Screwing up his nose at her, he brought over the muffins, served her one, then got one for himself.

She split hers open with her hands and breathed in the fragrant steam. Her mouth watered. “Okay, fine, you’re a good cook.”

“Gee thanks, princess.” He buttered half his muffin, the heat melting the butter within seconds. Then he took a giant bite. “Mmm.” The sound was low and deep and… interesting.

Again, that twitch low in her belly, a twitch that threatened to spread to the space between her legs. What was happening to her? Dread dried up her mouth. It couldn’t just be proximity. They’d been proximate plenty of times before at various family events.

Family events.

Key word being family.

Never alone.

Just the two of them.

Stuck in an apartment while the snow fell outside.

Shoving a buttered piece of muffin into her mouth in an effort to derail that dangerous line of thought, she found herself moaning in a way that would’ve been embarrassing if it hadn’t brought a delighted light into Danny’s eyes. “Ish good,” she managed around her mouthful.

“Yeah?” He took another bite, chewed, seemed to think about it. “Yeah, I think I have the ratios just right.”

He was so serious about it that she paused, gave him a searching look. “You decided to become a chef or something, Daniel?”

Color on his cheekbones, followed by an eyebrow-lowered look worthy of a mafia don. “Don’t say a word to my family. Swear on that necklace you never take off.”

The necklace in question—a fine gold chain with three small stars hanging off it—had been a gift from Clive a long time ago, back when she’d been a little girl and had still believed in him. Sad that she couldn’t give it up, but hey, dreams were free and it was a good memory of a lovely day.

“Fine, I swear.” She held up her necklace as she made the vow. “Though what’s the big deal? All your family cooks.”

That too was another thing that had surprised her when she’d met Alison and Joseph’s clan. In her family, Ísa was the only one who cooked. The times Catie was with Clive, it was either Martha who prepared the food—or, if Martha was off—it was all prepackaged meals Catie put into the microwave. She’d been doing so since she was at elementary school. With Jacqueline, a chef did everything.

It had astonished her to see Sailor so at home in the kitchen. He’d made her and Ísa pancakes that first time, and while she’d tried not to show it, Catie had been goggle-eyed by the situation. Then she’d met Alison and Joseph and the others and learned that cooking together was a family thing. Which included Catie if she was in the vicinity.