11. Daphne
Chapter Eleven
DAPHNE
After three days of cooking and baking for the resort guests, I felt better than I had in years. Mind you, the bar was so low on my well-being that it wasn’t hard to beat, but still. It felt good to feel useful, and it felt good to remember there were some things I could manage.
It said something that I felt that good despite how unnerved I was by the insanity of what had passed between Flynn and me during that stormy night. It was hard not to think about it. It was nearly impossible to forget when he was always around and always mouthwateringly handsome.
Take now, for example. Flynn was standing at the counter, picking up a piece of cheese Grant had sliced into giant chunks. When my eyes snagged on Flynn’s long fingers, I instantly recalled the feel of them. Inside me. My eyes—willful, disobedient, and greedy—traced the flex of his forearm as he lifted the cheese to his mouth.
Yeah, forearms. I thought Flynn’s forearms were totally hot. That was how bad I had it. I purposely took a moment to study Grant’s forearms from where he stood beside Flynn. He drained a glass of water and set it down. The flex of his forearms did nothing for me. It was actually kind of boring to stare at his forearms.
“I think Daphne should do it,” Cat said as she skipped into the kitchen and slid across the floor in her socks to stop at Flynn’s side.
Flynn tweaked her ponytail with his free hand. “Daphne should do what?”
“Stay on as the full-time chef,” Cat said blithely as if that made perfect sense.
Nora, whom apparently Cat had been talking with before she came into the kitchen, followed her in. “I’m not having much luck with applicants. You’re kind of an asshole sometimes,” she said, resting a hand on her hip and narrowing her eyes at Flynn. “Diamond Creek isn’t that big, and word travels. Marley at the ski lodge told me that Harry heard from the last woman you hired that you told her she was too slow.”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing when Nora’s eyes met mine as she winked. Grant snorted a laugh but offered no more.
“We all know you probably did, so don’t even bother arguing,” Nora added.
Flynn sighed. “I hope Harry didn’t hire her. They do a much faster business at the restaurant than we do. Tonya didn’t know how to hurry to save her life.”
“I’ll do it.” Those words just flew out of my mouth without my permission.
Flynn spun around, giving me an intent, searching look. “Aren’t you due to fly out at the end of this week?”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have to go back.”
I was suddenly flustered under Flynn’s gaze, which felt like an X-ray into my soul. Maybe I hadn’t planned on blurting that out, and maybe it was crazy. But maybe it was also exactly what I needed.
“Okay, princess, you’re hired,” he said flatly.