Hearts of Ishira (Hearts of Ishira Saga) (75 page)

“
What the hell?
”

Jace’s bellow of shock brought Hunter out of his room with only one boot on, his hair still loose and dripping with his morning bath. He stopped, staring at their kitchen, which was normally pristine.

This morning, it was not.

Ri looked up from the huge wooden bowl before her, grinning hugely. She had bits of floury paste stuck to her nose, forehead, cheeks, and chin. Hunter didn’t want to know how she’d managed to get it on her ear. The mangled remains of various fruits and the ‘sugar cane’ stalks littered the kitchen island. The baking stone they’d been using for years held a large mound of something that was covered by a cloth, and another baking stone was dusted and waiting for the dough Arianna was currently kneading with all her might.

“What are you standing on?” Hunter asked, concerned. He walked around the island to find that she had dragged the living room’s low table over and was using it as a long, wide stool so she could reach the counter to knead. He sighed inwardly.

“I had to do something,” she shrugged. “I couldn’t reach. And proper bread-kneading takes the right strength and angle of attack.”

“Bread?” Jace asked, his consternation giving way to the realization that there was a definite yeasty smell in the air, an aroma that made his mouth water for forgotten goodies from his childhood. Stepping closer to the counter, he dipped a finger into the wooden trough and scooped out a tiny bit of the dough that lingered on the edge. He popped it into his mouth, then groaned with happiness. “Oh, gods! It’s like Mom used to make! Hunter… try this.””

“What did you… how… I thought you and Trey were at a standstill?” Hunter murmured, standing beside Ri and reaching around her to take a taste of the bowl scrapings. She looked over her shoulder at him, her smug smile melting his heart. He loved it when she looked so happy. It made him want to give her this world and any others he could get his hands on.

“Well, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what was wrong,” she admitted, wrinkling her nose at him. “But when we brought home the ‘sugar cane’ yesterday… I figured I’d give it a shot. And so far, it’s actually looking, feeling, and smelling like bread! Today will be the first real test of our bread-making experiments.”

Jace stopped, his face paling. “Please tell me you tested the yeast before you put it into food?” he said softly. She giggled and nodded at him.

“I wouldn’t risk any of us for a baked treat, Jace,” she admonished gently. “Trey and I have been using the med scanners to test each batch before using it.”

“Good girl.”

“How long will it take before these are ready?” Hunter asked, peeking under the cloth on the first baking stone. Ri popped his hand lightly, laughing.

“About an hour? I’m not sure. I was going to have to experiment with cooking times, since you don’t have a temperature gauge on this oven of yours.”

Hunter grinned, opened the oven door and stuck his hand right in. Ri squeaked at him, but he drew his hand right back out again.

“It’s hot enough, and for bread… thirty-five of your minutes, perhaps?”

“How do you know it’s ready?” she asked, blinking at his big hand. He held it up for her.

“When you can stick your hand in and the skin around your nails tightens, it’s ready for cooking.”

“Good to know,” she sighed, then removed the bread cloth with a flourish. She quickly slashed a few steam vents in the top of the loaf on the stone, brushed it with a milk and egg glaze, then handed it to Hunter to put in the oven, so she wouldn’t have to get down off the table. When he’d closed the door, she planted her hands on her hips and looked at the guys. “Now, if only we had some jam! Now that we have something approximating sugar, I’’ll have to try canning the fruits.”

“Now,” Hunter said speculatively, narrowing his gaze on Arianna’s lush bottom. “What are we going to do to pass the next thirty-five minutes?”

“You are
not
going to distract me, Hunter!” she told him firmly, giggling. “I need to get this batch ready to rise, so keep your hands off my tushy until that’s done, you horny devil!”

He chuckled, but moved to the other side of the island so he could advise her on which spices would go well with the juicy ‘musky wine’ as she’d taken to calling her favorite intoxicating fruit. He also advised her solemnly that the recipe would only work correctly if she drank the juice first, before cutting the fruit up.

“I was just going to pour the juice off,” she said, playing innocent, “Then use it for drinking later.”

