From Here to Hidden

CHAPTER 35 | BETH

"You look amazing," he said, slowly dropping the newspaper on the counter and taking a slow step toward her. "Absolutely stunning." He planted a single soft kiss on her lips, running the back of his fingers down her cheek and slowly down her neck. She wasn't sure why, but these soft, barely-there kisses from him were almost as heated as anything passionate could have been. It was as if there was a fog in the room that lingered long enough to steal her breath. It was so thick that if she didn't come up for air, she felt as though she might suffocate.

"Thank you for the clothes." She whispered, closing her eyes and taking in the scent of him standing so close once again. She could smell the cologne he had put on, recognizing the scent but unable to put a name to the fragrance.

He took a small step back and smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad they fit. Someone gave Bekah those pants and thought they were a youth medium. Turns out, they were a women's size. They are way too big for her and I hadn't gotten around to returning them yet. But, ahem, they look like they fit you fine."

His face seemed to flush as she noticed his eyes drop below her waist quickly before he stared down into his coffee cup. She nervously tugged at her shirt, pulling it as far down as it would go over her backside. "Thank you, umm, for the pants I mean. I'll wash them and return them to you. You know, for her to have later or something." She crossed the room, feeling his gaze on her. She grabbed the coffee mug he had left sitting out for her, filling it 3/4 of the way full before adding creamer.

"So..." she said, clearing her throat and taking a seat on one of the barstools. "What are you cooking this morning? Can I help do anything?" She took a sip of her coffee, feeling the heat of the liquid run all the way down her throat in a delicious and satisfying wave.

"Pancakes and bacon; an Anderson specialty. Everyone who is anyone likes pancakes, right?" He stepped over to the griddle he'd had warming and placed a hand softly over it, never allowing his hand to touch. "There's a secret to making the perfect pancake, you know." He said matter of factly as he picked up the mixing bowl and started to stir the already added ingredients.

"Oh, is that right?" She gazed at him over her coffee mug before continuing. "You mean there's more to it than a cup of Bisquik and some milk?" She smiled and gave him a half-laugh, watching as he feigned insult.

"Oh no, Beth. There's more to it than the mix. There's a technique to the pouring and the flipping. It's my secret and, well, if I told you I'd have to kill you." He shrugged his shoulders and gave her an impish, if not boyish grin.

She laughed again and shook her head. "Nah. Nope. Not buying it, Mr. Anderson. There's only one way to make a pancake. You're not fooling me. You mix, you pour, you flip. It's really not that hard."

"Well, since you know with so much certainty, why don't you come show me? Or at least give me a chance to show you my secret." He shrugged his shoulders as he set the mixing bowl down on the counter beside the stove.

"Alright...I will." She rose from the stool she was perched on and walked toward the stove. She reached across the counter and grabbed a ladle out of the utensil holder. Carefully, she scooped the sticky mixture and poured it in a slow fluid motion onto the griddle. She scooped a second spoonful and followed suit until the entire griddle was lined with pancake batter. Defiantly, she put the ladle back in the bowl and turned to face him, arms crossed across her chest.

"Not bad, not bad. I'll give you that. But, let's see how you do with the flipping. See, that's the part that gets people." He wagged a finger at her in mock lecture.

Rolling her eyes, she turned back toward the stove and took the spatula in her hand, scooting and bumping it against the pancakes on the pan. They weren't quite ready to flip. She felt Jason standing behind her, the warmth of his body sending chills down her neck. Soon, she felt his hands on her waist again as he stood directly behind her. The pancakes were starting to bubble and cook around the edges, indicating that they were ready to be turned over. She moved a spatula under one of them and started to flip it, just as she felt Jason's thumb circle a section of her bare skin that had been exposed when she lifted her arms.