Page 18 of Fixing Hearts

Tilting her head, the woman studied her.

“You strike me as someone who goes for bold flavors.” She pulled a bottle from the shelf, stepping even closer to hand it to Jo.

“This one’s rich, deep, a little smoky…” Her fingers touched Jo’s hand as she passed the bottle over, lingering a second too long.

Jo paused. Normally, she’d be all over this.

A beautiful woman, leaning in close, flirting without hesitation…

that was her scene. But instead, all she could think about was Evelyn.

About how much she wanted to see her face when she opened the door tonight.

About how she wanted to watch Evelyn cook.

About how she wanted to kiss her again, slowly and deeply this time, without hesitation.

Jo cleared her throat, stepping back slightly. “Sounds perfect,” she said, forcing a polite smile. “Thanks.”

The woman arched an eyebrow, clearly picking up on the shift in energy. “Lucky date,” she mused, but there was no real disappointment in her tone.

Chuckling, Jo shook her head. “Naw,” she said as she made her way toward the register. “I think I’m the lucky one.”

Evelyn took one last look around her apartment, resisting the urge to go check her appearance in the mirror one more time.

In a loose flowing maroon skirt and a sleeveless white blouse, Evelyn felt confident that she looked attractive.

In fact, everything was set. The table was neatly arranged, and the smell of garlic and herbs filled the air.

She spent the last hour meticulously preparing dinner, double-checking recipes, and trying not to overthink every detail.

All of that flew out the window the moment she heard the knock at the door.

Her pulse jumped. It’s just Jo , she thought. I can handle this .

After taking a steadying breath, she pulled open the door and immediately forgot how to breathe.

Jo stood there, leaning casually against the doorframe, one hand holding a bottle of wine.

She had changed out of her usual work clothes, trading grease-stained jeans for dark denim that hugged her hips in a way that should be illegal.

A fitted black button-down stretched across her broad shoulders, the sleeves rolled up enough to reveal the strong forearms that had definitely been the subject of Evelyn’s daydreams. And then there was the way she looked at her.

Jo’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, her eyes sweeping over Evelyn’s figure with blatant appreciation. “Damn,” she murmured, her voice dropping into that husky register that sent a shiver down Evelyn’s spine. “You look really good.”

Evelyn swallowed hard, heat creeping up her neck. “You clean up nice yourself,” she managed to say.

Chuckling, Jo stepped inside and handed over the bottle of wine. “Thought I’d bring something to go with dinner,” she said. “Figured I should at least try to impress you.”

Smiling, Evelyn closed the door behind her. “Oh, I think you’re already doing a pretty good job of that.”

“Yeah?” Jo asked with a smile.

“Yeah.”

The air between them crackled, thick with anticipation, but Evelyn forced herself to move, leading Jo toward the kitchen. “Let’s open this,” she said, holding up the wine. “I could use a drink.”

Jo followed her. “Really? Are you nervous?”

With a sigh, Evelyn opened the wine and poured them both a glass. “A little,” she admitted, handing Jo her drink. “I only want tonight to go well.”

Taking the glass, Jo clinked it against Evelyn’s before taking a sip. “Relax,” she said, her voice warm. “It already is.”

Evelyn exhaled, some of the tension easing from her shoulders. “Good.” She reached for her phone, pulling up her favorite playlist. A sultry, bluesy guitar riff filled the air, followed by the unmistakable rasp of Melissa Etheridge’s voice.

Jo’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, hell yes,” she said, her smile widening. “Good choice.”

Laughing, Evelyn took a sip of wine. “I aim to impress,” she said as Jo set her glass down and, without warning, started singing along.

And she was good. Really good , Evelyn thought.

Can this woman get any sexier? Jo’s voice was rich, smooth, effortlessly seductive as she sang the lyrics, locking her eyes on Evelyn’s.

Evelyn’s breath caught under the sexy stare. “You sing?”

Swaying slightly to the music, Jo shrugged. “A little. When the song is right.”

“A little? Jo, that was—”

Before she finished, Jo reached for her hand, tugging her gently toward the center of the kitchen.

“Dance with me,” she said. Evelyn hesitated, but before she could resist, Jo’s hands were on her waist, guiding her effortlessly into a slow, rhythmic sway.

The warmth of Jo’s body and the deep hum of the music was intoxicating.

Evelyn let herself relax into it, her hands resting lightly on Jo’s shoulders, their bodies moving together in perfect sync.

Jo’s fingers skimmed along Evelyn’s back, sending a shiver down her spine.

“You’re dangerous,” Evelyn murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Oh, I know,” Jo whispered with a smile in her voice. Their movements slowed, the space between them shrinking. Evelyn’s heart pounded as Jo’s fingers traced the curve of her jaw, tilting her chin up slightly.

“Can I kiss you?” Jo murmured, her breath warm against Evelyn’s lips.

Evelyn barely had time to nod before Jo closed the distance.

The kiss was slow at first, teasing, but when Evelyn let out a soft sigh against Jo’s mouth, Jo deepened it, her hands tightening on Evelyn’s waist. Evelyn melted into her, arms around her neck, pulling her closer, needing more.

Jo groaned, pressing Evelyn against the counter, her body firm and warm against hers.

The kiss turned heated, desperate, hands roaming, lips parting—

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

The oven timer shrieked through the kitchen. They froze, breathless, bodies pressed together. Jo was the first to laugh, her voice rough. “That was bad timing,” she said. “But I imagine you need to check that.”

With a groan, Evelyn nodded. “One second,” she said and slipped past Jo to open the oven door.

Evelyn’s stomach sank. “Oh, God.” The salmon, which she had painstakingly topped with a marinade of garlic and herbs, was still completely raw.

No heat came from inside the stove. Clearly she had made sure everything was perfect, except for turning on the oven.

Evelyn covered her face. “I knew I was going to mess this up.”

Jo chuckled from beside her, clearly seeing the calamity. She gently pulled Evelyn’s hands away from her face. “Hey,” she said, tilting Evelyn’s chin up. “It’s fine. We’ll order pizza.”

“I wanted tonight to be perfect,” Evelyn said with a sigh.

Jo’s eyes softened. “It is perfect,” she said.

“I don’t care about dinner. I just care about you.

” Evelyn’s heart skipped a beat as Jo pulled out her phone.

“There’s a place I know right around the corner.

I fixed the owner’s car last week. Rush job.

” Jo winked. “So he owes me. Dinner can be here in fifteen minutes. You cool with pepperoni, mushroom, and black olives?”

Evelyn exhaled a laugh, shaking her head. “Yeah, that works,” she said. “Thank you.”

As Jo placed the order, Evelyn leaned against the counter, watching her.

Somehow, despite the disaster in the oven, despite her nerves, despite everything, their being together felt right.

When Jo hung up the phone, turned back to her, and smiled her sexy smile, Evelyn knew one thing for sure. The night was far from over.