Chapter 2 - DANGEROUS THOUGHTS

Flora walked down the stairs, her heart thumping in her chest. She found Emily and Eugene standing by the kitchen island. Eugene was taking some groceries out of a paper bag. He looked just as handsome as she remembered—tall, broad-shouldered, with a few lines around his eyes that made him look even more mature.

When he heard her footsteps, he looked up and smiled warmly.

"Flora! Look who's here," Emily said, holding a box of juice.

"Hello, Flora," Eugene said. His voice was deep and smooth. "It is so good to see you. Emily told me you both were coming home for the break."

"Hi, Mr. Eugene," Flora said. Her voice shook just a little, but she tried to keep it steady. "It’s good to see you too."

"Oh, please, call me Eugene. You’re practically an adult now, almost done with college," he said with a friendly laugh. He walked over to give her a polite, welcoming hug.

When his arms wrapped around her, Flora’s whole body tensed up. He smelled like expensive wood and rain. Her skin felt hot where his hands lightly touched her back. It was just a normal, friendly greeting, but to Flora, it felt like an electric shock.

Eugene pulled back, completely unaware of how she was feeling. "You look great, Flora. Emily tells me you are studying very hard for your final exams."

"Yes, I am trying my best," Flora murmured. She felt dizzy just standing close to him.

Eugene stood at the kitchen counter, cutting the steaks for dinner. The house was quiet again now that the girls were upstairs. He should have been thinking about his work or his schedule for the next week, but his mind kept wandering back to the brief moment in the kitchen with Flora.

When he gave her that welcoming hug, something had felt different.

Flora wasn't a little kid anymore. Eugene had known her since she and Emily were children running around the backyard. When Flora was a teenager, she used to look at him with deep, infatuated eyes—the kind of obvious crush a young girl gets on an older man. Back then, Eugene had been relieved when she finally outgrew it and started acting like a normal friend to his daughter. He had been glad those silly teenage feelings were gone.

But today? Today, he was deeply moved by her presence.

Looking at her now felt completely different. She had grown into a beautiful, poised young woman. When he held her for that brief second, he had felt her body stiffen. At first, he thought she was just surprised, but then his arm had accidentally brushed against hers. He hadn't missed the way her breath caught in her throat.

Eugene shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. She is Emily’s best friend, he reminded himself strictly. She is practically family. You are way too old to be noticing things like that.

He had been alone for so many years since his wife left. Over the years, he had been on a few private dates, but he always kept his relationships completely out of Emily's sight. He never wanted his daughter to feel like he was trying to replace her mother. Because of that, he had poured all his energy into being a good, protective father.

But Flora’s eyes today hadn't been the silly, starry eyes of a teenager. They were the eyes of a woman looking at a man. There was an intense spark in them that made his heart race in a way it hadn't in decades.

The sound of soft footsteps on the stairs made him look up from the cutting board. He expected to see Emily coming down to help, but instead, it was Flora. She had changed into a comfortable sweatshirt, and her hair was tied back.

"Flora," Eugene said, his voice naturally dropping to a lower, calmer tone. "Where is Emily?"

"She fell asleep on her bed," Flora said, walking slowly into the kitchen. She stopped on the other side of the kitchen island. "She was completely exhausted from studying. I told her I would come down and see if you needed any help with dinner."

Eugene looked down at the knife in his hand, then back up at her. Having her alone in the kitchen with him felt dangerous, but he didn't want to be rude.

"I can always use some help," Eugene said, offering her a warm smile. "Can you wash the potatoes in the sink?"

"Sure," Flora murmured.

She walked over to the sink, which placed her just a foot away from where he was standing. As she turned on the water, Eugene found himself watching the profile of her face. The quietness of the kitchen suddenly felt very heavy, and the space between them felt incredibly small.

As Flora rinsed the potatoes under the cold water, the silence between them stretched, thick and heavy. She decided to break it, keeping her voice light and innocent, though her heart was hammering.

