She stepped closer and let him feed her a bite. The fresh, tart taste hit her tongue and she groaned. It was so much better than that jarred salsa she bought.
“So?” Hill asked, looking sweetly anticipatory, as if he was afraid she’d hate it.
She swallowed her bite and grinned. “It tastes like summer on a spoon. We’re amazing at cooking.”
He laughed and took a bite. “We definitely are.”
She grabbed a jalapeño that was still on the cutting board. “What about this guy?”
“That guy needs some extra attention, and we have to decide how hot we want the pico to be.”
She eyed the pepper. “Extra attention?”
“Gloves,” he explained. “If you cut a chili pepper without protection, the oils get in your skin and it can burn for hours. And it will make everything you touch burn, too—your eyes, your lips”—he raised a brow—“other things.”
She pressed her lips together to stanch a laugh. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“You only make that mistake once,” he said with a sage nod.
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. We also need to taste a little because some jalapeños are as mild as bell peppers, and some are really hot. You can’t tell by looking at them.”
He gave her a pair of disposable kitchen gloves and then walked her through the process of stemming, seeding, and mincing the pepper.
When they were done, he took a small piece of the jalapeño and held it up to her. “Now for the test.”
She opened her mouth and let him place it on her tongue. The heat of it hit her almost instantly, warming her tongue and sending an almost fruity taste along her taste buds. She chewed and swallowed, the spice potent but not overbearing.
“Well?” he asked, pulling off his gloves.
“I think it’s the perfect amount of spicy,” she said, picking up another piece and holding it out to him. He let her feed it to him, his gaze locked with hers. Her face was only inches from his.
“Just right,” he said softly.
She should step back now, give them space, but she didn’t move.
“I want to kiss you,” Hill said in warning.
The words were what she needed to hear. He was giving her a chance to opt out. “I’m going to let you.”
He smiled and she peeled off her gloves, tossing them somewhere on the counter without looking, and then her hands were splayed against his chest. Hill wrapped his arms around her and dipped his head down to kiss her. Her eyes fell shut. This time it wasn’t a sweet peck or a gentle press of the lips. His hand squeezed her waist, and when her lips parted, his tongue grazed against hers, spicy heat from the pepper sparking along her taste buds again. She groaned into it, and her arms slid around his neck.
He made a sound of pleasure in the back of his throat and deepened the kiss, tasting her fully and making her legs feel like jelly beneath her. Before she knew it, she was pressed up against the opposite counter, his hand slipping beneath the hem of her shirt and pressed hot against her rib cage, not moving but sending heat straight to the center of her, making things wake with awareness. Her body arched against him.
“Andi,” he said between kisses. Her name sounded like a prayer and plea all at once.
His tongue stroked hers, and her hips rocked against him, seemingly of their own volition. When he pushed close again, hard heat met her belly, sending electricity through her like a shock wave. Hill’s arousal stoked her own, made her want to touch him, explore, make him even hotter, but it also sent up a warning flare in her brain. The last time she’d gotten to this place with a guy, he’d seen it as an automatic invitation to her bed. When she’d stopped him, he’d been pissed and called her a fucking tease. His anger had scared the hell out of her, setting off her anxiety like a forest fire.
She didn’t want to stop, but she also didn’t think she was ready for more than this yet. She broke off the kiss, pressing her forehead to Hill’s. He stayed in that position, panting softly.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
She lifted her head. “For what?”
His eyes met hers, his pupils dark. “I should be able to kiss you without getting a hard-on. I wasn’t trying to push you into something further. My body just…really appreciates you. On a survey, it would give you five out of five stars.”
She grinned at the unexpected response. “You don’t need to apologize for getting turned on. Just because my response isn’t visible doesn’t mean my body’s not a big fan of yours right now, too.”
His eyebrows arched and a wicked little smile touched his lips. “Yeah?”
“Andi’s girl parts give you two thumbs up.” She slid her hands to his shoulders. “But Andi’s brain is hitting the Pause button for the moment.”
He nodded and cupped her face, placing a kiss on her forehead. “Understood.” He stepped back, giving her space, and headed back to the kitchen island. “Let’s make some steak. I’m starved.”
The thick outline in his jeans was goddamned distracting, but something tight and nervous in her chest unfurled a little more. Hill was keeping his promise. He was obviously turned on, clearly wanted her, but he was going to respect her boundaries with no judgment or cajoling.
That felt…magical.
She took a steadying breath, her body still coursing with her own arousal, and headed back to him. “I’m ready to learn, Chef.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Let’s talk about how flank steak is your friend.”
Chapter Fourteen
Hill draped his arm over the back of Andi’s couch as they watched Happy Death Day. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this content being in the moment. Normally, his brain was filled with images from the past or grim thoughts of the future. But right now, he was just happy to be there, having a movie night with Andi.
He’d always enjoyed movies, but watching a movie with Andi was a whole different experience. He had no doubt that she’d seen this film countless times and already knew what happened in the plot, but she watched it with such full-body commitment that a stranger observing would’ve sworn this was her first time.
Andi was currently biting her thumbnail, her knees to her chest, sock-covered feet on the couch, and her gaze glued to the screen. He was starting to recognize this as her pre-jump-scare position. She shook her head. “Don’t do it, girl. Don’t go in there.”
Hill bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Andi was a talk-to-the-screen person, which he found enormously entertaining. “She’s totally going to do it.”