Taste (Take It Off #9)(22)
Author: Cambria Hebert

Instead, I was standing here in the kitchen of a job I was totally getting fired from because they suspected I might be a murderer.

Oh, and I was baking cookies.

Yep. This was the life.

I glanced down at the cooling treats and back at the man watching me. “Cookie?” I asked politely and held one out.

He actually recoiled.

Yep. He didn’t trust me.

I sighed heavily, and it was laced with some anger. “Really?” I said. “You just stood there and stared me down while I was making them. You really think I somehow ninja-ed some kind of deadly ingredient in them?”

His face blanched. Then he recovered to say, “I can’t eat while I’m on the job.”

I laughed. Spencer ate constantly. Like the man was always chewing something. I wouldn’t be surprised if all his suit pockets were filled with snacks.

“Okay.” I shrugged and broke the cookie in half. I took a huge bite and sighed. “I love when the chocolate is still all melty,” I said dreamily.

In truth, I wasn’t the least bit hungry, but I’d be damned if I’d stand here and let this douche bag insult me.

His serious face pulled down into a frown. I shoved the rest of the cookie into my mouth and licked the chocolate off my finger.

He glanced at the rack.

“Sure you don’t want one?” I said.

His eyes snapped back up to mine. “No.”

Spencer appeared, waltzing through the door like he owned the place. The tie around his neck was loosened and slightly askew, and he looked a little tired. But that didn’t stop him from giving me a smile that said he was happy to see me.

My tummy flipped over, and I smiled. He made me feel good. Even in the midst of all this chaos, Spencer was the silver lining.

He glanced over at the man standing there and then back at me. I raised my eyebrows but said nothing. He looked at the island covered in cookies and groaned.

He didn’t even think about it.

He just scooped one up and shoved the entire thing in his mouth.

Joy burst in the center of my chest and flowed outward. It brought with it a feeling of peace. Clearly, not everyone thought I was trying to kill them with cookies. It was like the thought never even crossed his mind.

Constipated man stiffened and stared at him as if he were going on alert, ready to jump into action when Spence collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Spencer noticed the man’s odd behavior and turned to look at him. Then he glanced at me. I shrugged. He grabbed up another cookie and bit into it.

“What?” he asked the man.

He cleared his throat. Spencer regarded him coolly as he shoved the rest of the cookie into his face. He turned to me. There was melted chocolate smeared on the corner of his lip.

It was adorable.

It was also wholly enticing. I wanted to lick it off.

There was a question in his eyes.

“Your friend here thinks I poisoned what you’re eating.”

Spencer’s eyes narrowed into slits. He reached out and grabbed yet another cookie and turned to stare at the man. He glared at him silently, his gaze intimidating and hard. Then he shoved the entire cookie into his mouth and chewed, still staring.

“Langdon,” Spencer admonished, still chewing. “I thought you were better than that, man.”

Langdon had the grace to look embarrassed.

It gave me silent pleasure.

Abruptly, Spencer turned away and looked at me, winking. “More for me,” he said, then scooped up about four more.

“Can I talk to you a second?” he asked.

I nodded.

He glanced at Langdon and then took me gently by the elbow and pulled me across the kitchen. Langdon followed us with his eyes. Spencer looked at him and said, “Case stuff.”

Langdon nodded and glanced at the floor.

“I wanted to tell you I’m not going to be around the rest of the day,” he said, his fingers caressing the inside of my elbow.

“Okay,” I replied. It was disappointing because Spencer was the only one in my corner, but I realized he had a life and needed time to live it.

He released my arm and shoved a hand through his hair like he was bothered by my reaction. “I’m not going to be able to stay at your house tonight either,” he said, his voice whisper quiet.

I swallowed. “Of course not,” I said reasonably. “You already got the poison.”

“Fuck,” he muttered.

I couldn’t really understand what made him mad.

“Stop acting like that,” he growled.

“Acting like what?” I blinked.

“Like you don’t care.”

My tongue burst out to wet my lips. “Spence—” I began.

He cut me off by shoving another cookie in his mouth and holding up a finger. After several moments of chewing, he said. “You know damn well I didn’t come over last night just for that stuff.”

“But…”

He held up his hand again. Clearly, this was going to be a one-man conversation.

“Yeah, I was asked to come get it. But I was also told to bring it in right away. I wasn’t supposed to stay.”

“Spencer!” I gasped, drawing the eye of Langdon. I lowered my voice. “Then why did you?”

He stared at me intently, his eyes like liquid honey. “I think you know.”

Little shivers of excitement raced up my back.

He grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. “There’s something between us, Elle. There has been for a long time. And it’s definitely more than work.”

“You mean you don’t just like my cookies?” I smiled sweetly at him.

He grinned. “You could never make another cookie again, and I would still find reasons to come in this kitchen to see you.”

Sadness enveloped me. “You know I’m going to get fired, right?”

“We’re going to work this out,” he said solemnly. “But even so, I know where you live.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“So yeah.” He shoved another cookie into his mouth. “I can’t come by tonight because I have to work. Presidential stuff.”

Stuff he was likely told not to tell me. I nodded. “I’ll be okay.”

“I made them put another man on your house. You’re going to be fine, okay?”

I nodded, mustering my bravery. I would be fine. I could take care of myself and Jack. Then I thought of something. “Spence?”

“Hmm?” he said around a mouthful of his last cookie.

“Did you get in trouble before? Is Walsh upset about…?” My voice faded away, I wasn’t really sure what to call what was going on between Spence and me.