Page 22 of Searching for Love

Avery smiled. “Did you see the video she did last night?”

Lucas laughed. “Loki and Thor.” He rolled his eyes. “I can tell Rusty, which is the orange cat, was not into being dressed as Thor.”

“The other one, the black cat,” she started.

“Luna.”

“It’s a girl?” She laughed when he nodded in agreement. “I can tell she wasn’t into it either.”

“They’re getting older and have less patience for my sister’s shenanigans.” He grinned as he leaned back in his chair and looked around. “How often do you house-sit?”

She shrugged. “More than I used to. My parents are enjoying their empty-nest days.”

“I doubt my mother would know what to do with herself without Sophia in the house. When I moved out, she almost had a breakdown until I pointed out that Sophia was years away from moving out.” He started clearing the table. She stood up and helped.

“I can clean—” She stopped when his dark eyebrows shot up slowly.

“A great chef never leaves others to clean up after him or her.” He winked and then took the dishes from her hands. “Besides, you need to sit and enjoy dessert.”

“I thought you said you weren’t going to make anything?” She sat at the bar top again to watch him clean up.

“I didn’t make it myself. Just this one time I bought it. Your brother swore by it though.” He pulled a pie from one of the containers he’d brought in earlier and set it in front of her.

She instantly felt her mouth water. “My brother must like you.”

“Oh?” Lucas paused as he cut her a slice of the pie. “Why is that?”

“This right there is my all-time favorite pie.” She motioned to the French silk pie.

Lucas set a plate with a slice in front of her. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“What’s yours?” she asked, picking up her fork and taking a bite. She stilled as the richness and sweetness melted on the tip of her tongue.

When he didn’t answer, she glanced up. Lucas was watching her with so much interest that she worried she had some chocolate on her face.

“Whatever makes you moan with pleasure like that is my new favorite anything,” he said in a low voice.

Instantly, her insides bubbled and warmed. Thoughts of wrapping her body around his played in her head. Images of him naked caused her face to heat. Hell, her entire body sizzled.

Then, as if he had just realized what he’d said, he turned around and bumped solidly into the countertop and the moment was over. After catching himself so he didn’t fall over, he went back to work cleaning up.

“This isn’t going to work, is it?” she asked after a very long moment of silence.

“What?” He frowned over at her.

“Avoiding.” She motioned between them with her fork.

He shrugged. “I’ve worked with plenty of women I was attracted to and kept things professional.” He went back to washing her mother’s pans. “I’m sure that after we open the doors, we’ll have less one-on-one time together.” He glanced over his shoulder. “You may come to hate me as a boss and a person.”

She laughed. “I doubt that.” She leaned slightly towards him. “But is that all we have between us? Just attraction?”

His eyes moved over her face, and he cleared his throat and reached for his drink. “You’re making this harder.”

She smiled and shrugged. “What’s the fun in easy?”

He narrowed his eyes slightly and then turned and went back to work.

She watched his broad shoulders as he worked and wondered just how she was going to keep herself in check around him. Maybe they didn’t have to. She was still very friendly with a few of the men she’d dated before. She had even worked with them a few times and did not have any issues.