Are you sure this recipe calls for a fourth cup of chili flakes? That seems like a lot.”
“I’m sure. Buldak literally means ‘fire chicken,’” Daniel said. He gestured to the small jar of deep red paste. “And when it comes to heat level, the chili flakes have nothing on the gochujang over there.”
“This dish is going to kill me,” Samiah said, experiencing true fear as the delicious-smelling sauce gurgled in the saucepan.
“I thought you said you liked it spicy. Don’t wimp out on me now.” He leaned over and placed the sweetest kiss on her lips. “You’ll love it, I promise.”
She would probably end up in the ER, but she’d deal with that disaster if it came to pass. Whatever the outcome of their meal, it would be worth it just for the opportunity to watch Daniel Collins’s sexy ass go to work in the kitchen. Having a man who cooked was one thing, having a man who looked like that when he cooked? That was #lifegoals. She’d reached an entirely new level of living her best life.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Samiah asked, unable to suppress the poutiness in her tone.
“Six.”
“In the morning? You’re not expecting a ride to the airport, are you?”
His head flew back with his crack of laughter. “If I was planning to ask you, I guess I have my answer.”
She moved to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his leanly muscled back. “I’m one hundred percent down with being the supportive girlfriend, but I don’t do early mornings.”
“I’ll catch a cab,” he said over his shoulder. “My meeting starts promptly at ten, so it was either leave tonight or take the first flight out in the morning.” He turned in her arms, settling his clasped hands at the base of her spine. “I don’t mind waking up before the crack of dawn if it means I get to spend the night with you.”
The naughtiest tingles swept through her, causing her body to rival the heat level of the killer chicken they were about to eat.
She hated that he would be gone for an entire two weeks, but when he came back to Austin at the end of the month, it would be permanent. Well, as permanent as things were in his line of work.
Over these past two weeks, she’d learned that his job took him to all parts of the country, and even sometimes out of the country. He’d been back to the DC area twice already, and would be flying to some country in the Baltics next month. He couldn’t even disclose which country. It would take her a minute to get used to the lack of transparency, but she would do what she had to do. If Daniel was willing to pack up his life and move to the San Antonio/Austin field office in order to be with her, she could learn how to deal with his demanding job schedule.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Will you miss me?”
“No,” she said. He pinched her ass. “Fine.” She laughed. “Yes, yes, I will miss you terribly. Especially your cooking.”
“Maybe by the time I return I’ll be able to invite you to my place to cook,” he said. He’d spent the past couple of weeks in a hotel just south of downtown, which meant any cooking was done at her place.
Samiah had been upfront when it came to her feelings about their living arrangements. They didn’t know each other well enough to move in together just yet. It was as simple as that. She still wasn’t sure if everything she thought she knew about him was fact or just part of the persona that had been created for his undercover job at Trendsetters. They were still feeling their way around the fallout of everything that happened last month.
Even so, when he texted her yesterday to let her know he’d found an apartment not too far from the hotel where he was now staying, she’d told him to sign a six-month lease instead of a full year. She suspected he wouldn’t make it through half of that. She wanted him here with her.
His arms still wrapped around her waist, Daniel nudged his chin toward where she’d placed her tablet on the kitchen counter. “Is it done?” he asked.
Samiah could barely contain the smile that broke out over her face.
“It’s done,” she said. She’d taken three additional vacation days and used them to put the finishing touches on her app and the application for the Future in Innovation Tech Conference.
His eyes narrowed. “Is it ready to send, or did you find even more things you want to tweak?”
“No more tweaking! I promise. Everything is complete and ready to upload. I just have to press the submit butt—” Her phone trilled. She looked to where she’d set it on the kitchen island. The selfie Taylor had saved under her name stared back at her.
“It’s Taylor,” Samiah said. “I’ll call her back later.” The phone stopped ringing, but then immediately started again.
“Just answer it,” Daniel said.
“Well, I guess this is technically later.” She reluctantly extricated herself from his hold and answered the phone. “Hello—Taylor, slow down!”
Samiah listened as Taylor—in the most Taylor way—started ranting about ruining her career before it could even get started.
“Oh, my God, would you please slow down,” Samiah said. She paused, then yelled, “Wait, you what?”
“I cursed out a bunch of kids!” Taylor screeched. “In front of their parents! I was fired! My life is over! How am I supposed to go home for Thanksgiving at the end of the month and explain to my family yet again that I am the biggest fuckup on the planet?”
Samiah put a hand to her forehead. “Okay, just calm down. It can’t be that bad.”
“It kinda is,” Taylor said. Something about the switch in her tone of voice caused a prickling sensation to race along Samiah’s spine.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Um, do you think you can come down to the jail on Eighth Street and bail me out?”
“What!”
“So, totally not my fault, but after I cursed out the kids, I may have grabbed the chair one of the mothers was sitting in and ran over it with my car. Not may have, I did. I did run the chair over with my car.”
“With her in it?”
“No!” Taylor said.
Samiah heard a muffled voice in the background, followed by Taylor’s “okay, okay, I’m almost done.” She came back on the line. “I have to get off the phone and London is at the hospital, so I kinda need you to do this. Can you?”
“I’m on my way,” Samiah said. “Don’t damage anyone else’s property before I get there!”
“Can’t make any promises,” Taylor said before ending the call.
She hung up the phone and looked over at Daniel. “Can I get that killer chicken to go?”
“What’s going on?”
She shook her head. “It would take too long for me to explain it. I’ll give you the full story after I get back from the county jail.”
His eyebrows shot up.
“Don’t ask,” Samiah said. “Seriously, I’m learning that when it comes to Taylor Powell, it’s better not to ask.” She held up a finger. “However, there is one thing I promised I would do, and I refuse to put it off a minute longer.” She picked up her iPad and brought it over to him. Then she slid two wineglasses from the hanging rack, poured elderberry and grape kombucha in both, and handed one to Daniel. “I am not leaving before I do this.”
She pressed the submit button on the iPad, sending off her submission.
Clinking her glass against his, she proclaimed, “Here’s to the future winner of the standout app of the Future in Innovation Tech Conference Awards.”
“Here’s to you,” Daniel said. Then he took the glass from her hand. “Now let’s go bail your friend out of jail.”