Ryan laughed. “I imagine that’s pretty nerve-racking.”

“No kidding. Those were the most challenging two days of my life. And I’d better pass, because I am certainly never taking the damn thing again.”

“Well, if you don’t pass and you don’t want to take it again, maybe you can become a winemaker.” He smiled.

Gorgeous smile. Funny, though. It didn’t affect me at all. I didn’t feel any pull. It was Talon, who never smiled, who drew me like a magnet.

“I’ll have to think about that.” I laughed. “What time do you want me here tomorrow?”

“Let’s say nine for now. When things get busier, we start at eight, and sometimes even seven.”

“Not a problem. I can do that.” It would give me something to focus on. And I’d better start sleeping if I had to get up early, which meant no more midnight rendezvous with Talon.

All for the best.

I thanked Ryan again, stopped at the office and said good-bye to Marion, and drove back to the main house.

I walked in the front door. “Marj?” I called.

No response. I checked my watch. Noon. No wonder I was hungry. I walked into the kitchen, this time in broad daylight, and there was Talon sitting at the table, that adorable dog at his feet.

He was staring at a full glass of water.

Chapter Six

Talon

“So is this your MO at noon as well as midnight?”

I looked up. Jade. Well, what had I expected? She lived here now.

“Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’m just going to make myself a sandwich.”

“Felicia can make you something.”

Jade turned her head. “Where is she?”

“She ran to the market.”

“If she’s not here, how can she make me anything?” Jade walked to the refrigerator and opened it.

“She’ll be back.”

Jade laughed. “I’m perfectly capable of fixing my lunch. Can I get you anything?”

“No. I’ll wait for Felicia to get back.”

“Suit yourself.”

Jade rumbled about in the kitchen, and within a few minutes, sizzling sounds and the robust scent of cheddar cheese drifted over to me.

“What are you making?”

“Grilled cheddar and tomato sandwich, one of my favorites.”

My mouth began water. Damn, that sounded good. But I couldn’t ask her to…

“Sure I can’t make one for you?”

“Well…I don’t know how long Felicia is going to be. I am kind of hungry…”

She clomped over to me and stood at the other end of the table, glaring at me with her steely eyes. “I am more than happy to make you a sandwich. It is not a problem. It is not a bother. But you have to tell me that you want it.”

God, when she looked at me, I became defenseless. She could see right through those walls. I knew it. And somehow, I could tell that she knew it too.

I couldn’t let her in. I’d already kissed her twice. If I let her make me a sandwich… Oh, fuck. It was a goddamn sandwich. “I want it,” I said.

She pursed her pretty red lips. “A ‘please’ might’ve been nice, but I’ll take it.” She walked back to the counter and brought over a sandwich on a plate. “You can have this one. I’ll make myself another.”

“I didn’t mean to take your sandwich.”

“It’s no bother,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re letting me live in your house, Talon. And you know what? Even if I weren’t a guest in your home, I would still offer to make you a sandwich. Do you know why?”

Was I supposed to answer? Or was it a rhetorical question? I arched my eyebrows.

“Because I’m a nice person. Because it’s a nice thing to do.”

She walked back to the cooktop. I turned around and watched her create another sandwich for herself. She was at ease in the kitchen. I didn’t have a lot of memories of my own mother, but of the few I had, none of them included her standing in the kitchen making a meal for me. For any of us, for that matter. We always had a cook and housekeeper. One of the benefits of being born a Steel, I guess. There didn’t seem to be many more benefits, at least not in my case.

I turned back around and took a bit of bite of my sandwich— “Shit!”

“Sorry. The cheese is going to be really hot. You might want to wait a few minutes before eating it.”

If only she had given me that warning ten seconds earlier. The skin on the roof of my mouth was bubbling. Once it cooled down though, and I took another bite, the sandwich was really good. Delicious, even. Had Felicia been home, she would’ve whipped up some enchiladas or tamales for me. She was an amazing cook, and not just her native food either. But damn… Even as I sat thinking of Felicia’s prime rib, a rack of lamb with rosemary and mint, her roast pheasant with cherry and walnut chutney…I swear to God, nothing tasted as good as that damned grilled cheddar and tomato sandwich that Jade had made for me.

A minute or two later, Jade sat back down at the table with her own sandwich. She pulled one of the pieces of bread up, and steam flew out from the melted cheese. “This helps cool it off,” she said.

I took another bite of mine and swallowed. “It’s really good.”

“Simple grilled cheese and tomato. Even better with a homemade tomato bisque.”

“Where did you learn how to cook?” I asked.

“I’d hardly call this cooking. I’m not Marj. But I do know how to make things other than grilled cheese. I told you that my mom left my dad and me when I was quite young. He’s not a bad cook, but he worked so much that I had to learn to do the cooking once I was old enough. I learned most of it from my grandmother, my dad’s mom, but she passed away by the time I was ten. I still had her old and worn-out Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. It’s not gourmet, but it’s good and edible.”

“Well, this is a really good sandwich. I never would’ve thought of putting tomato on it.”

“I actually came up with that one myself, although years later I found out that a lot of people like grilled cheese and tomato, which is why grilled cheese and tomato soup are so popular together.”

“It’s delicious.” Thank you. The words sat on the tip of my tongue. Why couldn’t I utter them? Jade had done something nice for me, and the sandwich truly was delicious. It had been so long since I’d said those words to anyone and meant them. Rather, I changed the subject. “What have you been doing today?”