“I can already taste this.” He picks up the steak knife and cuts into the ribeye. “You cooked it perfectly,” he says when he sees the pink center.

  I smile at him. “Isn’t this what I’m here for? Were you expecting shoddy meals?”

  He takes a bite of the steak, chewing slowly. His eyes roll back and he lets out another deep groan. It’s sexy as fuck. Spinning around, I scurry back to shut off the oven and take care of anything that will keep me on this side of the room.

  “Bacon and cheese potatoes,” he says with awe.

  “Yep, they’re twice baked,” I explain, wiping down the counter.

  “That must mean twice as fucking good, because these are my new favorite,” he says.

  Smiling, I scrub at an imaginary spot on the counter to keep me busy. I’m happy he’s enjoying his meal so much. It makes me feel proud, and it’s also a wonderful boost to my self-confidence.

  “Calista, did you hear me?” he asks, and I nod. “Turn around,” he orders.

  His growly tone takes me by surprise, and I whirl toward him with my eyes widened. “I heard you,” I say.

  “I know, but I want to make sure you really fucking hear me, so I’m going to say it again. Everything about this meal is perfection. You cook like an angel… and you look like one too,” he adds in a softer tone. He knows as well as I do he shouldn’t be saying things like that. Maybe he’s struggling to keep the lines in place as much as I am.

  “Thank you, Ryder. I’m thrilled you’re enjoying it so much. That’s my ultimate goal with every meal I prepare for others.”

  “You’re going to be a huge success,” he tells me. His compliment fills my chest with so much happiness, I could float on thin air.

  “Your confidence in me means a lot. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I really enjoyed this weekend, and if you ever need someone to cater a party, give me a call.”

  “I’m not a big party thrower, but that might have to change. Any excuse to taste your food again would be worth the hassle of having people over.”

  While he finishes eating, I wash the pans and put them away. Earlier this afternoon I packed up everything I had brought and didn’t need to use while preparing dinner, so the few remaining items are easily loaded into my bags.

  Ryder carries his plate to the sink and holds up his hand before I take more than a couple of steps toward him. “I’ll take care of washing this. It’s the least I can do.”

  “Thank you. I’ll start loading this stuff into my minivan,” I say, grabbing a couple of bags.

  He shakes his head. “I’ll carry them out for you.”

  “There’s a lot of them.” I cast the explanation over my shoulder on my way out of the kitchen. I haven’t even made it to my vehicle yet when he’s beside me, carrying all the remaining bags. And just like two days ago, the power of his bulging biceps isn’t lost on me. But after getting to know who Ryder is beneath the striking exterior, everything about him is more attractive. He’s an all-around impressive man, one I’d love to get to know better. But since that’s not going to happen, I’ll have to settle for saying goodbye.

  After everything is loaded into the back of my minivan, I close the hatch and glance at Ryder. “This weekend was a lot of fun. Thank you for bidding on my donation,” I say, doing my best to keep things professional. “It’s been great meeting you.”

  “I know we’re both trying not to cross a line, and that as much as I want to kiss you, I can’t. But I’m sure we can do better than some curt goodbye.” He draws me into an embrace, holding me close. One of my arms wraps around his waist and the other slides between our upper bodies. I press my hand over his heart, feeling the rapid beat under my palm. He’s as affected by this moment as I am. And why does knowing this make me feel like crying?

  One of his hands covers mine, holding it in place as our embrace continues on. Neither of us wants to be the one to draw back, but I force myself to be the necessary voice of reason by stepping backward. “I better get going. I’ve got a lot to do to be ready for work tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I’ve got some stuff to take care of too,” he says, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his shorts.

  “Thanks again, Ryder. You have a beautiful home, and what you’ve created here for all your animals is wonderful.”

  “Thank you for feeding me so well. My stomach may never be satisfied again,” he says, rubbing his hand over his chiseled abs.

  I laugh and say, “Sorry, not sorry,” as I walk to the driver’s side. I aim a final glance in his direction, shuttering my emotions away so he can’t see how torn up I am about leaving. At the start of the weekend, I never imagined there’d be a possibility for me to feel so deeply for him after such a short time. And now, I don’t know how I’m going to forget about him.

  But I need to.

  CHAPTER 10

  CALISTA

  I’ve barely arrived home when my neighbor, Lucy texts me.

  Drinks on the porch in fifteen?

  Yeah, why not? I could use a drink or two after this weekend.

  Sounds good but make it thirty.

  Are you making me something delicious?

  I smile. We’ve been neighbors long enough for her to realize I never show up for drinks at her place without bringing food. Hey, if she’s supplying the margaritas, it’s the least I can do.

  Rustling through my fridge, I pull out the ingredients for crab dip. I preheat the oven before I measure and mix everything together. I spread the mixture into a glass dish and place it in the oven.

  While it cooks, I arrange mini rye bagel chips, tortilla chips, buttery crackers, and freshly sliced focaccia bread on a tray. Setting it aside, I remove the pins from the knot on top of my head as I wander toward my bedroom. My heavy locks tumble down the middle of my back, eliciting a sigh of relief from me. Dropping the hair pins on my dresser, I massage my scalp with my fingertips. One of the downsides of being a chef is wearing my hair up all the time. My only other option would be to wear a chef’s hat, but for me, that’s not practical. Especially when I do the cooking in my own kitchen. This weekend at Ryder’s was an anomaly for me.

