Riding the Red Ch. 05

"I see that you're a natural at giving orders," he chuckled.

Giving him an arch look, she riposted, "And you're a natural at following them, so grind some pepper over it all, would you? You're going to have to work for your supper."

"It seems as if I'm going to have to work for everything," he said meaningfully.

"Anything worth having is worth the work put into it," she parried.

Lucas conceded with an inclination of his head. "I'm counting on it."

This time, Adrienne didn't back down. She blushed furiously, but she held his gaze until he looked away. Her heart tripped in her chest as she sat beside him at the circular table.

She reached for the tongs, but he stopped her. "No," he said, "I'll serve you."

Sitting down, Adrienne studiously watched his strong hands as he put food on her plate. There was something so intimate about being served food by him, but she couldn't put her finger on what made it so. She grinned broadly as she watched him pile his plate high.

"How are you this hungry? We just had breakfast a few hours ago," she said, poking his belly.

"I'll have you know that I have a very high metabolism. This," he said, indicating his body, "is a finely honed machine. It requires a lot of fuel to look this good!"

Smiling, she gave him an exaggerated once over. "I'll keep that in mind."

Eyes dancing, he sat and began to eat, only to stop and groan. "I know that I keep saying this, but seriously, this is delicious."

Adrienne smiled, and twirled her fork in her pasta. "I've yet to meet any woman who could become tired of well-deserved comments," she said cheekily.

By the time Adrienne was finished with her meal, Lucas had neatly downed two more helpings. She leaned back, and he picked up the bowl asking, "Would you like some more?"

She shook her head. "No. I have just enough room for that orange I zested," she said, reaching for it.

Putting his hand over hers, he said, "Let me peel it for you."

She watched as he slowly began to peel the orange. His fingers were deft and sensitive, gliding over the orange, removing the skin in one continuous piece, without spilling any juice. Adrienne felt her face heat as she remembered something that her grandmother had told her regarding men—-

"Watch how he handles an orange. That will tell you a bit about how he'll 'handle' you." They had both watched in silence as some nearby hapless man ripped into an orange like a frustrated ape, juice, peel, and chunks of orange flying past his head. "That's the opposite of what you want," her Grandmere had said tartly.

Adrienne was brought back to the present as Lucas handed her the orange, the golden globe peeled and halved in his hand, its segments plump with juice. "Thank you," she said hoarsely, taking it from him.

His grin was as wicked as if he had been reading her mind. "Anytime."

She slipped a plump segment of the fruit between her lips, reveling in the splash of juice that burst over her taste buds. Lucas watched her closely as she closed her eyes to experience the full impact of the tangy, sweet fruit. A low sigh escaped her lips as she savoured its sweet taste. She bit into another segment and a trickle of cool juice dribbled down her chin. Lucas was there in a flash, offering, "Let me take care of that for you." He slid his thumb slowly up her chin, brushing it lightly over her sensitive lower lip. Adrienne involuntarily opened her mouth slightly in shock. Looking tempted, Lucas pressed his thumb slightly at the entrance of her mouth, then pulled back and slid it into his own. "Mmm," he rumbled, "Sweet."

Adrienne stared at him, all appetite for the orange gone in the wake of a much stronger hunger. Smiling knowingly at her, Lucas offhandedly queried, "Are you going to finish that?"

"No," she whispered, and then watched as he made short, sensuous work of the rest of the orange. She swallowed heavily, thinking that it wasn't fair for him to even make eating fruit look arousing. He grinned happily at her.

"So...what do you want to do with me, now?" Lucas queried.

Adrienne shook her head, to clear herself of the fog. "I should...I should brine that chicken that I saw in the fridge, for dinner," she said absently.

"Kinky," Lucas said comfortably. "May I watch?"

At a loss for an appropriately biting comeback, Adrienne merely nodded.

He pulled the chicken from the refrigerator, and began to rinse it as she pulled fresh herbs and sundries from the pantry. She mixed thick, creamy raw honey with plenty of salt, some water, and a few bay leaves. "Garlic?" Lucas queried? Adrienne nodded, and he sliced a few cloves for her while she stuffed fresh sage leaves and lemon slices under the skin.

"Add it to the brine, please," she said, watching his deft movements as he obeyed her. She lowered the chicken into the pot, and gestured for him to carry it to the pantry. They washed their hands together in silence.

