Free The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts by Crista McHugh Page A

on the opposite side of the grill. “Everything smells delicious.”
    He gave her smile that only hinted of his usual confidence. “Thank you. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Why don’t you take a look around?”
    A dismissal from his realm, but one she easily understood. She always got nervous when someone was peering over shoulder while she cooked.
    Adam’s high-rise condo had an open feel to it with the kitchen, living room, and dining room all flowing into each other. A small balcony overlooked the lake, and the traffic along Lakeshore Drive below winked like stars. The floor was covered with light-toned wood, a sharp contrast to the cherry cabinets in the kitchen and the dark brown sofas in the living room. The decor was a cross between modern and masculine. Elegant, but still relaxed enough that she could imagine Adam and his brothers watching the Bears on the sixty-inch flat screen TV.
    In other words, perfect for a well-to-do bachelor.
    She ran her fingers across the buttery-soft leather sofa and realized with a start that she could be comfortable here. Get your head on straight, Lia. He invited you for dinner, not to move in with him.
    The scent of something burning wafted into the living room. Lia turned around to see black smoke billowing out from the pot on the stove.
    Adam cursed and pulled it off the eye with his bare hands, hissing and shaking his fingers a second later.
    “Run them under some cold water.” Lia grabbed the pot holders and lifted the lid. The stomach-turning odor of scorched potatoes filled the kitchen. “The water boiled off,” she explained as she carried the pot over to the sink.
    “Damn it.” His shoulders slumped as he stared at the disaster in the pot. “So much for trying to impress you.”
    She rested her head on his shoulder. “It’s not a complete loss. We still have the steak and the veggies, right?”
    “Yeah, I suppose so.” He shook the water from his hands, which thankfully were not blistered. “I had it all strategically planned so everything would be ready at the same time.”
    “The first rule about cooking is that nothing ever goes according to plan.” She stuck the pan under the faucet and peered at the vegetables roasting in the oven. “Do you have any cornmeal?”
    “If I do, it’ll be in the pantry.” He pointed to the tall, narrow cabinet at the end of the kitchen.
    After a minute of digging, she found what she was looking for. “Where are your pans?”
    “By the stove.” He wandered back to the grill, watching her the whole time. “What are you doing?”
    “I’m going to make some polenta.”
    ****
    Fifteen minutes later, Adam’s momentary pity party had vanished. He unwrapped the flank steak from the foil Lia had instructed him to place it in and divided it into two portions. “Steak’s ready.”
    Lia brought over two plates with deep orange mush on them. “The roasted red pepper polenta is ready, too. Now, just place the steak on top like so and then add the chimichurri.”
    While he did that, she pulled the dish with roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, and carrots out of the oven. The aroma made his mouth water. At least I didn’t mess that up .
    She dished up the veggies and stood back with a grin. “ Voilà ! Dinner is ready.”
    It wasn’t the way Bobby Flay had presented the meal, but it still looked nice. He carried the plates to the table. “And now we feast.”
    Lia followed with the wine and poured them each a glass before sitting next to him. “Thank you for cooking.”
    “Don’t thank me until you try it.” But the first bite drove away any doubts that lingered. The steak was tender and moist, and the polenta Lia had made complemented the spices and the chimichurri perfectly. “Not bad.”
    She nodded in agreement as she chewed. “Not bad at all. Want to come work for me?”
    He laughed and reached for his wine. “Beginner’s luck.”
    “Still, it’s a fantastic start.”
    He paused with the glass still at