She looked at him for a moment before she grinned. “No, I’ve been waiting for you to be the one to teach me the fine art of chopsticks.” She said sweetly and sarcastically. He brushed past her and tugged on her ponytail.
“Smart ass.” He reached into the bag of takeout and unpacked the food while she walked around and placed the dishes on the island. Once all the white cartons were lined up on the counter, he walked around and sat beside her on one of the stools. “So what do we have here?”
They opened the food cartons, Sam used a fork and Nick used chopsticks to fill their plates. Sam took notice to his likes and dislikes by what he piled onto his plate. He seemed to like anything with spice, helping himself to the General Tso’s Chicken and the beef with garlic sauce. He bypassed the Lo-Mein and the shrimp with lobster sauce, and for some reason she filed that in the back of her mind.
She took a bite of her food and watched out of the corner of her eye as he picked up some of the chicken with his chopsticks expertly. She chewed thoughtfully and once she swallowed, she looked at him. “Are you trying to impress me with your skills?” She asked teasingly as she loaded her fork proudly.
He didn’t look at her as he popped a piece of chicken into his mouth. “I think I’ve already impressed you with my skills.” He chewed to hide his smile.
She nearly choked on her Lo-Mein at his comment. She coughed and he offered her his beer to help it all go down, the devilish smirk firmly planted on his face. She took a gulp of his drink and then nudged him with her elbow. “Cheap shot, Foti.”
He shrugged and leaned back in his stool and stared at her amused. “Oh, so you’re not impressed with my skills? You were just waiting at my doorstep to have dinner with me?”
Her fork stopped midway towards her mouth. She looked over at him and because she was genuinely enjoying his company, she decided to throw him a bone. “Maybe that is why I came here, but for what it’s worth, I like having dinner with you, almost as much as I like your skills…” She let her sentence trail off as her cheeks reddened. She used her food as a distraction, and let her fork finally find its way to her mouth.
Nick watched her stare down at her food as she chewed trying not to make too much of her comment or the fact that she was blushing. He smiled and opted to leave it alone, not willing to risk waking the lioness. He leaned forward and reached for the un-open pair of chopsticks and took her free hand in his. She lifted her head and her eyes found his. He winked at her, asking silently for her to trust him as he laced her fingers with the chopsticks, positioning them just right. His hand guided hers and together they lifted a piece of chicken with the chopsticks and brought it to her lips. He smiled and removed his hand and without dropping the chicken she fed herself with the chopsticks.
She chewed and then licked the sauce at the corner of her mouth as she tried to grab another piece of food, this time by herself. Carefully and with a steady hand, she brought the food to her lips, smiling proudly as she chewed. He laughed at her and pushed his plate aside. She swallowed and reached for her napkin. “I take it you didn’t like it?” She asked, looking at his basically full plate. She knew he could eat, she’d seen him go to town more than once.
“No, I liked it. I’m not really hungry anymore.” He said in a raspy voice.
Sam was familiar with his tone and when she found the courage to meet his gaze, she knew the look in his eyes as well. He wanted her. She swallowed as her stomach clenched with desire. She pushed her plate away, just as he had. She looked down at her lap, feeling his gaze boring into her.
“You hardly wear your hair down.” He commented in a hushed tone. “How come?”
She shrugged her shoulders as his fingers toyed with the ends of her ponytail. “I’m always running late. It’s just easier.” She said softly before she looked over her shoulder and met his gaze. She bit down on her lower lip and slowly reached behind her head and freed her hair from the ponytail holder. Her hair fell, the golden locks cascading down her back. She shook her head slightly as she ran her fingers through her hair trying to tame it. She turned around and her eyes met his. She tucked some strands behind each of her ears and peered up at him from under her eyelashes.
Nick stood and moved to stand between her legs. His fingers combed through the silky golden strands and she closed her eyes at his touch. He bent his head and brushed his lips lightly against hers. “Sam…” He whispered against her mouth.
“Hmm?” She croaked, opening her eyes just the slightest bit.
He bent his knees so that his eyes were level with hers. He watched as she opened her eyes fully, meeting his stare. “I’m not letting you run away from me tonight.”
“I’m not running.” She whispered.
“Not even when we’re done.” He warned in a gruff tone. He gaged her reaction to his demand.
He saw the nerves begin to consume her and watched as she battled her conscience.