This is the 4th chapter today, one more to come in a bit.
By the time Harry reached her kitchen Dempsey had opened every cupboard door and he was banging and clattering around amongst the saucepans.
"I figured we could cook dinner together tonight," he said, emerging from the cupboard and holding up a frying pan with triumph.
"Do you think that's wise," she said, looking dubiously at the frying pan in his hands.
"Sure. If we can bring down guys like Coltrane together we sure as hell can make a dinner together!"
"Hmm." She took the frying pan out of his hands. "Think we'd be safer with the hardened criminals! Look, you stand over there and you can peel and chop some vegetables," she said, pointing him in the direction of the chopping board, reaching into one of the open cupboards and taking out some carrots for him to chop.
He picked up one of the carrots and looked at it oddly. "What you mean these don't come out of a tin?"
She laughed. "No Dempsey. I can see I'm going to have to start with the basics. I'm assuming you know how to peel and chop those," she said, eyeing the carrots as she placed some chicken pieces into an oven dish.
"Sure," he said, and with a few loud chops the carrot had been very roughly cut and lay in four sorry looking chunks.
She turned to see the results. "Dempsey, you are joking I hope."
He laughed and picked up another carrot, peeling it more carefully. "That was just a practise run."
She breathed a sigh of relief and went back to the task of preparing the chicken for the oven.
"You got a smaller knife than this?" he said, holding it up. "Or a peeler?"
"In this drawer. So you know what a peeler is then?" She sounded impressed.
"I've heard of them," he joked, digging his fingers into her ribs as he moved around her to open the drawer at her side. His hand remained on her waist as he reached to find the peeler. It lingered there for a while before trailing across her back when he returned to the chopping board again.
She kept her eyes lowered as her face deepened in colour slightly. God, what was she like? He only had to touch her and she was all of a fluster.
"How did you learn to cook so proficiently then Harry?" he asked.
"Public school cookery lessons. They prided themselves at churning out proper ladies with all the appropriate skills."
"Wow, what else did they teach you?" he grinned. "I'm guessing that it was after high school that you learnt how to shoot a gun then."
"Hmm," she laughed, wrinkling up her nose, "it wasn't seen as the done thing. Still, I did learn the art of flower arranging, cake decoration and even crochet. So you see there is no end to my talents."
A wicked glint came into Dempsey's eyes. "Well, flower arranging, cake decorating and crochet aside, I'd like to test that theory out and experience first hand all your many talents."
She turned from her task and leant backwards on the counter, grinning at him. "Hmm, I'm sure you would."
He grinned back and watched her. She looked so sexy in a kitchen. He had no idea why. Maybe it was the way that she was leaning provocatively against the counter top. Well it seemed provocative to him.
She watched him assessing her and the room seemed to be filled with unspoken words and secret thoughts. Finally she spoke.
"I need to get in there," she said, gesturing towards the lower cupboard that he was standing in front of.
He looked down at it, thought for a moment and then opened it, standing aside. "Be my guest."
She crouched down, holding his gaze with her eyes. She just couldn't resist flirting with him. His eyes moved to her blouse as she rooted in the cupboard. He could see the slight evidence of creamy white skin which developed into soft curves under the material. He had become obsessed with finding out what was hidden underneath her blouses. Then his gaze moved to the hem of her skirt, which revealed the smooth length of her legs as she crouched, and he realised another obsession.
She stood, having pulled out some potatoes, and he returned to his task. Since he was taking so long preparing the carrots she decided to deal with the potatoes herself. They did want to eat that evening after all! She quickly dealt with the peeling and moved around him to the sink. On her way an impulsive mood hit her and she put her hand on his hip, moving him aside. He turned in surprise, looking down at her hand, and his eyes widened. A smile played at his lips. They stood for a moment, watching each other with amusement until she spoke.
"You're in the way. I need to get to the sink," she said, her eyes moving purposely to the sink and back.
