Free Sunkissed by Janelle Daniels Page A

experienced.
    He enjoyed women, thought they were wonderful and perfect in their differences from men, but he had never wanted a long-lasting relationship with one in particular.
    But thinking of Natalie, seeing her walk through his house, wearing his clothes, helping him in the orchard, kissing her in the kitchen, he knew he wanted her for the long haul.
    Settling eggs and milk on the counter, he took a deep breath.
    This was moving too quickly. It would be so easy to scare her away.
    She had already made her position perfectly clear. No attachments, no relationship, nothing serious. She didn’t want a man to take care of her. And although his mind and body were telling him to do just that, he knew she didn’t need him. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But that didn’t lessen his desire to care for her.
    Cracking eggs in a bowl, he added the milk, then a little cinnamon before whisking them all together.
    He needed to play this out casually. If he pushed too hard, she would only push back until he lost her. And as each minute went by, he accepted that he wanted her in his life. That he would do whatever he could to convince her to stay with him.
     
    * * *
     
    She found one of Grant’s shirts in the laundry room and decided to use it as a makeshift dress with her own belt cinched at the waist. It would suffice, at least until her own clothes were ready. Plus, her legs looked amazing. She grinned. Poor Grant.
    The smile that curved his mouth when she walked back into the room had her wondering what he was thinking about.
    Slipping her arms around him from behind as he dipped thick slices of white bread into the egg batter before transferring them to the hot griddle, she placed a kiss to the back of his neck. “You’re very handsome when you smile.”
    She could imagine his smile flashing again. “Thank you.”
    “What were you thinking about?”
    There was a pause as he expertly flipped their dinner. “How good you looked in my robe.”
    “I enjoyed wearing it.”
    “Enjoyed?” He glanced over his shoulder, taking in her new outfit. “That looks way better on you than it does me.” He fully turned toward her, placing a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. “I’m glad you stayed.”
    He gathered her up, holding her close against his chest. The intimacy of his embrace overwhelmed her. She nodded, unable to speak.
    He reached for her chin, slowly raising her face until her eyes connected with his.
    “Me too.” Another soft kiss.
    “Good.” He kissed her nose.
    Warmth spread through her, and she stepped away from him and the intimacy that was beginning to overwhelm her. It was too much. Too fast. She needed to get them back on track. Ignoring the way his eyes lost a little of their light, she sent him an overly cheerful smile. “That smells fantastic.”
    He grinned before turning toward the stove. “I figured it was something tasty and easy.” He shoveled a few pieces onto the two plates on the counter before carrying them to the table.
    “It’s one of my favorites.”
    “Mine too.”
    They dug into the hot, fragrant food, the mixture of sugary syrup with a bite of egg had them sighing in appreciation.
    “Why does everything you cook amaze me? This F rench toast…” She scooped up another bite with relish.
    They laughed, continuing to eat as if they had been deprived of food for days while both tried to keep the mood light.
    “Do you have any plans for tomorrow? I was thinking we could look through a few more of my grandpa’s things.”
    “Sorry, I can’t. I’ll be at the studio most of the day. I still have a lot of work to do before the show.”
    “When is it?”
    “In a few months. But there are several more pieces to design and I still have to make the finishing touches.”
    “I’d love to see your work sometime.”
    “You would?”
    “Of course. I’m not just interested in your body.” He admired his shirt on her, flushing her skin wherever his eyes scorched her.