Just a Taste (11 page)

Liam brought the food to the table and wanted to do more. Carmen looked tired and stressed, but not unhappy. When he'd walked in on her painting the bedroom, he was surprised. He'd gotten used to her being a businesswoman and sometimes he caught glimpses of the teasing girl she'd been, but while she danced around a half-painted bedroom, he saw yet another side to her.

He liked it.

He'd wanted to catch her swaying hips and kiss her again, but wasn't sure how well that would've been received, so he'd backed out of the room. As much as he wanted to kiss her again, he wouldn't push. She was still dealing with a lot and it probably wasn't the best time to start a relationship, especially since they were partners.

As he sat at the table with his fork in hand, he thought about Colin and Elizabeth. They had met and their relationship developed because they were business partners. While it hadn't been perfect, they made it work.

He dug in to the enchiladas, not sure what to expect. Carmen had repeatedly told him she couldn't cook, but he'd watched her efficiently assemble the meal as if it was second nature. As Gus's daughter, it probably was. He took his first bite and the melted cheese scalded his mouth. Ignoring the pain, he closed his eyes and savored the flavors that filled him.

The smoky, spicy peppers were softened by a hint of chocolate in the mole sauce. He let the food sit on his tongue for a moment before chewing. The taste, the texture, everything was perfect. He opened his eyes as he swallowed. Carmen stared at him, her plate untouched.

He pointed his fork at her. “You've been holding out on me.”

“No, I haven't.” She ducked her head and took a bite of her food.

“You told me you don't cook, that you don't like it. This is not a meal made by someone who hates cooking. This is delicious. I might even go so far as to say it's perfection.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He lost her again in that moment, but he didn't know why. She curled into herself and ate a few bites in silence. He gave her space and waited for her to let him in. He devoured his enchiladas in record time, while she continued to poke and eat slowly.

Shoving her dish away, she suddenly jumped away from the table. “Sorry. I can't do this. I thought I could.”

Liam caught her arm as she tried to escape to the living room. Turning her to face him, he saw the sorrow on her face again. “What is it?”

She shook her head. He did what felt natural and pulled her to his chest. With his arms wrapped around her, she settled in. She didn't cry, but her body was filled with tension.

“Tell me why dinner upset you.”

He felt her chest fill right before she pulled away. Instead of letting her run, he held her hand and pulled her toward the table. He sat in her chair and tugged her onto his lap.

She gave a sad laugh. “I'm not going to sit on your lap.”

“You already are. And I like it. Now talk.”

She wiped both hands over her face. “It's stupid. I
know
it's stupid.”

Liam's hand rested on the curve of her hip and the other held her hand in her lap. He stroked her fingers to get her to continue.

“When my mom got sick, she wanted to cook. Like all the time. Even when she was too weak. I cooked with her because it was important. I knew she needed to teach me in a way that I wouldn't listen to when I was a kid.” She sighed and settled her head on his shoulder.

“But I never actually ate with her. By the time the food was cooked, she was always worn out. I'd save a plate for her to eat later and I'd toss the rest.”

He remembered her talking about throwing out all of the food at Gus's wake. He'd thought it was wasteful, which was why he'd made individual portions. Now, he knew there was more to it. “Why?”

She sniffed, but still hadn't started crying. “I don't have a good relationship with food. I was a fat kid. It took until college to lose the weight and be able to control my life.”

He'd known her as a teen. While she was never model-thin, she hadn't been obese either.

“Coming back home, I was just so afraid that I'd fall into the trap again. My mom's favorite pastime was feeding people. It's how I grew up. I didn't want to be that fat kid again.”

“You weren't really fat. You know that, now, right?”

She snorted at him.

He shifted her so he could see her face. “You were a pretty teenager. All the kitchen staff—at least those under the age of thirty—talked about you. You were fun and full of life and your body was killer.” She started to look away, to dismiss what he said, so he grabbed her chin. “It's even hotter now. I don't know how some guy hasn't snatched you up.”

“I have no social life. Hard to meet guys when I've spent all of my time taking care of my dying mother.”

What about in the years since?
he wanted to ask, but didn't. The reason didn't matter.

She patted his cheek and then stroked along his beard. The idea of keeping the beard was growing on him. She stood. “I realized when I finally sat here to eat her food what a huge chance I missed out on with her. I should've eaten with her. I should've made every meal a big deal, but I was too selfish to see that.”

“Eat with me now then. Start fresh.”

A smile eased onto her face as she looked at his empty plate. “I think you finished.”

“I can suffer through another helping if it means you'll sit with me.”

She took his plate and filled it. When she returned to the table, he stood and grabbed her hips. The small gasp that escaped her lips urged him on. He lowered his lips to hers and brushed against them. Then he angled his head and nudged her lips apart, wanting to taste her.

He loved how soft and warm she was. He deepened the kiss on her sigh and pulled her body closer to his. His blood raced as his hands roamed over her curves. His dick perked up and his fingers dug into her hips before he released her. The look on her face gave him a sense of satisfaction. A lusty haze filled her eyes. He brushed his lips across hers one more time and then whispered, “You are all kinds of sexy.”

As they took their places back at the table, Liam came to the conclusion that while he was willing to take his time getting to know Carmen all over again, he would definitely push for more than friendship.

