Heat Vol. 4 (Heat: Master Chefs #4) (2 page)

“Some
say success is the best revenge.”  He shook his head.  “I’m not really sure if
it’s enough.”  He pulled me into his arms and looked into my eyes.  “Maybe if
you give me what I want, it’ll be enough.”

“And
what is it that you want?”

“You.” 
With impatient hands, he reached under the skirt of my dress and tore off my
panties.  “I waited so long for this moment.  Now that you're here, now that
you're mine, I’m not sure I can wait much longer.  I’m a rich man who can give
you whatever your heart desires and more.  I’m a strong and young man who can
give you passionate love every night, and I’m the man who’s loved you since
childhood, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy.”

I
fell into his arms, eager to give myself to him, and just as eager to taste
him.

He
held me closer for a moment, then cleared his throat.  “Patience is the order
of the day,” he said, pulling away and leaving me thirsting for so much more. 
He headed to the sitting area of his master bedroom and sat in an easy chair,
smiling slightly.  “First, titillate me with the slow removal of your
clothing.”

Turning
to him, I staggered a moment.  “You want me to strip for you?”

“Yes…
slowly.”

I
was shocked and appalled.  How could I possibly strip in front of him?

“Would
you care for a bit of music to help you along?”

Shaking
my head, I walked over to him and stood there, nervous and unsure.

“Start
by simply unbuttoning your dress.”

I
reached for the first button and was surprised to see my nerves suddenly calm. 
The sight of my breasts as I pulled the panels of my dress open after each
button aroused me.  They were so full and swollen, as if eager to rid
themselves of the clothes that contained them.

One
button after another, I opened up myself to Rial.  He let out a long, low
whistle when I exposed the black lace of my panties and finally pulled the
dress completely open.

With
a bit more flair than I would have thought myself capable of, I pulled the
fabric down over my shoulders, turned my back to Rial and offered him a teasing
wink.

“You're
beautiful, Lilly.  Absolutely gorgeous.”  He’d undone his pants and had pulled
out his large, hard shaft.  His hand slowly worked its way up and down the
stiff rod.

Rolling
my shoulders, I let my dress slip off my arms and fall to the floor.  In my
heels, bra and panties, I suddenly felt like a sex goddess, able to control
this man with my body.

If
eyes could drool, his would have.  He stared at me, mesmerized and hungry.  It
pushed me to get into the show I was putting on for him.  I swayed my hips,
licked my lips and bit my finger like a naughty girl.

“You
sexy naughty tease.  I knew you had it in you.  Come closer.”

Coming
up close to him, I turned my back and bent over, giving him ample time to get a
good, close up look at my ass.  He ran his hand over my skin, slipping his
fingers just under the edge of the lace that lined my cheeks.

“So
beautiful,” he whispered.

I
bent over further, until I was virtually kissing my knees.  It was an
invitation he didn’t refuse.  Running his fingers further under the fabric, he
found the wet folds of skin that begged for his attention.  More than anything,
I wanted to stay there, to have his fingers in me, but I also wanted to play
his game.

“Patience,”
I said as I straightened up and turned to him.  Pulling down on the thin fabric
of my bra, I fingered my nipples then took a firm grasp of my breasts, pushing
them up and kneading them with my fingers.

“You're
so incredibly sexy, Lilly.  You're more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

He
grabbed my wrist and pulled me down onto his lap.  His hand quickly dove under
my panties and his fingers plowed through my hungry lips, greedy and hard.  I
tried to get off him, but he held me tight, one hand up my crotch and the other
wrapped around me and dangling over my breast.

I
looked at him, hypnotized by the hunger in his eyes.  I’d never felt so sexy,
so alive, so horny.  Leaning into him, I kissed him and reached for his tongue
with mine.

“I’ve
got no patience left,” he said as he stood, threw me down on the chair and
pulled my legs up into the air.  Guiding his cock to my sex, he nudged my
panties aside and nudged his way in, but just barely.  “I’ve got no patience,”
he said again, as if trying to find the control he wanted.

