Addiction to Temptation: His Mischievous Sweetheart Captivates Him-Chapter 75: Has Mr. Thorne Never Had a Woman by His Side Before?
After greeting James Vaughn, Natalie Vaughn started to join in the preparations with the others.
Phoebe Quinn couldn’t help but tease her.
"Getting married really changes things, huh? You never used to get involved in stuff like this!"
Even when the three of them ate hot pot together, the most Natalie Vaughn could do was just buy the ingredients.
The pampered girl never lifted a finger in the kitchen, yet today, it seemed like pigs were flying, and here she was, volunteering to help out. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Hearing this, Natalie Vaughn raised an eyebrow and withdrew her hand.
"So, should I just stop then?"
Aaron Channing fanned the flames from the side.
"Yana, don’t discourage her. It’s rare for her to want to do something, let her have at it."
That comment made everyone burst into laughter.
Natalie Vaughn didn’t mind becoming the butt of the joke among her friends, nor was she embarrassed.
"You better savor the opportunity, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to eat barbecue made by me."
Phoebe Quinn laughed even harder.
"Listen up, everyone. If it doesn’t taste good later, it’ll definitely be because of Nina."
Natalie Vaughn: ....
Another round of laughter followed.
"Speaking of barbecue, we do have someone here who’s good at it."
Felix Langdon’s words made everyone stop what they were doing.
Both Phoebe Quinn and Aaron Channing were amateurs, and Theo didn’t seem like the type to start a fire. As for James Vaughn, forget about cooking, he didn’t even eat much of this stuff.
So.....
Everyone’s eyes fell on Zane Thorne.
Natalie Vaughn was rather surprised.
"You know how to barbecue?"
Zane Thorne looked like someone who only knew how to enjoy eating, how could he barbecue?
But he actually could.
The man stepped forward and took the seasoning from Natalie Vaughn’s hand.
"Just stand aside."
It was clear he planned to handle it himself.
Seeing this, Felix Langdon smiled triumphantly.
"Mr. Thorne used to find other people’s barbecue lacking, so he learned how to do it himself, but it’s been years since he last cooked. Today, we’re in for a treat."
Natalie Vaughn’s eyes widened slightly.
"You really do know how, huh."
Zane Thorne turned his head to look at her.
"You don’t believe it?"
Natalie Vaughn shook her head.
In her view, Zane Thorne didn’t seem like someone who would do these things, but if it was to enjoy better-tasting meat, him learning the skill would be to please himself.
It actually made sense.
And according to Felix Langdon, Zane Thorne seldom cooked himself anymore.
Zane Thorne chuckled softly, offering no explanation. The taste would make it clear later.
With Zane Thorne taking over, Natalie Vaughn felt at ease and sat down to rest, asking a surprised Theo.
"You didn’t know he could barbecue?"
Theo swallowed.
"I didn’t know."
He was young, and Felix Langdon used to dislike him tagging along, so only in recent years had he become familiar with Zane Thorne.
Earlier, they were into racing; how could they have brought along a kid?
Natalie Vaughn patted Theo on the shoulder.
"No worries, maybe your brother exaggerated."
Felix Langdon perked up at hearing this.
"Sister-in-law, want to bet on it?"
"Bet on what?"
"If Mr. Thorne’s whole roasted lamb turns out great, you can’t fight me for a lamb leg."
Natalie Vaughn: ...
"That’s it?"
Felix Langdon’s eyes were full of humor.
"Yup, that’s it."
Now, the more skeptical and indifferent Natalie Vaughn was, the more she would regret it later.
Zane Thorne, upon hearing this so-called bet, just gave Natalie Vaughn a profound smile.
Natalie Vaughn found that smile inexplicably odd.
However, whether Zane Thorne’s barbecue skills were good or not was still unknown, but his grilling stance was enticing enough.
He rolled up his sleeves to his wrists, revealing well-defined arms, with a cigarette in his mouth, furrowing his brows, eyes slightly squinting.
Whether from the cigarette smoke or the charcoal fire, who knew?
His white shirt was stained without him knowing when.
The once arrogant man now mingled with the mundane, yet his posture remained relaxed, still exuding an air of control. Natalie Vaughn found it impossible to look away from him.
Suddenly curious, she leaned in close to Theo’s ear and whispered.
"Didn’t your Mr. Thorne have any women around him before?"
Obviously, someone as attractive as Zane Thorne wouldn’t lack admirers. Wasn’t the Blackwood Family’s lady an example? With so many admirers, not one of them caught his eye enough to stay beside him?
Theo was startled by Natalie Vaughn’s sudden approach, uneasily moving a bit to the side, touching his tingling ear.
"Sister-in-law, don’t get so close to me."
Mr. Thorne would kill him.
Natalie Vaughn: ...
She was actually being rejected by her little idol.
What a brat, that Theo!
Natalie Vaughn cleared her throat, sitting up straight, no longer leaning in.
"Spill it."
Theo pondered for a while but couldn’t recall any woman particularly close to Zane Thorne. Their hangouts were either bars or various outdoor activities.
"The only one I know is the ex-girlfriend I told you about last time."
After saying that, Theo frowned.
"But she couldn’t really be called an ex."
Natalie Vaughn was intrigued.
"How so?"
Theo was still in school then, not remembering much, only that the woman was quite clingy and thick-skinned. Zane Thorne might have agreed to date her just to stop her from nagging him.
"They dated for not even three months, during which Mr. Thorne was always busy with competitions and hardly met with her."
Natalie Vaughn raised an eyebrow.
"Zane Thorne wasn’t a very responsible boyfriend, was he?"
Theo chuckled.
"Mr. Thorne just found her annoying. If it wasn’t for her brother being a leading figure in racing, Mr. Thorne wouldn’t have even acknowledged her. I think this cold treatment was just to make her leave."
Natalie Vaughn raised an eyebrow, playfully calling him.
"Jerk."
It was only then that Theo realized he might have made a mistake and became flustered.
How could he talk about Mr. Thorne’s ex on their wedding day in front of his sister-in-law?!
"Sister-in-law, Mr. Thorne is actually a good person, not a jerk, at most just..."
Theo carefully chose his words.
"Dislikes dealing with women?"
Natalie Vaughn smiled, watching Theo’s cautious expression.
Zane Thorne indeed seemed like someone who’d find women a hassle.
But... he didn’t seem to mind her that much.
"Your Mr. Thorne even made me breakfast yesterday morning."
Theo was dumbfounded, his voice rising.
"Mr. Thorne made you breakfast?"
Too surprised, his tone was somewhat distorted, drawing attention from others.
Including Zane Thorne.
Natalie Vaughn didn’t feel awkward; rather, she provocatively looked at Zane Thorne, rambling on cheekily.
"Yes, even the milk was just the right temperature, ready for me as soon as I woke up."
Theo:!!!!!!
Felix Langdon:??????
Phoebe Quinn:???!!!
Aaron Channing: Why is it hard to believe?
James Vaughn shot a rather surprised glance at Zane Thorne; Natalie Vaughn had the habit of drinking milk since childhood, and Zane Thorne noticing and attending to it so attentively was unexpected.
Seeing the mischief in Natalie Vaughn’s eyes, Zane Thorne didn’t expose her antics, letting her have her fun.
After all, he wouldn’t lose anything, and it might even improve the impression he leaves on James Vaughn.
Why not?
