Page 48 of Broken By Her Mate
She beamed and rubbed her palms together as she eyed the steaming dishes. “Tolliver, you might have to cut me out of this dress later because I’m about to be very unladylike and scoff down everything on this table. Go hard or go home, right?”
His laughter boomed in the huge space, combined with her cute snickers. Every moment with her reminded him why he’d fallen madly in love with her. She was always unabashedly herself. “Right,” he said. He stole glances at her excited face as he made her a plate. Seeing her happy made him feel as if he’d done something great. He was more determined than ever to keep her away from Jonas Mercer. He’d never allow anyone to hurt or crush her beautiful spirit as long as he drew breath.
As dinner went on, there was a rare easiness between them. The usual undercurrent of tension melted into laughter, warmth, and nostalgia. They barely realized that hours had passed while they chatted between bites.
“As delicious as everything is, they’re not in league with your cooking,” Tolliver noted.
Laila rolled her eyes. “You’re biased.”
“I’m being honest. You create magic in the kitchen.”
She smiled. “I appreciate the break and all, but a part of me wishes I was in the kitchen baking something for dessert right now.”
Tolliver grinned. “It’s funny you say that. I know you well, Laila. That’s why I took the liberty of stocking out the kitchen with everything you might need to whip up something sweet.”
Her eyebrows elevated. “Wow, you really thought of everything.”
“I did.” He got up and extended a hand to her. “Come on.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she placed her hand in his and followed him to the kitchen. She inspected the surroundings. “This kitchen is fancy for a safe house used by the Black Ops.”
Tolliver shrugged. The space had been refurbished and decorated with state-of-the-art appliances. “We like to make everyone who stays here comfortable.”
Nodding, Laila let go of his hand to get a closer look at the stove and oven.
“You’ll find all you need in the refrigerator and cupboards,” he said, watching her with mild amusement. Her excitement as she moved around made her look like a kid in a toy store. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned against the counter to continue taking her in. She kicked off her heels and went in search of ingredients. Laila quickly got lost in whatever recipe she had in her head, as he expected. Soon, he sat on one of the stools around the island and rested his jaw on his palm to keep watching. She flitted around like a culinary fairy, her movements graceful and precise. Her bare feet and the way her dress skimmed her curves were a turn-on for him, and he got lost in a haze of lust.
Her soft hum filtered around the room as she opened drawers, pulled spices from cupboards, and examined the refrigerator's contents. Tolliver couldn’t help but smile. She was completely in her element, her brow furrowed in concentration as she chopped, measured, and stirred.
“You’re really enjoying yourself over there,” he teased, breaking the comfortable silence.
She glanced over her shoulder, her cheeks pink from the warmth of the oven… or maybe his attention. “I am. Am I the only woman you’ve ever met who has a blast in the kitchen?”
He stoked his chin. “Hmm… yes, you are.”
She smiled. “Do you remember that thing we used to do?”
His gaze slowly roved over her from head to toe. “We used to do a lot of things. Be specific.”
Laila’s entire face flushed at the seductive dip in his voice. “That thing where I’d try recipes, and you’d be my loyal taste-tester.”
“I remember.” He could barely contain his smile because he had hoped that was where things would lead. “I’d love to be your taste tester.” He used to have fun taste-testing her creations—not just because she was an amazing cook, but because those moments had beentheirs.
She shot him a smile before getting to work. As the minutes ticked by, he didn’t take his eyes off her—he couldn’t. She wasn’t looking at him so that she wouldn’t see the desperate longing in his eyes. This was so familiar to him, yet different. The dynamics had changed, and he hoped tonight would lead them back to what they once shared.
Soon, the air was filled with the sweet aroma of chocolate and caramel. When she finally slid a tray of something gooey into the oven, she turned to face him and leaned against the counter. “All right, Mr. Taste-Tester. You’ve got about ten minutes before you get to sample.”
Peering into her eyes, he said, “Watching you in action might have been the best part of this game.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t look away. “You were always my biggest cheerleader.”
“I still am.” He leaned closer to her and was pleased she didn’t pull away. “Seeing you like this reminds me of all the reasons I—” His cell, which he’d put on the counter, beeped.They both glanced at the device. It was a text from Benny. Instantly worried, he opened the message, ready to get Laila away from there if necessary. When he saw that it was simply an update and things were okay, he let out a relieved breath.
“Is everything okay?” Laila asked with concern clouding her eyes.
“Yes, just an update from the guys.
“Okay,” she said, turning away. Thankfully, Laila went right back to being relaxed as she pulled her creation out of the oven. “This is an old favorite of yours,” she said, cutting the round treat into slices. She slid one onto a plate and approached him, smiling.