“Hi.”
“Hey.”
A bright smile touched her face and she turned her whole body toward him in the seat. The heat instantly turned into something else, a deeply familiar warmth. Zach was falling for Evie all over again, but like Jesse, he was happy to have his friend back. He’d kiss the shit out of her another time.
“I also made French toast today,” Evie said.
Zach smiled at her triumphant tone. “Oh yeah? How’d that go?”
“Good. I discovered an unhealthy love of nutmeg that I’m learning to cope with, but the execution of the breakfast and dinner went relatively well. None of it was easy, but when I was finished and nothing tasted awful, I guess—I just thought cooking would be harder. I don’t know.”
Zach let a burst of laughter slip.
“What?”
“Cooking is hard. You’re a pro.”
“I just wish I could remember. I can’t recall any recipes at all, but when I get started my hands just know what to do.”
“Well, you lost—I don’t know the medical term—event-based memories, but your fine motor skills are intact and clearly there’s something to be said about muscle memory. You also clearly held on to your appreciation for quality spices.”
“I guess so,” Evie said with a sigh. “It’s just confusing, I guess.”
“Give yourself time. It’ll be a’ight.”
Zach started the truck, but Evie’s hand on his thigh stopped him from releasing the brake. He looked down at her delicate fingers as they slowly flexed across the fabric of his dress pants. Zach took his hands off the wheel and slid his arm along the seat behind Evie’s shoulders as he turned in her direction.
“Something I can help you with?” he said, his voice dropping.
“You owe me a kiss.”
“I owe you, huh?”
“I mean, I still haven’t decided if I want you to be my boyfriend yet. We’re just feeling things out right now. It seems like a bad time to start breaking promises.”
“Oh, so you’re talking about boyfriends now? I thought you just wanted to use me for sex.”
“Zach. Shut up.”
Zach chuckled a bit, then leaned forward and delivered on the kiss he’d been waiting on all day. Perfectly, their lips moved together and Zach didn’t deny Evie as she moved closer, pushing her tongue into his mouth. His hand slid around the back of her neck, careful not to brush the silk scarf she had tied around her hair. She moved closer then, her hand moving higher up his thigh. Blood rushed to his dick and while he knew she still needed time before she could help him out in that department, holding back didn’t change how bad he wanted her one bit.
They kept on kissing, and what he figured would be one thorough but quick kiss melted into something more. Her fingers brushed the bulge in his pants and he groaned. No way he was holding that shit in, even if he was still burying most of the emotion that came with it.
They both had their own lives, and Zach knew whether her memory returned or not, Evie would return to hers. Charming wasn’t big enough for her shine or her talent. If she was nailing complex flavor profiles less than a week out of the hospital, she’s be back atThe Dishin no time. Still, Zach couldn’t help but want this to last. Coming home from a long day at the ranch, seeing Evie’s beautiful smile, kissing her perfect lips, holding her close. It was something he could get used to.
When she finally pulled away, Zach was completely hard.
“You smell like nutmeg,” he whispered against Evie’s lips. The scent was coming up from the inside of her coat.
“I’ll explain later.” She moved back across the seat and fastened her seat belt. “We should go. Vega will be waiting up.”
“You miss Tilde?” Zach asked as he turned his truck around.
“This might be mean, but no. I don’t.”
Chapter 16
Still dazed by the feeling of Zach’s lips on hers, Evie did her best to take in the beautiful winter night as they made their way through the huge iron gates that welcomed guests onto the property of Big Rock Ranch. In the distance the property stretched out in front of them as they pulled up to a large log cabin–style building. She could see the paths that wove their way across the flat terrain, lit by electric lanterns. The ranch seemed to stretch on for miles, and even though it was dark, the moon lit the mountains off in the distance. Zach put the truck in park and gave her a few more moments to take it all in before he hopped out and came around to open her door.