Chapter 145
[ 484 words ]
Chapter 145:
Caroline looked down at the ruined egg. She picked up her silver fork and knife. She took a deep breath and sliced off a piece of the burnt edge.
She put it in her mouth and chewed.
A horrific, chemical explosion of pure sodium assaulted her taste buds. It was so incredibly salty that it tasted bitter. The burnt texture felt like chewing on gravel.
Her jaw locked instantly. Her stomach did a violent flip. Her eyes watered from the sheer shock of the taste.
Jarrod saw her freeze. His thick eyebrows pulled together.
“What is it?” Jarrod asked, his voice tight with sudden anxiety. “Are they undercooked?”
Caroline looked up. She saw the rare, unguarded vulnerability in his eyes. She remembered his cramped legs on the sofa. She remembered the six bags of expensive clothes.
This terrifying, powerful man was trying to take care of her in the only clumsy way he knew how.
Caroline’s defenses cracked just a fraction of an inch. She realized that in his rigid, commanding world, this absurd effort was likely his highest form of showing favor.
She forced her throat to open. She swallowed the toxic bite of egg. It burned all the way down to her stomach.
She grabbed the mug of black coffee and took a massive gulp, letting the bitter liquid wash the salt away.
𝗠𝗼re 𝗇𝗈𝘃е𝘭𝗌 𝘰𝘯 𝗀а𝘭𝗻𝘰𝘃е𝘭ѕ.𝗰𝗈𝗆
She set the mug down. She looked Jarrod directly in the eyes and flashed him a bright, beautiful smile.
“It has a very unique flavor,” Caroline lied smoothly, not breaking eye contact. “I really like it.”
The tension instantly drained out of Jarrod’s shoulders. A look of immense, arrogant pride washed over his sharp features.
He lifted his chin slightly. “It is just a matter of heat control. Once you understand the thermal dynamics of the pan, it is simple.”
Caroline suppressed a groan. She kept the smile plastered on her face. She cut another piece of the salty, burnt egg and lifted it to her mouth.
She chewed quickly, praying her kidneys would survive this breakfast.
Caroline braced herself and prepared to swallow the third bite of the toxic egg.
Jarrod stood across the island. He watched the subtle, pained tightening of the muscles around her eyes. His military instincts finally kicked in. Something was wrong.
He reached over to the wooden knife block, pulled out a clean silver fork with his left hand, and lunged across the marble counter.
Before Caroline could react, Jarrod stabbed a large piece of the egg from her plate and shoved it directly into his own mouth.
Time stopped.
Jarrod’s handsome face violently contorted. His eyes widened in absolute horror. The sheer volume of salt hit his tongue like a chemical weapon.
He grabbed Caroline’s water glass and chugged the freezing ice water in three massive gulps, desperately trying to scrub the burning sensation from his throat.
He slammed the glass down on the counter. He stared at her, completely appalled.
“How the hell were you eating that?” Jarrod demanded, his voice rough.
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