“Oh, no no no,” Jace said, picking up on Hunter’s game, his expression also dead serious. “You actually have to drink the juice, sucking the last of it from the fruit, otherwise there’s too much liquid in the filling and your dessert will be ruined.”

“Oh!” Ri gasped, playing along. “I see what you’re saying. And you’re absolutely right.” She batted her eyelashes at them both coyly. “I would have ruined the whole thing if you hadn’t been here to guide me.” She sighed dreamily. “What would I do without you guys?”

“Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out,” Hunter said, meaning it. She smiled beautifully at him, then leaned over the counter far enough to give him a sweet, sticky kiss. Not to miss out, Jace leaned over to receive one from her as well, but got distracted by the honeyed taste of her lips, the little trail of juice that lingered at the edge of her smile, and the smell of spices and yeast that surrounded her. He deepened the kiss, but was abruptly pulled away by his brother.

“If I have to wait, you have to wait,” Hunter growled. His gaze moved speculatively to the bowl of leftover fruits, though, and a grin started to form. While Ri was searching among the bottles for the spices he’d told her to use, he sent a complicated series of gestures and facial expressions to Jace.

“Hunter, I can see your hands, you know.” Ri said chidingly. He stilled, wincing, and slowly met her eyes. She grinned. “In case you’ve forgotten, I can also read your mind. And sticking fruit
there
is completely unsanitary!”

Jace burst out laughing. Hunter grinned. Ri rolled her eyes and went back to work. By the time the first ‘test’ bread was out of the oven and cooling, the fruity sticky buns Ri had thrown together were rising nicely on the other baking stone.

“Is the bread done?” Hunter asked, poking gently at the huge loaf. He hissed and drew his burned finger back, glaring at the hapless loaf as if it was at fault. Ri bit back a chuckle.

“I’m sure it is,” she said, “But it’s far too hot to eat.”

“I don’t think I can wait for-“

There was a knock on the door. Jace answered it, and nearly got trampled by Trey and his men, along with Bev. The young woman stared at the bread on the counter, her eyes glowing with fierce longing.

“Tell me that’s what I think it is!” Bev breathed. Ri nodded. Bev jumped onto the table and clasped Ri in a huge hug, jumping up and down excitedly. “You did it! Oh, Ri, you clever little witch, you did it!”

“Yup!” Arianna laughed proudly, stepping back. Her foot met empty air, but before she could so much as cry out, Hunter was there. Of course, he was there. He was always there when she fell. She wrapped her arms around his neck, looking almost directly into his eyes as he set her back on her feet on the table. She was feeling rather drunk from all the juice she’d had to drink for the buns. Drunk and daring. She leaned close to him, nibbling on his lips. “You’’re just the right height when I’m standing up here.”

His hands held her waist, tightening just a bit when she flicked her tongue out to taste his lower lip.

“Then I shall have to build you a shelf system all around these quarters, so that we can kiss without straining ourselves, anytime we wish,” he murmured against her mouth. She smiled then kissed him, long and lingering, while the others talked excitedly about the bread, the sweets, and all the baked goods they’d be able to make now that they’d figured out the secret combination. Trey was only slightly put out that he hadn’t been involved in this experiment, but his eyes were nearly glazed over as he started putting together various recipes in his mind.

When they had waited as long as possible, Hunter handed Arianna a knife, then they all gathered around the island quietly as Ri cut the first piece of bread. Fragrant steam rose from the fluffy loaf, filling the suite with the aroma of home, happiness, and love.

“There’s a tradition from way back in ancient times on our planet,” Ri said quietly, smiling at Bev. She held up the thick chunk of the end of the loaf and broke off a small hunk of it. “When friends and family gathered for a meal, it was symbolic to ‘break bread’. The master and mistress of the house would each take the first piece and then the loaf would be passed around to their guests, who would each take a piece. I think that’’s the way it went, anyhow. So, Hunter, if you would?”

