Excerpt of Hideaway at Silver Lake by Jennifer Greene

Poppy saw something new in Sam’s e yes. A warning. A challenge. Honesty, sharper than a blade. He was coming after her. He didn’t SAY that. All he did was hand her the plates

The first bite of fire-toasted chicken tasted like nectar. The second was even better.

“Holy moly,” she murmured.

“I know. Makes me want to cook outside every night. I haven’t a clue why it’s so good this way.”

She did. He knew what he was doing, even if it was the unexpected skill of pulling together a fire-cooked dinner on a dark winter night. Sam never shouted about anything he did well, but he had ways of giving, she thought, that made others look like amateurs in the love department.

How did all this get so dangerous? It was just dinner? Sharing some tidbits with the Wolfhound, until Sam put a stop to it. Savoring those sweet bites of tender chicken. Her fingers were sticky. She ate every morsel, it was all so delicious. So why did her gaze keep sliding toward his, meeting up, producing a heart beat she’d never danced to before?

And dinner wasn’t even over yet.