He would have gladly skipped dinner altogether and gone straight to bed with her. Patience, Grasshopper. Wait for it. He had definitely watched too many “Kung Fu” reruns.
He snapped back to reality and said, “Well, I need to chop some basil to add to the pasta dish when it’s almost done. You don’t want to add the fresh herbs too soon or they’ll cook too much and wilt and you won’t get the full flavor.”
She raised her eyebrows and nodded—the ‘A student’ at a cooking lesson.
Adam retrieved his chef’s knife from the cutting board and started chopping rapidly, emulating the famous chefs he had seen on the Food Network.
Maddie said, “How do you do that so quickly? I would have already chopped off a finger. If I had to chop all of that it would take me an hour.”
He stopped and looked at her. Sometimes he took his culinary skills for granted. Chopping quickly was second nature to him now, but it often amazed other people.
He held out the knife to her and said, “Here—you try.”
She shook her head and said, “Not unless you want to wait an hour to eat.”
“Come here,” he said. “It’s not as hard as you think. There’s a certain technique. I’ll show you.”
She put down her glass and hesitantly took the knife from him. She gave him a pleading look for help. Adam stepped behind her and put his arms around her so that he could hold each of her hands in his. Something stirred deep within as his body drew closer to hers.
She glanced over her shoulder at him and said in a sexy voice, “I like this method of chopping already.”
He inhaled sharply as he became aroused. Her hair touched his cheek. He inhaled the crisp cleanness and a subtle hint of perfume. He closed his eyes and breathed in again, savoring the smell of her. He had the urge to kiss her neck. He refrained. Instead, he carefully guided her hands and spoke softly to her as she chopped.
“Stack the basil leaves into a pile of about five leaves. Roll the stack, starting at the stem side and moving toward the tip of the leaves. Put the tip of your knife down and keep it steady so it always maintains contact with the cutting board. Now raise and lower the knife in a quick, rocking motion. A good chef’s knife will easily chop through the leaves.”
He guided her hands for a few more chops until he thought she had the hang of it, and then he let her try it on her own. She bit her lower lip as she chopped away at the basil, awkwardly at first, but then more quickly and proficiently as she gained confidence in the technique.
After a few minutes, she looked up at him through her lashes, handed him the knife, and said, “I think I’d better leave it up to the chef to finish this off. I’ll drink my wine and learn by observing.”
He continued with the final dinner preparations while they talked and sipped on the wine.
“I noticed you brought your violin,” he said. “Why don’t you play while I finish dinner?”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
She gingerly opened the case and removed a beautiful violin. By the looks of it, he guessed it must have been worth enough for a down payment on a Manhattan Brownstone.
“Yeah, this is my baby,” she said. “My very special investment.”
She took out the bow and tuned the violin for a moment.
“This is Bach’s Chaconne,” she said as she gently pulled the bow across the strings.
Adam stopped what he was doing and fixed his gaze on Maddie. Although he had no experience in playing the violin, he could tell that she was quite accomplished.
“That’s amazing! You’re so talented.”
She smiled and nodded a silent thank you while she continued to play. She was a classy lady, and it made her even more appealing to him.
“We should feature you in one of our songs sometime,” he said.
“When you get your recording contract and you need a violinist, I’ll be there.”
A slight, close-lipped smile spread across Adam’s face. He liked her reference to the future. He could really get used to having her around. She played a few more songs while Adam put the finishing touches on the meal.
When he was ready, Adam motioned for Maddie to join him at the dinner table. She carefully returned her violin to the case, and took her seat across from him. They lingered over their plates, eating and sipping wine in the dim candlelight as they made small talk. Chatting with Maddie was easy. Again, he felt as if he had known her for a long time, just like he had that night on the rooftop terrace.
At the end of the meal, Maddie dabbed up the last bit of sauce on her plate with a piece of bread. She popped it in her mouth, leaned back, and put her hands on her stomach.
“Can you tell I thought it was terrible?” she said, winking. “Would you be offended if I licked my plate?”
Adam laughed. “I won’t judge. But you better save a little room for dessert.”
“I am soooo full, but there’s always room for dessert.”
He served the tiramisu with chocolate-covered strawberries and cappuccino.
“That was absolutely delicious,” said Maddie as she helped him clear the table. “Who needs restaurants?”
Adam had planned to clean up later, but she insisted on helping him. They stood side by side, laughing, joking, and flirting while they washed the dishes. She washed and he dried and put the dishes away.
Afterward, he said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty and picked out a movie. Claire recommended it. She said it’s a chick flick for the most part, but Zach liked it too. I thought we could watch it.”
“Sure, that sounds good. I love watching movies.”
So despite the fact that he was completely stuffed, he
