"That’s because they’re really good Luke," I stupidly say. Oh shit, shit. Why, am I saying all of this? What the hell is wrong with me? Just shut up Ash, shut the hell up.
"Here," he says, holding out a fork to me, full of what looks like scrambled eggs.
I take the fork from his hand, our fingers brushing. I can see that my hand is shaking. I don’t know if he sees it, he’s too busy looking at my face. He watches as I take the fork from his hand and put it in my mouth. Oh wow, it’s amazing. So creamy and tasty, I can’t help the moan that escapes my lips.
He laughs again. "Good then?"
I can only nod because I’m too busy getting another serving of the eggs. I’m glad I don’t normally have breakfast.
He takes the fork from my hand. "Okay, hold up, you need to try them all first," he says before putting the same fork into his mouth.
I sit there just staring at him. Watch as he takes the fork from my hand and puts this same fork in his mouth. The same fork I just used to eat from. I feel my stomach flip and I know it’s definitely not from the eggs.
When he takes this same fork, gets some of the next dish and holds it out to me, my stomach positively rolls. I reach out to take it, but my hands are still shaking, badly. I grip my coffee instead, trying to force them to stop with the burning heat.
Now I know he notices.
"Here," he says softly, as he gestures the fork towards my mouth.
His eyes watch me intently and I feel trapped in his gaze, unable to move. I have no other option, so I just lean in and let him feed me.
This time something shorts out in my brain. I don’t know if it’s from the food he’s given me or the fact that he’s fed me or both. Whatever it is, I like it. I like all of it.
The dish is a frittata and it’s full of roasted vegetables and some gorgeous tasting cheese. The fork that has just been in his mouth is once again in mine. It’s almost like he’s letting me taste him, as though we’re tasting each other. When I take the food, I watch Luke, as he watches my mouth and I keep watching him as he slides the fork out. This time I notice his eyes darken.
Already, this is driving me crazy and we’re only getting started.
He smiles at me again. "Good?" he asks and I don’t even know where to begin.
I nod and take another sip of coffee, holding the mug in both hands. I watch as Luke takes a bite of the second dish, tasting what he’s just given me. Tasting me too. He moves onto the next dish and again he feeds it to me. Again he watches me as I taste it, and again he tastes the food after me. Then he moves on to the next one.
There are eight plates in total and by the end of it, I feel like I’m drunk.
After the last dish, when Luke has tasted some of it, he puts the fork down, takes a sip of coffee, looks at me and asks, "So, what do you think?"
I think my eyes have glazed over. I think my brain has completely switched off and exited the building. I’m licking my lips, trying to savour all of the flavours he’s given me, trying to work out exactly what has just happened. I’m trying to get the butterflies that have suddenly taken up residence in my stomach, to slow down.
They won’t.
And all Luke does is look at me with those dark blue eyes, smile questioningly and ask, "Did you like any of them?"
I groan, I can’t help it and Luke lets out a soft laugh when I do.
"All of them," I finally say. "All of them are amazing."
His smile is bigger now and he hands the fork back to me. "Great, finish them off for me and we’ll put them all on the menu."
I do. I finish them. Luke grabs another fork now and helps. We sit there in comfortable silence sharing the food he’s made. The food that’s sending my taste buds to heaven and back. The same food he’s just fed to me. As I sit there watching him eat, a crazy thought enters my head. I suddenly wonder what it would be like to really taste him. What he would taste like if I just leant over and kissed him. I’m distracted by the thought and our fingers brush against each other as we reach for the same dish. It sends strange sensations up my arm and when I sneak a look to see if Luke has felt it too, he’s intently watching his fork, but he’s smiling.
Shit, I think Mia must have said something to him after all.
∞
When I got together with Sam, I desperately wanted everyone else to like him too. I really wanted my Dad and Seth to like him and more than that, I wanted Sam to like them.
We’d been together for about eight weeks when I decided I’d better introduce him to everyone. I knew Seth was back in town on leave, so I arranged for us to go down to Providence and for me to get this whole introduction thing over and done with.