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mind’s visit down that dark road is
now piqued.”
    Aidan’s cheeks burned when the image
of his naked body surfaced once again. “Never mind.” No way would
she ever reveal those daydreams, not even for a repeat of that
kiss. “Are you going to help me or not? We’ll make a basic Béchamel
sauce.” She handed him an onion from a wicker basket. “Please
finely chop a quarter of this for me.”
    “ And the point of this
exercise?” He pushed off from the refrigerator. “I usually order my
food out.”
    “ Of course you do, but
this is simple. This will show you I’m serious about cooking and
why I’d like to use magic to help me with it.” She cut off two
tablespoons of butter then snagged a small saucepan from the
hanging rack above the island. “I’ve got a couple of chicken
breasts in the oven for dinner.”
    “ I believe you’ve
misunderstood me.” Matteus separated the onion from its skin. “My
interest is not in your kitchen skills. I’m here to see if you’ll
injure yourself with your magic.”
    “ I won’t, but if it comes
to that, you have my permission to take power away or forbid me
from practicing. Whatever.” Aidan sighed in frustration. “Either
way, I’ll continue on the way I have my whole life. Working in an
office by day, attempting to cook by night.” She dropped the butter
pat into the pot on the burner and waited as it slowly
melted.
    “ Alone and unfulfilled?”
Though he’d said he ordered out, his knife skills were impressive
as he cut the vegetable.
    She glared at him. “No.” Marching back
to the island, she grabbed the milk carton and yanked another
saucepan down from the rack. “I’m perfectly happy, thank
you.”
    His grin was smug. “I never mentioned
you were unhappy.” He brought the onion to the stove and dropped it
into the pot with the butter. “It’s interesting you made a point to
defend your psyche to me.”
    The second saucepan plunked onto
another burner. Flipping the dial, she waited until the blue flame
appeared then she added a cup of milk to the pot. “A life alone was
enough for Aunt Hettie and it’s just fine for me.” Aidan stood
beside him, her body rigid in the attempt to not touch him.
Watching Matteus from the corner of her eye, she admired his easy
grip on the wooden spoon, the way a few wisps of brown hair
sprinkled the back of his hand.
    “ That’s unfortunate.” He
stirred the bits of onion. “A woman like you shouldn’t journey
through life without someone to appreciate her.”
    Aidan’s heart beat an erratic rhythm.
She pulled a white porcelain canister toward her, dismayed that her
hand shook. She removed the lid and sprinkled a couple tablespoons
of flour over the onions in his saucepan. “Why would you say that?”
The heat from the stove was nothing compared to the heat he
generated within her. If she spent any more time in close proximity
with him, she would burst into flames.
    Matteus glanced at her. “Women were
designed to be worshipped, to be held in the highest esteem.” He
moved the spoon through the flour mixture. “Don’t you crave the
touch of a loving man, to feel the gentle caress of someone’s
fingers over your skin, to be joined intimately with a man who
adores you?”
    “ I had that once, but the
only thing he wanted was to control me, use me as his own personal
housekeeper and cook.” Aidan licked her dry lips. “If that’s what
having a man means, I want no part of it.” A bitter laugh escaped
from her throat.
    “ What’s funny?”
    “ The joke was on him. I’m
a better housekeeper than a cook. Eventually, he left. Said he
couldn’t get the taste of charcoal out of his mouth.” She turned
her attention to the milk. Tiny bubbles formed along the edges.
Turning the burner off, she fumbled in a drawer to her right for a
whisk. “Watch out, this is hot.”
    Matteus stepped aside as she poured
the scalding milk into the first saucepan. “You have missed out on
much in your life, Aidan.