beside it. “There. Lex, can you sweep that up?”
“Sure.” Lex shot Mason an ingratiating smile. “No problem. I don’t like my meatloaf hot anyway.”
“Lex!” Aspen swatted Lex on the arm. “Stop it!”
Mason groaned and put her face in her hands, feigning humiliation. She trudged into the kitchen and sat down before she broke anything else.
Nikki pulled the chair out next to her and covered Mason’s hand with hers. “Don’t feel bad.” She leaned in and whispered in Mason’s ear. “It was an ugly lamp anyway.”
Mason felt Nikki’s breath on her cheek, and she shivered. Up close, Nikki was even more breathtaking. Her eyes were brown like Lex’s, but unlike hers, Nikki’s seemed to convey a never-ending invitation, seducing anyone who got caught looking. Her olive skin was smooth like honey and Mason’s fingers longed to touch her cheek. She smelled like vanilla and lavender, sweet and innocent. Mason blinked to clear her head. “Thanks. So…uh…you’re Lex’s cousin?”
“Mmhmm…” Nikki started to pull away, and she trailed her fingernail along Mason’s hand. She felt a swell of pride to see Mason’s eyes flash with desire. The past month took its toll on Nikki. Katherine de Moray had done a number on Nikki’s ego. Stupid bitch. Nikki wasn’t the type of woman who got dumped. And yet, here she was, sitting at the table in the middle of the country, trying to hook the town klutz. What had her life become? “So you and Aspen work together?”
Mason smoothed the edges of her napkin, trying to settle her nerves. “ Yes, Aspen and I have spots in the same gallery on the South End.”
“Oh.” Nikki’s tone seemed less than enthused. “You’re an artist.”
“Yes.” Mason smiled proudly. She was smitten with Nikki so much already she missed the disparaging look on her face. “I work with scrap metal, rebar…that sort of thing.”
“Sounds interesting.” Nikki feigned interest. She couldn’t care less. The term starving artist came into her head, and poor wasn’t something Nikki did. “What type of art do you do?”
Mason shrugged. “Mostly outside sculptures for yards. Quirky stuff. You should come by some time. I’ll show you my workshop and some of my stuff.”
“I’d like that.”
Aspen waddled into the kitchen and stuck the broom back in the pantry. “I don’t know about you two, but I am starving.”
“Me too.” Lex dumped the glass into the trash before putting the dust pan away. “It smells delicious.”
“Agreed.” Mason rubbed her hands together hungrily. “You made the special meatloaf?”
“Yep.” Aspen pulled a pan out of the oven and set it on the stove. “Bacon-wrapped meatloaf stuffed with blue cheese, served with rosemary roasted potatoes. Lex made an Italian Cream Cake for dessert.”
“What? Since when does my cousin bake?” Nikki looked at Lex skeptically. “Do we dare eat it?”
Lex punched Nikki in the shoulder. “I’m learning, okay.” Lex walked by and patted Aspen’s bottom. “I’ve got a really good teacher. Besides, someone is going to have to cook when the baby is born, at least for a while.”
Aspen turned and shot Nikki a sly wink. She knew full well that Lex would be getting a lot of take out when the time came. She laid a hot pad holder on the table and set the meatloaf down then went back for the potatoes. She surveyed the table then sat down with a groan. “Dig in.”
Nikki reached for the potatoes, but Mason stopped her. “Here, let me.”
“Thanks.” Nikki held her plate up as Mason scooped out a huge helping of the rosemary potatoes onto a spoon. Mason went to put them on Nikki’s plate, but her arm hit her glass and knocked it over. Ice-cold water poured out onto Nikki’s lap. “Shit.”
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I’ve got it.” Mason reached to get her napkin and realized her plate was stuck on top of it. She jerked it out with her left hand, completely forgetting about the scoop of
“Sure.” Lex shot Mason an ingratiating smile. “No problem. I don’t like my meatloaf hot anyway.”
“Lex!” Aspen swatted Lex on the arm. “Stop it!”
Mason groaned and put her face in her hands, feigning humiliation. She trudged into the kitchen and sat down before she broke anything else.
Nikki pulled the chair out next to her and covered Mason’s hand with hers. “Don’t feel bad.” She leaned in and whispered in Mason’s ear. “It was an ugly lamp anyway.”
Mason felt Nikki’s breath on her cheek, and she shivered. Up close, Nikki was even more breathtaking. Her eyes were brown like Lex’s, but unlike hers, Nikki’s seemed to convey a never-ending invitation, seducing anyone who got caught looking. Her olive skin was smooth like honey and Mason’s fingers longed to touch her cheek. She smelled like vanilla and lavender, sweet and innocent. Mason blinked to clear her head. “Thanks. So…uh…you’re Lex’s cousin?”
“Mmhmm…” Nikki started to pull away, and she trailed her fingernail along Mason’s hand. She felt a swell of pride to see Mason’s eyes flash with desire. The past month took its toll on Nikki. Katherine de Moray had done a number on Nikki’s ego. Stupid bitch. Nikki wasn’t the type of woman who got dumped. And yet, here she was, sitting at the table in the middle of the country, trying to hook the town klutz. What had her life become? “So you and Aspen work together?”
Mason smoothed the edges of her napkin, trying to settle her nerves. “ Yes, Aspen and I have spots in the same gallery on the South End.”
“Oh.” Nikki’s tone seemed less than enthused. “You’re an artist.”
“Yes.” Mason smiled proudly. She was smitten with Nikki so much already she missed the disparaging look on her face. “I work with scrap metal, rebar…that sort of thing.”
“Sounds interesting.” Nikki feigned interest. She couldn’t care less. The term starving artist came into her head, and poor wasn’t something Nikki did. “What type of art do you do?”
Mason shrugged. “Mostly outside sculptures for yards. Quirky stuff. You should come by some time. I’ll show you my workshop and some of my stuff.”
“I’d like that.”
Aspen waddled into the kitchen and stuck the broom back in the pantry. “I don’t know about you two, but I am starving.”
“Me too.” Lex dumped the glass into the trash before putting the dust pan away. “It smells delicious.”
“Agreed.” Mason rubbed her hands together hungrily. “You made the special meatloaf?”
“Yep.” Aspen pulled a pan out of the oven and set it on the stove. “Bacon-wrapped meatloaf stuffed with blue cheese, served with rosemary roasted potatoes. Lex made an Italian Cream Cake for dessert.”
“What? Since when does my cousin bake?” Nikki looked at Lex skeptically. “Do we dare eat it?”
Lex punched Nikki in the shoulder. “I’m learning, okay.” Lex walked by and patted Aspen’s bottom. “I’ve got a really good teacher. Besides, someone is going to have to cook when the baby is born, at least for a while.”
Aspen turned and shot Nikki a sly wink. She knew full well that Lex would be getting a lot of take out when the time came. She laid a hot pad holder on the table and set the meatloaf down then went back for the potatoes. She surveyed the table then sat down with a groan. “Dig in.”
Nikki reached for the potatoes, but Mason stopped her. “Here, let me.”
“Thanks.” Nikki held her plate up as Mason scooped out a huge helping of the rosemary potatoes onto a spoon. Mason went to put them on Nikki’s plate, but her arm hit her glass and knocked it over. Ice-cold water poured out onto Nikki’s lap. “Shit.”
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry. I’ve got it.” Mason reached to get her napkin and realized her plate was stuck on top of it. She jerked it out with her left hand, completely forgetting about the scoop of
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