The Perfect Dish (18 page)

“If we weren’t out in public, you’d be in trouble, Dr. Black.” The lusty threat of his words made his blue eyes a shade darker.

She waved him away with her hand. “Yeah, yeah. I’m shaking in my boots.”

“Speaking of which...” He scooped her legs up onto his lap. “You’d look hot in boots.”

“What’s next? Riding lessons?” As soon as the words were out, an image formed in her mind. Heat spread through her cheeks with lightning speed. She hid her face behind her hands while she listened to him laugh.

“Mery, Mery, Mery. I’d be happy to teach you to
ride
, you just say the word.”

Through her fingers, she could see he looked entirely too pleased with himself. She dropped her hands and put her feet back on the ground. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Well, you know what they say...” He winked.

“No, I don’t. What do they say?” She had a feeling she was going to regret asking.

“Save a horse, ride a cowboy.”

She was right, she wished she hadn’t asked. Not that the thought hadn’t occurred to her. She leaned back on her hands and met his wicked gaze with one of her own. “Which do you prefer, a crop or spurs?”

He shook his head. “You’re all right, you know that? Very few women can give and take with me like you do.”

That’s because you’ve been dating twits.
She moved toward him a tiny bit and trailed her fingers down his bicep, admiring the muscle beneath the long-sleeve tee. “So where are you taking me on our next date?”

“How about a boat tour of the Manhattan skyline? I bet your dad would give us a discount.”

She stared at him through her lashes, daring him to push that subject further.

“Okay.” He held his hands up. “Quit glaring at me. How about an old-fashioned date, dinner and movie? And by dinner, I mean at a restaurant I don’t own.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Then you pick the restaurant.”

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “That’s a lot of pressure, you being a chef and all. How about you pick the restaurant and I’ll pick the movie?”

“Deal, on one condition.”

“Which is?”

“The movie doesn’t require tissues.”

“I take it chick flicks aren’t high on your list.”

Before Kelly could respond, an older man approached them. “Excuse me, but are you Chef Spicer?”

Kelly nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The man smiled. “I thought so. My wife and I eat at your restaurant all the time. Not Sedona, we can’t ever get in there but we go to Gauchos at least once a month. I bought her your cookbook for her birthday. I wish I had it, I’d ask you to sign it.”

“What’s your name?” Kelly asked.

“Frank Merritt.”

“Nice to meet you, Frank.” Kelly shook the man’s hand. “When would you like to take your wife to Sedona?”

“Anytime.” The man smiled and shrugged.

Kelly popped his cell phone out of its holster and punched a number. “Hey, Becca. I need a table for two this Friday or Saturday night. What do we have?”

He nodded as he listened. “Yeah, that’s fine. Put it under Merritt. Thanks. Bye.”

He clipped the phone back into place. “This Saturday night at 8:30 you and your wife have a table reserved in the VIP dining room at Sedona. Bring the book, I’ll be happy to sign it.”

The man’s face beamed. “Really? Wow, thanks. My wife isn’t going to believe this. Thank you.” He shook Kelly’s hand again. “I’ll bring the book. See you Saturday.”

“See you Saturday.” Kelly nodded as the man left.

“That was really nice of you,” Meredith said. What a sweet thing to do.

He arched his brows. “Does it make you want to kiss me?”

Everything makes me want to kiss you.
She shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“I love your wild enthusiasm.” He rolled his eyes. “Really gets the ego revved up.”

Smiling, she pecked his cheek. “You’re cute.”

“Thanks.” He looked sideways at her. “Do you mean that or did I miss the punch line?”

“What’s wrong with cute?”

“Kittens are cute.” He puffed up his chest. “I like to think of myself as ruggedly handsome.”

She couldn’t hold back the laughter on that one. “Okay, you’re ruggedly handsome.”

“Compliments are more effective when you’re not laughing.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m having this much fun sitting on a park bench.”

“Just think how much fun I’d be in other places,” he said with a wolfish grin.

Oh, I have, trust me.
She cleared her throat. “So, you want to go back to my place?”

