The Perfect Dish (22 page)

He was too beautiful for words. She put both hands against his bare chest and splayed her fingers. He was hers for the taking.

The thought was more powerful than a double shot of whiskey on an empty stomach. Drunk with pleasure, she leaned in and whispered in his ear. “Mine.”

“Yes,” he hissed, then nodded and swallowed again. His eyes held a mix of healthy fear and heady lust.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled, popping the last two buttons off and exposing his abs. She wanted to run her tongue over the ridges of muscle. To kiss down the line of fine hairs disappearing beneath his jeans.

She wanted to taste all of him.

The cab came to a stop outside her apartment building.

“I was hoping you might be able to come up and give me a cooking lesson,” she purred.

“A cooking lesson?” He looked so pitiful she wanted to laugh.

“Pay the fare.” She trailed her fingers down to his belt. “Then tomorrow morning you can teach me to make breakfast for two.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Kelly woke to a lavender-scented strand of hair tickling his nose. Inhaling, he smiled as memories of last night returned with delicious clarity.

Beside him, Mery shifted with a soft exhale. Her head rested on his arm, facing away from him. Her backside nestled against his hip. He lifted the covers and took a peek at the most surprising thing to turn him on in years.

Her white cotton panties. No thong, no lace, no bows or flowers. Just simple little white bikini panties. Damn, they were sexy.

After her mind blowing come-on in the cab and her take charge attitude when they’d barely made it through the door, he’d expected a black leather g-string or something made of chains. Maybe a slip of red satin.

The unadorned undies had been a complete shock. And yet, when he thought about it, they fit her. Honest, straightforward, no games. They were what they were. Just like her.

He turned onto his side and snugged her against him, burying his face into her hair. She still intimidated him but not as much as she had last night.

Last night, she’d given him the same kind of nerves Rhonda “Bombshell” Bombeck had. Rhonda’d been head cheerleader and homecoming queen. There wasn’t a guy at Sam Houston High that hadn’t craved Rhonda’s attention. Including Kelly. And if Chet Murphey hadn’t banged up his knee, Kelly wouldn’t have gotten the chance to quarterback the homecoming game. That’s when Rhonda had noticed him.

After the game, she’d let him get to second base under the bleachers. Kelly was sure he was in love with her. Of course when Chet came back to school with a brace on his leg, Rhonda returned to her role as the faithful girlfriend. She barely looked at Kelly, let alone acknowledged what had happened between them after the game.

Women. So damn fickle if they were in charge of telling time the sun would shine at night.

He wanted to believe Mery was different. She shifted again, this time turning into him. Her breath warmed his chest in soft sighs. Gently so as not to wake her, he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. Had he pleased her last night? She seemed satisfied enough, but he thought he’d done all right the first time he’d kissed her, too.

Satisfied didn’t quite describe the way he felt. Sated, yes. Satisfied, no – not because it wasn’t good between them but because it was so good, he wanted more. She’d infected his blood like a fever.

He rarely spent the night with a woman but when he did, he was up and gone by dawn. Not today. If it weren’t for the obligations of life, he could spend the rest of his day exactly where he was.

“Mmmmm...” Mery slipped an arm around his waist as he turned to lie on his back. “You awake?” she murmured in the sweetest sleepy voice he’d ever heard.

“Just.” He hugged her. Waking up with her was nice. She was warm and snuggly.

The phone rang, ruining the moment. She reached for it, pulling away from him. “Hello? Hi,Celia. Again? Great. They must be from last night. Thanks for calling, talk to you later.” She hung up.

“There are pictures of us in the paper again.” She blew out an angry sigh. “They’re calling me the merry widow.”

“Well, you are, aren’t you?” He slid his hand up her thigh. “Least you should be after last night.”

She laughed and poked his chest. “Shouldn’t you be in the kitchen making me breakfast?”

“Damn, woman. How can you be so bossy after that much sex?” He rested his hand on her waist.

“I’m just teasing. I don’t want you to go anywhere.” She propped her head on her hand and pulled the sheet over her breasts. Her hair was wild and her eye makeup smudged. She’d never looked more beautiful.