Carmen sat at the table and stared at her plate of food. A swarm of emotions rolled through her. Giddiness topped the list after Liam kissed her again. She couldn't quite process his words about her being sexy. Never in her life had she felt sexy. He made her want to believe.

The guilt and sadness over her parents hung on tightly. Liam seemed to understand, which was a blessing in itself.

He nudged her plate closer and she ate. For the first time in a long time, she ate a home-cooked, satisfying meal from her childhood, and she allowed herself to enjoy it. Tasting her dad's mole sauce made her wish for him to be standing at the stove over the stockpot making a new batch. She only hoped she could deliver on her promise to Liam, that she really could replicate the sauce.

Liam smiled at her over his plate, which he was nearly halfway finished with. Where the heck did he put all that food? She ate her mostly cold enchiladas and washed them down with her warming beer. At some point, she'd get this whole how-to-have-a-meal thing down. She wanted to be normal and not freak out about the calories or what her body looked like. Liam treated her like she was normal.

“What do you have planned for the rest of your night?”

His question made her heart pump double time. After the heat in his kiss, she had no idea what to expect from him. “Nothing. Maybe I'll finish painting, but I'm kind of tired. I don't know if I have the motivation. How about you?”

“I was supposed to be working tonight, so I have nothing going on. Want to go see a movie?”

“Uh . . .” Was this a date?

Liam reached over and took her hand. She loved the feel of his large, rough hand against hers. His was a sign of strength and competence. “Carmen, I like you. A lot. I'd like to go out with you. Judging by your reaction to our kiss, I think you'd like that too. But if you're not ready, say the word and I'll back off.”

Not ready? Had she ever been ready for any man, much less one that had this kind of effect on her? She licked her lips. “I don't know what ready feels like, but I like you too.”

“Is that a yes?”

“I guess it is.”

Liam smiled. An honest-to-God, real smile. The creases on the sides of his lips deepened and his eyes brightened. The beautiful sight captured her. She was so used to his serious countenance, and his half smiles, where he lifted one corner of his mouth, but this was something else. This smile was like a weapon. No wonder he didn't pull it out often.

She stood to clear the plates, but his hand covered hers. “I'll get these. You go get ready. I'll check movie times.”

She was hesitant to move her hand because she liked his there. “Okay.”

“Anything you want to see?”

“I'm not too picky, but nothing sad.”

He nodded and turned to the sink with the dishes. Carmen went to her room to pick out clothes. Nervous flutters hit her again. How was she supposed to dress for a date? Rosa would tell her to wear something tight that showed cleavage. Carmen rolled her eyes. It would be dark in the movie theater. Her clothing choices didn't matter. And this was Liam.

That thought led her to thinking about the end of the date. Would he want to spend the night? She didn't know if she was ready for that. In fact, she knew she wasn't. Jeans and a sweater and ugly underwear. That would make the decision to keep her clothes on easy. Undressing in front of a guy was hard enough for her—past experiences didn't do wonders for her self-esteem—but she would be mortified if a guy saw her ugly underwear.

After piling her hair on top of her head, she went to the bathroom to shower. Even after scrubbing, she still had a few paint streaks on her arms, but the rest of her was clean and relaxed. She dressed, applied makeup, and checked the time. She'd taken a little longer than she planned and hoped Liam didn't mind. She let her hair down and debated between adding curls or straightening it. Straightening would take longer, so she heated the curling iron and used it to add some waves. Satisfied, she shook her hair out and smiled at her reflection.

She found Liam in the living room, her laptop on the coffee table, and he had the TV on.

“Sorry I took so long.”

He looked up and the smile returned. “It was worth the wait.”

Wow. Just wow. He might not be much of a talker, but when he did, he knew what to say. “Thank you. Did you find a movie?”

He handed her a slip of paper. “I like this one.” He pointed to a romantic comedy that she'd been wanting to see.

“Really?” No man wanted to see a romcom.

“You said nothing sad. This fits the bill. Plus, we have extra time before it starts, so we can sit in the back row and make out.”

Now he thought like a typical man. And she liked the way his brain worked.

Hours later, Carmen sat in Liam's car wondering what would happen next. They had arrived at the movie theater early and while Liam had kissed her, they didn't have a full makeout session. He talked and asked questions about college and what she wanted to do with her life. Now, as they drove back to her house, she thought, W
hat next
?

When they walked to the car, he'd put his arm around her. He held her hand as he drove. And man, did she want to kiss him again. He pulled into the driveway and turned the car off. Her heart jolted. He didn't plan to just drop her off.

“Let me walk you to your door.”

She nodded and stepped out of the car. The temperature had dropped and the wind kicked her hair up. Liam met her on her side of the car and put his arm on her shoulder again. They walked to the door in silence. When she pulled out her keys, she said, “I had a really good time.”

“So did I.”

He stepped closer, placing one leg in between hers. A subtle shift in his weight and she wanted to cling to him. He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close as he lowered his mouth to her lips. He started slow and soft, but then his tongue sought hers.

He pressed her body against the door, cradling her head with his hand. Although she felt the cold air around them, her body was hot as her blood raced. This felt so good. She couldn't ever remember a time when a man had done this to her.

Liam eased away from her and she immediately missed his mouth. She tilted her head up, but he leaned his forehead against hers. “You should probably go in now.”