Chapter Eighteen

In the time it took them to walk back to Meredith’s apartment, her bravado completely disappeared. Great. Now he’d think he was getting sex. Which he might. Eventually. But not now. It was too soon. Way too soon.

“Nice place.” Kelly tipped his head toward the drooping bouquet on her dining table. “Your roses look pretty shot.”

She shut the door and toed her sneakers off. “I know but it’s hard to throw them away.” Jittery about the possibility of what he expected, she brushed past and went into the kitchen. “You want something to drink?”

He set the basket down on the small bench by the door and toed off his sneakers. “Sure, what do you have?”

The fridge looked bare since Jason’s visit. “Not much. Bottled water, a can of Mountain Dew or I could make a pot of decaf.”

He walked over and took a seat on one of the bar stools. “You don’t strike me as the type to drink Mountain Dew.”

“I don’t but Jason does.”

“Water would be great.”

She handed him a bottle and their fingers touched. She pulled back as if stung. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”

“You’re not comfortable with me being here, are you?”

Leaning against the counter, she blew out a breath. “It’s been a long time.” For everything.

“It’s okay. I understand, really.” He set the water down. “I should go.”

“No.” She pushed off the counter. “I like your company. I’m just not ready for...more than that right now.”

He stood up, walked around into the kitchen and pulled her to him with his hands on her hips. “Whatever you want. You set the pace. Okay?”

“I just thought because I invited you up here that you’d think that I, well, you know...that you’d expect...” She rubbed her forehead. For someone with so much education, she felt like a fool.

“Hey, I’m not a beast.” He laughed softly. “Well, I am but I can turn it on and off at will.”

She laughed, too. “I feel dumb.”

He squeezed her forearms, then her biceps and shook his head. “You feel fine to me.”

“Silly boy.” She slipped her arms around his waist and stared up into his mesmerizing eyes. “Thanks. For understanding.”

He bent down and kissed her. The gentle, restrained press of his mouth against hers calmed her nerves. This was a good man. The kind of man she’d always fallen in love with.

She broke the kiss. She would not being falling in love with this one.

Stepping back, he let her out of the embrace and grabbed his water. “Want to see if there’s a movie on?”

“Sure.” She got a bottle for herself and followed him to the couch.

As they sat, he picked up the remote and held it out to her. “Your house.”

She waved it away. “I trust you.”

Five minutes into old Steve Martin movie, Kelly glanced over to her end of the couch. “You’re awfully far away.”

She scooted a few inches closer.

He sniffed his underarm. “Do I smell or something?”

“No.” Laughing, she moved all the way over to sit beside him. “Better?”

“Much.” He put his arm around her and scrunched down on the couch. “Can I put my feet on the table? I took my shoes off.”

“Yes.” She propped hers up too and rested her head on his shoulder. He smelled good. Nothing perfumey, just a fresh clean male scent. “This is nice.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah, it is.”

She leaned back to look at him, the strong line of his jaw, the bow of his mouth, the broad sweep of his shoulders. The man was as close to perfect as she’d ever seen.

He turned to face her. “What?”

“What what?”

“How come you’re looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

He pursed his lips. “Like there’s something wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Not that I can see.” She slipped her hand behind his neck and pulled his head down to hers.

That was hint enough. He kissed her, harder than she’d expected after the gentle one shared in the kitchen. The shadow of his beard grazed her skin. His hunger for her was obvious in the needy press of his mouth. The hunger excited her. Being wanted was wonderful.

He moaned and the vibrations sent a hot wave of desire through her. He put his arms around her and shifted their position on the couch so he was above. Easing his mouth from hers, he feathered kisses down her neck.

She gasped with pleasure as he found the tender spot below her ear. He was learning her body well.

“You drive me crazy, Mery,” he murmured. Hot breath caressed her skin, inflaming her further. He nibbled her earlobe, then pressed his warm mouth to the tender skin beneath it. An electric shot of desire lit her up like a Times Square billboard.

“Likewise,” she whispered. Her hands traveled down his back. She wanted skin beneath her fingers, not cloth.

His mouth moved to her collarbone. He slid a hand up under her sweatshirt and splayed his fingers over her ribcage. The tank she wore did little to protect her from the heat of his touch.

