A Pinch of Kitchen Magic

by Sandra Sookoo

  But stirring up all these shivery feelings, making her crave his touch yet never following through wasn’t acceptable. Annoying man. Magic or no magic, men were all the same.

  She bit her bottom lip as she sent the carving knife through the crispy, golden skin of the chicken. Once the first piece fell away, she frowned. In typical Aidan fashion, the food looked phenomenal on the outside but the inside was pink and raw. OMG, is it too much to ask that I actually do something right? She let the carving knife and fork clatter to the butcher block then took up another set. Moving to the next chicken, she made another exploratory slice. This time the bird was cooked through—way too much. She chewed a piece of the white meat, her palate confirming what her eyes already knew. It was so dry she could use it to mop up kitchen spills.

  Aidan sighed. She refused to give up—in her cooking endeavors as well as with Matteus. The taste of desire he started in her only served to fan the flames. If he wanted to play games, she’d give him the game of his life. Remembered snatches from a Broadway play floated through her mind. “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

  A smile curved her lips as her mind swirled over creative ways to seduce her flighty skills assessor. She skipped the third and final chicken. She didn’t have the heart to check it. Instead, she broke off a forkful of meatloaf. A nice crusty brown shell gave way to a gray, mushy middle. She chewed experimentally, and then decided the flavor was good but the texture was off. It’s just not fair. How can something I love doing so much be such a failure?

  “You’ve been busy today.”

  Aidan spun around, her heart beating frantically against her ribcage at his abrupt appearance. “I’ve been cooking since dawn.” He looked sexier than he had on previous visits. The Dockers and navy blue polo shirt seemed tailor-made exclusively for his body. Curls of longing snaked down from her stomach. Heat pooled between her thighs.

  “I see that.” His eyes roiled with desire. “Something on your mind?” He cocked an eyebrow.

  Her breathing swallowed, but she vowed not to let him affect her. “I wanted to try my hand at several different things on the off chance I’d be lucky and get something right.”

  “And did you?” The negligent way he leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb suggested boredom but new lines of strain had appeared on his forehead and around his mouth.

  “Did I what?” Her mind blanked out as she contemplated what his lips would look like first thing in the morning after a bout of pre-dawn kissing or how they’d feel blazing trails all over her skin. At the last moment, she stifled a sigh.

  Matteus kept his eyes hooded. “Did you manage to cook anything to perfection?”

  “I’ve only tasted half of what you see here.” She swallowed hard. “If there’s a dish I’ve done well, I haven’t found it yet.” Wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, she grabbed a spoon from the pocket of her apron. “No time like the present, right?”

  He remained silent, the only outward sign he heard her was the slight dip of his chin. His gaze never left her face.

  “I hate when you give me the silent treatment.” To distract herself from looking at him again, Aidan lifted a scant teaspoon of mashed potatoes to her mouth. “Lumpy but with a nice buttery flavor.” A glance to Matteus made shivers of excitement creep down her spine. She wished he would do something other than stare at her! She plunged the spoon into a creamy green bean casserole. This time, her shiver was one of disgust. “Damn it. Stone cold and bland.” Just once I’d like to be perfect in the kitchen.

  “Perhaps you should try the small chicken?” Matteus’s lips twitched. Would he actually unbend enough to laugh? “Even from my vantage point, it resembles a magazine picture.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’m going to assume it didn’t come right out of a magazine.”

  Aidan’s cheeks heated with indignation. “Of course not! I made it myself, without magic.” She shoved the spoon back into her apron pocket. Moving to the opposite end of the butcher-block island, she hesitated before the chicken in question. She took the carving knife and fork in hand then frowned. “I can’t do it. I don’t want to know.”

  “Allow me.”

  “Be my guest but don’t be surprised by what you find.” She surrendered the utensils, her fingers tingling as they brushed his. The knife easily cut through the herb-speckled skin into the white meat of the chicken breast as he carved. To her eyes, it looked fine, but she had been disappointed before. “What do you think?” The savory fragrance that wafted up made her stomach rumble with hunger.

