Read Stolen Desire (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #3) for Free Online Page B

been living off of microwave dinners for a while now.”
    “We'll change that. And this wok? It's supposed to be the best. We'll see if it lives up to the hype.” He fills the pot with water, sets it on the range, and turns on the flame. “First lesson? A gas range is crucial. With the open flame, you get more control over the temperature.”
    I have no idea why this is turning me on, but it is. I don't actually know anyone in LA who cooks their own food. Or who wants to cook their own food and does it well. If you have money for a house like this, you hire a chef. It's that simple.
    Kaidan grabs some vegetables from the fridge and pulls out a knife and a bamboo cutting board. He points to the vegetables: carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, sprouts, and onions. “Not my usual choices for this, but they'll work. You like all these?”
    I nod and pull up a stool from the other side of the counter to watch him work. “So… do you guys have staff? I haven't seen anyone.”
    “They work and live in the staff wing. Off the ballroom.”
    Staff wing. Of course. “Ah, so you do have a chef then.”
    “Yep. In fact, our first chef's the reason I started cooking.”
    “First chef?”
    “Yeah. Her name was Romana. Made the best Mexican food, but that's not what my father usually had her cook. She was with my family for over a decade. She used to let me hang out in here. Always took the time to show me how to do basic things. I realize now it must have made her work take a lot longer. I don't know how she had the patience for me.” He shakes his head.
    “Is she still…?”
    “No. Passed away while I was at boarding school.” He looks sad for a moment, but then quickly smoothes his expression to hide it.
    “I'm sorry.”
    Kaidan shrugs, dismissing the conversation. “Our current chef will be coming in soon to whip up enough food for the party tonight. So I better get going on this.” He holds up the knife. “Sharp, high quality knife. If you invest in one thing, it's a great knife and cutting board.”
    He chops the vegetables with precision and finesse. Who knew chopping an onion could be so sexy?
    He's good at hiding his emotions… sort of. Sometimes he acts cold and distant—sometimes warm and vulnerable. Maybe his asshole behavior is the act. Maybe there's a lot going on beneath the surface with him… but when he feels vulnerable, he swings in the other direction, acting however he needs to to hide his feelings. To hide his vulnerability. The thought makes my stomach flutter, makes me want to know who he really is. What’s he hiding beneath that carefully controlled exterior?
    But… maybe that's all just wishful thinking. Maybe he just has mood swings. Am I just trying to see what I want to see? Or is his moodiness the real him? After what I've been through with other guys, it's really hard to trust my intuition.
    Kaidan starts on the onion, cutting it in half. He takes one half and sets it in front of him. “You move the knife back and forth like this.” He shows me, rocking it smoothly, with total control, creating a perfectly even dice.
    “Wow. How long did you have to practice that?”
    He smirks. “A while. Come try.”
    I get off the stool, reluctant to make a fool of myself. I stand next to him and pick up the knife.
    “Let's see what you got.”
    I start hacking away at the vegetable and blush. My eyes tear up at the sting of the onion, and I can't even see what I'm doing. I'm making an ugly mess, like usual, so I stop. “Yeah, I think you should finish this.”
    “Nah, try again.” He brushes the onion-tears from the corner of my eye, a gentle smile on his face. Then he wraps his hand over mine, adjusting the knife for me, showing me how to hold it. My hand tingles where he touches me, and my heart speeds up again. I can't be anywhere near this man without losing my mind. Breathe, Hayley.
    Kaidan gets behind me, so his chest is right up against my back, and guides my hand in a back and forth motion.