And for her, Sera knew, there was no greater aphrodisiac.
She shook the colander of any excess water before scooping out a portion for herself and the waiting sauce she’d made for it. Although she still struggled with food, especially in the morning, by the time dinner rolled around, she was always hungry and had seemingly gotten rid of that day’s roiling stomach acid.
Pasta had been one of her steady cravings over the past few weeks, so she’d taken to making extra and preparing a cold salad with it for the next day’s lunch. It wasn’t perfect, but it seemed to be working, and her doctor hadn’t felt the food was problematic, especially when she’d assured her ob-gyn that she was adding vegetables to the mix.
With dinner in hand, she headed for the small kitchen nook to eat just as a heavy knock came on her front door.
Sera set her plate down on the drop-leaf table nestled in the corner of her kitchen and headed for the foyer. Her apartment wasn’t huge, but she had some space in her oversize one-bedroom corner unit, courtesy of an uncle who owned the building and had given her a good deal since she’d graduated from college.
Anyone defending my city deserves to live in a good, safe space while doing it, Uncle Enzo had intoned as he handed over her rental contract.
She half expected it would be him and Aunt Robin at the door, their occasional drop-ins always welcome.
Only to find Gavin on the other side.
“Hi.”
He stood there in her doorway, his shoulders set, and her stomach gave an involuntary flip. Damn, why was he so attractive? Tall, broad and extremely fit from the work he did.
All of which was appealing, but had nothing on the smile that lifted the edges of his lips. A small bouquet filled his hands, and despite his solid bearing, she could see the slightest hint of nerves in the way his foot tapped lightly on the ground.
“Hey.” She fought the small smile of her own that threatened to undermine her attempts at being aloof.
“I’m sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no bother.” She stepped back, extending a hand to allow him in. “Though I am curious how you found me. I work for the DA’s office. I don’t keep my address in public databases.”
“I live in the eternally up-to-date database that is Sunset Bay, Brooklyn.” When she must have given him a curious look, Gavin added, “Once I knew your last name, I put two and two together. Your uncle, Enzo Forte, is my landlord. I saw him coming into my building this evening with your aunt and some of their friends and mentioned we were working together.”
“My uncle gave you my address?”
“I told him I was a pompous jerk during our first meeting, and I owed you an apology. Your aunt couldn’t rush fast enough to give me your address.” He held out a hand. “She told me you like Gerbera daisies, too.”
“I do.”
She took the bouquet—a solid peace offering yet not so large as to appear pompous or as if the flowers could solve everything—and gestured toward the kitchen. “I was about to eat some dinner. Would you care to join me?”
“You don’t mind?”
Since she’d already invited him, she just shot him a look and headed for the kitchen and the small pitcher she kept on her windowsill. In a matter of minutes, she had the colorful daisies in the pitcher, settled on the edge of the table where they sat across from each other.
He’d taken the portion of pasta she was going to use for tomorrow’s lunch, and as she saw him settle his napkin on his lap, Sera had to admit to herself she didn’t mind.
She didn’t mind at all.
The pasta wasn’t much, but Gavin dug into it like a starving man. If she expected him to complain that her vegetable and herb-filled sauce was missing meat, she soon realized she wasn’t going to get it.
Instead, she got the opposite.
“This is really good.”
“Thanks.” She took a sip of her club soda before returning to their earlier topic. “My aunt and uncle really told you where I live?”
“I’ll admit to some surprise on that front as well, but I guess I ooze trust.” He grinned at her, that bright flash broad and wide. “It also helps I rented right out of the academy in their building over on Eleventh. They have my credit score, my phone number and my address. You know, basically it’s like they know how to hunt me down.”
“I suppose they could.”
And while she did get the local connection, it was clear she needed to give her aunt Robin a bit of a drubbing on sharing personal information like that.
“The moment I saw them I made the connection with their last name. And then once I mentioned us working together on the task force, that clinched the deal.”
Since Sera could also imagine the twinkle that no doubt had lit up her aunt’s eyes, she opted to shift the conversation.
“Is your pasta hot enough?”
Although she’d intended the question as a kindness, all it really served to do was show her extreme nerves at his presence in her kitchen. One that had felt a heck of a lot larger before he arrived than it did now.
“The temperature is fine. It’s not really why I’m here, though I’ll never turn down dinner with a beautiful woman.”
“Flattery?”
“Is it working?”
She didn’t want to be flattered by the compliment. Even worse, she didn’t want to be caught up in him again or the cute banter that was stamped full of notes of appreciation and...notice.
Wasn’t that how all this had started? That compelling gaze and ability to make her feel as if she was the only woman in the world?
“I also didn’t come here to give you a line,” he continued, smoothly shifting gears. “I came to give you the apology you most definitely deserve.”
