Chapter 32

"Preferences only closes you off to other options. By favoring one thing, you automatically put the other thing in a negative light."

"Jesus," I sighed and turned towards Harry, seeing him lift a brow.

"Not everything has to be explained or put into a logical term, Harry. Sometimes you just like certain things and dislike others. For example, I like red velvet cake and strawberries with cream. Do you?"

He smiled a little, but then shrugged his shoulder.

"I'm not a picky eater."

There was never a straight answer with him.

"You better like this cake, jackass," I huffed and turned back towards my cake to finish icing it, while hearing Harry chuckle quietly behind me.

"I'm sure I will."

Damn right he would.

I might not have been the best at math, but I was great in a kitchen. I liked baking and cooking.

Creating new flavors from different flavors, while silently just making something beautiful and aromatic as well.

It was like sex.

Fifteen minutes later, the cake was done.

After icing it and smoothing it out, I had decorated it with the cut strawberries and just a small zesting of chocolate on top for added effect.

Harry had been silently letting me work while watching from the side.

"There," I said, smiling proudly at my creation.

"Time to eat. Grab some plates and forks."

Harry followed orders and went to a cabinet where he grabbed two small dessert plates and then some dessert forks from a drawer.

This kitchen was stocked with literally everything one would need to host a social event, and yet the owner was the most anti-social being I had ever met. Even having a normal conversation with him without it turning into a life lecture was impossible.

While Harry placed the plates next to me, I cut out two sharp slices of my cake and marveled at the sight of the perfect layers of cream and strawberries.

I think I was more excited about sinking my teeth into this than he was.

Plopping one slice onto his plate, then onto mine, I grinned as I then took a seat on the counter while Harry leaned up against the one opposite mine.

I picked up my plate and my fork.

"Alright. Here goes; to solving an impossible equation, but pretending you didn't to save your friend. No matter the latter. it's still amazing."

He chuckled a little, but then sighed. "Thank you."

"Bón appetit," I told, before slicing off a piece of my cake, hungrily.

I stuffed that sucker in my mouth like my life depended on it.

Dear lord.

I moaned in my head as I chewed, seeing Harry fork off a slice as well. He chewed with a smile, but then swallowed before I could ask.

"Do you like it?"

"It's a good cake," He confirmed, taking another bite and chewing like it was normal food and not heavenly.

"Just good?" I said, raising a brow when he kept eating his slice with as much enthusiasm as someone drinking a cup of stale work-coffee.

"Come on. Go deeper. I want compliments on this."

He chuckled and chewed off another piece, before setting his plate down for a moment and crossing his arms.

"I'm sensing this has less to do with celebrating and more to do with your culinary skills."

"I'm just saying, I could use a bit more praise after just struggling through that whipped cream incidence. Maybe say something nice about the icing."

"It's good icing."

"You're impossible."

He chuckled and picked up his plate again, scooping the last two bites into his mouth before licking his bottom lip with a nod.

"It was excellent, Cassandra. Thank you for baking a cake."

A broad smile slid onto my lips.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it? You're welcome."

He shook his head with a smile, but then started rolling down the sleeves on his shirt again, buttoning up the wrists.

"If that's all then.."

"It's not," I said, now removing the smile from my face and turning a bit more serious.

Tonight hadn't just been about celebrating his problem. There was one more thing I wanted to

say.

"I wanted to say... thank you. For helping me this whole summer. Giving me those math problems. Giving me a second chance, after..." I trailed off when we both knew the end of the sentence.

"After you tried to get me to knock you up?" Harry needlessly finished anyway.

I gave him a sour scowl.

He chuckled back. "Don't mention it."

I scoffed. "I'm serious. You weren't all sunshine and rainbows either, but I think... I know we both learned something this summer. And I just wanted to thank you for... it all."

His face softened from joking to a genuine smile.

Lowering his head, he gave a nod.

"It's been a pleasure having you here, Cassandra."

"Literally," I teased, jerking my foot forward to poke his thigh.

His lips twitched and he shifted on his feet.

"In every sense," He affirmed, now lifting his eyes again and meeting mine.

"Yes."

I felt my chest suddenly get poked back, but not by any physical thing. This one was purely emotional.

"Well..." I swallowed a little, but then eyed out the last slice of my cake on my plate.

"I guess that ends this celebration. I should probably get up and take a shower. I still feel creamy."

He gave a nod, smiling a little.

"Thank you for the cake."

I smiled back, but then slowly slid off the counter.

"You're welcome."

It was then my eyes fell to his shirt.

A tiny bit of strawberry juice had made it into the very bottom of it, probably from when he had been slicing them on the chopping board.

"You've got some strawberry on your shirt," I told, pointing to the spot.

Harry looked down and found the spot I was talking about.

"You should probably get that in the wash so it doesn't stain."

"Thank you," He said.

"Well... Goodnight then," I said, taking my plate and his and bringing them to the sink.

I still had to stuff my cake away in the fridge and clean up the last mess before I could head off.

"Try and get some sleep now that you're actually free from work. At least until you find your next unsolvable riddle to solve."

"Who says I haven't?"

I scoffed and started washing the dishes off, despite the dishwasher right beside me.

"It wouldn't surprise me if you have."

I was too preoccupied with washing the dishes and the forks to realize Harry had moved behind me. It was from the corner of my eye that I saw him moving towards the fridge, carrying my cake and setting it inside on a free shelf for me.

But the thing that had me widening my eyes was the fact that he had taken his shirt off.

As he opened the fridge and let the cold hit his exposed torso, I saw the way his taut nipples stiffened in natural response to the colder air. The light from the fridge hitting his carved body was enough to have my appetite returning, but not for the delicious cake I had just devoured.

"Jesus," I whispered to myself, quickly turning my eyes away when he then turned and grabbed his soiled shirt from the counter behind me.

"Fucking tease."

"Pardon?"

I looked up to see Harry raising a brow, thinking I had been speaking to him. Which I kind of had, but he wasn't supposed to hear it.

"Nothing. Just strip down in front of me in the kitchen. I won't complain."

"You said it yourself, it would stain."

"Yeah, well I meant take it off in your room. Don't parade in front of me when you know very well how much I'm holding back."

I suddenly sensed him behind me, because I suddenly couldn't breathe.

"This has been you holding back?" He murmured in my ear, with just a hint of a teasing edge.

Fucking God. That was it.