Stark stared at his empty plate. It had been full a few minutes ago. He raised his gaze to Topper who was smiling at him over her drink. Her plate was empty as well.
He was more than satisfied—he was content. Great food cooked by a beautiful woman. It was not something that happened to him often.
Stark bowed his head. “Thank you for the excellent food, Topper. It was wonderful.” His heart constricted when she bowed her head and smiled almost shyly. Why was such a competent, beautiful female so embarrassed by compliments?
“Hasn’t a woman ever prepared you a meal before?” Topper asked, sipping her wine.
Stark snorted. “My mates were intelligent companions but less domestic than I was. Much to my chagrin, both of them expected me to use my retired military status to provide them with an a