But
his body took over and he pushed his way in, all in, so deep, I thought I’d
explode.

“I
love you, my precious Lilly,” he said as he stroked my body with his cock.  
Bringing his hand between us, he set his fingers over my clit and drew small
circles until the tiny nub of sensitive skin was big and hard and about to
erupt.  “I love you.”

The
stroke of his cock deep inside me combined with the touch of his fingers, just
about drove me insane.  I never thought my body could endure such pleasurable
torture.

Just
when I thought I couldn’t stand it anymore, he quickened the pace and pounded
into me, while his fingers rubbed my clit to an explosive orgasm.

He
cried out like a wild beast, gripping my ass with both hands as he emptied
himself inside me.

“There’s
no turning back now,” he said as he fell over me, taking me into his arms and
holding me tight.  “You're mine, Lilly.”

It
didn’t take long for him to regain his girth and carry me to the bed, where he
made love to me, soft and tender, then suddenly hard and hungry again.  By the
early morning hour, I’d lost count of the number of orgasms he’d given me, and
sated and satisfied, I dozed off only to awake in his arms.

“So,”
he said when I opened my eyes.  “What’s the consensus?  Are you staying?”

I
put on a hard face, unimpressed face and looked straight at him.  “I don’t
know.”

For
a moment, his ego was struck by the unexpected blow, but then he saw the twinge
of a smile on my lips and pulled me into his arms.

“Okay,”
I said.  “I concede.  You are that great.”

To
prove it once more, he climbed atop me, slid his already hard cock between the
moist skin that awaited him and made love to me once more.  His skin was so
soft and tender beneath my fingers, just as his muscles were hard and strong as
he held himself over me.

“Stay,”
he said as he gently pumped his cock in me.

“I
can’t.  I have my life in Paris.”

“Your
life is here… with me.” 

He
pushed in deeper and for a second I just gasped and held onto him.  “I’ll think
about it.”

Grinding
his pelvic bone into mine, he brought me to the edge of another orgasm.  He
pumped his cock in and out, so slow, so rhythmic and so sublime, I wanted to
scream.

“Think
about this,” he groaned as he went in deep and deeper.

My
orgasm, so sweet and delicious swept over me, and I was overwhelmed.

“Yes,”
I cried out.  “Yes, I’ll stay.”

“You're
mine,” he said as his orgasm melted into mine.  “You're mine, Lilly.”

Sweating
and barely breathing, he looked at me.  “You’ve helped eliminate some of the
bitterness, but not entirely.”

“How
can I rid you of all your bitterness, Rial?”

“Marry
me.”

I
gasped.  Spending the night with him… maybe even a few weeks was one thing, but
this…  I didn’t know what to say.

“Remember
the engagement.”

“I
thought all this was to erase that part too.”

“No.
That’s not going to happen.”  Propped up on his elbows, his fingers played in
my hair, while his hard and uncompromising eyes bore through me.  “If you think
I’m just going to stand around and let you run off with some boy, let his
inexperienced and clumsy hands touch you…  That boy doesn’t deserve you, and
you know it.”

“But,
Rial…”

“I’ve
had to fight for everything I have in my life.  I’m not above having to fight
for you… and if I have to kill someone to keep you with me, then I will.”

Chapter 2

“
D
o you miss Bobby?” Errol said.  His eyes on
the notes he’d just written, he didn’t look up at me.

We’d
been working on a new recipe, one that substituted shrimp with white fish and
the results weren’t what Errol had hoped for.  Caught off guard by his
question, I blurted out, “He’s doing what he has to do.”

I
sounded flippant and uncaring, far more than I felt. Of course I missed Bobby. 
I often thought of him at night and wondered what he was doing, and sometimes I
wondered if he’d met someone else.  Part of me wanted him to get on with his
life and be happy, but part of me longed to have him back in my life.