"Is something wrong?" he finally asked.

"No, no...not at all," she rejoined. "I'm just...thinking." She smiled sweetly up at him. "How do you feel about roasted root vegetables with the roast chicken?"

"I feel good about it. Very positive. I feel like my vote is making a difference here. A straight course has been implemented—-more flavour, fewer calories, lower taxes, higher pensions for the elderly, improved education, and kissing babies..." Lucas grinned foxily at her. Adrienne shook her head, amused.

"You are the silliest man. That you are." Leaning up on her tiptoes, she kissed his bristly cheek.

"If silliness garners me sweet cheek kisses, I wonder what puns would do," he mused.

"Puns, sir...puns will garner you swift shoulder punches," Adrienne grinned.

"Mmm..." Lucas drawled. "Some guys like that."

Throwing up her hands in mock defeat, Adrienne walked out to the living room, and began dressing in one of his scarves and coats. Lucas followed her, looking nonplussed. "Where are you going?" he asked plaintively.

"We are going outside to enjoy the snow. I can't stand being cooped up inside for so long—I'm coming down with cabin fever," she stated.

"I can help--"

"Stop," she said, deadpan. He grinned wolfishly.

"I'm just saying..." he muttered under his breath, dressing in layers for the cold day.

"I'll need to borrow a pair of your boots," she said imperiously.

He glanced pointedly at her small feet. "I have to say...I don't think that they'll fit."

"That's why I'll also require a few pairs of your woolly socks to make up the difference."

"So bossy," he chuckled.

"That's why you like me," she called to him as he disappeared down the hall.

He returned several moments later with the socks and boots. Kneeling at her feet, he gently took her left foot, rested it on his taut thigh, and began to slide the socks up her foot to her ankle. She balanced by resting her hands on his tight, broad shoulders, watching as he gently slid the boot onto her foot, and then repeated his ministrations on the other foot. Standing, he tucked the scarf snugly around her neck, buttoned up the over-sized coat, and eased her into two more, for good measure. Taking a step back, he surveyed her from head to foot. "You look like Nanook of the North," he grinned. She stuck out her tongue and waddled along behind him as he led her through the kitchen.

Lucas opened the back door, and they tramped outside. Adrienne gasped as a sudden frigid blast of air took away her breath. The snow was up to her hips, but she plunged into it, determined to work off some of the maddening sexual tension that had been plaguing her since...well, since she met Lucas, really. She floundered gracelessly ahead, forging a new path, determined to work off as much energy as possible. She was huffing and puffing, but she couldn't hear Lucas at all. She turned to see where he was, only to discover that he was directly behind her, almost on top of her. Scowling at him, she turned to stalk off...only to immediately trip in a furrow in the ground under the snow and fall flat on her face.

"Ow," she stated.

"I'll bet," he agreed, reaching his arms around her, and lifting her effortlessly back onto her feet. Her face flushed with embarrassment as he patted her over to ensure that she was alright.

"And then, that happened," she said tightly. He grinned up at her from his crouched position where he was patting her calves.

"You do seem to have a tendency to fall at my feet," he drawled. Ripping her leg from his grasp, she planted her small foot neatly onto his shoulder, and kicked him flat on his back.

Standing over him, with one foot planted along each side of his ribs, she said, "There. Now we're closer to even." She started to stalk off, which was really impossible in hip deep snow, when she felt his hand snake around her ankle and yank her backward. Sprawling gracelessly on top of him, she sputtered while he threw back his head and laughed.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as she vainly endeavoured to climb off of him, succeeding only in writhing ineffectually against his solid body. Her frustration mounted as she saw the amusement in his face at her vain struggles and, in a fit of pique, she growled, grabbed a handful of snow, and shoved it into his mouth. In his surprise, he let go of her, and she climbed onto his hips, grabbing big hands of snow and shoving them down his shirt, in his hair, wherever she could reach. She felt a steel-taut, wiry arm wrap around her hips as he suddenly sat up and flipped her over onto her back, pinning her to the ground. He grabbed her wrists in one hand and held them over her head, against the cold, hard ground. His face was red, and his eyes glowed gold.

"Now, now, now," he rasped, low, "That wasn't very nice, little girl."

Adrienne vainly bucked and struggled under him, but he was just too heavy. She lay back, panting, then reared up and growled, "Well, maybe I'm not a very nice little girl!"

