“Yep.” Her skin smelled like him. Earthy, like leather and herbs. She loved his soap.
“Hungry?”
“Yep.” The smell of freshly brewed coffee overwhelmed the other scrumptious scents. “Coffee ready?”
“Yep,” he said, repeating her responses.
She strolled to the counter where the coffeepot stood next to the sink. A rumble of pleasure sounded in her throat as she filled the empty mug he’d set out for her. Caffeine would hit the spot. One quick sip of the steaming brew and her taste buds exploded with the just-ground flavor.
“When did you start grinding your own coffee beans?” God, it was good. She downed another swallow. Too fast. Burned her tongue.
“That’s the only way to get really fresh coffee.” He shot her a knowing look. “I hear folks in Huntsville think fresh coffee only comes from Starbucks.”
“That’s where I get mine.” He’d already set the table. Adeline pulled out a chair and took a seat. “But”—she lifted her mug in a salute—“I have to say, this is every bit as good as what I pay the big bucks for.”
He settled the eggs on the table next to the biscuits. “It was either figure out how to do this or starve after I bought my own place.” He passed her a napkin. “OJ?”
“No, thanks.” Careful not to touch those long fingers, she accepted the napkin. “You sticking by your promise to keep what happened last night off the record?”
The surprise in his eyes told her he’d misunderstood. He blinked it away. “Rich is the only one who knows. We’ll keep it that way for now.”
“Good.” If any of his deputies were involved, she wanted them to wonder why there hadn’t been a reaction. A reaction from whoever hacked up her clothes was exactly what she wanted. She bit her lip to prevent a little smile at the idea that Wyatt had at first thought she meant theotherthing that happened last night.
She had to hand it to him. He was still the best kisser she’d had the pleasure of locking lips with. Considering the number of men she’d dated in the last eight or so years, that was saying something.
Wyatt pulled out a chair and lowered that tall frame of his into it. “Merry Christmas, Addy.”
She blinked away the unexpected reaction to the way he said her name. He’d said her name plenty of times since she got here. Why the sudden burst of shivery heat?
Do not let him get to you like this.
“It is Christmas, isn’t it?” A few more swigs of coffee kept her from having to linger on the subject.
“Dig in.” He gestured to the goods he’d gone to the trouble of preparing.
That she could do. After scooping a heaping pile of eggs onto her plate, she grabbed a biscuit. It was still hot. He scooted the tub of margarine in her direction, obviously recalling that she liked to slather her bread in fat even if—she glanced at the brand of margarine—it came from vegetables.
The eggs were cooked just long enough, still moist and soft. The biscuits. Dear God, the flavor burst in her mouth. She ate. Ate every damned speck from her plate.
“More?” He’d cleaned his plate, as well.
Adeline leaned back in her chair and rubbed her tummy. “Couldn’t hold another bite.”
He had that look. The one that said he was going to open a can of worms, and she wasn’t interested in fishing. Adeline sat up. Stuffing her face had permitted her to avoid conversation, but that was over.
“I’ll clean up.” She stood, sending her chair scooting across the wood floor.
“We need to talk about last night.”
Oh no they did not. “What’s to talk about?”
He brought his plate and fork to the sink. “There’s still something between us, Addy. No point denying it. Last night was undeniable evidence.”
She finished rinsing her plate and elbowed him out of the way so she could put it in the dishwasher. Wyatt had a dishwasher. Jesus. What else? Then she straightened and faced him. “It’s called hormones, Wyatt. You’re a man, I’m a woman. We got carried away. It only means that there was chemistry brewing.”
She grabbed his plate, rinsed it, and tucked it into the sleek dishwasher. The forks went next.
“If not for the perp having vandalized your wardrobe we would have had sex,” he said as he braced one lean hip against the counter.