Free Dinner at Eight-epub by Jess Dee Page A

flour.” Lots of it. “What are these?” he pointed to a different rack. The cookies looked almost as good as Ava.
    “Triple Chocolate Delights. Milk, dark and white choc chips, drizzled in milk and white chocolate.” Jared didn’t refuse her offer this time. “It’s my personal favorite, but too rich to have more than half a cookie at a time.”
    He raised an eyebrow as he made short work of the delicious morsel. “I’m not having that problem.”
    “I’d offer you another, but taste the One Smartie Cookie instead.” She handed him a biscuit crammed full of brightly colored, candy-covered chocolates.
    He chewed thoughtfully. “Mmm, nice. Too sweet for me, but I bet kids love it.”
    “It’s my number one party biscuit. I get orders for hundreds of them every weekend.”
    Jared tasted three other flavors before Ava finally allowed him one of the cookies from the oven. The hot, buttery treat melted in his mouth, white chocolate exploding on his tongue. The crunch of the macadamia nut finished off a perfect bite.
    “This might well be better than sex,” he muttered around a large mouthful, mimicking her words from a few days ago.
    Ava chuckled. “Then you, my friend, have been sleeping with all the wrong women.”
    Of course he had. None of them had been Ava. “I’d sleep with this cookie if I could.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “You give kink a whole new meaning.”
    “Mmm. There’s an idea. Call this the Kink Cookie and promote it with the logo, One bite away from ecstasy .”
    “You’re an idiot.” But she laughed as she said it.
    “Seriously, this is better than Arlene Hemings ever was. At anything.”
    She grunted. “You just had to bring up her name.”
    He grinned. “Still jealous?”
    “Oh, get over yourself.” Color tinged her cheeks a becoming pink. Even standing in the middle of her kitchen, wearing a white apron with the One Smart Cookie logo printed on the front, she looked beautiful.
    “Don’t be. I’d put money on the odds Arlene can’t bake like you.”
    Ava looked down her nose at him, a quirk he found totally endearing. How she managed to appear so pompous and cute at the same time, he had no idea. “There are many things Arlene can’t do like me.”
    “And I—” Jared took the tongs from Ava and helped himself to another cookie, “—would like to find out about every one of them.” He devoured the cookie, humming his appreciation once again.
    “I’m sure you would. And had you taken notice all those years ago, you would have.”
    All those years ago, he hadn’t been interested. Now…
    “I have a confession.” Jared handed back the tongs. He’d packed away at least eight cookies and was finally feeling full. And perhaps a little hyped up on sugar.
    Ava raised a brow in question.
    “I’ve been thinking about something you said to me on Monday night.” Thinking? More like obsessing—for the three days since he’d last seen her.
    Ava’s gaze grew serious. “Which part?”
    All of it . “The bit about you liking our kiss…”
    Her cheeks turned pinker, and she worried her lower lip with her teeth.
    “…and maybe wanting to try it again sometime.”
    “Yeah?” Her gaze darted all around the shop before coming back to settle on his face. “What about it?”
    “How about we make that sometime right now?”
    She gave a nervous laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m at work. There’s a mob of people on the other side of the door.”
    Jared glanced through the glass panel to the shop exterior. “A mob well looked after by Nessy.” He stretched his arm toward her. “Take my hand. Let’s try that kiss again, right here.”
    “What if Nessy needs me?” The uncertainty of her words was downplayed by her actions. Ava reached for his hand.
    He weaved their fingers together, his chest heaving at the feel of her. “Then she’ll come and get you.” He tugged her hand. “Come closer.”
    Ava did, still holding the tongs, wielding them in front of her like