"So, Eugene," she started, deliberately using his first name like he had asked. She glanced at him sideways, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Emily says you’re an amazing cook. She says you always know exactly what to do with your hands in the kitchen."

Eugene paused for a split second, his knife hovering over the cutting board. He cleared his throat, keeping his expression neutral. "Well, I've had a lot of years of practice. When you're cooking for a family, you learn to be precise."

"I like precision," Flora murmured, rubbing a potato under the running water a little slower than necessary. "Most guys my age are just... messy. They rush through everything. They don't take their time to make sure things turn out right."

Eugene turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes searching her face. Flora kept her expression completely innocent, looking back at him with wide, clear eyes as if she were simply talking about dinner prep.

"Cooking takes patience, Flora," Eugene said, his voice dropping a bit lower. "Younger guys... well, they usually just want quick results. They haven't learned the value of waiting for the right moment."

"Exactly," Flora said softly, leaning just an inch closer to him to place a clean potato in the bowl next to his hand. Her sleeve brushed his arm again, sending a familiar spark through her. "That’s why I prefer something more mature. The flavor is always much deeper when someone actually knows what they're doing."

Eugene stared at the potato she had just placed down, then slowly looked up to meet her gaze. The innocence in her eyes was there, but the heat underneath it was undeniable.

"Is that so?" Eugene asked, his tone steady but laced with a sudden, quiet tension.

Eugene held her gaze for a long moment. The kitchen felt completely still, and the air was thick with the unsaid. He could tell she was playing a game, acting innocent while tossing out words that meant so much more.

A small, knowing smirk touched the corner of his lips. He leaned in just a fraction of an inch closer, his deep voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Patience is everything, Flora," he said quietly, his eyes locked onto hers. "But sometimes, playing with fire in the kitchen will just get you burned."

Flora’s breath hitched. For a second, she thought he was going to take the bait completely. Her skin tingled, and she felt a rush of heat go straight to her face.

But then, Eugene blinked, and the intense look vanished. He stepped back, completely breaking the heavy spell between them. He picked up the bowl of clean potatoes and set it on the stove, his tone instantly switching back to that of a polite, responsible host.

"Anyway," Eugene said briskly, wiping his hands on a kitchen towel. "Speaking of graduation, Emily mentioned you’re looking at some internship offers. Have you decided which city you want to move to after the summer?"

The sudden shift made Flora feel like she had just dropped from a high ledge. She blinked, swallowing hard to clear the dryness in her throat, and tried to match his casual energy.

"Oh—um, no, not yet," Flora stammered, pulling her hands out of the sink and turning off the water. "I'm still looking at a few options. I want to make sure it's the right fit."

"Smart," Eugene said, nodding as he focused on seasoning the steaks. "Take your time. Your first job out of college sets the tone for everything else. You don't want to rush into a commitment you aren't ready for."

Flora looked at his broad back as he worked, wondering if he was still using double meanings, or if he had truly just moved on to a normal conversation.

Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of a door opening upstairs broke the quiet. A moment later, Emily’s footsteps hurried down the stairs, and she burst into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

"Oh my gosh, did I seriously fall asleep?" Emily groaned, looking at the clock on the wall. "I only meant to close my eyes for five minutes."

Eugene smiled warmly at his daughter, completely back to his normal, fatherly self. "You’ve been studying hard, sweetheart. You needed the rest."

Emily walked over, sniffing the air. "Wow, it smells incredible in here. What did I miss?"

"Not much," Flora said, forcing a calm smile onto her face despite her heart still racing. "I was just helping your dad wash the potatoes."

"Well, you timed it perfectly," Eugene said, turning off the stove burner. "Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you girls grab the plates and set the table?"

"On it," Emily said, grabbing a stack of dinner plates from the cupboard and handing half of them to Flora.

As Flora took the plates, her fingers lightly brushed Emily's, a sudden wave of guilt washing over her. She looked over at Eugene, who was carefully plating the steaks, looking like the picture-perfect, responsible father. But the lingering heat in his eyes told her that he hadn't completely forgotten what just happened between them.