A Dash of Romance

by Sydney Campbell

  “I just realized I’m late for work. I’ll see you all later. Mom, Dad, have a great afternoon. We’ll meet up here for dinner. Liam? You’ll be in later tonight?”

  I gave her a salute and a smile and she turned to the door.

  “Don’t I get a goodbye kiss?” I asked, mischievous as hell.

  She flashed me a look that would’ve left me cold if I hadn’t been running so damn hot. She walked back over and bent down gingerly, planting a soft kiss on my lips. I grabbed the back of her head, not letting her pull away until I got confirmation that the first kiss hadn’t been a fluke.

  It hadn’t.

  She pulled away, swallowing as she looked me in the eye.

  “I’ll, uh, see you later.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Maggie

  I was a mess at work. Completely off my game. I walked right into one room while a couple was still fast asleep. In another room, I replaced all the body wash with conditioner. By lunch, I felt like a walking zombie. All I could think about was sitting in Liam’s lap, his hand moving on my thigh, the dull ache between my legs.

  I thought back to all my girlfriends back home, how they’d been all boy-crazy and talked about sex. I had honestly thought they were making it all up, trying to fit in and be cool. But now, I was experiencing it, too. Decidedly late, at twenty-seven years old, but I was definitely feeling it.

  What if he could make me feel good? What if that kiss was only the beginning? I had no intention of getting emotionally involved with him, but there were certain facts on the ground to be considered: He was hot, he was willing, he was experienced, and he was sleeping in my bedroom for the next four nights.

  Four nights. I could have four nights with him and that would probably be enough to equip me for ten books. I looked up from my sandwich and for the first time, noticed Tammy sitting across the table from me in the break room. She had a knowing smirk on her face.

  “Don’t say it,” I said.

  “I’m not saying anything. You’ll tell me, right?”

  She took a bite of her sandwich and watched me, refusing to let me escape the question.

  “Would it be so terrible if I did it?” I asked.

  “HELL NO!” she said, slapping her sandwich down on her plate. “Has the opportunity arose?”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “He is Liam Grayson. You said it yourself.”

  Tammy shivered, a pleasant smile on her face.

  “Four nights with Chef Liam. Man, I’d let him make a meal of me.”

  “TAMMY!”

  “I’m serious, Mags. This is a golden opportunity. Just don’t fall for him.”

  “Like I’d ever.” I was silent a moment. “But why do you say that?”

  She looked at me.

  “And you don’t think he’d ever change?” I said.

  “Not a chance. That man will say anything to get into your pants. Know that before you get involved. Besides, you don’t want him. I’m probably the only other woman in town who hasn’t slept with him. Use him like everyone else does. He seems to enjoy it.”

  It sounded wrong, but everything Liam had demonstrated proved her words right. He had literally offered himself up to me, a no-strings orgasm machine. I was insane to turn him down. And there was zero risk. He wasn’t my type; there was no way I’d fall for him.

  Shocked at how one kiss had completely turned my life around, I walked home going over all the possible scenarios. Liam had been right about me. I liked having a plan. And so long as I stuck to the plan, everything would be fine.

  *

  “Honey! You’re home! Did you have a good day at work?”

  I was in the kitchen, prepping dinner, when my parents came in from their day. As I chopped and sauteed, my father told me about the hike while my mother interjected with little tidbits of information on each of the birds she’d spotted.

  We sat down to eat and I managed to get through the meal without having to say more than the occasional yes, no, and pass the rice. My mother insisted on cleaning up and my father and I retired to the living room to find an old movie to watch. He chose Guys and Dolls, a favourite in our family. We loved musicals, and this one was at the top of our list.

  We were about halfway through when I heard Liam come in. He greeted my parents, even kissing my mother on the cheek, before finding a place for himself beside me on the couch.

  “What are we watching?” he asked.

  “Guys and Dolls,” I answered quietly.

  “Never seen it. What’s it about?”

  I stared at him. He’d never seen it? Who had never seen it?

  “Missionary girl falls for no-good gambler?” I said, my voice dripping with disbelief.

  “Missionary?” he snickered. “I don’t do missionary.”

  I rolled my eyes as my dad let out a sympathetic chuckle.

  “Grow up,” I said.

  He shrugged and threw an arm over my shoulder, drawing me in close to his side.

  “Whatever.”

  I had seen this movie hundreds of times, but for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what happened after Liam sat down beside me. For the duration of the film, his hands were somewhere on my body. Stroking my hair, rubbing my back, doing that crazy thing with his fingertips on my thigh. It was distracting, to say the least.