  Matteus cut out a bite-sized piece. “Why don’t you try it and see?” He offered the meat to her.

  She met his twinkling gray eyes with trepidation. Sliding the morsel from the knife blade, she took a first, tentative bite. “It’s good.” She popped the rest of the sample into her mouth, chewing. Moist and succulent, she tasted the lemons and oranges she had stuffed the bird with. She detected the bright, verdant taste of the herbal rub but it didn’t overpower the meat itself. “It’s very good.”

  “You sound surprised. Why?”

  She shrugged. “I never get anything right. It’s nice.”

  “I knew you would succeed eventually. You just needed confidence.” He sliced another piece from the bird. “Would you like to indulge a second time, just to make sure?”

  “Definitely, but you have to at least try it.” Aidan’s smile felt genuine. Maybe there’s hope for me yet. “You can give me a second opinion.” She stifled a giggle at his sudden look of discomfort. What’s he afraid of—chicken or me? “Come on.” She batted her eyelashes. “Please?”

  He laid the carving set on the platter. “Fine.” He reached for a piece.

  “Wait. Let me.” Snagging a choice bit, she closed the short distance between them. As she steeled herself against his signature scent, she cocked a brow. “Close your eyes.”

  “It’s not necessary. If you just—”

  Aidan shook her head. “Close your eyes. I want you to get the full effect.” She waited until he finally complied. Nervous butterflies fluttered through her stomach as she took advantage of the opportunity to gaze at him, unobserved. Dark lashes lay against his lightly tanned cheeks. He had exactly three freckles sprinkled over his nose. The unexpected, whimsical touch made her heart race a bit faster. It made him seem more human and less magical assessor.

  “I’m not getting any younger, Aidan.”

  She smirked at the chiding tone in his voice. “Okay, here comes the chicken. Open your mouth but keep your eyes closed.” She placed the chicken bit on his tongue then waited. “Tell me what you taste.”

  He chewed and swallowed. His face underwent a series of quick emotions ranging from surprise to admiration. He kept his eyes closed. “I taste citrus.” He obediently opened his mouth when she tapped his lips with another morsel. “There’s some sort of basil or oregano.” He ingested yet another piece. “Maybe butter too?”

  Aidan nodded, even though she knew he couldn’t see the gesture. “You’re right.” When he licked his lips, she groaned. Why’d he have to be so darned sexy?

  “Is your experiment over?”

  The food tasting experience, yes, but I want to taste him now. “One more thing.” Before she could lose her nerve, Aidan leaned in, pressing her lips to his. With a gasp, she pulled back, her cheeks burning, even more so when he opened his eyes and regarded her with lazy amusement. Tiny pulsing slivers of excitement and anticipation coursed through her, the same thing that always happened when she came into close contact with Matteus. It hadn’t been a fluke the first couple of times. “I’ve got to clean up the kitchen.”

  “Are you sure?” His voice became a warm cocoon, flowing over her, blocking out all else and soothing her frazzled emotions. “I don’t mind being a guinea pig if you’re still curious.” His lips tilted in a half-smile. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

  She took exception to his raised eyebrow, not the teasing tone. “Is that a challenge?” She took a deep breath then blew it out
again, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

  He shrugged. “If that’s what it takes to see you live up to your full potential.”

  Aidan glared at him. “Whether I live up to my potential is none of your business. Aren’t you here to assess my magical skill level not my kissing ability?” She didn’t have time to analyze her annoyance with him. Maybe it was the smug, purely male expression on his face. Maybe it was the casual way he leaned a slim hip against the butcher block. Maybe it was the way he could make her body burn with a single glance. Whatever it was, he got under her skin as no one else ever could.

  It bothered her and intrigued her at the same time.

  “I have assessed your skills, and from the little I’ve seen, no matter the passion behind them, they need work.”

  She didn’t know if he was referring to her magic or her kissing. “I’ll show you just how much work I need.” Stepping into the space between them, she cupped his face in her hands and drew his mouth to hers.