He became impossibly still, as if he were holding himself in check with barest control. His pupils dilated, and his mouth opened slightly, as his warm breath fanned her face. Adrienne glared up at him defiantly. His gaze fell to her mouth, and then flickered back to her eyes. She held her breath, suddenly realizing the position that she was in. His eyes caressed her face. Watching her, he slowly lowered his mouth to hers. Adrienne closed her eyes, every nerve screaming with anticipation. His breath ghosted over her mouth and, for a moment, there was no sound but of his raspy panting. She knew that if she lifted her mouth the merest fraction, it would meet his. Adrienne wondered briefly why he was so out of breath, when Lucas growled low, "I'll keep that in mind," then groaned, rolling onto his back beside her.

She opened her eyes and realized that she was trembling. "Lucas," she started, "I'm--"

"No need," he interrupted briskly. "We're both a bit on edge."

She nodded, looking up at the heavy grey clouds in the sky, swollen with even more snow. She reached out a hand toward him, only to discover that he was already reaching for hers. They held hands for a long time, lost in their own thoughts, while watching the clouds roil by. After a time, she realized that the snow was seeping into her clothes, wetting her to the skin, and making her shiver. At the same time, Lucas flipped onto his feet, and pulled her to hers. "Come on," he said, "let's get you inside, and warmed up before you die of hypothermia."

Adrienne grinned tremulously, allowing him to take hold of her hips, as he guided her through the path in the snow, back into the cottage.

They tramped back inside, with Lucas pulling ahead, leading her to her bathroom. He leaned over the tub, plugged the drain, and turned on the steaming hot water. Walking over to the cabinet, he pulled out a bottle of lemon-scented bubble bath and raised an eyebrow at her. She nodded, and he poured some into her bath, the bright citrus scent quickly enveloping them in a cloud of steam. She stood dumbly watching him as he went to the closet and pulled out the various accoutrements that she would need to take her bath.

He stood in front of her, and began to unbutton the layers of over-sized coats. Adrienne stood motionless as he stripped the heavy, wet garments from her and threw them into the laundry basket. He then unwound the scarf from around her neck, and tossed it into the basket with the coats. He sat on the edge of the tub, and drew first one, then the other foot into his lap, as he deftly untied and removed the heavy boots, and the multiple layers of woolen socks. He reached up under the sweater dress, and slowly drew her tights from her legs, launching them into the quickly filling laundry basket. Her feet were pale and cold, and after he pulled the tights off of her second foot, he unexpectedly leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her icy little foot.

Standing up, he looked down at her, slowly bringing up his hands to undo the over-sized buttons of her sweater dress. She looked up at him, feeling the cool air brush her exposed skin. When he was done, he stepped back, and looked over her.

A healthy strip of skin glowed from between the edges of the sweater, leading down to the tiny white cotton panties covering her most intimate place. His eyes continued traveling down her long, shapely legs, and he softly sighed. He slowly reached a hand into the opening of her sweater, resting it on her hip. His hand was so large, that while the thumb rested on the hollow beside her hipbone, his fingers wrapped around her hip, curling around the beginning swell of her bottom. He slowly stroked her hip with his thumb. Adrienne was aware of her nipples tightening and rasping against the fabric of the sweater, at the heat of his hand on her cool flesh. She swallowed hard, and stared straight ahead at his chest. After a moment passed, Lucas chuffed a breath through his nose, and then planted a kiss on the top of her head. Lingering for the merest second to inhale the sweet scent of her hair, he then took a step back.

With a self-deprecatory little bow, he gestured to the tub. "Your bath awaits, Lady," he murmured. Straightening, he reached over to turn off the water and, giving her one last raking glance from head to toe, stepped around her and left the room, closing the door behind him. Adrienne just stood there for a moment, processing. She slowly reached up and slid the sweater from her shoulders, feeling it brush over her back as it slid down her arms to pool on the floor. She slowly slid her panties down her legs and then gathered them, and the sweater, to toss into the basket.

Sliding into the steaming water, Adrienne bit back a whimper as the water heated her chilled limbs. Leaning back in the tub, she langourously closed her eyes, and let her thoughts wander to Lucas. Why had she attacked him? She sighed, realizing that she always lashed out when she was angry, or frustrated. He had been so understanding about her quick temper that she felt guilty for having lost it in the first place. She was going to have to do something nice for him to make up for her fiery loss of control. She snickered to herself. Or had it been an icy loss of control? With those thoughts lazing about her head, she drifted off to sleep.

