In Her Sleep

Tempting

The sharp sizzling sound of vegetables frying and a sweet aroma coming from it, fills up the brightly lit open cooking area.

Caleb has never enjoyed cooking as much as he does now. The heat coming from the burning wood acting as the perfect reason he is enjoying this so much. Shirt all wet, hairs sticking to the sweat drenched soft skin, chest heaving every time she moves back and forth the cooking area. 

"Are you sure you don't need any help?" He whispers right into her ear, startling her a bit.

"Nope I'm good." She replies as she wipes a trail of sweat from her brow going down the side of her face. 
"Here then." He holds up his glass of juice to her beautiful lips and gives her a drink.

"Thanks." She replies with a shy smile.

"By the way, something is burning." He says while he sips on his drink after she's done. 

"Oh crap." She jumps away from him and rushes to check on whatever she left cooking making him laugh. 

He spent the last half hour offering his help but she is bent on getting this dish ready without his help. Something she called a practical lesson she needs to master.
He smiles to himself. She's done pretty well for a beginner doing some professional cooking. And he just got an opportunity to see her tenacious side too. It's pretty clear she doesn't give up that easily, a trait he finds attractive on her too.

And it feels good to have someone cook for him for a change even though he pretty much did most of the cooking today still. She watched him do it until she decided to do the last dish on the menu, with his help of course. He enjoyed that bit too, so much that he wished they didn't have to stop. Although he couldn't decide what he enjoyed more between cooking and cooking with her. Their closeness, bodies touching, a little bumping into each other, the near kisses and stolen ones too. Not to mention the cute way she kept on blushing. 
His eyes fall on her again while he wonders what else there is to unearth of the beautiful woman in front of him.

"Get a hold of yourself Caleb." He sighs, feeling himself get a little frustrated as he struggles between being a gentleman and just….

"How many more minutes before she caves?" Darren walks up to Caleb looking amused.
His presence gives him a perfect distraction from his own mind that seems to be wandering in places it shouldn't.

"Proud to let you know that she is doing way better than Janice." Caleb answers with pride. His eyes are on Layla who seems to be too focussed on what she is doing. 

"Stop torturing the poor girl." Darren says as he grabs Caleb's glass from him. 
"Besides I'm hungry." Darren says before downing all the contents from Caleb's glass. 

"Tell that to your wife." Caleb retorts as he reaches for an apron. 

"If only I can find that woman." Darren says while pretending to be searching for Janice.

"Treasure hunting already." Caleb smirks.

"I swear those girls will be the death of me." Darren says as he gets up and  heads towards the lake.

"You could try waking up earlier than them you know."  Caleb shouts after him and he is met with just a grunt from Darren. 
Caleb just shakes his head at his friend who lazily walks over to the lake in an attempt to search for his family. 

"What are you doing?"
Layla's voice grabs his attention and he turns to her happily.

"Getting ready to help my very independent woman."

"Who is your woman? And I didn't ask for any help." She quirks an eyebrow at him. 

"Are you saying you are my woman then?" He answers playfully before trapping her in front of the outdoor counter with his hands on either of her sides. The familiar tinge of pink on her cheeks makes him smile.