If he’d thought he was in trouble before, he was in even bigger trouble now.
He was starting to understand why she was so good at dog training. That raised eyebrow alone made him want to take refuge in the crate.
“Harriet—”
“You’ve had your say, now it’s my turn.” She turned the heat off under the pot and lifted a deep bowl from the cabinet. “If you think me cooking myself something to eat in your apartment is a sign that I’m making a move on you, then you’ve definitely misread the situation.”
That was becoming abundantly clear. “Perhaps I should—”
“Firstly, I signed up for online dating not because I am desperate to meet a man but as part of Challenge Harriet. Between now and Christmas, I’m trying to challenge myself to do things I find difficult. Dating is something I find difficult. It’s about me, not you. Nothing to do with you.” She spooned the thick, fragrant casserole into the deep bowl and then carved herself a hunk of bread, the movements of the knife so vigorous that if he hadn’t already realized he’d upset her, he would have then. It made him relieved he had chosen to speak from a safe distance.
“If we could maybe—”
“Secondly, why would you assume this meal is for you? Women do cook for themselves you know. You think when we’re on our own we sob into a lonely bowl of cereal? This may come as a surprise, but cooking isn’t something we only do when there is a man around.” She took a plate and a spoon from one of his cupboards, added both to her tray with a clatter.
It was the most inviting, perfect-smelling, stomach teasing, tray of food he’d ever seen in his life.
Ethan had to stop himself ripping it from her hand.
“Thirdly,” she said, as she added a glass of water to the tray, “even if that part of Challenge Harriet hadn’t ended and I was still thinking of dating someone, you would be right at the bottom of my list.”
“Why?” He asked the question before he could stop himself.
“Why what?”
“Why would I be at the bottom of your list? Plenty of women would consider a doctor to be a catch.” It was clear from the look she gave him that she wasn’t one of them.
“If I’m sick, I need a doctor. If I’m dating, I need a man who interests me. That’s not you.”
Ouch.
“Just because I’m a doctor, doesn’t mean I can’t be interesting. That still doesn’t tell me why I’d be at the bottom of your list.”
“You’re the guy who yelled and made me stammer for the first time in years. I had it under control, so what you did was quite an achievement. And yes, I do realize I’m responsible for my own feelings and reactions, my soon-to-be-sister-in-law is a psychologist so I’m an expert on all that, but feelings and reactions need triggers and you were one hell of a trigger, Dr. Black. A date with you would be my idea of torture.”
“You don’t seem to be having much trouble with fluency right now.”
“That’s because I’m the one who is mad. I don’t stammer when I’m mad, only when someone else is mad.”
“So you’re allowed to be mad, but I’m not? How is that fair?”
“Life isn’t fair, Dr. Black. And I can’t believe this is the first time anyone has pointed that out to you.”
Without waiting for a reply, she headed for the stairs.
As she passed him, the most glorious aroma of herbs and red wine teased his senses. Right now he would have paid a month’s salary for the food on that tray. He had to stop himself grabbing it.
“Wait—where are you going?”
“Given that you seem to have a problem with me being in your apartment, I’m taking my food to my room.”
“You don’t have to do that. There’s a perfectly good table here, and the dog likes you being around.”
“Right now I’d prefer my own company. And if you call Madi ‘the dog’ one more time I’m taking her back to my apartment.” She walked away without looking back, leaving him with hunger pangs and the option of groveling or calling for takeout.
CHAPTER TWELVE
HARRIET PUT THE tray down on the desk in the bedroom, but didn’t touch it.