Hunter broke off another piece, but didn’t eat it, since Ri was still holding hers. He handed the bigger chunk to Jace, who followed suit then passed it along to Trey, then Bev, then Rom and Erik. When they all had a piece of bread, Ri held it up and smiled. “To our new family, be they of blood or of the heart.”

Hunter smiled at her, then they all popped their pieces of bread into their mouths.

It was heavenly. Amazing. Incredible. They all made noises of deep enjoyment.

“What is going on in there?” Chelsea asked, popping her head in. “It sounds like an orgy and something smells awesome… is that bread? Honest to God bread?”

Ri chuckled and beckoned her friend in, breaking off a small chunk of the bread and handing it to her. Chelsea nearly wept as she chewed slowly, as though wanting to savor every moment of the flavor on her tongue.

“You have got to give us the recipe!” she breathed. “Oh, my God! That’s amazing!”

They all laughed.

“I have some starter,” Ri said, looking at the jar she’d managed to keep going for her own personal experiments. “It’s not much, but I think there’s enough to get both you and Bev going for your families. And if you feed it and divide it when you’re supposed to, we’ll be able to give it to the others much faster than if I try to do it all.”

The girls set to figuring out just what needed to be done to keep the starter going. Jace took scans of the starter, the cooked bread, the raw dough left in the big bowl, so that he could archive the chemical makeup of it for future reference.

They should never have left the loaf alone with four big, hungry warriors. When Ri took a break to go get a larger slice of the bread, Hunter, Trey, and his team gave her similar looks of guilt.

“There’s none left?” she cried. “Dammit, Hunter! I’ve been waiting more than a months for this! And you guys ate it all!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, and she could tell he truly meant it. “But we haven’t had bread that good in more than ten years.”

“We couldn’t help ourselves,” Trey added, sounding like a recalcitrant 8-year-old trying to plead his case with his mom.

“It’s just so good, Ri!” Erik told her in a rush, his praise effusive and sincere.

“Mrnmble grffn!” Rom tried to say, having stuffed the last of his piece in his mouth right before she turned around.

Arianna tried to stay mad. She really did. She fought it with all her might. But it was just so darned hard to stay mad at men who were paying you the highest of compliments. She narrowed her gaze on all of them.

“At least I got a taste, right?” she sighed, then looked toward the counter. “And we still have the sticky buns.”

“Sticky buns?” Bev asked with a hopeful note in her voice.

“Yup! I made a muskywine fruit filling for them, so I don’t know how that will taste, but it was worth a shot.”

“We’re staying for dinner,” Trey informed her. “And dessert!”

“Then
you
are cooking dinner!” Ri shot back. Trey grinned triumphantly even as Hunter and Jace groaned. Erik and Rom shook their heads frantically, urging her to take it back.

“Deal!” Trey crowed, laughing.

“No, Hunter and I will cook,” Jace said, hurrying around the island and banging his shins on the coffee table. He cursed, but kept moving forward, leaning down to rub the sore spots. “Trey, you stay out of my kitchen!”

Ri turned a bewildered glance toward Bev, who was giggling almost uncontrollably.

“I thought Trey was a chef,” she said, blinking as the men made a huge deal of trying to keep Trey out of the area. Bev started snorting, she was so amused. Trey’s team was trying to restrain him as he gleefully dug through the cabinets in search of pots and pans. Jace was groaning and hurriedly trying to hide everything Trey was pulling out. Hunter merely chuckled, moving to Ri’s side to watch their antics.

“Oh, he can cook,” Hunter grinned. “He is a master chef. Just wait until you see the desserts and delights he will come up with, now that you have figured out the magic formula for us. But he makes a tremendous mess out of the kitchen he uses.”

“Our kitchen was already messy,” Ri pointed out, wrapping her arm around Hunter’s waist and leaning against him. He held her close, laughter rumbling up from his chest.

“Our kitchen was messy,” he acknowledged. “But by the time he is done cooking dinner, there will not be a clean item in the suite.”

“I’m not washing all those!” Ri exclaimed. Trey’s team stopped for a moment, turning to her with twin looks of horror, then defeat.