“You?ve gone all out for me. I?m impressed.”

“Of course I did. I wanted us to have a nice first date.”

Dylan smiled and took Cat?s hand gently, running her thumb over the back of soft skin. “It?s already nice, because we?re together.”

“You?re very sweet. You know that?”

Cat is delighted to see Dylan duck her head and smile in a slightly bashful way. The blonde leaned forward and placed a soft kiss to the lips before her.

When she drew back, she smiled again. “I?m glad you?re here.”

“Me too.”

Cat cleared her throat and slapped back all the thoughts of leaving dinner untouched as she dragged Dylan to her bedroom. “Try the pate.”

The tall woman nodded and took one of the crackers in hand. Cat turned away and rooted around in the drawer for a wine opener.

“Oooo this is good.”

Cat turned around, nearly dropping the bottle and the corkscrew. “Really?” Blonde brows jumped to her hairline.

“Yes, really.” Dylan laughed. “It?s very good.”

There was an audible sigh of relief, which made Dylan chuckle harder.

“Don?t tell me you were worried.”

“Of course I was worried,” she stated as she struggled with getting the cork from the bottle. “My idea of vegetarian is extra tomatoes on my hamburger.”

Dylan took the bottle and easily removed the cork as two glasses were placed in front of her. “Thanks.”

“No problem. After spending all day in the kitchen, that was easy.” Cat sat moved around the breakfast bar and took a seat next to Dylan. Taking her wine glass she held it up in toast, “Here?s to a wonderful evening.”

“I?ll drink to that.” She sipped her wine before turning back to the pate. She offered a cracker coated in the greenish brown paste. “Try it.”

“I dunno?”

“Oh now come on, you didn?t go to all this trouble, just to let me eat it myself.”

Cat tasted the mixture, reluctantly agreeing with a nod that it was pretty good.

“So,” Dylan popped the rest of the cracker in her mouth. “What else is for dinner?”

“Miso soup?”

“One of my favorites.”

“Good. Spinach souffl� and roasted chilies.”

“Wow you did go all out didn?t you?”

“I tried.”

“Thanks. Not many people go to the trouble of cooking for me.”

“I actually enjoyed it.”

Dylan absently scratched her neck. “When will it be ready?”

“Oh it?s ready now.”

“Then let?s eat, but before we do, can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure, you know where it is.”

Dylan got up and headed upstairs, while Cat dishes out the soup. She noticed that it had an extremely tangy smell she hadn?t noticed before, but she figured it must be natural.

“Hey Cat?”

She moved so she could look up to the railing where Dylan was standing. “Yeah?”

“Did the pate have peanuts in it?”

“No why?”

“Well, I?m starting to break out like I do when I eat peanuts. I have a mild allergy. Nothing serious. I was just wondering.”

“No it?s got?” she paused, then dashed into the kitchen, pulling a bottle of oil from the cabinet. “Oh shit!” She ran back out and looked up again. “Peanut oil.”

“That?s it.” Dylan chuckled as she descended the stairs.

“I?m so sorry.”

“Hey, it?s okay, really. I forgot to tell you and you had no way to know.”

“Oh damn.”

“Cat, really, it?s okay. I swear. It?s not serious. I just won?t be eating anymore of that pate.”

Cat nodded ruefully and headed back into the kitchen. “How about soup, I promise no peanuts or peanut extract got within a foot of it.”

“Perfect.”

They went to the small dining table, which Cat had set with a tablecloth and candles. The addition of Dylan?s flowers made it very romantic.

Seated, Cat brought the soupspoon to her lips but stopped just short when the smell assailed her again. Dylan looked at the bowl with some concern.

“Ummm Cat, what?s in this soup?”

“It?s a vegetable stock with tofu.”

“Un-huh. Did you put the tofu in the fridge?”

“No, it?s bean curd for God?s sake?” She stopped and looked to Dylan. “It went bad?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I?m afraid so, tofu can go bad in a flash.”

“I don?t believe this.”

“Hey, we still have the souffl� and the roasted chilies.”

“Right.” Cat tried to remain positive, but her hopes were slowly diminishing. “Let?s hope I don?t kill you with those.”

“Cat,” Dylan moved closer and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. “You have no idea how much it means to me that you even tried this. Vegan cooking isn?t easy.”

“Vegan?” Cat slowly drew back. “As in no meat by products?”

“Yeah.”

“Great there goes the souffl�.”

“What?”

“Eggs and milk,” Cat sat back down. “God, this has got to go onto your list of hellish dates.”

“No,” Dylan returned to her seat. “It?s not hellish. I could stand to lose a little weight.” She joked hoping to lighten the mood. “We still have roast chilies.”