He brushed a few strands out of her eyes. “So...did that meet your approval?”

Her mouth twisted. “You show definite promise.”

He rolled his eyes. “I can get this kind of abuse anywhere, you know.”

“Really? Who else are you dating?” She kissed his chest. “You’re hot stuff. Last night was...” she rolled beside him and waved her hands in the air. “Phenomenal. Sex-tastic.”

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

She giggled. “With a little training, you could be world class.”

“What?” He sat up and twisted to look at her. “You just said I was phenomenal and sex-tastic. If you have to make up a word to describe it, it must be pretty damn good.”

Reaching up to grab his bicep, she nodded. “It was. And you’re great. Tons of energy, lots of enthusiasm, a willingness like no other man I’ve known. You just need some fine tuning is all.”

He sighed and lay back down. “You could take the wind out of Chicago, you know that?”

More laugher. “Poor baby.”

He frowned. “Maybe I should call Clarissa. She never complained about—”

She rolled over and clamped her hand across his mouth. “That’s because the little tramp didn’t know any better. And don’t ever mention another woman when you’re in bed with me or—”

He licked her palm and she pulled it away. “Or what?” he taunted.

“Just be a good boy, will you?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“I hate that,” he growled. “I am not a boy.”

“Prove it,” she taunted.

And he did.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, they lay panting and spent. Mery sighed a long happy sigh. “I knew you had potential. You’re getting better already.”

“Enough with the flattery,” he said, amping up the sarcasm in his voice. “I’m too wiped out to do that again.” He shot her a wicked grin. “Least for another five minutes.” Time to fight fire with fire.

She looked just scared enough to satisfy him. “Okay, truce. No more lessons today. At some point, I have to get up and do some work. I’m giving a talk at the New School at three.”

He held up his hands. “Just so long as we both agree that you declined, not me.”

“Yes, dear heart, you win.” She leaned up on her elbows. “Guess I should get moving.”

“Me, too. That temp is in again today. More fun.”

“Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Shelby’s having a great time.” He kissed her, sat up and swung his feet out of the bed. “How ‘bout I whip up some breakfast while you shower?” Sharing a shower sounded like a much better idea but he knew where that would lead. Next time.

“That would be great. I seem to have worked up an appetite.” Smiling, she turned on her side and tucked the sheet around her.

He looked over his shoulder. “Aren’t you getting up?”

“Soon.”

Did she not want him to see her naked? After last night, that seemed kind of silly. Whatever. Women. He slid out of bed to retrieve his boxers, but couldn’t find them. How were his jeans in here but not his drawers? He grabbed them and tossed them over his shoulder.

“Mmm...very nice,” she murmured.

He glanced over his shoulder. Her gaze focused on his backside. He’d been ogled before but her look gave him goose bumps. “I thought you were done.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t admire the goods.”

He turned away and grinned. “Knock yourself out.” He added a little extra strut to his walk as he left the bedroom and was rewarded with a lusty growl.

“Keep that up and I might change my mind,” she yelled after him.

“Get in that shower now or I’m coming back in there,” he answered.

She squealed and moments later, he heard the shush of water and the muted click of the shower door closing. He found an apron, tied it on and got to work feeding the woman who had just given him the greatest night of his life.

* * *

Mery stepped out of the shower to the delicious aroma of cinnamon and vanilla and coffee. “Someone’s earning his keep.” Not that he hadn’t last night. She wrapped her hair up in a towel, slipped into her robe and applied moisturizer. She added a flick of mascara and a touch of concealer as an afterthought. Her skin was so luminous with afterglow she didn’t need blush. “Woman, thy name is vanity.”

She laughed softly. If there ever was a day to feel vain, this was it. She stretched, enjoying the pleasurable ache left behind by a wicked night in the arms of a younger man. Kelly was amazing in bed.

Amazing. A little rough around the edges but edges could be polished. She toweled her hair then put on bra and underwear.

He was even better than—she would not compare him to her husbands. Guilt assailed her. That wasn’t fair. Dead men couldn’t defend themselves. She tugged a soft turquoise t-shirt over her head, then stepped into some yoga pants.