But
then again, I had Rial and he kept me busy.  The past weeks had been so hot and
passionate, I often thought I could die a happy woman, for all the passion and
ecstasy he’d brought me.

“And
how are things with Rial?”

The
heat of a blush rushed to my cheeks.  How were things with Rial?  Fabulous? 
Hot? Mind-blowing?  There was no way I could discuss my true relationship with
Rial, not with his older brother.

The
night before, Rial had cornered me in the kitchen, yanked up the skirt of my
dress and fucked me with such wild abandon, moisture collected in my panties
every time I thought about it.  It’d been so quick, no foreplay, no words, no
soft kisses, just a good, strong pounding that’d left me weak and eager to
start all over again.

“Things
are good,” I managed to say while my sex clenched at the thought of just how
good things were.  “It’s funny, isn’t it, how your family and mine go back so
far?  And here we are working together.”

“I
guess it is funny.”

“Have
you thought of going to see Rial?  You two would really have a lot to talk
about.”

“I’ve
thought about it, but Rial came into our lives with such a bang, it’s hard to
recover.  I sometimes think talking to him and finding out more about my past
may make things worse, rather than better.”

“I
think it’s a risk worth taking.”

He
remained silent as he pulled some broiled halibut from the oven.

“I’m
going there tonight.  You could come with me if you like.”

Grinning,
he looked sidelong at me.  “I have a feeling I know what you're going there
for, Lilly.  I wouldn’t want to be a fifth wheel.”

“Don’t
be ridiculous.  If anything, given the context, I think I’ll be the one who’ll
end up being the fifth wheel.  Rial would be thrilled to sit down and talk to
you.  I think you need to hear what he has to say as much as he needs to share
it with you.  Your pasts have both been difficult, yet so different and you
need to share that.”

He
nodded.  “I’ll let you know when we’re finished with this.”

The
rest of the afternoon sped by and before I knew it, I was standing in front of
Errol with my hands on my hips.

“So. 
What’s it going to be?  Blissed ignorance or painful enlightenment?”

He
smiled.

“Perfect.” 
I pulled off my apron and set it on the counter.  “Meet me at my place in an
hour.”  I rushed out, excited at the thought of the two men meeting once again.

Once
at my place, I took a quick shower, changed into something subtle yet alluring;
a dark burgundy dress with long sleeves and a modest neckline.  Just on time,
the doorbell rang.

“Prompt
and handsome,” I said as I opened the door and headed out to lead Errol back to
the elevator.

“I
have to admit that this has me a little nervous,” he said.

“Nervous? 
I didn’t think the great Errol King ever got nervous.”

He
grinned.  “I hide it well.”

Outside,
I turned to head to the left.

“My
car’s over this way,” Errol said.

“Oh,
we’re not taking your car, Errol.”

He
cocked his head to the side.

“Rial
always sends a car over to pick me up.”

“He…
huh?  What?”  He almost chocked on his words.  “He sends a car?”

I
led him to the waiting Mercedes.

Errol
stopped and stared at the car.  Pointing to it, he said, “Rial’s?”

I
nodded.  Seemed Errol was in for a few surprises.

“What
kind of game is this?” he said once seated in the back seat of the car.

“Despite
many setbacks, Rial has done very well for himself.”

“Really?” 
The word was drenched in doubt.

As
we left the crowded streets of Paris, he looked at me with increasing doubt.

“Stop
being so suspicious, Errol.  Your little brother isn’t the fiend you think he
is.”

“Yeah,”
he groaned.  “We’ll see about that.”

When
the car pulled up to the gates, Errol’s eyes widened and he gasped, almost
gagged, when he finally saw the chateau.

“Where
is this you're bringing me to, Lilly?”

“This
is actually my childhood home.  My memories of my time here are still a little
sketchy, but I do remember being here… and with Rial, too.  He bought the place
a while back and put it back in order.  If anything it’s grander and more
magnificent than I remember.”

