry.”
    Caleb laughed. “Very funny.” He worked the cork off, poured two glasses of dark burgundy wine, set them on the table, and walked around to hold Lily’s chair. She smiled as she sat and waited for him to settle in his chair.
    Lily held her breath while he served himself and then took a bite. “Beautiful, great in bed and a good cook too. Damn girl, you’re a catch. I’m glad I married you.”
    Two perfect dimples formed on Lily’s cheeks as she smiled. “Shut up. Between you and me, spaghetti is the only thing I can cook.” She gently swirled the wine glass and sipped the dark liquid.
    Caleb grinned, watching the delicate muscles of her throat move as she swallowed the wine. “You made the sauce, right?”
    Lily tilted her head. “Yes.”
    “Then mix it up a bit. You change the noodles and before you know it, you can make lasagna, rigatoni, angel hair…”
    Her smile took his breath away. “Thank you, Caleb.” She scooped up some noodles with the tines and then rested the fork on a spoon before spinning. “Do you cook?”
    “I’m a bachelor: If I don’t cook, I don’t eat.” He sipped from his glass. “Hey, this is really good. I do grill a fairly mean steak, if I do say so myself, but most of the time I make things that are fast and easy: salad, baked chicken, top ramen.” He took another bite. “My mom gave me a crock-pot last year for Christmas. That really helps, especially in the winter. I can come home to stew or roast.”
    “Wow, you really do cook.”
    Caleb shrugged. “Who cooks for you at home?”
    “The microwave, or I go out. I’m not home very much. Stewart likes to eat out.”
    “Your guy friend.” Caleb almost choked on his bite, his irritation rising. “He won’t want you to cook?”
    “Heavens, no. He’ll expect us to hire a cook.”
    “I see.” Caleb drained his wine. “Does he know you’re here, with me? And um…”
    “No, he doesn’t know and no, we don’t have an exclusive relationship. He doesn’t care who I’m with as long as I’m discreet and don’t embarrass him in some way.”
    Caleb shook his head. “If you were my…” He stopped. She wasn’t. Not really and he needed to get that little fact through his thick skull. “And that’s the kind of relationship you want?”
    “I’m sure it will change after we’re married,” she said, staring into her wine instead of meeting his eyes. “He cares about me, we’re well-suited, come from similar backgrounds, want the same things out of life.”
    Caleb thought of his parents, of the little things they did every day for one another that said I love you better than words. That’s what he wanted. He couldn’t imagine Lily in the sterile environment she described. It would suffocate her. “What about your singing, Lily?” What he wanted to say was what about love? What about passion? But he didn’t dare.
    “That’s a pipe dream.”
    “So you just abandoned it?”
    Lily shrugged. “We live in the real world. Sure it sounds romantic to run off and pursue your dreams, but that’s how—”
    “You