Page 31 of The Mastermind

“I’ve never seen so much food for one person.” Remi folded himself into the chair across from me.

“Normally, I’d freeze it.” I held up a scooper. “What would you like? Slow-cooker barbeque ribs, chicken and rice casserole, spaghetti and meatballs, brown sugar meatloaf, or mac and cheese.”

“How about a little of everything?”

While we ate, he talked about the WaterFire event, which occurred between May and November on Saturdays.

“Have you seen it in recent years?” I asked.

“Not since I moved to New York. Now that I’m back here, I’d like to see it again.”

His eyes glittered from the light above the kitchen table. “We should’ve met up for coffee when you were in New York.”

“I didn’t want to intrude on your glitzy life.”

“It’s never an intrusion. You’re Grayson’s sister. You’re like family, remember?”

Would he treat me differently if I wasn’t Grayson’s sister?

Is he here tonight for Grayson or for me?And why am I annoyed that it could be because of Grayson?

I lost my appetite and stabbed my fork into the BBQ ribs with more force than necessary.

What do you want with him, Audri? You can’t have it both ways.

I glanced up and met his eyes. He looked relaxed, sitting back in his chair. How long had he been staring at me? Heat zipped and zinged through me.

“Is something bothering you? You’re murdering the ribs.” Remi gestured to my plate. His voice held a subtle rumble that mimicked the quiver in my thighs.

I glanced down at the mess I’d created and gasped, “Oh, gosh!” I dropped the fork, and it clinked against the plate, splattering sauce everywhere, including my nightshirt. What the hell was wrong with me? “Can’t take you anywhere, Audri,” I scolded myself.

A smirk slid onto his lips.

I bolted from my chair, heading to the kitchen to grab a roll of paper towels. As I passed him, he clasped my arm and yanked me to him. I fell onto his lap with my shirt dress pulled high on my thigh. Why was I so clumsy tonight?

“You okay? You seem frazzled.”

My body temperature spiked as I turned to face him. His aqua eyes darkened to a pool of lust.

“I have to go . . .”

“Why?” He took the roll of paper towels from my hand and set it on the table.

My heart quickened, and my throat became dry. “To clean up . . . the mess.” I jerked when I sensed his growing length beneath my ass. I didn’t dare move.

Remi shifted his body so his thighs could accommodate me better. Resting his hand on my lower back, his gaze fixated on my chest.

I glanced down.Shit.My nipples were hard and visible through the thin fabric. A single sliver of barbecue sauce slid from my neck down to the space between my breasts.

He met my gaze with heat glinting in his eyes. I could feel his warm breath on my lips. Just one inch and our lips would touch.

I should have bolted from his lap to disconnect the overwhelming passion between us, but I couldn’t break free from the intensity of his eyes. Drowning in the aqua pools, for a moment, they didn’t elicit the non-emotional tundra I was used to but more of a mysterious lagoon that offered me secrets and security. He was the water that doused my raging fear. Just looking into his eyes made me feel safer than I’d felt in a long time.

What did this mean between Remi and me? From what I knew and heard about him, he didn’t commit, one of the reasons I had denied any feelings for him. Was I just a temporary satisfaction?

I pondered the situation but didn’t want to remove myself from him. Not yet, anyway. He anchored me on his lap without having to do anything. His power over me intrigued me. The desire that burned in his eyes also fascinated me. Lust flickered, and I should’ve been afraid of anything that dealt with fire and flames, but his were different. His heat didn’t come with a terrible memory of pain, death, and guilt. His flames held a promise I desperately wanted to know more about.

Remi could burn me to cinders, and for a second, I didn’t care. I stepped into his fire as though it was my only path to renewal.