Never Have I Ever by Alisha Rai Page A

remembered what had woken her up in the first place.
    Mysterious smell or hubby loving…decisions, decisions.
    The mystery won out, but only because she didn’t want to be disturbed from any shenanigans they might engage in. She grabbed the first clothes she could find in the drawer where Taylor had neatly unpacked them the day before. It didn’t matter if her husband was visiting a place for three days or three weeks, he did not like living out of a suitcase. Slipping on one of Taylor’s many white T-shirts and a pair of her own soft shorts, she padded out to the living room. The desire to roll around on the couch and relive the night before was extremely strong…but the more obvious scent of cinnamon overcame that urge.
    Her concern increased when she heard the slight rattle of a pan. She stopped just outside the kitchen door. Should she go wake up Taylor? And tell him what? That she thought there was someone in the kitchen…cooking something that smelled good?
    You probably didn’t hear anything.
    Nonetheless, she picked up the vase off the table near her and held it securely, ready to aim for the head if someone was really in her borrowed kitchen. With her breath held, she pushed the swinging door open quickly and stepped inside, the pseudo-weapon raised.
    She’d convinced herself so thoroughly that she was imagining things that she gave a loud shriek when the blond, half-naked man in front of the stove wheeled around, his spatula held aloft.
    His lips quirked as he lowered the spatula. “Hey, beautiful. I didn’t hear you.”
    She blinked at him, still unclear on if she was maybe still dreaming. “Eli? What are you doing here?”
    “Is that all you can say to me? When you haven’t seen me in forever?” He grinned and tossed the spatula down, turning the stove off with a quick flip of his wrist.
    She actually had to check herself from sighing in feminine appreciation when he walked over to her. When they’d first met, Ana had immediately known that Eli probably never lacked for female company. Forget the fact that he was rich and gorgeous. His walk alone, all loose limbed and easy and confident, was a screaming aphrodisiac to single women everywhere.
    Hell, not just the single women. She might be madly in love with Taylor, but she could spot a prime male specimen when he sauntered up to her.
    And that was before she’d gotten those pictures…
    He crowded closer and took the vase out of her unresisting hands. “You should have gone for the red one. This one’s too old to really do any damage to my hard head. Trust me, you won’t be the first woman who tried.”
    The vase, which had felt solid and substantial in her hands, looked like he could crush it between his palms. His words registered at the same time as the fine gold detail on the piece. “Er. By old, do you mean expensive?”
    “Only my insurance adjuster knows for sure. No big.” He tossed it back and forth between his palms, each careless gesture making her hyperventilate a little. There was a reason, damn it, that she didn’t bother to buy expensive stuff. She had enough things to worry about.
    She jumped when he clunked the piece of art on the counter behind him. He didn’t give her a chance to catch her breath before he swept her up in a bear hug. Literally swept her up, his huge arms picking her up off the ground and swinging her around.
    Eli was as big as Taylor…perhaps even bigger and broader. Whereas her husband was all brooding and dark though, Eli was as blond as a Nordic god and had the body and tan of a California surfer dude. His disposition was as sunny as his hair.
    Taylor had once tried to explain what Eli did for a living, but after the words “finance” and “corporation” she’d zoned out. He didn’t have the body of a desk jockey, but then she’d heard enough stories and been around him enough to know he played as hard as he probably worked. All that aside, she liked him because he was fun and sweet and it was