JillxSkye: To Catch A Thief 29

Chapter 29 – Cooking With Love

Placing me gently on my feet, Skye smiled and said, “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.” He started throwing open every cabinet and drawer in my kitchen. He pulled out seemingly random ingredients in my eyes, but the concentration on his face made it obvious that he knew exactly what he was doing.

When he opened my refrigerator, he grinned widely. “This is wonderful!” he exclaimed, removing the vegetables I had stored from previous seasons; the Harvest Sprites had enchanted them so that they would never spoil. “Absolutely wonderful…” he repeated, eyes raking over the ingredients that he had lined up along my counter. “Are you ready?” he said suddenly, spinning on his heel to face me. He clasped my hands in his, eyes shining with pure elation.

I couldn’t help but smile back at him. “Of course!” Somehow his smile grew even wider, and he grabbed my frying pan.

“Okay, so we have to oil the pan first,” he explained, pouring oil over the surface of the pan. Skye guided my hands so that they were both holding the handle of the pan. His arms were wrapped around me, and I could feel his firm chest pressed against my back. “Make sure the oil covers the pan or else the ingredients could stick and burn,” he continued, “Got that?”

I nodded, blushing at Skye’s proximity: I was still only wearing a tank top and my boy shorts, and Skye just had his boxer-briefs on. I tried and failed to ignore this fact, and tilted the pan back and forth so it was slick with oil.

“Next we add coriander, cumin, chili powder, cardamom, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and hing,” he said matter-of-factly. I looked over my shoulder with an unconcealed look of confusion as he rattled off the random ingredients, which he just chuckled at it. “Don’t worry about it; they’re just spices and such. I’ll handle it.”

“Okay…” I replied, watching as his hands expertly grabbed and added spices that I didn’t even know I had. He didn’t even need to measure: the movements were natural to him. “What about curry powder?” I asked as he continued adding the obscurely named items.

“Oh…that?” he said offhandedly, “Well, it basically contains all the same things that I’m using. I just like to use fresh ingredients. It will taste better. I swear it to you, my lovely Jill.”

I giggled at his familiar charm, turning my head to hide the blush rising in my cheeks again. “I trust you, Skye,” I replied, leaning my head against his shoulder. His hands paused, and he pressed his lips gently against my forehead. He didn’t need to say anything.

When the spices were mixed in with the oil, Skye’s hand wandered over to the remaining ingredients, grabbing an onion, some ginger, and garlic. “Next, we’ll chop these up and sauté them,” Skye said. “Can you use that kitchen knife?”

“You mean the large, dangerous-looking one?” I asked, pointing. A slight smile began to form on his face as I continued, “I usually avoid it. It’s...intimidating.”

Skye laughed out loud, shaking his head. “This coming from the girl who carries around an ax.”

“That’s totally different!” I replied indignantly. He looked at me doubtfully. “It is! I mean, I’m used to using my ax. It’s large and I’m totally in control of it. But that little knife? I’m just such a klutz and it’s so… so… I mean it’s just waiting to cut my finger off!”

“I won’t let that happen,” Skye promised, moving my hand so that it wrapped around the handle of the knife. “Just let me show you how to use it.” He covered my hand with his, and placed the onion in front of us. “Start off slow,” he said softly, guiding the blade down the middle of the crisp onion. “Then pick up speed as you get more comfortable.” The knife moved up and down in my hand as Skye helped me to cut the onion until the pieces were small enough to sauté. “Do you want to try the ginger or garlic on your own?” he asked, lifting his hand away from mine.

“No!” I quickly exclaimed, pulling my hand up so that it met his. “I mean… I just like you helping me…” I muttered, blushing for the hundredth time that night.

“Oh, Jill,” Skye murmured into my hair. He leaned down to kiss me quickly before enveloping my hands in his. “As you wish.” I felt my heart swell at his words, and I wished I could stay in this moment, stay in his arms forever.

He helped me chop up the ginger and garlic, gently guiding my hands. When they were added to the pan, he moved our hands together so that we could sauté them. I certainly had no idea what I was doing, but I slowly began to understand what to do, and Skye eased his control over my hands without completely leaving me.

“Now we’ll just add the vegetables. Do you have a preference?”

