But then, he smiled. It was a slow, icy smile that didn't reach his eyes.
I sucked in a nervous breath. It was the same smile he'd given Lord Talbot inSwordstone, just before he'd lopped off his head.
On instinct, I took a small step backward, even as Flynn asked, "So, are you dining with me?"
I felt myself swallow. "What?"
His eyes were glinting now. "The waffles – you didn't make them all for me, did you?"
The challenge in his tone was unmistakable, and I resisted the urge to take another step backward. "Well," I stammered, "you were the one who asked for them. I mean, I wouldn't want to steal your breakfast."
He was still smiling. "Oh, but you're a guest. I wouldn't dream of eating them all on my own."
Oh, crap.
In reality, I hadn't expected either one of us to eat them. Mostly, I'd been looking to make a point.
In the little script I'd written in my head, Flynn got annoyed like he always did and then threw the waffles in the trash – or maybe even out the front door.
But he didn't look annoyed at all. He looked –damn it– almost amused.
I watched in horrified silence as he grabbed the hot pads off the counter and strolled to the oven. He opened it up and pulled out the glass serving tray containing the prior two waffles.
All I could think was,"Thank God I hadn't made a dozen."
I cleared my throat. "Actually, I'm not a big breakfast person."
He turned to look over his shoulder. "No?"
"And you want the truth," I continued, "I’m a little sick of waffles, you know, from working at the waffle place."
Using the hot pads, he held out the serving tray in my direction. "Oh yeah?"
I gave the two waffles a nervous glance. "Yup. Definitely."
"So they serve spicy waffles, huh?" His gaze met mine. "I didn't see any on the menu."
"Well, no," I said. "I mean, they just serve normal stuff, but I'm just saying—"
"You're not up for it?"
Damn it.
Okay, I wasn't in the movie business or anything, but it was beyond easy to see that Flynn had crafted a little script of his own. Inhisscript, I ran screaming from the room, or at the very least, shrunk away from my own culinary creations.
And then what?
I'd feel like an idiot, that's what.
Almost from the get-go, Flynn had excelled at making me feel stupid and awkward. And he obviously thought I was a total coward. Given our history, was it any wonder?
No. It wasn't.
Finally, I summoned up a smile of my own. "Oh, I'm up for it, all right."
He eyes were still glinting. "You sure about that?"
No. I wasn't.But I nodded anyway. "I mean, if you think I'm gonna let you hog them all, you're crazy." And with that, I tossed the third waffle onto the tray and said a silent prayer that he'd give up before I did.
No such luck.
