Annie opened her mouth to ask what had gone wrong between him and his ex-wife, but then thought better. He would no doubt ask her the same question, and she wasn’t ready to answer it.
“What’s on the menu, Cowboy? Are you cooking for me?”
“’Fraid not. I’m not really a cook. My housekeeper prepared us a gourmet feast though. It’s in the fridge waiting for us to heat it up. I sent her home early.”
“You mean we’re alone.”
“Just you and me, Doc.”
“Well, then…do you think your housekeeper’s feast will wait until tomorrow night?”
“Sure.”
“Good. Tonight I’m cooking for you, Cowboy.”
“Annie, I didn’t invite you over here for that.”
“Why’d you invite me then? To get me in the sack?”
His lazy grin lit up his face. “Well, if I told you the thought hadn’t crossed my mind, you’d know I was lying.”
“True.”
“But that’s not the only reason I invited you. I like you. We don’t have to go to bed.”
“Oh, we don’t?”
“Not if you don’t want to.”
“I’m thinking that I do, but first I want to cook you dinner.”
“Cooking is work, Doc. I don’t want you to work tonight.”
“Cooking isn’t work, Cowboy. It’s art.”
“You just cooked me breakfast this morning.”
“So?”
Dallas chuckled. “Hard to argue with that logic.”
She gave him a friendly punch.
“I have no idea what kind of food is in the house, though,” he said.
“I can work with just about anything. Lead me to the kitchen and we’ll have a look.”
“Oh!” Annie couldn’t help squealing. Dallas’s kitchen was the size of a small ballroom. Silvery granite countertops surrounded sharp stainless steel appliances. Oak hardwood graced the floor. “You brought me to this house and had no intention of letting me use this incredible kitchen? You’ll pay for that one.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You’ll have to.” Annie ran her hands over the smooth silver finish of the Viking cooktop. “I’m busy having an orgasm over this stove.”
She turned to the stainless steel refrigerator and opened the freezer door. “Hmm. Beef, beef, and more beef. I’m seeing a pattern here.”
“I’m a beef rancher, Doc.”
“I suppose you have a larger freezer full of beef in the basement?”