He smiled and moved aside, watching her washing the potatoes. Her blonde hair fell across her flushed cheek and he would have loved to have known what she was thinking at that moment.
Finally she handed Dempsey the potatoes and instructed him to slice them thinly. Then she raided the cupboards and fridge, pulling out butter, bacon, seasonings and spices and she described to him how to fry them together.
"Now I know that you are up to the task. You are quite apt when it comes to frying. You've already made two breakfasts today!" she pointed out.
"Yeah, two of the best breakfasts you'll ever eat sweetheart. Well, until I cook you one again," he added. She smiled. So he intended for her to stay with him again then.
Dempsey chopped the potatoes, placed the carrots on the hob to cook and went to work on the frying whilst Harry prepared a creamy sauce for the chicken. Eventually the potatoes and vegetables were ready and they only needed to wait a few minutes for the chicken to finish cooking. Harry returned to the sink to wash her hands and Dempsey decided to butt in too, knocking her hands out of the way playfully to move his under the tap. She narrowed her eyes at him and pushed his hands away at which point he decided to see how far he could push her by flicking his hands under the water and splashing her. The water spilt onto her blouse and she stood there glaring at him. He couldn't quite work out her reaction though so he went on to tease her further.
"Come on Harry, you can take on hardened criminals but you aint up to taking on me?"
She thought for a moment before reaching for a cup, half filling it with water and throwing it over him. His eyes searched hers in delight and he grabbed the cup off her.
"Okay," she said nervously, "now we're even so put the cup down Dempsey."
He filled it to the top and slowly approached her with a wicked expression.
"Come on now, give me the cup," she urged, holding out her hand, more for protection than anything else. He made a sudden movement and she grabbed for the cup, spilling the contents over both of them. There followed a frenzy of grabbing, pushing and laughing as they fought to spill the remains of water over each other until he eventually caught her around the waist and lifted her up onto the counter top. They both stopped then, panting for breath and wondering how she had ended up on there. His eyes flicked to the wet transparency of her blouse and took in the outline of her lacy bra underneath it. He was hit then with a desire for her so strong that it shocked even himself.
Suddenly the air crackled with electricity but he was so busy picturing them naked and steamy on the counter top that he only suspected that she may have been feeling the same when his gaze moved to her face and he noticed a reciprocal spark in her eyes. His fingers began to stroke circles on her waist where his hands had remained and his eyes burned into hers. His gaze fell to her mouth and he began to edge towards her but just then, as quickly as her unguarded expression had reflected desire, it was replaced with sudden uncertainty and doubt.
I don't get it. What's with that look? How am i gonna get past this stage and onto the next when it seems like we're goin' backwards! But she wants more. I aint that bad at readin' things! Damn it, I even said the 'L' word! Okay, admitted, she may have been slightly drunk then...or asleep. Or was she? Maybe she heard and that's why she's actin' like this. Nah, she can't have heard. Which means that she may not know how I feel! Damn it, why does this have to be so difficult?
Oh god if he kisses me now it's all going to get too heated too quickly! Is that why he's here tonight? To get me into bed? Not that it's his fault he thinks that's what I want after my behaviour last night! What a nightmare! I hope he doesn't think that I just want a casual affair!
They remained there, seemingly frozen in time and engrossed in their own thoughts until something snapped in Dempsey's head and he surprised Harry with a sudden question.
"Aint it time we had a proper date yet?"
That was something she hadn't expected. Her face lit up and she suspected that she may have looked a little too keen.
"I suppose that it is," she replied, trying to sound as casual as possible. He frowned and she felt a sudden panic that she'd sounded too casual. To hell with it! Her face broke out into a bright smile. "Definitely it is," she amended.
His smile matched her own then. "Great. This weekend then. Not on a school night eh, so we can stay out past midnight," he teased.
She laughed and jumped off the kitchen counter. "This weekend it is then. Come on, the dinner should be ready by now."
