Rules of Contact
Page 52
He cocked a brow. “Trying to put me to work, Amelia?”
She laughed. “Not at all. I just think you have a lot to offer your guests.”
“Like what? Burned caramelized tuna?”
She gave him the side eye. “Please. As if that would ever happen. As if I would allow it to happen in my kitchen.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’d have to think about it.”
“Sure. Okay.” She didn’t want to push him, so she went back to finishing her meal. But then the best idea ever occurred to her.
“Oh. Flynn. I have such a great idea.”
He smiled at her. “Is it sex related? Do you get to wear the apron naked now?”
She laughed. “No, it’s not sex related. It goes back to you cooking at Ninety-Two.”
“Okay.”
“What if you developed a signature dish that we could put on the menu? We could call it the Cassidy, and indicate that you developed the dish.”
He gave her a dubious look. “Oh, sure. No pressure there, Amelia.”
“Oh, come on. You have great ideas. I’m sure you’d come up with something amazing. And it would be incredible PR for Ninety-Two.”
He looked at her, then nodded. “Yeah, it would, wouldn’t it? It’s not the worst idea ever.”
“Wow, thanks so much for that vote of confidence.”
He cracked a smile. “I didn’t mean that. It’s actually a pretty amazing idea. I’m only sorry I didn’t think of it first.”
She laughed. “Jerk.”
After they finished eating, they did dishes and put away the pots and pans.
“I noticed you had some cookbook notes out on the island,” Flynn said after they finished drying the last pot and Amelia put it away in the drawer.
She gave him a look. “Yeah, just something I’m doodling on in my off hours.”
“I saw the recipes. I wasn’t snooping or anything, they were just lying there so I took a peek.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t trying to hide it.”
“Good. Anyway, they look delicious. Are you trying to publish it?”
“Not really. Like I’ve told you before, cooking relaxes me. So I like to work out some recipes that are in my head, create them and see how they taste. If they’re a success, I write them down. I don’t know that I’ll ever do anything with them. Maybe someday I’ll pass the collection on to my kids.” She smiled at him.
He smiled back. “Or you could publish it. You’re a great chef, Amelia.”
She laughed. “There are a lot of good chefs out there, Flynn. And do you know how difficult it is to get a cookbook published? I mean, yes, I could self-publish it and maybe Laura would buy a copy and maybe a few other people I know. No, thanks, I don’t need that kind of rejection in my life.”
“Hey.” He smoothed his hand down her arm. “You’re good. Really good. And I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. We could always have copies printed and make them for sale at Ninety-Two.”
She shook her head. “That’s muddying the waters. Ninety-Two is about you. Not me. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Okay. But if you do decide to publish your cookbook, you have my full support.”
She looked at him, and something in that belly region fluttered again. “Thank you, Flynn. It’s been a long time since someone supported me.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what do you have planned for the day?”
“Nothing really. House chores.”
He leaned back in the chair. “I could get into watching you vacuum.”
“Funny. More like doing laundry and paying bills.”
He wrinkled his nose. “No fun there. That doesn’t even sound sexy. Unless you want to have sex on top of a pile of dirty laundry.”
She laughed. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Hey, I’m game for anything. Or anywhere. As long as it’s with you.” He leaned over and rubbed his hand over her thigh. And damn if it didn’t perk up all her nerve endings.
She could while away the entire day in bed with Flynn if she allowed herself the luxury. Unfortunately, there was a lot more on her to-do list for today than just the two items she’d told him about. So she slid out of her chair and moved away from him. “Sorry. I also have to go to the bank, run to the grocery store and get a manicure and pedicure. Hey, have you ever had a mani-pedi? You could come with me.”
He gave her a horrified look. “That is definitely my cue to leave.”
“No way. You’d look cute with pink painted toes. They’d match your apron.”
“Funny.” He grabbed his shirt and drew it on, then put on his socks and tennis shoes. She walked him to the door and handed him his coat.
He pulled her against him. “Thanks for this morning. For the nap. And everything in between.”
She kissed him, letting the kiss linger, regretting that she couldn’t spend the day in bed with him, especially when his hands wandered over her butt. Yeah, he definitely had her number there. With a sigh, she stepped back. “And thank you for making brunch for me.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“I’d like that. Bye, Flynn.”
She watched him leave, and with great regret, went to the kitchen island and grabbed her notebook so she could start making out her list of things to do for the day. Maybe if she finished early enough she and Flynn could have dinner—or something—together later.
She smiled at the thought of what that “something” might be.
Now, that was something to look forward to.
TWENTY-TWO
The team had finished up practice early, and since he had an out-of-town game that weekend, Flynn wanted to stop by and see Amelia. They had spent nearly every day together for the past week, either her staying at his place or him coming by after she got off work to spend the night at hers. They were getting closer and he liked it. When she wasn’t with him he missed her. He was getting used to waking up with her warm body nestled against his and the scent of her hair against his nose.
It was a good thing.
He knocked on her door and she opened it with a smile. Her smile always made something in the region of his gut tighten.
“Hey. Your hair is wet.”
“I just got out of the shower. Come on in.”