Garrett had been a wonderful lover. Kind, gentle, a little awkward at times, sure, but they were young. Maybe too young at twenty and twenty-four but he’d promised her she’d finish her degree while he took care of things and he had. They’d grown to know each other’s likes and dislikes quickly. And Garrett had given her Jason. She smiled, full of love for her first husband.

Michael had been a different man altogether. His first wife had died from the same type of cancer Garrett had. The shared experience created a friendship that grew into a comfortable sort of love. He’d stepped into the role of father easily, treating Jason like his own. For that, her second husband would forever hold a special place in her heart.

They’d found out about his heart condition only weeks before the civil ceremony. Because of that, their relationship returned to an almost completely plutonic stage. On the rare occasions they made love, it was safe. Cautious. Sometimes--she hated to think the word--boring. She shook her head. That wasn’t a nice thing to think about such a sweet man. They’d just been cautious. Not that it had mattered. The drunk driver had ended Michael’s life before his heart had a chance to fail.

She flipped the blow dryer on.

Kelly was so different from them in some ways and so alike in others. He had Garrett’s kindness and Michael’s generosity plus a roguishness that made him irresistible. That illegally sexy body didn’t hurt either.

He was so much fun to be with. She loved laughing with him. The way they bantered back and forth. She loved being with him. The way he could melt her with just a look. In truth, she loved everything about him.

The realization sent a shiver through her. She turned off the blow dryer, put her hairbrush down and stared at herself in the mirror.

You will not fall in love with him. It isn’t fair. He deserves a woman that can give him children of his own. A woman that doesn’t come with so much baggage.

She swallowed down the dark fear born out of Garrett’s death and grown stronger with Michael’s.

More than anything, Kelly deserved a woman that wouldn’t put him in the ground before his time.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mery looked a little pale when she came out of the bedroom. Kelly figured he’d tired her out some. A good meal should help with that. From his spot behind the breakfast bar, he sprinkled powdered sugar onto the dish he’d prepared.

She tipped her chin at him. “I thought I had hidden that thing away.”

He glanced down at the leopard print apron he wore and plucked at the strap around his neck. “You mean this?”

She nodded. “One of Viv’s gifts, if you were wondering what I was doing with a thing like that.” She peeked over the counter from the other side. “Is that French toast?”

“Yep. Cinnamon-pecan French toast with orange butter.” He lifted a glass of the cranberry juice he’d mixed up from a can of concentrate found in the freezer.

She wrinkled her brow. “That came out of my kitchen? You must have some kind of magical power.”

He choked on the juice. “What?”

“I can’t believe I had all the ingredients for that.”

“Well, then, let’s eat.” He picked up the plates and took them to the small table he’d already set.

She whistled then laughed.

He turned around grinning.

Her eyes were brighter than they’d been when she first came out. “I realized you were shirtless but I didn’t know you were bottomless, too. Can’t say as I’ve had a naked man in my kitchen before.”

“I’m not naked. I’m wearing an apron.”

She stared at his legs. At least he thought that’s what she stared at. “I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate on breakfast knowing that’s all you have on.”

He put his hands on his hips. “I couldn’t find my boxers and I’m not much on going commando under jeans.”

She walked to the couch and rummaged between the cushions, finally yanking out his blue-striped shorts. She tossed them in his direction. “I guess last night was a little crazy.”

“Ya think?” He snagged the boxers and grinned. Last night had been more than crazy. It had been a learning experience. Mery was a great teacher. One he wanted to learn more from. He slid the shorts on under the apron and held out his hand to her. “Ready to eat?”

She took it and nodded. “Starved.”

He gave her a quick kiss before pulling out her chair.

When they finished, he cleared the plates and turned on the tap to fill the sink.

She shooed him away. “I’ll clean. You cooked.”

“Thanks.” He slipped the apron off, grabbed his jeans from the bar stool where he’d left them and tugged them on.

“You’re welcome to take a shower if you want.”

“I’ll grab one at my place. I’ve got to home to change anyway.” He buttoned the remaining buttons on his shirt and tucked it in.