“I’m sure you have the best view. Isn’t that your style?” She couldn’t help herself. She’d said that with just a bit of scorn.
He looked at her questioningly, but he didn’t comment.
She knew she needed to tone it back a little. She was now used to having him open car doors, so she waited until he came around to her side, then she took his hand as he helped her out.
They stepped into a hallway that led to an enormous kitchen. A kitchen with the dream equipment of every chef in the world. Professional or wannabe.
“Do you cook more than just steaks on a grill?” she asked, a little in awe. He was more versatile than she’d imagined of such a guy.
“I’m actually a fantastic cook, which is why I decided to bring you here. How do lobster rolls and chowder sound?”
Her stomach rumbled at the words. “Fantastic.”
“Do you want the tour first, or are you more interested in a little food?”
“I don’t need a tour right now,” she told him. She was somehow able to pull away and walk over to the adjoining dining room, where large windows showed off the excellent view he’d been boasting about. “Impressive,” she had to confess.
“It’s why I bought the property. I love the water. Go on it every chance I get. Maybe after lunch I can talk you into a boat ride.”
“It’s a bit chilly today,” she said. She would have loved to take that boat ride, but she had to remind herself that she wasn’t really dating this man. It was all for payback. Payback … Why had the idea of exacting revenge somehow lost a lot of its appeal? Was she going soft?
“Seattle weather turns on a dime. Let’s have a little bit to eat and see how it feels afterward. Let me make you a drink, and you can either come into the kitchen and watch me work, or you can enjoy the deck.”
He made her an iced mint green tea with an alcoholic twist, which was both refreshing and had just the right amount of a kick to it to help her nerves. She wanted so much to sit in the kitchen and watch him. But she wanted it far too much, so she decided to wander out to the deck, if only to save her sanity.
The cool breeze had her quickly coming back inside, though. Nope. No boating any time in the near future.
Sitting down at the large kitchen island, she watched as Tyler played the part of a “Chopped” chef. They soon had large lobster rolls and hot chowder sitting before them.
“Do you want to eat here or over in the dining room?”
“Here’s fine. I like this island. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite so large.”
“I like big things; I’ve got a lot of them,” he said as he set a plate and bowl before her.
Elena was praying that what he’d whipped up wouldn’t be delicious, because Tyler didn’t need anything more about him to make him seem even more perfect. But her first bite into the lobster roll ruined that hope. Yummmm.
“Okay, I don’t want to admit it, but you do know how to cook,” she told him as she wiped the corner of her mouth delicately with a linen napkin.
“I get tired of going out, so about ten years ago, I bought a dozen cookbooks and took some classes to help teach me. I caught on fast. Some people like to do it; some don’t. I find cooking enjoyable. Calming, in fact.”
“Most men wouldn’t admit to that Tyler.”
“Hey! The best cooks out there are men,” he told her with a wink. “Like Gordon Ramsey.”
“Of course. A sad fellow with an ego problem who shouts at everyone and doesn’t even wear underwear. That got the poor guy burned. But point proven,” she shot back, a real smile slipping past her.
“Ah, but when people taste his masterpieces, they don’t care about his attitude.”
“I care. I refuse to buy anything that man has his name on.”
“You hold quite a grudge against people who you don’t find worthy, don’t you?” he said with that analytical look in his eyes again.
Elena panicked. If he figured this out before she carried through on her plans, she would be left the victim once again. No, no, no. That couldn’t happen.
“Even the noblest of people can hold a grudge,” she said with a laugh, like it was all nothing but a joke. “But I consider myself pretty mellow.”
“I don’t know if I can agree with that. I’ll need a little more time to figure you out, Elena. Not that I’ll consider any of it wasted.”
They finished lunch and Elena excused herself. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror for quite some time while she tried to talk herself out of going through with her plan.
But as she looked at her reflection, the woman gazing back at her wasn’t the same young kid she’d once been. Tyler had stolen something from her in her youth, and then he’d slapped her back down again when she was at another vulnerable stage in her life. It wasn’t right. He deserved to suffer.
Squaring her shoulders, then undoing a couple of buttons on her blouse, Elena decided it was now or never.
“Let the games begin,” she whispered, despite the sadness that was filling her.
Then she went to find Tyler.
Chapter Thirteen
When Elena returned to the kitchen, her nosebleed heels clicked on the tile floor as she sauntered toward him. Damn, Tyler loved the way her legs looked in those sexy shoes, and he loved how her hips were swinging as she moved closer. How could he help but pant like a pathetic dog as she glided slowly and inexorably toward him?
He couldn’t miss that some buttons were now undone on her shirt, and his gaze fastened on the bit of cleavage on display that hadn’t been visible earlier. Something was happening here, but what it was wasn’t exactly clear. He saw a new purpose in Elena’s eyes, a major change since he’d picked her up a few hours ago.