Chapter 146
[ 489 words ]
Chapter 146:
He didn’t wait for an answer. He snatched her plate off the counter, grabbed his own, and dumped the entire disaster directly into the stainless-steel trash can.
Caroline couldn’t hold it back anymore. She burst into a fit of loud, breathless laughter. She leaned over the counter, her shoulders shaking with genuine joy.
Jarrod glared at her. His face was dark with embarrassment, but as he watched her laugh, the irritation slowly melted into a look of helpless, indulgent affection.
Caroline wiped a tear from her eye. She slid off the stool and walked around the island.
She stopped right in front of him. She reached out and smoothly untied the knot of the black apron at his waist.
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“The kitchen is clearly not your battlefield, Colonel,” Caroline teased gently. “Let me take over.”
As she worked, he spoke, his voice a low grumble.
“In the field, we operate on MREs,” Jarrod stated, his tone defensive. “Standardized nutrition. Cooking is an inefficient allocation of resources.”
Jarrod stepped back, letting her pull the apron off him. He leaned his hip against the counter and watched her move.
Caroline opened the massive refrigerator. She pulled out fresh eggs, thick-cut bacon, and a handful of spinach. She moved with practiced, efficient grace, cracking the eggs into a glass bowl with one hand.
“Where did you learn to cook like that?” Jarrod asked. His voice was quiet, studying her every move.
Caroline’s hand paused for a fraction of a second. She kept her eyes focused on the whisk. She couldn’t tell him the truth—that her father was a government contractor working in high-stress data analysis, and he cooked purely to relieve the agonizing pressure of his classified work.
She slipped seamlessly into her cover story.
“My father always wanted to open a restaurant,” Caroline said, her voice dropping into a soft, nostalgic tone. “He grew up with nothing. He didn’t have a fancy degree, but he understood food. He used to stand in our tiny kitchen and turn the cheapest ingredients into magic.”
She poured the eggs into the hot pan.
“He died in a sudden, tragic accident before he could save enough money,” Caroline added quietly.
Jarrod pushed off the counter. He walked up right behind her.
He didn’t say a word. He simply wrapped his left arm around her waist from behind, his right arm remaining carefully still at his side. He pulled her back until her spine rested flush against his hard chest. He rested his chin gently on the top of her shoulder.
The physical weight of his embrace was incredibly grounding. It was a silent, powerful shield.
“If he could see you now,” Jarrod murmured against her skin, his voice vibrating through her chest, “he would be incredibly proud.”
Caroline’s breath hitched. She let her body relax completely against his warmth.
Jarrod tightened his left arm around her, drawing her closer. He believed he was holding a woman who had fought her way up from nothing. His protective instincts roared in his blood.
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