  Liquid fire coursed through her veins. She pushed her tongue into his mouth the second he parted his lips, pleasure curling in her stomach when it met his. She drew her hands from his face and ran them along the hard planes of his chest. His rapid pulse fluttered under her fingertips. She smiled against his mouth. Obviously, she had the same effect on him that he had on her. Pressing tiny kisses to the shadow of hair peeking from the top of his shirt, a sound of satisfaction escaped her when he emitted a soft moan.

  “Aidan…”

  She stepped away from him, breathless. “I think I’ve proved my point.” How do you like me now?

  He ran a hand through his hair, upsetting the chestnut curls into a sculpture of disarray. “Only too well, now let’s see if you can handle the extra credit.”

  * * * *

  With a low growl, Matteus swept her into his arms, covering his mouth with hers. Need built within him, expanding until it filled every particle of his being with blinding white light and overwhelming heat. He nibbled her lush bottom lip then traced that same lip with the tip of his tongue. Her unique vanilla scent teased his nostrils, mingling with the smell of savory spices, to dull his brain. Twin hungers invaded him—both for dinner and for her. Between them, needing Aidan was the stronger pull: the softness of her skin beneath his hands, the resistance of her thick mass of hair as his fingers tangled there, the way her full breasts pressed against his chest.

  At some point, he raised his head to glance into her eyes, dark with the same desire raging in him. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath. “Aidan…”

  “Oh no you don’t. I’m not done with you yet.” She leaned her backside against the refrigerator, a sly grin sliding over her lips. “I want at least one more kiss before you vanish into thin air. You do that way too much and usually when something’s bothering you. Most of the time it’s me.”

  Matteus gazed at her as his pulse raced. A flush spread over her cheeks and crept down to cover the ivory expanse of chest revealed by her v-neck t-shirt. His gaze roved to her hardened nipples, taut beneath the thin fabric. When his burgeoning arousal pressed against his fly, he stifled a groan. “As you wish.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and trapped her body between his and the refrigerator, claiming her lips once more.

  With just one embrace, this woman had the power to vanquish his common sense. His head spun as he felt the familiar stirring in his groin. He would promise her anything for one touch of her exquisite lips. As she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, he traced her ribcage, drifting his fingers up to skim her nipples. She moaned. He pressed her more firmly against the refrigerator, determined not to let her pull away this time.

  That’s right. Surrender into my care and I’ll make you sing with pleasure. Women were like musical instruments. Matteus smiled with satisfaction. A man didn’t necessarily need to be brimming with talent; he simply needed to know where to touch them to invoke the right chords. And with Aidan, he was indeed the finest musician. He played his hands down her ribcage to rest on the curve of her hip. Dear heavens, he wished for one glimpse of that flesh, needed a brief moment to explore it with his lips and tongue. Just as he was about to pitch them both to the floor, a cloud of white blinded him.

  He couldn’t see. He couldn’t breathe as powder filled the air.

  “What the hell?” He sprang away from her, rubbing at his eyes. When he could see properly, he glanced around, coughing.

  Fine white particles covered the checkered floor and every surface nearby. Running his fingers quickly through his hair, the powder dispersed into the air. “Aidan, would you mind explaining why I’m covered with…” His gaze fell to a purple paper sack upended on top of the refrigerator. “Flour? Why do I suddenly feel like auditioning for the part of Hamlet’s father?”

  She stifled a giggle, failed miserably, as her tinkling laughter erupted around them. “I store my baking supplies up there because I have no room in the pantry and my cabinets are filled with pots and pans.” She brushed at his shoulders. “I’m so sorry. The flour bag must have been knocked loose by our, ah, activity.”

