Since he’d been a young boy, Alex had always turned his nose up at the idea of leftovers. He believed plates should be cleared of food. Each meal should be freshly made from scratch the next mealtime.
But with Jan’s pies, no two ever came out exactly the same. She’d add something new each time, changing the dish slightly. Enough so that he couldn’t wait to taste what came out of the oven next.
Alex left his mental reverie and looked up when he heard laughter from up high. And there she was.
Jan came down the stairs with Esme at her side. Relief rushed through him at the sight of her. Then warmth flooded him as he got a good look.
Jan looked—quite simply—stunning. Alex couldn’t take his eyes off her. He could hardly keep his eyes on her as his gaze traveled down from her chest to her hips. He hadn’t noticed her curves before. They were always hidden beneath an apron.
She wore a dress that stopped just above her knees. They journey down to her feet was a long, shapely trek. Before now, Jan’s legs were always hidden beneath long pants. Her feet had always been in sensible flat shoes. Today her legs stretched on into tomorrow and were lifted up by heels.
A throat cleared and Alex looked up into his soon to be sister’s smug grin. Alex straightened his spine and wiped his features clear of emotion. It was too late.
“Am I overdressed?” Jan asked, frowning down at him as she stepped down the last few stair steps.
Alex opened his mouth. Sounds came out but no intelligible words.
Jan looked to Esme. “Did he say underdressed?”
“You’re perfect,” he mumbled. Of course, she not only heard but also understood him that time.
A pretty flush spread across her rosy cheeks, and her gaze dipped. If a compliment did that to her every time, he’d have to give her more. For now, he held out his arm, and she took it.
“You kids don’t stay out late,” Esme called after them. “Who am I kidding, stay out as long as you like.”
They walked the hall in silence. Alex was conscious of his strides, making sure they weren’t too long and would outmatch hers. Jan’s fingers tensed and released at his bicep, which Alex was subconsciously flexing.
Finally, they reached his car. He opened the door for Jan and deposited her in the passenger seat. He took lon
g strides around to the driver’s side to join her.
“Sorry that took so long,” she said once they were on the road. “Esme insisted on the new dress.”
“It was worth the wait.”
Jan shook her head slowly, but he didn’t miss the flush creeping once again across her cheeks. “You don’t have to say things like that. No one’s around.”
“I mean it. I may be a lot of things, but a liar isn’t one of them.”
“An exaggerator, maybe? I know I’m not a model.”
“Definitely not.”
The light pink turned a deeper shade of red as she turned and glared.
“Now, don’t murder me just yet. What I mean is, I’ve dated my fair share of models so I can speak with some authority. The stereotype about them is largely true. They’re beautiful on the outside with no substance on the inside.”
The red was fading from her cheeks, and the pink was starting to blossom again.
“You’re like a pie,” Alex continued. “Beautiful golden exterior. But prick it, and that’s where all the good stuff is.”
He was quite pleased with his analogy. He could tell that Jan was too. She’d turned away to hide her bashful grin, but he caught sight of it in the side view mirror.
“Did they teach you that charm at prince school?” she said.
“As a matter of fact, yes. Charming pretty pie makers was my thesis.”
Alex made a right turn after leaving the castle gates. It was a nice enough day to have the top down, but he much preferred to have a conversation with Jan as they drove to their destination. So he kept the top up on the convertible.