Awakening Kiss (Watcher's Kiss Book 4) by Sharon Kay

skewer and fried rice. She pulled out a wad of cash but Rhys stopped her with a warm hand on her arm.
    “My treat,” he murmured. “You’ve been working your ass off all day.”
    His voice rumbled through her, around her, and his touch sent tiny tingles racing along her skin. She couldn’t stop a smile as she looked up at his perfect mouth. “Thank you,” she said. Seating was limited and most people munched while they walked. Rhys held her rice box as she nibbled at the skewer. “Mmm, this is delicious. Want a bite?”
    His lips twitched. “No thanks, I already ate. But if there’s anything you can’t finish, give it to me.”
    “Ha. My grandpa says that all the time.”
    “Well, if you baked it, I can see why.” He rolled his broad shoulders. “That pound cake rocked.”
    “And you didn’t even get icing on it.” She bit a green pepper off her skewer.
    “Rain check?”
    “Sure.” Like she would say no. He could ask her to put her own icing on store-bought cookies and she’d be okay with it. “But I don’t make it every day. I like to give the customers variety. Then again, we have some regulars who always want the same thing every single day.”
    “Takes all kinds, right?”
    “Yeah, I guess. There was this one little girl, her mom would bring her in over the holidays, and she was the cutest thing. She loved the cranberry muffins. Wanted one every day, but she was like, the only one who did, so I alternated with blueberry. She was so sad when they weren’t in the case that I started keeping one in the back just for her. For the blueberry days.”
    He tilted his head. “That’s really sweet. Some people’d be like, ‘Tough luck, kid.’”
    She giggled. “Yeah I guess I’m a softie when it comes to kids.”
    “You got nieces and nephews?”
    “No, I’m an only child. Very boring. But I had my mom’s undivided attention.” She munched on a red pepper. “What about you?”
    “Also an only.” He held out her rice. “Want a bite?”
    She shook her head and he went on. “Did you grow up here?’
    “Yeah, lived here my whole life. I even stuck around for culinary school at Kendall. I love this city.” They slowed to make their way through a crowd gathered around a guy making balloon animals. “Where did you grow up?”
    A pensive look crossed his face. “I’ve lived all over.”
    Her pocket chimed with a familiar custom ring tone. Enza pulled out her phone to accept the call. “Hi, mom. Hang on.” She ate the last square of pork off her kabob and tossed it into a garbage can. “Sorry, I’m finishing dinner. No, I’m at the festival on Lincoln. We have a booth here, remember. Mm-hmm.” She covered her cell and whispered, “One second,” to Rhys.
    He held up a hand. “Take your time,” he said, quietly, but her mom’s super-nosey hearing picked up on it.
    “Are you on a date, Enza?” Excitement colored her mom’s voice.
    “No.” Hell, yes. “I mean, kind of. Can I talk to you tomorrow?”
    “Of course, sweetie. See you then.”
    “Yep, I’ll be there. I love you. Bye!” She shoved her phone back into her pocket and peeked apologetically at Rhys. “We’ve done Sunday dinners as long as I can remember, but she still calls to remind me.”
    “That’s cool. Family get togethers can be fun. As long as you all like each other.”
    “Yeah, we do. It’s just my mom, me, and my grandparents. Her parents. They live close by.”
    He nodded and they crossed the street to the activities on the next block. The dinner crowd was clearing out. Kids covered in various sauces played at a cluster of tables in a dining section. Strollers were parked around the perimeter of it like a colorful, haphazard barricade. “So, dinner with your mom, grandparents…is dad in the picture?”
    “Oh.” Yeah, that would be a logical question. And his tone was curious, not invasive. “Um, he was never part of our lives.” She shrugged.
    He slid his shades off and tucked them into his