  Matteus narrowed his eyes. “How interesting you have virtually no flour on yourself.” He sneezed twice before he caught the state of the rest of the kitchen. A metallic din invaded his ears. “Obviously, magic and arousal do not play well together in your mind.” Pots, pans and serving platters whizzed merrily inside a miniature tornado in the middle of the kitchen. As flour slowly became sucked into the torrent, the whirlwind turned a weird off-white color. His lips twitched as a few carving knives flew by. “Looks like Casper met Freddy in there.” Despite the levity of the situation, having knives flying willy-nilly through the kitchen bordered on dangerous. “You vex me, girl.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. I can’t grasp the concept of controlling both energies together. It’s either one or the other, and as you know, I’m not good at keeping them under control.”

  “I am aware.” With the simple crook of his finger, he put the kitchen to rights. “Never mind. Perhaps you should nail down anything bigger than a frying pan and put the rest in locked cabinets. Otherwise, you’ll terrify the poor man you eventually marry or hook up with.”

  “Right.”

  He lost his ability to speak when she gently blew in his ear. “Ack!” When he cocked an eyebrow, she blinked. “Must you persist in catching me off guard?”

  “I must. Also, you had flour in your ear.” Shrugging, she moved to her chicken and began picking at it, eating small pieces. “I may never find anyone I like well enough to marry, but we’ve already discussed this.”

  “Then forget the forever. Why not look for a happy-for-now scenario?” With me. For one night and let us both become lost in a pleasure deeper than the ages…

  “We’ll see. My track record with the males of the species isn’t a good one. I don’t want to keep repeating my mistakes. Especially those that happen when the physical aspects of being with a man are involved.”

  “I think most of those so-called mistakes were made on the part of the males in your life.” Needing space to think, Matteus moved to the opposite side of the kitchen. The sight of her slightly kiss-swollen lips sent desire tumbling through his insides again. “Or, you could find a magically inclined man. Then you wouldn’t need to worry about carefully controlling your energies. With the right sort of man, he could counter-act any magical mistakes that might occur.” He argued with his consciousness. Why had he suggested such a thing, even if it was true? It would put her in danger right along with him.

  Aidan undid the apron strings at her waist then wadded the fabric into a tight ball. “Maybe, but you know how rare those sort of men are.” She chucked the apron into a corner. “Aunt Hettie said if I were fortunate to find a man like that, I should hang onto him.”

  He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I agree. Your aunt is very wise when it comes to advice.”

  “Too bad I haven’t found that guy, huh?” Her gaze contained no guile, only a slight longing.

>   He cleared his throat. Should I press my case even though it violates everything I believe in? “I envy your future man.” His smile felt forced. Better to create a divide between us. At least then she’ll remain safe as will my sanity. “But then, I’ve seen your destructive force in action, so perhaps I don’t envy him all that much. You’d drive me crazy with your untried powers.”

  “As if you and I getting together would ever be possible.” Her happy expression faltered. “It’s a good thing we’re not a couple. Your arrogance and attention to detail really annoy me. I have a feeling you’d stifle creativity.”

  “I see.” Even though he’d initiated the spat, disappointment crashed through his chest, robbing him of breath. “Well, then, I guess there’s nothing left to do but finish your evaluation so we can each go about our separate lives.” If she chose to ignore the emotions in the room like a big gray elephant, he could do no less. It was for the best. Yet apprehension skittered down his spine as he observed her pout. Why did he get the feeling she wasn’t being entirely truthful with him? When her expression didn’t give away any new information, he schooled his features into a familiar mask of blandness.

  “That would be best.” The tendons in her throat worked with a hard swallow. “You and I are too different to coexist without snark or arguments. We’d claw each other’s eyes out if we stay in the same room for too much longer.” She snorted. “That or my emotions would command my magic and a rolling pin would fly at you.”

  In his head, he knew she was right—he was right to keep her at arm’s length, but in his heart, he died a little. There might be a chance… if she honed her skills, she’d be equipped to handle a life with me… No. He’d been a fool to think that after years of meaningless relationships, he’d finally found a woman who could be his match in every way. Except, she’d already showed she couldn’t handle arousal and magic—albeit with shaky success but it was a start she could practice with. But could she learn fast enough? Would she be up for the challenge? And, above all, did she have the fortitude to not become distracted with arousal when using magic would matter the most?