Read Need You Tonight for Free Online Page A

but dammit, she couldn’t think of anything she needed more
     right now than to let go like that.
    “I’m very hungry,” she said finally.
    His eyes lit with satisfaction. “Well, far be it from me to deny you a meal.” He extended
     his hand. “Come on, I still owe you a little Cooking 101 lesson.”
    She took his hand and let him lead her to the stove, feeling as if she’d crossed some
     portal she couldn’t walk back through, like if she turned around now, there’d only
     be mirrored glass to tap. They both knew what tonight was about now. No pretenses.
     But apparently, he was still going to hold to his promise of teaching her how to cook.
     He grabbed a bottle of olive oil and a bowl of what looked to be nuts and set them
     on the tiled counter. He picked up one of the nuts and lifted it to her lips. Dutifully,
     she opened her mouth and let him slide it in. He took his time pulling his fingers
     back, letting them casually brush her lips.
    “These are blanched almonds,” he explained, his tone soft in the quiet night. “They
     won’t have much flavor yet since we haven’t toasted or salted them. But I want you
     to get an idea of what they taste like before. It’s an important step. Taste your
     ingredients and your cooking throughout the process so you can adjust seasonings as
     you go.”
    She crunched the mostly tasteless almond and swallowed, trying to concentrate on the
     lesson and not the way his deep voice was seeping inside her and dialing up her internal
     thermostat.
Focus
. “Why are they blanched?”
    “It provides a better surface for the seasonings and they look nicer in a bowl. We
     serve these on every table with the manchego.” He turned on the burner beneath a small
     skillet on the stove then handed her the bottle of olive oil. “We’ll need about three
     tablespoons of oil.”
    She scanned the utensils on the counter. “I need a measuring spoon.”
    He smiled. “Don’t have any of those up here, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Cooking
     is a lot about feel and developing your instincts. Trusting yourself. A tablespoon
     is roughly one swirl around the pan. Do three of those.”
    Though she was a little nervous she’d somehow manage to screw up the simplest of recipes,
     she followed his instructions and poured the oil into the pan. “Is that enough?”
    “Yep, now wait for the oil to shimmer a little and then you can dump the almonds in.
     Extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point. It can burn or catch fire quicker than
     other oils, so don’t use it on too high of a heat and put your ingredients in before
     it starts smoking.”
    She felt like she was the one with the low smoke point. A few more touches and heated
     glances from him and she was sure she’d catch flame, too.
    When the oil started to glisten and slide easily around the pan, he gave her a little
     nod, and she poured the almonds in. He stepped behind her, put a hand to her waist,
     and reached around to give the nuts a quick stir with a wooden spoon to coat them.
     The smell of fruity olive oil filled her nose, but all she could think about was Van
     pressed against her back. He was so much bigger than she was—not in the bulky way
     like Doug had been—but tall and lean and honed. It made her feel petite and feminine
     in his hold.
    She swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat. “Now what?”
    “Now we wait for them to get fragrant and golden.” He set the spoon down and turned
     her around in his arms, shifting the two of them away from the hot stove. “And we
     taste.”
    He picked up the olive oil again and drizzled some on his fingers. She watched in
     fascination as some dripped to the ground like green-gold raindrops.
    “People usually think of Italy for olive oil, but Spain produces some of the finest
     stuff out there. Good enough to sip like wine.” He lifted his hand to her mouth then
     ran slick fingers over her lips. “Or to kiss off of a beautiful woman.”
    Before she