Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 31205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 156(@200wpm)___ 125(@250wpm)___ 104(@300wpm)
Chapter Four
One Month Later
Vanessa hummed to herself in the kitchen as she beat the chocolate cake batter. She wanted chocolate cake with a dark, fudgy frosting. The very sound of it made her mouth water, and she craved chocolate. She also craved ice cream as well. Cake and ice cream.
She had the steaks marinating in a spice blend, and she intended them to go out onto the grill.
Diago didn’t have an outdoor grill a month ago, but when she suggested he get one for steaks, less than a week later, one was delivered.
At first, grilling was a lot harder than she thought it would be, but now she loved it. She struggled to want to cook any meat on the stove. Also, she was loving grilled vegetables.
Diago wasn’t complaining either.
For the past month, she had grown to enjoy Diago’s awkward company. At first, she didn’t have a clue what to say to him, and there were times she was sure she truly tested him.
Slowly, she had come to see that as long as she didn’t annoy him with stupid questions, he was easy to get along with. He was quiet and rarely talked.
He did not like to give her instructions. Within the confines of home and garden, she was free to do whatever she wanted, as long as she didn’t put her life at risk.
He had been upset with her when she cut and burned herself, but she’d not made a fuss, nor did she want him to. People who cooked, cleaned, and worked in the kitchen got cuts and burns, simple as that. Besides, she loved cooking for him. It was one of her favorite things to do.
Right now, she was enjoying baking a chocolate cake. Oh, she could also bake to her heart’s content. When she wasn’t in the kitchen, she was in the library, the movie room, the game room, or out in the garden, loving the beauty of her new home.
She was becoming addicted to her new freedom. She didn’t have to fake her happiness, or fear what was going to happen next. Diago came and went.
Often, he returned covered in blood, or there were a few occasions where he was injured, which was a shock to her. They were not life-threatening injuries but it still made her worry about him.
She had also helped assist him in stitching himself back together, which had been an experience she didn’t know she would need. She didn’t have much training in first aid. What she did know was limited.
With the cake batter beaten smooth, she poured it into the prepared cake tins, and placed them in the preheated oven. She dusted off her hands and blew out a breath. Next, frosting. She already had the butter at room temperature. Maureen had insisted the butter be at room temperature, otherwise you were too busy waiting around for it, or microwaving it. She started to beat the butter, to loosen it. As she did, she thought about Diago and Maureen.
She loved his company, and that was crazy. One of the most feared men in her world, and she enjoyed spending time with him. That had to be the craziest thing.
She’d already sieved the icing sugar, and the chocolate was melted.
Vanessa brought all the ingredients together, with a small splash of vanilla, and this time, she got the hand whisk onto the frosting. She hated gritty frosting, and Maureen had told her if she was going to put all that effort into a cake, the least she could do was beat the frosting until it was creamy and smooth. She gave it a try, and then it was time to take the cakes out of the oven.
Vanessa heard the door opening and closing, and she grabbed a towel, wiping the frosting off her hands. She made her way to see Diago carrying two wrapped items of clothing, like he’d gone to the dry cleaners.
He never took his blood-soaked clothing to the cleaners. She had watched him multiple times burn them. She had to wonder if he had shares in a clothing company or something.
“Diago,” she said. “You’re home.” She experienced the oddest sensation, wanting to go over and hug him, but she held herself back, keeping in control.
She held onto the towel, not liking the worry that rushed through her. Why did she suddenly want to hug Diago? Why was she happy to see him?
“Something smells good,” he said.
She couldn’t help but smile. “That is a chocolate cake. I’ve got to wait for it to cool, but then I can frost it.”
“Great, you can finish that and we’ll eat it tonight when we get back.”
“Get back?” Vanessa asked.
If they were getting back from somewhere, that meant they were leaving. She didn’t want to leave. She loved their routine of eating together—the conversation was stilted, but she loved that. There was no falseness between them.