know how to boil water. Give me a touch of olive oil. I make a mean pasta.”
He pulled a saucepan out of one of the lower cabinets. “Let me feed you, then I’ll ravage you. I promise.” He set the pan in the sink, took the pasta from her, then brought a stool around. “Sit here and look pretty.”
Images of ways he could fulfill his promise to ravage had her hotter than the fire on the stove. Embarrassed by her thoughts, she forced herself to focus on something else.
She watched him work his magic in the kitchen. He maneuvered the knives like a pro, glancing up occasionally from the chopping and flashing a quick half-grin that sent her heart racing.
“You love cooking, don’t you?”
“Nonno was a chef. I grew up running around the kitchen. I guess I picked up his love of cooking.” He rubbed his washboard stomach. “And eating.”
He tried to cover the pain behind his words, but she caught it. She watched him fill several small bowls with carrot shavings, pea pods, bean sprouts, peas, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, onions and a mound of minced garlic.
He set the garlic and onions aside. “I think we’ll skip these.”
“Your closeness with your grandfather is beautiful. That’s rare to see these days.”
He took the marinated chicken strips out of the refrigerator. “Nonno understands me. I think he felt sorry for me, so he took me under his wings.”
“Both of your parents are alive, right?”
He washed and dried his hands, then stood between her legs, resting his hands on her lap. “What do you want to know, Ebony?”
“I’m sorry. I’m prying.”
He pulled around a second stool and sat knee to knee with her. “You’re not prying. Nonno took me to live with him when I was five. I lived with him until he had a stroke when I was eight. Then I went to boarding school while Nonno recovered. I still call him every day.”
“Why did you move in with him?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s one of many buried secrets in our family. All I know is Mother wanted daughters. My sisters were…are the world to her. I think Nonno felt sorry for me, so picked up the slack.”
She caressed his face. “That’s so sad. What about your dad?”
“He was working his way up the corporate ladder at the time. Now he’s CEO of Tex Federal,” he boasted. She bit her bottom lip. “What do you want to know? We already have enough working against us. I won’t lie. My family dynamics are a mess, but I’m trying to be open.”
“I don’t understand why they gave you up so easily.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easily. Nonno is extremely hard headed if he wants something. He told me he battled my mother for years before she let him keep me.” He took her hands into his. “I guess we both grew up without our parents.”
“But you were only a baby,” she said softly, afraid to ask if he felt unwanted by his parents. The pain on his face said yes , the same yes she felt about her father. She was thankful Crystal would never have to feel this type of rejection.
He returned to the stove. “Your stomach’s growling again. I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
She didn’t hear or feel her stomach growl, this time. “If you ever want to talk about your relationship with your family, I’m here for you.” It was too late for her to heal the relationship with her father, but he still had a chance with his family.
“Thanks, but I’m fine with how things are.”
He continued cooking their dinner. Ebony saw him battling demons with every sprinkle of seasoning, touch of oil and flip of the wrist. For someone who liked to speak his mind, he wasn’t ready to speak about or fight his own demons. She knew everyone had his limit, and she had found his.
She watched him toss the stir-fry about the wok. Instead of forcing the issue, she would wait until he was ready.
“Time to eat,” he announced a short time later.
CHAPTER SIX
His bedroom surprised Ebony. Unlike the rest of the condo, it felt inviting. She
He pulled a saucepan out of one of the lower cabinets. “Let me feed you, then I’ll ravage you. I promise.” He set the pan in the sink, took the pasta from her, then brought a stool around. “Sit here and look pretty.”
Images of ways he could fulfill his promise to ravage had her hotter than the fire on the stove. Embarrassed by her thoughts, she forced herself to focus on something else.
She watched him work his magic in the kitchen. He maneuvered the knives like a pro, glancing up occasionally from the chopping and flashing a quick half-grin that sent her heart racing.
“You love cooking, don’t you?”
“Nonno was a chef. I grew up running around the kitchen. I guess I picked up his love of cooking.” He rubbed his washboard stomach. “And eating.”
He tried to cover the pain behind his words, but she caught it. She watched him fill several small bowls with carrot shavings, pea pods, bean sprouts, peas, spinach, mushrooms, cabbage, onions and a mound of minced garlic.
He set the garlic and onions aside. “I think we’ll skip these.”
“Your closeness with your grandfather is beautiful. That’s rare to see these days.”
He took the marinated chicken strips out of the refrigerator. “Nonno understands me. I think he felt sorry for me, so he took me under his wings.”
“Both of your parents are alive, right?”
He washed and dried his hands, then stood between her legs, resting his hands on her lap. “What do you want to know, Ebony?”
“I’m sorry. I’m prying.”
He pulled around a second stool and sat knee to knee with her. “You’re not prying. Nonno took me to live with him when I was five. I lived with him until he had a stroke when I was eight. Then I went to boarding school while Nonno recovered. I still call him every day.”
“Why did you move in with him?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s one of many buried secrets in our family. All I know is Mother wanted daughters. My sisters were…are the world to her. I think Nonno felt sorry for me, so picked up the slack.”
She caressed his face. “That’s so sad. What about your dad?”
“He was working his way up the corporate ladder at the time. Now he’s CEO of Tex Federal,” he boasted. She bit her bottom lip. “What do you want to know? We already have enough working against us. I won’t lie. My family dynamics are a mess, but I’m trying to be open.”
“I don’t understand why they gave you up so easily.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t easily. Nonno is extremely hard headed if he wants something. He told me he battled my mother for years before she let him keep me.” He took her hands into his. “I guess we both grew up without our parents.”
“But you were only a baby,” she said softly, afraid to ask if he felt unwanted by his parents. The pain on his face said yes , the same yes she felt about her father. She was thankful Crystal would never have to feel this type of rejection.
He returned to the stove. “Your stomach’s growling again. I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
She didn’t hear or feel her stomach growl, this time. “If you ever want to talk about your relationship with your family, I’m here for you.” It was too late for her to heal the relationship with her father, but he still had a chance with his family.
“Thanks, but I’m fine with how things are.”
He continued cooking their dinner. Ebony saw him battling demons with every sprinkle of seasoning, touch of oil and flip of the wrist. For someone who liked to speak his mind, he wasn’t ready to speak about or fight his own demons. She knew everyone had his limit, and she had found his.
She watched him toss the stir-fry about the wok. Instead of forcing the issue, she would wait until he was ready.
“Time to eat,” he announced a short time later.
CHAPTER SIX
His bedroom surprised Ebony. Unlike the rest of the condo, it felt inviting. She
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