“Are you sure you?re that brave?”

“Absolutely, bring them on.”

Cat wasn?t sure why Dylan was being so gracious about the whole mess, but she hoped that she wouldn?t go screaming into the night. Well, at least not running away. Screaming into the night was high on Cat?s list of things that she wanted to hear Dylan do.

Dylan looked at the dish, smiled and speared a huge amount of the colorful vegetables that had been prepared just for her. She smiled at Cat as she started to chew.

Cat watched as Dylan?s eyes grew wide and panic crossed her face as chewing got slower and slower and it was obvious she was desperate to find a place to rid herself of the food. The napkin in her lap was the only option, once the food had been disposed of, she grabbed her wine glass and drank it straight down, then blindly grabbed for Cat?s glass as well.

She was coughing and choking, her face was bright red and tears were steaming down her cheeks. Cat dashed to the kitchen and poured Dylan a glass of soy milk, she didn?t even have time to turn around before Dylan reached passed her and grabbed the regular milk and gulped it straight from the carton.

After nearly finishing a quart of milk in one long gulp, Dylan sank to the floor sliding against the wall as she did.

Cat knelt and placed her hands on Dylan?s knees. “I?m sorry.”

“What,” the tall woman gasped. “What kind of chilies did you use?”

“I when to the farmer?s market and told them I needed red, yellow and green chilies?”

“Oh God?” Dylan blew out a long slow breath. “Cat, Roasted Chilies, don?t actually have chilies in them. They have bell peppers?it?s just called Roasted Chilies.”

“That?s stupid, why not call it Roasted Bell Peppers?”

“I have no idea.” Dylan wiped the tears from her eyes. “God, that was hot.”

Cat?s shoulders slumped. “I?m so, so sorry.”

“These things happen.”

“Yeah, but why do they have to happen to me?” Cat slumped on the floor next to Dylan and placed her hand on the tall woman?s leg.

“Just lucky I guess.”

“So now what are we going to do for dinner.”

Dylan removed her cell from her hip. “I have it covered.”

Dylan took the wine glasses to the living room while Cat cleaned up the remnants of their delivered dinner. The coach had taken pity on her player and ordered from a place that would bring her something with meat.

Cat enjoyed a nice chicken and rice dish while Dylan had eaten a passable vegan lasagna. It wasn?t what Cat had hoped for, but Dylan seemed to take it all in stride and they had a nice evening.

As the blonde considered her disaster in the kitchen, Hamlet watched from the edged of the tile floor. Cat gathered up the souffl� and dropped it into his bowl. “Here you go pal. I?m sure you?ll enjoy it.”

The dog wandered over to his bowl and sniffed. Then he sat down and looked at Cat with a whine. He almost seemed to be shaking his head no.

“Oh come on, it wasn?t that bad!”

Hamlet whined again.

“Was it?”

The dog barked this time.

Cat relaxed as she felt strong arms encircle her from behind. “You never can go wrong with dessert,” Dylan purred into her ear.

“You can if you don?t have any,” Cat replied over the heartbeat thundering in her ears.

Dylan?s resulting chuckle, deep and sensual, turned Cat?s mouth into a desert as all the moisture in her body headed southward for the summer.

“There?s more than one way to defur a feline.”

Her hand was gently clasped and she followed Dylan blindly into the living room, spending the duration of the short trip simply bribing her legs to work properly.

She then found herself blinking owlishly down at Dylan who had appropriated much of the couch and was lounging there like a well fed cat, long arms resting against the back. “Care to join me?” She flashed a sexy grin that had Cat seeing a whole galaxy?s worth of stars. “I don?t bite. I promise.”

“Not even if I ask?” Cat asked finally, sliding down to sit closer to the tall woman.

“Well now, that a horse of a different color.” Dylan lifted her hand and palm Cat?s cheek. “You?re a beautiful woman, Catherine Hodges.”

“Think so?” Cat could feel her face heat as a blush traveled from her collarbones up into her hair.

“Oh, I know so.” A long thumb brushed against coral lips, soothing and exciting them at the same time. “And I also know if I don?t kiss you soon, my had may explode.”

“We can?t have that,” the blonde sighed and leaned forward. “You need your head.”

“I?m pretty attached to it actually.” Dylan smiled and leaned forward, tenderly kissing Cat?s lips.

Cat moaned softly, drowning in the almost overwhelming emotion of the gentle exchange. Warmth spread outward from her heart, traveling through her body and back again in a never ending cycle. She blindly followed Dylan?s lips as they pulled away, and when a gentle tongue drew itself across her highly sensitized flesh, she welcomed it inside her, drinking in the taste, the essence of the woman who had caused this powerful hunger to well and rage within her.