She laughed. “Not at all. I just think you have a lot to offer your guests.”
“Like what? Burned caramelized tuna?”
She gave him the side eye. “Please. As if that would ever happen. As if I would allow it to happen in my kitchen.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’d have to think about it.”
“Sure. Okay.” She didn’t want to push him, so she went back to finishing her meal. But then the best idea ever occurred to her.
“Oh. Flynn. I have such a great idea.”
He smiled at her. “Is it sex related? Do you get to wear the apron naked now?”
She laughed. “No, it’s not sex related. It goes back to you cooking at Ninety-Two.”
“Okay.”
“What if you developed a signature dish that we could put on the menu? We could call it the Cassidy, and indicate that you developed the dish.”
He gave her a dubious look. “Oh, sure. No pressure there, Amelia.”
“Oh, come on. You have great ideas. I’m sure you’d come up with something amazing. And it would be incredible PR for Ninety-Two.”
He looked at her, then nodded. “Yeah, it would, wouldn’t it? It’s not the worst idea ever.”
“Wow, thanks so much for that vote of confidence.”
He cracked a smile. “I didn’t mean that. It’s actually a pretty amazing idea. I’m only sorry I didn’t think of it first.”
She laughed. “Jerk.”
After they finished eating, they did dishes and put away the pots and pans.
“I noticed you had some cookbook notes out on the island,” Flynn said after they finished drying the last pot and Amelia put it away in the drawer.
She gave him a look. “Yeah, just something I’m doodling on in my off hours.”
“I saw the recipes. I wasn’t snooping or anything, they were just lying there so I took a peek.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t trying to hide it.”
“Good. Anyway, they look delicious. Are you trying to publish it?”
“Not really. Like I’ve told you before, cooking relaxes me. So I like to work out some recipes that are in my head, create them and see how they taste. If they’re a success, I write them down. I don’t know that I’ll ever do anything with them. Maybe someday I’ll pass the collection on to my kids.” She smiled at him.
He smiled back. “Or you could publish it. You’re a great chef, Amelia.”
She laughed. “There are a lot of good chefs out there, Flynn. And do you know how difficult it is to get a cookbook published? I mean, yes, I could self-publish it and maybe Laura would buy a copy and maybe a few other people I know. No, thanks, I don’t need that kind of rejection in my life.”
“Hey.” He smoothed his hand down her arm. “You’re good. Really good. And I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. We could always have copies printed and make them for sale at Ninety-Two.”
She shook her head. “That’s muddying the waters. Ninety-Two is about you. Not me. Let’s keep it that way.”
“Okay. But if you do decide to publish your cookbook, you have my full support.”
She looked at him, and something in that belly region fluttered again. “Thank you, Flynn. It’s been a long time since someone supported me.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what do you have planned for the day?”
“Nothing really. House chores.”
He leaned back in the chair. “I could get into watching you vacuum.”
“Funny. More like doing laundry and paying bills.”
He wrinkled his nose. “No fun there. That doesn’t even sound sexy. Unless you want to have sex on top of a pile of dirty laundry.”
She laughed. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Hey, I’m game for anything. Or anywhere. As long as it’s with you.” He leaned over and rubbed his hand over her thigh. And damn if it didn’t perk up all her nerve endings.
She could while away the entire day in bed with Flynn if she allowed herself the luxury. Unfortunately, there was a lot more on her to-do list for today than just the two items she’d told him about. So she slid out of her chair and moved away from him. “Sorry. I also have to go to the bank, run to the grocery store and get a manicure and pedicure. Hey, have you ever had a mani-pedi? You could come with me.”
He gave her a horrified look. “That is definitely my cue to leave.”
“No way. You’d look cute with pink painted toes. They’d match your apron.”
“Funny.” He grabbed his shirt and drew it on, then put on his socks and tennis shoes. She walked him to the door and handed him his coat.
He pulled her against him. “Thanks for this morning. For the nap. And everything in between.”
She kissed him, letting the kiss linger, regretting that she couldn’t spend the day in bed with him, especially when his hands wandered over her butt. Yeah, he definitely had her number there. With a sigh, she stepped back. “And thank you for making brunch for me.”
“I’ll call you later.”
“I’d like that. Bye, Flynn.”
She watched him leave, and with great regret, went to the kitchen island and grabbed her notebook so she could start making out her list of things to do for the day. Maybe if she finished early enough she and Flynn could have dinner—or something—together later.
She smiled at the thought of what that “something” might be.
Now, that was something to look forward to.
TWENTY-TWO
The team had finished up practice early, and since he had an out-of-town game that weekend, Flynn wanted to stop by and see Amelia. They had spent nearly every day together for the past week, either her staying at his place or him coming by after she got off work to spend the night at hers. They were getting closer and he liked it. When she wasn’t with him he missed her. He was getting used to waking up with her warm body nestled against his and the scent of her hair against his nose.
It was a good thing.
He knocked on her door and she opened it with a smile. Her smile always made something in the region of his gut tighten.
“Hey. Your hair is wet.”
“I just got out of the shower. Come on in.”
