The Chef's Choice by Kristin Hardy

do what you want, aren’t you? You’re a regular puppeteer.”
    He couldn’t help laughing at that as he set the tomatoes and mushrooms in the truck bed. “I’m flattered that you think so much of me.”
    She glowered. “Oh, I think of you, all right. I think all kinds of things about you.”
    â€œGood.” In the sunlight, her hair gleamed cinnamon and copper. He could see a light dusting of freckles on the bridge of her nose. “You know,” he said as she opened her mouth to continue, “for someone who tries to come off so tough, that was a pretty nice thing you did for Pete.”
    She stared at him, momentarily disarmed. “He’s a friend,” she muttered finally. “I want them to have a nice time.”
    â€œThey will, thanks to you.”
    â€œAnd you,” she said, then blinked as though the thought had ambushed her.
    â€œCorrect me if I’m wrong, but I believe you just said something nice to me.”
    The flush that spread across her cheeks made her look even more delectable. “Don’t try to distract me.”
    There was something that kind of delighted him about that bemused look she got on her face when she felt she was losing control of the situation. “Oh, I don’t know, I’m beginning to think distracting you could be interesting. Very interesting,” he added.
    He reached out, then, to touch, running a finger across her cheek to her chin. Softer than he’d expected. She might dress and act like a tomboy but Cady McBain was all girl. Her eyes flashed with surprise, awareness, the hazel green darkening to amber. He saw the desire flicker even as he felt it himself.
    All it would take was bridging that distance to find out how it would be with her. He couldn’t help wondering. And even as he told himself it wasn’t smart, he leaned in toward her.
    The chirp of a horn had them both jolting apart.
    Damon snapped his head around to see a blue Escort packed with a trio of what looked like college-age girls.
    â€œHey, you leaving?” the gum-chewing passenger called out the window.
    â€œDefinitely,” Cady answered from behind him, opening the driver’s door.
    He turned to her. “Why the rush?” he asked.
    â€œWe’ve done everything we need to do here.”
    â€œYou think so?”
    â€œI know so,” she said. “We’re done with this.”
    â€œNo.” Damon got in on the other side and shut the door. “That’s one thing I’m pretty sure of. We’re not done with this by a long shot.”

Chapter Five
    S he couldn’t believe she’d let it happen. Cady pulled her truck to a stop in the employee side of the parking lot the next morning and stared at the box of ramps next to her. Bad enough that he’d manipulated her into grubbing around some forest glen looking for his wild leeks, but he’d gotten to her. One minute she’d been ready to put him in his place, which was as far from her as she could manage. The next, she was gaping at him as if she was hypnotized, as if she didn’t have a brain in her head.
    He’d charmed her. Her, the one who prided herself on keeping it together, on being immune to good-looking guys. The one who was never again going to make herself vulnerable to some guy who thought the world should be at his feet.
    And the worst part was that he hadn’t even had to try. All he’d had to do was to make nice to her in that voice that sent those little bubbles fizzing through her veins, look at her with those eyes and touch her.
    And touch her.
    Involuntarily, Cady shivered. It didn’t mean anything. It had been so long since anybody had touched her outside of family, that was all. That was why it had affected her. It wasn’t him, certainly not him.
    Definitely not.
    That didn’t mean she wouldn’t be smart to keep her distance. While she sincerely doubted that Damon Hurst had any