I thought a moment before saying, “I love all of those vegetables,” I gestured to the ones he had taken out, “But potatoes are my favorite. Are they good in curry? Can we use them?”

“We can use whatever you want, beautiful,” he said with a wink. He took a few potatoes, some cabbage, a green bell pepper, and a carrot. We chopped them up and added them to the pan. Skye then poured it all into my pot and left it on my stove. “Perfect. All we have to do now is let it cook for about half an hour. Oh, and I need to make some rice to go with it.”

Skye’s arms disappeared from around me as he prepared the rice. I shivered as I felt the cold air at my skin. “It’s freezing!” I complained, beginning to walk over to my dresser.

The clang of a pot and the click of my stove registered in my ears. Then I felt warm, familiar hands wrap around my waist. “Where do you think you’re going?” Skye’s deep voice whispered seductively in my ear.

I gasped in surprise and amusement. My heart had leapt up into my throat, and I struggled to speak for a moment. “H-How do you do that?” I finally managed to squeak out, turning to face him.

“Do what?” he asked innocently. He ran his fingers delicately over my exposed torso, causing my skin to burn and my body to shiver simultaneously.

My eyes fluttered shut as he gently kissed the sensitive skin at my neck, and I instinctively turned my face towards his. He leaned down, but I cut in before he could kiss me. “Sneak up on me like that! I didn’t even hear your footsteps!” I laughed.

He looked at me with a smirk. “Thief,” he said simply with a quick wink. “Now you answer my question. Where were you going?”

“Oh, I just wanted to put something on. It’s so cold!” I explained, trying to break Skye’s firm grip around my waist. Skye took this as an opportunity to turn me around and hold me even tighter. Blushing, I managed to say, “Aren’t you cold, Skye?”

“I’m actually quite happy as is,” he said with a chuckle, running his hands up my back lightly. “Aren’t you?” he asked. His intense emerald eyes connected with mine, running directly to my brain and melting it so all normal thought processes were shut down.

Unsure of how to reply, my mouth opened slightly without actually making any sound. Skye’s right arm wrapped around my lower back as his left hand entangled into my hair. He leaned down to kiss my exposed neck again, immediately causing a gasp to escape my lips. I shivered from pleasure as his lips brushed over the sensitive skin. Wrapping my arms around his back, I pulled myself closer to his bare chest. Skye’s kisses trailed up until his lips met mine passionately, causing my knees to quiver.

I was breathless when Skye pulled back, a satisfied grin gracing his features. “Still cold?”

Every inch of my skin was flushed and a dreamy smile crept onto my face. “Yes,” I managed to say, rolling my eyes.

“Fine,” Skye pouted, pulling back his arms. He followed behind me closely as I walked toward my dresser. I opened my drawers and took out a pair of fleece pajama bottoms.

“Do you want something to wear?” I asked him as I stepped into them.

“What? Tell me you don’t love this,” Skye said, gesturing to his toned body.

“Just… Just put these on!” I blushed, throwing my largest pajama pants at him.

“Oh, so now you’re shy, is that it?” he mocked playfully, while complying.

“Shut up,” I muttered as he wrapped his arms around me again. The silence surrounding us was harshly broken by the sound of the storm roaring outside, causing my house to creak and groan. The sounds of rocks and branches crashing against the sides of my house caused me to jump. It’s the same, just like the night…

“Jill?” came Skye’s worried voice. I realized he was shaking my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah,” I stuttered, “Why do you ask?”

Skye brought his hand to my cheek, and then pulled it back to reveal a perfectly round tear. My hands flew to my cheeks, and I realized that a steam of tears had been running down my face. “Oh… This is nothing, really!” I said quickly, wiping my eyes.

His hands wrapped around my wrists, halting my attempts to dry my tears. “It doesn’t look like nothing to me.” I tried to pull my arms back, but he held them firmly. I don’t want to think about it… “What’s wrong, Jill?” His eyes held mine, firm and unwavering. I don’t want to talk about it… “It hurts me to see you in pain. Tell me,” he urged. I don’t want to tell people because…

I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stop. “I…”

“Are you afraid of the storm? The noise?” he pressed. I shook my head, still trying to figure out how to say it. I took a few steps back, which Skye immediately met by moving forward. “Then what, Jill? Please, my love, please tell me,” he begged, hands still gripping my wrists.

“I…”