  Stripping off my pants and shirt, I drop them into the laundry hamper in the corner of my bedroom. I slip on a red t-shirt that says “No whisk, No reward” and tug on a pair of beater shorts that saw better days back in college.

  Glancing at my reflection, I slowly run my brush through my hair and take in my sad eyes. The woman looking back isn’t me. I won’t allow myself to dwell on what ifs. I can’t be moping around over a man I met yesterday. Even if it feels like I’ve known him much longer.

  Returning to the kitchen, I remove the dip from the oven and set the oval glass dish in the middle of the tray. I shove my keys and phone into my pocket and slip flip flops on my feet before picking up the food. Holding on to both ends of the rectangular tray, I make my way next door to Lucy’s. Her house is bigger than mine and has a fantastic front porch to sit on.

  “Hey, lover,” she calls out as I mosey up the front walkway. “I thought you’d never get here.”

  In my periphery I notice our creepy neighbor, Les, lurking in his driveway, so I make sure to sound convincing when I answer Lucy. “How’s my sexy little kitten been?” I barely get the words out without laughing, but I avoid ruining our ruse by biting the inside of my lower lip hard enough to leave a metallic taste in my mouth.

  I march up the porch stairs and set the tray on the wicker coffee table before lowering down next to Lucy on the couch. She grabs my face between her hands. “Pucker up, lover,” she says, pulling my face toward hers. She stops when there’s an inch between our mouths, and we act like we’re playing tonsil hockey for Les’s benefit. With the view of the back of my head, he’s none the wiser. It doesn’t hurt that we’re damn convincing.

  “You’re the best non-kisser I’ve ever encountered,” she jokes.

  “You’re the same for me,” I say. “Is he still lurking?”

  Lucy sits back and even goes so far as to wipe under her bottom lip with a knuckle.

  “Nice one,” I say.

  “Thanks.” She cranes her neck, searching for Les. “The fox has left the henhouse.”

  I snort. “I’m surprised he didn’t hang around.”

  “He’s probably wanking it as we speak,” she says.

  “Oh gross. Don’t tell me that, or I might have to break up with you.”

  “You can’t. Then he’ll ask me out again. You’re my only hope.”

  “You need a big, burly boyfriend to scare the bejesus out of him.”

  “Yeah, I need one of those for a lot more than scaring our creepy neighbor. Where do you suppose I can find one?” she asks, pouring the tequila-loaded beverage into two glasses.

  “I can’t help you find a man, but if it’s any consolation, I brought the crab dip you love so much.”

  “Who needs a man when I have you?” she jokes.

  I shrug. “If you’re okay with no sex, I’m sure we can make it work.”

  “In my opinion, your crab dip is better than sex. At least any sex I’ve ever had,” she states. She plucks a cracker from the tray, dragging it through the crab dip before popping it into her mouth.

  I laugh. “I wish I could disagree, but sadly, I can’t.” My mind conjures up an image of Ryder. I bet sex with him would beat my crab dip.

  “Hey, how was your job this weekend?” Lucy asks, as if she and the universe are conspiring to make me think of him even more.

  “It went well. He loved everything I made.”

  “Who was the client?” she asks.

  “Ryder Goode.”

  “Your brother’s teammate?”

  “Yep.”

  Her eyes open wider. “Is he as hot as he looks on TV?”

  “Hotter.”

  “No!”

  I nod. “Yes!”

  “You lucky bitch. I need a new job.”

  “Oh, please. You have the coolest job on the planet,” I say.

  She feigns modesty. “Okay, you’re right. I do,” she says, snickering.

  “How many women can say they have a television show dedicated to proving Bigfoot exists?” I ask.

  She points at herself. “I can.”

  “Exactly. That’s so fucking cool.” I take a large gulp of the perfectly mixed margarita.

  “So back to this weekend. Did he flirt with you? Did you flirt with him?”

  “He was different than I expected.”

  Her head tips thoughtfully “How so?”

  “He’s kinder, gentler, polite. The list could go on and on. Every preconceived notion I had about him was obliterated.”

  “You like him.” She’s not asking me, she’s stating it as a fact.

  “I do. But I shouldn’t.”

  “Why not? Does he have a girlfriend or a wife?”

  “No, he doesn’t. It’s just that Darius told both of us separately to keep our distance.”

  A gall-filled puff of air flies from her. “You’re going to let your brother dictate who you can have feelings for?”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know.” I throw my hands up in the air.

  She takes a sip of her drink. “Let’s talk this through.” Her suggestion instantly calms me.

  “Well, they’re not only friends, they’re also teammates. Getting involved with Ryder could affect their working relationship, which could negatively impact their careers. I can’t be selfish just because I like the guy. It’s not like he’s the only single man in the world. Besides, he’s the antithesis of my type.”

  “I see that as a positive,” Lucy says.

  I roll my eyes. “Thanks a lot.”

