Hank’s lips tipped up on one side and he caught the chuckle building in his chest. She wasn’t subtle with her questioning, but she was cute as fuck. “I like to cook, you know experiment with foods, so my mom insisted I needed fresh herbs.” Hank looked at the plants. “She was right, but I wouldn’t fucking admit that to her.” He chuckled and asked, “Beer? Wine? Water? Anything?”
Arissa bit her lip because what she wanted was standing across from her. “I’ll take a beer, thanks.” While Hank got her beer, she looked around his kitchen.
The charcoal gray granite against the dark wood cabinets and stainless appliances–Subzero refrigerator and Viking stove–was eye catching. A pot rack hanging over the island had stainless steel pots alongside cast iron. She’d been in countless homes, visited them for features in the magazine, kitchens that were exquisite but not used. Even if he hadn’t shared with her he liked to cook, she could tell from his kitchen that he did.
He popped the top off a beer and handed it to her. She watched as he uncapped his beer before she tipped hers to him then took a long drink. The cold liquid felt good going down, her eyes on him as she drank. She felt a little lightheaded and though she wanted to blame it on the beer, it wasn’t the beer. No, the reason for her feeling a little off balance was currently resting casually back against his counter, watching her. She’d never in her life felt what he made her feel…edgy, almost intoxicated with anticipation. And he did it with nothing more than a look. Like the one he was giving her now. She felt that stare in several very nice places on her body. She took another drink before she asked, “You mentioned burgers. Do you make your own patties?”
He again, held back the chuckle that formed. She was nervous, on edge, he could read that not only in the way her eyes darted around, but the quick sips of beer she took. The way she fidgeted with the bottle. Not to mention, the fixed flush of pink on her cheeks. It wasn’t just cute, it was fucking adorable. And that had Hank’s mind wandering to all the things he wanted to do to her. He glanced at the island, thinking how easy it would be to place her on it, spread her legs and taste her. He swiftly blinked his eyes and adjusted his stance to relieve the pressure building in the crotch of his jeans. He fucking forgot what she asked. Jesus. What did she ask? Fuck. He found himself saying in a raspy mutter, “Come again?”
Arissa didn’t know exactly what went through his mind at that moment, but the look on his face, holy shit. She took another long drink of beer. Her mind was so far from where this conversation started that it took her a bit to remember what she’d asked. “Burgers,” she said kind of deflated because she suspected what was going through his head was a far better topic.
“Oh,” Hank expressed and moved to the fridge, pulling out a plate that held four homemade patties, he told her, “I make them myself. Throw a shit ton of seasoning in them.” He placed the plate on the counter and pulled out a container of potato salad. “Sorry for the store bought shit.” He gestured to the container. “But like I said, this town is held up by gossip. And if I bought shit to make the salad myself, that would get around.” Hank held her gaze when he told her, “What’s happening here, I’d like to keep between us.” He didn’t say it to offend her, but there were things he liked to keep private. This was one of them.
Arissa studied him for a moment before she lifted her bottle of beer. “Under normal circumstances, I think I’d be offended, but I’ve gotten a little taste of the gossip so I understand. Particularly being the sheriff, you are probably the most talked about person in town. Finding privacy, a little part of your world that can just be yours, I understand the need for that. So I won’t share your secret…” She took a long drink and teased, “You know, the shit ton of seasoning in your burgers.”
Hank chuckled, looked to his feet and said, “Thanks.” He lifted his head and leveled his gaze on her. “Let’s take this outside, get these burgers going so I can feed you. Then we will head to the barn, see how your dart throwing skills are.” He retrieved the plate from the counter and started toward the door, but halted his steps, and told her. “If you want, you can go look around while I get these started.”
She walked past him and held open the door. “I think I’ll just hang with you, if that’s cool.”
And, again, that chuckle came back, but he held it in. If that’s cool, yeah, she was nervous because he hadn’t heard anyone their age say that in a long time. “Yep,” he said as he walked past her holding the door for him. He uttered, “Thanks.”
Arissa followed after him, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes… if that’s cool? He made her nervous, but in fairness to her, the man was unnerving in the best possible way. Her thoughts detoured when she saw his view. For as far as the eye could see, it was nature in the purest sense. “How is it you don’t have any neighbors?”
Hank opened the grill hood, placed the plate on the side granite counter and looked around. He was lucky to get this place. When the Hansons put
