Chapter 14
Chapter 14:
“After a meal like this? Doing the dishes is the least I can do p>
“I’m not going to let you do all of them,” I said.
Winona ignored me, determined to start washing. That stubbornness was so typical of her.
Without another word, she turned on the faucet and began scrubbing. I stepped in behind her and reached for the dish towel, just to annoy her.
“Hey! Hands off!” Her hand shot out, swatting mine away.
“Winona, you know there’s a dishwasher, right?” I couldn’t hold back my laugh.
“I don’t mind. Come on, let me handle this,” she said, glancing at me over her shoulder.
𝖡е 𝘵𝗁𝗲 𝖿𝘪𝗋𝘀𝘁 𝗍𝗈 𝗿е𝖺𝖽 оո 𝗴𝘢𝗅ոo𝘷еlѕ.𝘤𝘰𝗺
Her words made me smile.
Taking her time, she finally turned, ending up pinned between the sink and me. The space between us disappeared. She didn’t seem affected by how close we were, but I felt every inch of distance vanish, a sharp longing building inside me. She looked up at me through those long lashes.
There was a playful glint in her eyes, and it was impossible not to feel drawn in.
“If you don’t let me do this in peace, I’m going to splash you with water,” she said with a smile, daring me to test her.
“That’s cruel,” I said, bracing my hands on the counter, boxing her in.
“Honestly, I think it would be hilarious,” she giggled.
With that, I leaned closer, shrinking the space between us until only a few millimeters separated our bodies. I couldn’t say I had a plan. All I knew was that I wanted to test the waters—see if she felt the pull as strongly as I did.
“No, it really wouldn’t be p>
“Why don’t you try coming a little closer?” she murmured, her lips curving into a knowing smile as her eyes stayed locked on mine.
“I could, but I probably shouldn’t,” I said.
“Yeah, that might be going a little too far, wouldn’t it?” she said with a grin.
The way she looked at me then—there was a spark, something dangerously close to longing, though maybe I was only seeing what I wanted to see. I stopped myself before things went any further and took a step back, exhaling quietly.
She went straight back to washing the dishes, not saying a word, focused on her task. Rubbing a hand over my head, I tried to clear my thoughts.
If I wasn’t careful, I was going to do something I couldn’t take back.
Winona’s Point of View:
I washed each dish slowly, using the running water as an excuse to drag it out.
I needed a moment to steady myself. Being close to him stirred feelings I hadn’t expected—feelings I definitely shouldn’t allow. I’d spent two years at his side, and he’d never gotten under my skin like this.
Was this what happened when we finally spent time together outside of work? What was wrong with me?
Maybe it was the dinner. His voice cut through my thoughts with a playful laugh.