Take Me Home Tonight by Erika Kelly Page B

bulged as he moved things around, and his jeans cupped the tight, round globes of his ass.
    He was so freaking hot, she could barely stand it.
    Who would ever have thought the man who’d once played a starring role in her fantasies was now teaching her how to cook? That she’d be standing beside him and breathing in his clean, masculine scent, feeling the heat of his very big, hard body, and gazing into those dark, deeply probing eyes?
    A shudder rocked through her.
Lucky bitch.
    Straightening, he removed butcher-paper-wrapped packages from the refrigerator and dumped them on the island. Tearing one of them open, he set a strange clump of meat on a plate.
    Reality stripped away her fog of lust. “What is
that
?” A funny smell reminded her to turn the pepper to keep it charring evenly.
    â€œIt’s a ham hock.”
    â€œAnd things were going so well.” In just a few short hours, Calix had taught her that changing up the type of fat used—butter, beef fat, walnut oil—transformed the flavor of a roux. He’d taken a basic recipe for vegetable broth and changed it markedly by adding lemongrass. They’d even tried usingroasted vegetables instead of the typical raw carrots, onions, and celery, which had given it a much deeper, richer flavor. “Clearly, they’ve taken a turn.”
    He continued opening the other parcels.
    â€œWhere on earth did you find that stuff?”
    He studied the contents. “I asked the butcher to give me whatever body parts he had left over.”
    â€œTo freak me out?”
    Calix laughed. “I thought you’ve been watching
Chopped
?”
    â€œI have.” But she hadn’t believed the
Verna Bloom Show
would use shock-value kinds of ingredients.
    â€œThen you know the kind of shit they give the contestants.”
    â€œWait, did
you
watch it?” When would he have done that? Between having sex with his surfer babe girlfriend and showing up at the farm at 8 a.m.?
    Yeah, okay, that was a little bitchy. But if watching him from afar had fueled her nighttime fantasizes, imagine what seeing his massive hard-on had done. That man was
beautiful
.
    And Shay was perfect for him. Her easy sensuality to his dark intensity.
    â€œI haven’t, but my mom has. She told me what to expect.” He held up a package. “You’re gonna have to figure out how to incorporate whatever crazy shit they give you.” His thick, shoulder-length hair gleamed in the overhead lights.
    A woman entered the kitchen. “You talkin’ about
Chopped
?” With her height and long dark hair held back in a ponytail, she had to be his mom. She did a quick sweep of Mimi and the kitchen, before heading straight for the refrigerator.
    â€œYeah. Hey, Ma. This is Mimi Romano.”
    â€œMimi.” His mom gave her a nod. “Jo Bourbon.” And then she bent low to reach inside a drawer.
    â€œShe cooks for the band.” The way Calix watched his mom so intently reminded Mimi of the plan to get her interested in the cooking lessons.
    â€œI’m a contestant on a cooking competition. For the
Verna Bloom Show
. Calix is helping me prepare for it.”
    â€œIt’s gonna be like
Chopped
?” She closed the refrigerator,holding a yogurt container and a bag of baby carrots, and then went to the silverware drawer.
    â€œSimilar format but not exactly the same.” Mimi watched her grab a spoon, then head to the pantry. “It’s less about cooking skills and more about our ability to think on our feet. How we handle the pressure of a kitchen. And it’s not focused on us the entire time. While we’re cooking, Verna’s show continues. She just checks in with us now and then. Oh, and also, it’s based on points. Three judges giving us points for three different categories.”
    â€œWhat’re the categories?” Calix asked.
    â€œQuick thinking, innovation, and presentation.”
    Jo stopped at the