Crumbling Cakes

Part XI

You can be nice in return though.

The thought lingered in the forefront of my mind. I could. Just because I couldn't tell him anything, didn't mean I had to be difficult. Right?

Breathing exercises, Dalia. Surely you can manage that much while you see this through?

I shredded the pod in my hand, trying to squeeze out the peas, some of them coming out flat and mushy. I hate you peas....

I took a surreptitious glance in his direction. Then promptly gave up my covert ways when taking in the fact that his pile was practically gone. Not just gone, oh no, he had a bowl full of perfect peas that lay intact.

My eyes scanned the mess before me. To hell with this...

"Okay, how are you doing that?" I pointed accusingly at the pod in his hand.

He didn't even look but merely replied. "Do what?"

"THAT." My point becoming more forceful, words were clearly eluding me. "That sorcery where you get the peas out perfectly."

Sebastian glanced at the mess before me, amusement lighting up his features. "It's not that difficult. You're overthinking it."

My gaze bounced between my jumble and his perfect cluster.

"Watch me." He commanded, waiting until my eyes were on his hands before working his magic. "Go to the front of the pod, right here away from the stem. Then press against the seam..." a faint crackle sounded across the island and the seam popped. "Pull open, then just swipe your finger down the center."

I watched his finger move down the interior, pushing the peas into the bowl. He gestured to watch again. And ho boy did I watch again. Nevermind that Sebastian had delicious manly hands that created beautiful things. But watching him stroke down the center of a vegetable that reminded me of...ahem...certain body parts?

Let's just say I could watch him stroke pea pods all day. Add in his word choice and my imagination was reeling like a rollercoaster at an amusement park. My thighs clenched involuntarily. Damn him for oozing sex appeal even while he was wrist deep in peas. I was losing the battle with my dirty mind. Snap out of it!

I cleared my throat, fighting for some semblance of hormonal control. "So... that's it?"

"Yup, that's it."

"Huh." I picked up a new pod from my pile, inspecting it skeptically before mimicking his motions exactly. At the crackle, I narrowed my eyes. Motherfucker. And here I was torturing myself. "Okay then."

Sebastian's soft chuckle had me looking back over to his side. He was smiling, and smiling on Sebastian was a wonderful thing. His shoulders were loose, their typical tension gone. His face had a bit of a scruff, someone had clearly not shaven today. My fingers itched to run through it.

His colorful tattoos were shifting over his forearm muscles. At some point, he had rolled up both the jacket sleeves and the long sleeves of his thermal. The shirt was a traditional waffle knit. The kind that belongs on a lumberjack mountain man. Preferably chopping wood with his biceps flexing.

Those powerful shoulders on full display....

I snapped out of my gawking and fantasies when my hand grasped at nothing. Looking down confused, I discovered I'd finished my pile. It seems that whilst my mind was wandering to forbidden lands, my hands had kept moving.

"I'm done." I announced. Sebastian had moved on to chopping the carrots into these impossibly small cubes.

"Good. You can combine it with the rest." He pointed at the pea bowl. Honestly, even in my head I can't help but laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. Pea bowl. Jesus, I'm a middle schooler.