A Pocketful of Dreams

Chapter Five

Three days later

'God, I hate onions.' Annie laughed and blotted her watery eyes with her sleeve. Great – the mascara she'd put on that morning would now be halfway down her cheeks. The sound of a stool scraping on the kitchen floor, meaning Dan was coming over to her, made her blot even faster.

'Let me show you a little trick I know.' He gently took hold of Annie's wrists and led her over to the sink. 'Don't ask me how this works, but it does. Roll up your sleeves.'

She obeyed as Dan turned on the cold tap.

'Now hold the inside of your wrists under the water.'

'What? Why?'

'Just try it. You'll be impressed, I promise.'

'Okay . . .' She shivered as the icy water ran over her bare skin.

He leaned back against the counter. 'Give it a few seconds.'

Annie moved her wrists from side to side as the water cascaded over them. Then she gasped and blinked a few times. 'It works!' The stinging feeling had completely disappeared.

Dan smiled, turned off the tap, and unhooked the towel from the end of the counter. 'Here.'

Annie shook the water away and held out her arms. He began to blot her skin dry and, suddenly, her breath became shallow. His hold on her was so secure and yet so gentle that she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to be folded into his arms. Her knees wobbled slightly at the thought.

'Better now?' he asked, his voice huskier than she knew it to be.

'Yes, thank you,' she murmured. 'Much better.'

Their gazes locked and a strange kind of heat pervaded her bijou-at-best kitchen.

'It needs cutting,' Annie said.

A smile snuck on to Dan's lips. 'The what needs what?'

'I mean the onion... I need to finish making the coleslaw.' She forced herself to turn around, rolling her eyes at herself as she resumed slicing.

'I hoped that's what you meant. What can I do to help?'

Annie dropped the slivers of onion into a bowl with the other ingredients. 'Maybe get the rest of the food out of the fridge? All I need to do is stir in the mayonnaise and vinegar and this will be ready.'

'Done.'

Dan brought out wrapped plates of ham, cheese, and poached salmon along with the potato salad and boiled eggs Annie had prepared earlier.

'How about some wine?' she said a few minutes later, as she put the finished bowl of coleslaw on the breakfast bar. 'I have a bottle of white in the fridge? That's if it's not too early...'

Dan nodded. 'Sounds good.'

They both reached the fridge at the same time. He was so close to her that his breath fanned warmly over the side of her face, stirring a few tendrils of her hair. The sudden buzz between them was practically palpable in the tiny space, louder than any kitchen appliance.

Annie gazed at Dan's broad chest and reined in a gasp as she inhaled his clean, masculine scent. Her head swum as, on some primal level, she reacted instinctively and swayed a little with unbidden arousal.

'Hey, are you all right?' He cupped her shoulders and dipped his head to look at her.

She focused in on his rich brown eyes. They were searching for an answer – or perhaps something else.