Free Yours in Black Lace by Mia Zachary Page B

and added a couple tablespoons of oil to the frying pan. That’s as far as she got before running into a problem. Not being a gourmet cook, she wasn’t prepared for the choices Emelio’s pantry forced her to make.
    Was she supposed to use all-purpose or self-rising flour for the beignets? She figured it was the self-rising since the donuts were supposed to be big and fluffy. But did she need Ten-X sugar or confectioner’s? And what the hell was raw sugar?
    Passing the stove, she noticed the oil was sizzling and reduced the heat under the burner. She dumped six cups of flour into the largest mixing bowl, raising a cloud of soft white dust in the process. Then she remembered she needed milk. But was it buttermilk or condensed milk?
    Damn. This was why she ate cold cereal for breakfast.
    She pulled the carton of eggs they’d bought yesterday out of the fridge and grabbed the regular whole milk since it was all they had. The first egg was ruined when she crushed the shell into jagged fragments and it dripped onto the countertop.
    She’d only blended the first four cups of flour into the yeast when her arm started to get tired. Tossing the wooden spoon into the sink, she opened and closed more cabinets, looking for an electric mixer. She needed to hurry because she’d forgotten to add cinnamon to the thick batter.
    “What the hell…?”
    At the sound of his voice, Stevie dropped the mixer on her foot and yelped in pain. Turning, she saw Emelio stare in horror at the plume of black smoke unfurling from the burned oil. In two steps, he reached the stove and yanked the pan off the heat.
    He started to say something then stopped when he looked past her shoulder at the island. His features took on a strange expression while he glanced from her to the counter and back. Color warmed his face, his mouth twisted in a funny way and his eyes had a glassy sheen.
    “What’s growing over there?”
    “Oh, nooo!”
    Stevie hobbled to the huge mess oozing out of the mixing bowl and onto the countertop. The batter had risen—and kept on rising—taking on a life of its own. Tears of frustration welled up in her eyes and she fought hard to keep them from spilling over while she filled the sink with hot water and dish soap.
    “It was supposed to be beignets. I wanted to surprise you, but not like this. Don’t worry. I’ll clean everything up.” She looked over at him and that’s when it happened.
    Amusement danced in his hazel eyes. A muscle quivered in his jaw and a little dimple appeared beside his mouth. His lips stretched until the corners turned up, slowly parting to reveal even white teeth. The grin continued to blossom on his face and then he burst into laughter.
    Stevie’s tears dried instantly as she stared at him in wonder. My God, Emelio was smiling. It was a dazzling sight, so genuine and so irresistible. She’d thought he was handsome before, but with that smile he was devastating. Her heart turned over, spreading warmth to her already hot cheeks.
    Holding his sides, he gasped for breath. “When you said you’d do anything to make me smile, I didn’t expect you to destroy my kitchen. It looks like a flour bomb went off.”
    Stevie twisted her lips into a grimace and scooped the batter into the trash. After shoving the mixing bowls into the hot water, she tossed the spatula in after them. The soapy splashes on her T-shirt only made him chuckle harder.
    “I’m glad you think this is funny. We’ll see how funny it is when you have to do all of the cooking from now on.”
    “Come here, Stevie.” Emelio walked over to her side, still grinning. Taking one hand, he drew her into his arms and held her gaze as he slowly reached up. But instead of the caress she’d expected, he made a brushing motion. “You’ve got flour on your face.”
    Her shoulders sagged and she dropped her forehead onto his chest, shaking her head in defeat. “Not a good morning.”
    Emelio’s warm fingers touched her chin, encouraging her to