Chapter 12
Chapter 12:
“Not from my boss,” I said, my lips trembling as I fought the smile threatening to break free.
“You love it. Don’t even try to deny it.” He smiled and winked.
Then he stepped back and returned to his cooking, but the mischievous glint in his eyes lingered.
The room fell quiet after that.
And I couldn’t shake the question circling in my mind. Was Davidson flirting with me again? It seemed like he did it more and more the longer we spent together.
The truth was, I didn’t even know how I felt about it.
Davidson’s Point of View:
My throat tightened as I ran my tongue over my lower lip. Winona let out a soft, involuntary sigh the moment she tasted the chicken.
“Wow, this is incredible,” she said, meeting my gaze.
“I appreciate that,” I replied, giving her a small smile.
𝘙𝖾сom𝗺𝖾𝗇𝘥 𝗴𝘢lո𝗈𝘷е𝘭𝘀.cоm 𝗍𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝗎𝗿 𝖿𝗋іеոd𝘴
Even as I spoke, my attention drifted. That lingering sound she’d made kept replaying in my mind. It held an unexpected sensuality—almost too intimate—though she probably hadn’t thought anything of it. I couldn’t quite explain why my mind kept turning in that direction.
For more than two years, we’d spent countless hours together at work. I’d always known she was charming and easy to be around, but I’d never felt a spark like this. Suddenly, desire took hold of me, catching me off guard. Maybe being single had made me notice things I’d ignored before. When Leona and I were together, I never looked at another woman—least of all Winona, who always kept things strictly professional.
No one else could hold my attention. My focus was entirely on Leona. No one else mattered.
“Davidson, are you okay?” she asked, pulling me back to reality.
“Sorry—could you repeat that, Winona?” I said, biting my tongue before I called her by the wrong name.
“I was just saying the food is fantastic. You’re really good in the kitchen,” she said with a smile.
I nodded, but my thoughts continued to churn.
When I started dating other people, things changed. The women I’d been with never seemed to care about what I could offer. Strangely enough, Leona even came back for more on more than one occasion. That helped restore some faith in myself. To be honest, Leona showed up a couple of times wanting to sleep with me, and it made me realize I might not have lost her entirely.
But this dinner tonight? It was the first time I’d cooked for someone since her.
“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. You really shouldn’t let her words get to you,” Winona said, shaking her head.
“I get that now. Still, she shows up sometimes. Back then, I just accepted everything and let her get in my head,” I admitted.
“That must feel awful, right? When the person you love—someone who’s supposed to care about you—keeps making you feel like you’re never good enough,” she said softly.
Something in her voice made me wonder if she was speaking from experience.
“Has that ever happened to you?” I asked, curiosity slipping into my tone.