He held still as if waiting to see her reaction.

The quiet moan that escaped her lips urged him on. He lifted the edge of her tank top and rested his hand on her bare skin.

“Ooh,” she gasped. His touch felt like fire. Delicious, wicked fire. Sweat beaded at the back of her neck.

His hand swept up her torso to cup her breast. Flames licked her skin through the lace of her bra. She swallowed, trying to think. Her body wanted more but her head knew it was too soon. She pushed him away enough so she could see his eyes. “No further,” she said.

He nodded, eyes heavy-lidded with the want they both felt. He pulled away. “Sorry.”

She pulled him down for a kiss. “Don’t say that. I’m not sorry. I’m just not ready.”

He rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. “You really do make me crazy.” He sat back, pushed his hands through his hair and sighed. “I guess the beast is a little harder to control than I thought.”

Giving him a smile, she sat up and tugged her sweatshirt down. “You get me pretty hot, too.”

“I do?” He laughed. “Wait. Let me guess. That’s my constant need for approval, right?”

She giggled, a soft girlish sound born of the moment. “You’re a fast learner.”

He nodded. “You’ll see.”

“I already do.” Could a man be more handsome? She doubted it.

His smile faded a little. “I better head out. Work and all.”

Disappointment filled her but she understood. “When are you taking me out to dinner and a movie?”

“How about Thursday night? I can move some shifts around, get coverage.”

“Sounds good.”

“Can you meet me at Sedona around six?”

She nodded.

He took her hand as he stood, then pulled her up and tugged her along to the door. He got his sneakers on before settling his hands possessively on her hips. “I’m going to kiss you once and leave. Nothing you do will get me to stay so don’t beg or cry or take your clothes off. Unless you really want to.” His teasing made her laugh.

He captured her still feverish lips and quieted her laugh with a kiss that reached her toes.

“Well done,” she whispered.

He smiled. “See you Thursday, gorgeous.” He pulled the new box of chocolates out of the basket, handed them to her, then opened the door and left.

“Bye.” She waved like a woman underwater, shutting the door as the elevator chimed, then dropped onto the bench in her small foyer. Her fingers brushed her mouth. She leaned back, grateful for the solidness of the wall.

Her blood sang with pleasure. He was a good man. The kind she always fell in love with.

That line of thinking had to stop. This was just a calculated move at getting some positive press. Nothing more. She grabbed the bench’s arms and held on as a whirlpool of emotion tugged at her. Denying her feelings had worked in the past. It would work again.

Why did he have to be so sweet and sexy and vulnerable? She shook her head and tried to tell herself he wasn’t anything special. Just a man. No, he was a boy. A very nice boy who’s too young for anything but a fling. But her heart wasn’t buying that.

She groaned softly and thumped her head against the wall, hoping to knock a little sense into herself.

She was in so much trouble.

* * *

Kelly leaned against the wall outside Mery’s apartment. He needed to catch his breath, to let his racing heart slow down and most of all, to wait out the embarrassing bulge in his jeans.

Mery was screwing him up big time. Damn it. Not only had he apologized for copping a feel but he’d actually meant it. The woman was trouble. He smiled. The kind of trouble he could get used to.

No, no, no. She was a conquest. Nothing more. A chance to experience some of the finer things in life, like the accomplished lovemaking of an older woman. Just the way she kissed promised more than any other woman he’d been with.

Compared to Mery, those other women were just girls. Silly, marriage-happy girls. Mery...Mery was all woman. Brains and beauty and sass for days. And her skin. How could anyone be so soft?

His fingers curled with the remembered pleasure of her breast in his hand.

The thought sent fresh blood rushing to his groin. He closed his eyes and tried to think about his mother and bad cooking, two of the unsexiest things he could come up with. But that couldn’t stop him from anticipating the next time he’d see Mery or touch her or hold her.

He was acting like a lovesick fool. A throaty growl from the back of his throat followed his thought. He might be a fool, but he was not lovesick. That implied...well,
love
, damn it.

He pushed off the wall and punched the elevator call button.
Love
. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. You could forget that.