The
car pulled up to the main entrance and came to a gentle stop.

“Have
you warned Rial of my presence?”

I
got out of the car and turned to stare at him.

“You
didn’t, did you?”

“I’m
sure he’ll be thrilled to see you.”  But as I turned to the door, I grew a
little apprehensive.

Rial
himself opened the door and didn’t seem all too pleased by the surprise
visitor.

“Rial,
look who I brought along.”  I sounded cheery and chipper.

“I
see.  I would have appreciated a little head’s up.”

“Maybe
we should do this another time,” Errol said.

“Why
put off the inevitable?” Rial said.  “You're here.  Might as well settle
whatever it is you came to settle.”

“I
thought we could all have dinner together and discuss…”  I hesitated as I
watched the brothers eye each other.  “Well, you two have so much to discuss.”

“My
cuisine may not be as refined as yours, brother, but you’re welcome to partake
of the meal that will be served within the hour.  There’s more than enough for
all three of us.”

“Great.” 
I sounded far too enthusiastic and knew it was just my nerves.

We
entered the grand chateau and I was constantly aware of Errol’s scrutinizing
eye as he took in the splendor of Rial’s home.  We crossed the main foyer,
walked through the gilded hall and finally arrived in the formal dining room.

“I’ll
have another place setting brought in,” Rial said.  “Please, take a seat.”

He
left us, and Errol and I took our places on either side of the table, leaving
Rial to sit between us.

“When
you said my little brother had done well for himself…”  Errol looked around. 
“That’s a real Monet, and Van Gogh and Rembrandt.”  He picked up my wine glass
then fingered the tablecloth.  “That’s real crystal, and this is pure silk.”

“He’s
apparently taken a liking to the finer things in life.”

“Finer? 
It hardly gets finer than this.”

“Here
we go,” Rial said as two servants came in with china, crystal and silver and
set it all up in front of Errol.

“Will
that be all?” one of them asked.

“Yes,
thank you.”

Rial
sat down at the head of the table and eyed Errol.  “Came to see how your little
brother is doing?”

“I
came at Lilly’s insistence.”

Rial
poured some wine.

“A
toast,” I said, still possessed with a bad case of nerves.  “To a sibling
reunion that is long overdue.”

The
brothers glared at me then one another. 

“Cheers,”
Rial droned before emptying his glass.

Errol
took his time, tasting the fine wine.  “A very nice wine.”

“I’ve
always had a penchant for Italian wine.  A little ironic, isn’t it, living
between Bordeaux and Beaujolais?”

The
same two servants came back with a series of platters.

“Oysters,
on the half shell, a light endive salad and, for the heartier appetite, braised
lamb
en croute
.”  Rial looked at his brother.  “Please, guest first.”

Errol
took a healthy serving of each and tasted the braised lamb first.  “My
compliments to your chef, Rial.  This is quite splendid.”  He took another
bite.  “Clove, is it?  And…”  Again another bite.  “What is…”

“Orange
zest,” Rial said as he dropped oysters onto his plate.

“Ah,
yes.  An unexpected combination, but it works.”

“Thank
you.  I knew it was a bold move, but, then again, I do enjoy living on the dangerous
side.”

“You?”

“Surprised
to find I’m handy in the kitchen, Errol.”

“I
was surprised, too,” I said, “but Rial is far too modest.  He’s not just handy
in the kitchen, he’s brilliant.”

“I
can’t wait until you try the main course,” Rial said.  “Roast duckling with
crabapples and figs.”

“Another
unexpected combination.”

Rial
nodded, but the culinary discussion ended there.  We ate our appetizers in
silence.  Frustrated by their pig-headed refusal to start speaking about what
they truly wanted to discuss, I groaned with disgust when our plates were taken
away.

“Is
there something you didn’t like, Lilly?” Rial said.  “The oysters too salty,
the lamb not tender enough?”

“The
food was perfect.  It’s the company that’s got me a little miffed.”

