Love and Leftovers Read Online Free Page B

polish. When she looked up, Tate was watching her from his deck.
    She walked over and stood there for an uneasy moment. Tate took her in his arms, "It's gotta be hard each time you say goodbye."
    She pressed her head against his chest and nodded, letting a few more tears slip out. "What have I done to her?"
    Tate tipped up her chin with his forefinger. "My parents got divorced and I turned out fine. There's an adjustment period, but she'll get through it. Most kids do."
    "And you don't hate your parents?"
    He shook his head. "No. They get along much better now than when they were married." He threaded his fingers through hers. "Let's go inside."
    She followed him in, feeling better. Surely things would be much easier for Alexa as time went on. For Lucy, too. She was grateful for Tate's kindness and understanding.
    Tate tucked his arms around her, drawing her in for a kiss. His mouth was warm and soft on hers. He tasted like sugar.
    He swirled a finger along the back of her neck. "You know what I've been wanting to do with you all week?"
    She felt her mouth curl into a smile. "No idea," she said innocently.
    "Cook." His words came out in a whisper against her lips. "I've wanted to cook with you, feed you. Make love to you. That's the trifecta for me."
    She shivered and laughed softly. "I like the sound of that. Keep talking."
    He raised an eyebrow. "How about a fresh berry compote?"
    "Compote," she said seductively. "Say that again."
    "Compote," he said, in a deep, sultry voice. He kissed her once more, then plucked a strawberry from the counter and brought it to her lips. "Take a bite."
    She sank her teeth into the juicy fruit. "Mmm."
    He kissed the dribbles off her lips. "Wait until you taste the end result. Could you slice those while I work on the rest of dinner?"
    She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "We're cooking first?"
    He simply smiled at her and nodded.
    Her heart thumped in panic. "I thought that would be after ... " Was he crazy? She set her hand on his chest, running it down his torso, over his abs, toward his better sense.
    Wincing, he stepped back. "It's going to be a night to remember and I don't want to rush things. Not with you. That would be like making a gourmet meal in a microwave."
    Her insides twisted. She wanted him now. A week-long wait had been tough enough. Ten minutes more would be torture. "Microwave meals aren't all bad. That's what I usually have. Not that I've had one in a while." She moved toward him and he set his hands on her arms, keeping her at a distance.
    Learning forward, he kissed her forehead. "You deserve better than that. Trust me. We're going to enjoy every moment of our evening alone together - every sight, sound, taste, and touch." He moved closer and kissed her on the mouth, letting his lips hover over hers. "It'll be worth the wait and that's a guarantee."
    She shivered.
    "You cold?"
    "No, hot. Very hot." She blew out a breath.
    "It will be, I promise." He laughed and squeezed her bottom. "I thought we could try 'having' lobsters for dinner again."
    She laughed. "Okay." Breathing deeply to settle her hormones, she rinsed a quart of fresh blueberries, letting the cold water run over her hands. She should douse herself in it. "I'm really hungry." Yeah, for the food, too.
    "Good." Tate dropped the lobsters in the huge pot of boiling water. While they cooked, he rolled bits of brie in crushed pistachios and sautéed them in butter. Then he drizzled a balsamic reduction over them.
    The smells were driving Lucy wild, and so were the kisses and nuzzles he gave her as he passed her on his way to grab a measuring cup or plate.
    Soon, he plucked the bright-red lobsters from the pot and set them on a platter. Then he pulled Lucy to him, kissing her again, this time with the taste of butter on his lips.
    "I appreciate the sample," she said. "I'm not sure how much longer I can wait for the whole thing."
    His hand slid up her hip and along the ticklish part of her ribs, then settled on