  “What? You have to admit your taste hasn’t panned out for you so far.”

  I can’t argue with that. She’s one hundred percent right.

  I nod. “I know it hasn’t.”

  “Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results?” she asks.

  “Sounds about right.”

  “Why not try something new? Or should I say someone new?” She slaps my knee.

  I laugh. “I wish I could.”

  “Why can’t you? You’re an adult. Who’s going to stop you?”

  “Me, myself, and I. My conscience is a pain in the ass.”

  “Tell it to shut the fuck up.”

  “Even if I went for it, I’m not sure Ryder would be on board. He seemed set on not crossing any lines. He told me if Darius wasn’t my brother he’d have been kissing me already.”

  “Oh damn.” She fans her face. “That’s hot.”

  “Yeah, tell me about it.” I picture how he looked in that moment and it makes my insides turn to goo.

  “Maybe you’ll get another chance to see him,” she says.

  “I’ll see him at the wedding. He’s one of the groomsmen.”

  “That means he’ll be at rehearsal dinner too.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “That gives you two opportunities to make something happen. If you chicken out the first night, there’s always after the wedding. And didn’t you tell me you’re all staying at some hotel that weekend?”

  “Yeah. The wedding takes place on the grounds too.”

  Lucy’s blue eyes show her mischievous thoughts before she voices them. “At the very least, you need to have sex with this guy, so we know if hockey players are as hot as we think they are.”

  “So we know?” I laugh.

  “Yes. I mean, strictly for research purposes, of course,” she says, looking like the picture of innocence.

  “Of course,” I deadpan.

  “Seriously, though, the wedding weekend is the perfect time for you to have some fun. It can be a temporary thing and no one else would even know.”

  My heart rate revs up at the idea of spending a night with him. What kind of lover would he be? Gentle? Rough? Or somewhere in between? Just how many orgasms could he give me in one night?

  “You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” Lucy interrupts.

  “It’s difficult not to. He seems too good to be true, though.”

  “There’s only one way to find out if he is or not. I think you know what you need to do. And afterward I want a full report.” She grins.

  I slowly tick my head from side to side. “I don’t know if I have it in me.”

  “Isn’t that the goal?” she sputters.

  I nudge her foot with mine. “I swear you have the oversexed brain of a teenage boy.”

  “And the undersexed body of a thirty-five-year-old,” she drolls, making me laugh.

  “You’re in good company at least,” I say. “Maybe we need to be each other’s back up plan in case we’re not married in the next ten years.”

  “I’m already in love with your cooking, so…” She shrugs.

  “And we’re living without sex now,” I add.

  “I do make a mean margarita,” she says.

  I pat the cushion on the couch. “I’ve always been a little envious of your front porch.”

  She holds up her hand, wiggling her fingers. “Five solid reasons for marriage.”

  I laugh. “That’s hilarious.” Raising my glass, I take a deep pull and set it back on the table.

  “It is, but who’s to say taking a pragmatic approach to find a life partner isn’t the way to go?” she asks.

  I nod. “Yeah, the traditional way hasn’t worked so well for us.”

  “I’d settle for a ‘for now’ partner. I just need to find him.”

  “You could always try out Les,” I say.

  She pretends to gag. “No way. I’d rather have sex with the most arrogant, controlling asshole on the planet than that creepster.”

  “I guess it’s not a good sign when your new neighbor moves in and right after you meet, he tells you that if you look that good in clothes, you’re sure to look even better out of them,” I say. Which is exactly what happened when he and Lucy met. I’m relieved he hasn’t made any inappropriate moves toward me because I wouldn’t deal with it as well as she does. She likes to have fun with it, hence the fake kiss when I first came over.

  “Yep, there were some red flags there,” she says.

  Aside from him being my brother’s teammate and a player with the ladies, does Ryder have any red flags of his own flying around him? Not that the two I’m thinking about aren’t enough. But he’s tall, charismatic, and bearded, and those three things combined might be enough to obscure any red flags.

  I’m so screwed.

  Luckily, I only have to be in his presence two more times and then I can go back to admiring him from afar.

  CHAPTER 11

  RYDER

  “We’re going to starve,” I tell my dad. We’re one day removed from eating Calista’s leftovers and nothing tastes good anymore. She ruined my undiscerning palate.

  He laughs. “We’re not going to starve. We have food to eat.”

  “Yeah, it just sucks,” I add.

  “You’re not wrong. Son, I never realized how horrible your cooking is.”

  “Ha. That’s rich since you’re the one who taught me to cook. Actually, I don’t think you taught me at all. I just learned through osmosis.”

  “Your mom was the cook in the family. If she was still here I’d be overweight and well fed.” He smiles at the thought.

  “Do you still miss her as much as I do?”

  “Of course. Your mom was my partner in everything from the day we met onward. We clicked from the start and it felt like we’d known each other forever. So to lose a relationship so special and to know I’ll never have that again, it’s devastating. But I’ve reached the point where remembering our life together makes me happy.”

  “Dad, you could always date. You’re not too old.”

  He shakes his head. “No, I don’t want to. I’ve got a great life.”

  “Yeah, but you don’t need to be alone.”

 

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