Both
men looked at me.

“I
brought the two of you together so you can finally talk it out.  Rial, why
don’t you tell Errol what you told me about buying this place, about your
thriving business… about what happened in New York.  Tell him what happened to
your mother and about our fathers.”

Rial
reached out to put his hand over mine.  “Don’t get upset because my older
brother is a little taken aback by my success.”  He eyed Errol, almost daring
him to argue with him.  “I suppose you thought I lived in some hovel somewhere,
begging for scraps from passers-by.”

“I’ll
admit, a chateau was the last place I imagined I’d be visiting tonight.”

The
main course was served and for a moment all was silent as Errol tasted the
roast duckling, and Rial waited for his comment.  Bite after bite, Errol
remained silent; either he refused to congratulate Rial, or he didn’t want to
insult him.

I
took one bite of the duck and knew it was perfect; the harmony of the
ingredients, the tenderness of the meat, the juicy drippings.

“I’ll
take your silence and the speed with which you're emptying your plate as a good
sign.”

“As
you should.  This is excellent.  Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of duck, but
this…  No doubt I’ll want a second helping.”

Rial
sat back and looked at his brother.  “That’s quite a compliment coming from the
great Errol King.”

“It’s
clear I’m not the only one with culinary talents.  You takes risks, bold risks,
blending ingredients in a rather unorthodox manner, but your instincts are spot
on.  I hope you’re not in the restaurant business.  You’d make for a worthy
adversary.”

“He’s
in antiques and collectables,” I blurted out.

“You’ve
got a lot to be proud of,” Errol said.  “I guess hardships really do build good
character.  We’re both proof of that.”

Rial’s
shoulder slackened, his eyes softened and he looked at his brother with honest
admiration for the first time.  I knew I’d done the right thing, bringing them
together.  Over the rest of the main course, the splendid dessert and the
cognac and coffee, they talked about their pasts, together and separate.  They
compared memories, as vague as they were, and Rial told him everything he’d
told me.

It
was well past midnight when we finally left the chateau.  Happy, but exhausted,
we got into the Mercedes.

“Thank
you, Lilly.”

“I’m
glad things worked out.  You two have so much in common, even though you grew
up apart.”

“And
what about you?  You know, throughout the dinner, I couldn’t help but notice
how you looked at Rial.  I mean, I knew there was something going on between
you two, but… Are you in love with him?”

“Love
is a big word.”

“Well,
it’s clear you're very fond of him, and there’s no doubt he’s attracted to
you.  The physical attraction between you two has been there from the start,
but I didn’t think you’d get emotionally attached to Rial.  I mean, what
about…?”

“Bobby?”
I said.  “I don’t know.  I feel foolish for being in this position, but… I love
Bobby.  He’s sweet and kind, and I miss him, but…  Rial.  For all the
refinement of the chateau and the fine art and crystal, he’s … well, he’s wild
and raw.”

Errol
chuckled.  “Wild and raw.  Yeah, that’s Rial.”

“And
Bobby’s not here.  I don’t know what to think of our relationship when he’s
thousands of miles away.”

Sober,
he looked at me.  “I know this is a difficult situation.  No matter who you
ultimately choose to live your life with, the other will be heartbroken.  Bobby
is my wife’s kid brother and of course I would hate to see him hurt.  Then
again, Rial is my blood, and he’s had enough pain to last a lifetime.”

“I
know.  There’s no easy answer.”

“Let
me give you a bit of information that might help you.”

I
dreaded hearing what he had to say.

“Things
are really going well for Bobby back in New York.”

“I’m
happy to hear that.”  No I wasn’t.

“He’s
now the head chef at Sam’s and he’s making a good name for himself.  Apparently
he’s the hottest new chef in town.”

“He
must be really proud.”

“He
is, and he’s also considering staying longer.  In fact, Taryn thinks he might
not come back to France at all.  He might not even come back to complete his
classes at the institute.”