A time later, Adrienne awoke. The bath had gone lukewarm, and the sun was long gone. She quickly washed, and stepped out of the tub into one of the fluffy, body-length towels. She dried herself, and put on a yellow pair of cotton panties, a pair of over-sized red plaid flannel pajama bottoms, and a black tank top. Hunting for Lucas, she found him in the library, reading a first edition of "Call of the Wild". Standing shyly before him, tendrils of hair curling loosely around her face, she said, "I'm going to start dinner, now."

He nodded, seemingly engrossed in his book. She didn't see him look up to watch her as she left, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

She went to the kitchen and started his cake first. Baking had always soothed her, making her forget her worries for a time. Eggs, fat, flour, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, and leavening. Simple ingredients but put together in a million different ways to make a million different things. Mess up the ratios, and you end up with flat cakes, concrete crusts, and bricks masquerading as biscuits. She decided to make a coconut-flavoured cake with coconut oil and coconut milk in place of butter and cow's milk, and to top it off with a coconut milk chocolate frosting. After the cake was safely in the oven, she blended coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut extract, and powdered sugar in a bowl. The toasty scent of coconut wafted around her as she stirred. In a double-boiler, she melted bittersweet chocolate, then added her coconut mixture into the dark, rich, thick, shining liquid. Moving it to the counter, she set it in the stand mixer, to whip until light and creamy.

While that was happening, she went into the cool pantry, and pulled some purple fingerling potatoes, celery, parsnips, red onions, small turnips, and a rutabaga. She re-entered the kitchen just in time to catch Lucas wandering in from the dining room. Hands in his pockets, he silently watched her. "Need any help?" he asked finally.

"Well," she said, "you may wash the vegetables, if you like. Maybe...peel some garlic, and chop these onions?"

He nodded, moving forward to take the vegetables from her, and carry them to the sink. "Do you want the veggies peeled, as well?"

"No," she said, while checking on the cake. "I always leave on the peels."

"Fair enough," he said, handing the washed vegetables to her for chopping. They worked together in silence. Taking the finished vegetables, Adrienne tossed them in a bowl with olive oil, rosemary, fennel seeds, freshly cracked black pepper, and kosher salt.

She pulled the chicken from the brine, and proceeded to stuff it with the vegetables. Setting it in the pan, she arranged the rest of the vegetables around it, in a colourful array of rich purples, bright oranges, cool greens, and creamy whites. After massaging the chicken with coconut oil, salt, and pepper, she placed it in the oven, while taking out the cake to cool.

Adrienne cut off the mixer, and dipped a finger into the fluffy frosting. Turning to Lucas, she asked, "Would you like to do the honours?"

Smiling beatifically, Lucas strode forward and bent down to wrap his lips around her finger. Lapping at it as he slowly drew it from his mouth, he looked up at her. "Mmm...tastes good," he said softly. "And the frosting is nice, too."

Smiling, Adrienne dipped her finger back into the frosting, and then slowly, precisely licked it off of the tip of her finger. Lucas stared at her, swallowing hard as her pink tongue lapped and curled around the finger that he had just had in his mouth. Looking up at him, she cocked her head to the side and purred, "Sweet."

Taking a shuddering sigh, Lucas closed his eyes asked, "Now what?"

Leaning forward, Adrienne rested one hand on his shoulder, pulling his ear down to the level of her mouth. "What now?" she whispered. He nodded, eyes closed. She leaned closer, feeling him sway toward her, "Biscuits," she purred.

He was still for a moment. Then in a voice filled with puzzlement, he asked, "Biscuits?"

Leaning back against the counter, Adrienne nodded. "Yes. Biscuits. For dinner. Isn't that what you were asking?"

Lucas opened his eyes and looked directly at her. "Biscuits," he repeated, deadpan. Shaking his head, he straightened. "Okay, biscuits. How do we make that happen?"

She ticked off a list on her fingers. "We'll need flour, cold butter, baking powder and soda, salt, milk, and buttermilk powder. We mix the dry ingredients, and then grate in the butter, and blend. Then we add the milk, mix it until it's dough, turn it out on a floured surface, and knead briefly. Cut into rounds, bake, and enjoy."