  When the final scene played, I jumped up off the couch and announced my intention to go to bed.

  “Already?” my mother asked. “It’s still early.”

  “Yeah, well, it was a rough day at work today. I’m just going to crash.”

  I kissed my parents goodnight, pretending I didn’t see Liam reach for me and narrowly evading his grip. As I hit the stairs, I heard my dad asking him about the proper way to grill a steak.

  *

  Teeth brushed, face washed, I climbed into bed and turned out the light. I couldn’t get the image of Liam out of my head. The feel of his hand on my thigh, his breath on the back of my neck.

  The door opened and he walked in. He made his way quietly across the room and into the bathroom. When he came out, he got settled on the mattress. I turned his offer over in my mind one final time, weighing the pros and cons. We had four nights left. There was zero emotional connection between us. It was the perfect arrangement. And it definitely counted as research.

  “Liam?” I whispered.

  “Yeah?”

  “Okay.”

  I heard the blankets shift as he sat up.

  “Okay, what?”

  “Okay, you can watch.”

  “Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath. He got up and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You sure about this?”

  “It’s just research, right? You’re telling me there’s a way for me to enjoy sex. I don’t believe you. If you change my mind, it might do something for my writing. There’s only one way to find out, though.”

  I pulled the covers and aside and he slid into bed beside me. I went to pull the covers up and he stopped me. Understanding his intention, I pushed them further aside.

  “I’m not quite sure how to do this,” I said.

  “Just relax,” he said.

  He rolled over and rummaged around on my night table until I heard a match strike and saw the flame from the candle I kept there.

  “Oh, great. Light. That’ll make it easier,” I said.

  “Relax. It’s candlelight. I need to be able to see something, don’t I? There’s not even enough light here for me to see if the carpet matches the drapes.”

  I raised my eyebrow at him and he laughed, reaching over to tousle my hair.

  “Where’d you get the glasses, Em?” he asked.

  “I only wear them when I work at the computer.”

  “They’re sexy as fuck.”

  I squirmed, both at the mention of fuck and the idea of him finding me sexy. Emboldened, I reached down and slid off my panties. I heard his breath catch and he rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow to watch me. I risked a
quick glance at his face, then quickly turned away. This would be much easier if I closed my eyes.

  So I did. And the first thing I saw was his face leaning in to kiss me, his hands exploring my body. I ran my hand up my inner thigh, like he had done earlier in the evening, and arched my back slightly as I traced the slippery wetness between my legs.

  “Fuck,” he murmured.

  “Shh. This will be easier if I pretend you’re not here.”

  I heard him swallow, still refusing to open my eyes. I slid one finger inside, stroking myself slowly, moving my hips as I found a rhythm. Using my thumb, I rubbed small circles around my clit, feeling my breath quicken as the tension built.

  He was breathing heavily beside me and it was getting impossible to ignore his presence. I opened my eyes and turned to look at him. He was staring at me with a look of pure hunger, his eyes fixed on me like I was the last meal on earth. I arched my back again, bringing myself closer to the edge, and he reached down and pulled my hand away.

  “Stop,” he said, his voice thick and husky. “I get the picture.”

  He put my hand aside, and then ever so slowly, ran his hand up my thigh, between my legs, until his thumb found my clit, repeating the same actions I’d demonstrated seconds earlier. I moaned, unable to contain myself, and reached over to grab hold of the back of his head.

  He looked down at me, watching my expression, gauging my reaction to his every touch. He was going off-script, but it was all good.

  “Em—” He looked down towards my breast, then back up at me.

  “You want to touch me there?” I asked. He nodded. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “Maybe not explicitly, but I said I could make it as good, or even better. Let me make it better.”

  I considered this, then raised my shirt up above my breasts. He removed his hand from between my legs and I instantly regretted this course of action. But when his finger skimmed across my nipple, I had to bite my lip in order not to cry out.

  “So you like breast play. Noted.”

  I hadn’t known that.

  He dipped his head and took one nipple in his mouth, causing minor explosions in my brain. The feeling was so intense, I felt it between my legs. I took his hand, guiding it back down, needing him to touch me there again.

  Without releasing my nipple, he slipped two fingers inside me, the dual sensation causing me to moan so loud I reached for a pillow to cover my face. Then he pinched my clit. Lightly at first, then insistently. I bucked my hips, and he started to move his thumb in a circular motion, pressing down while his fingers worked inside me.

  It was all too much. I had never felt anything like this before in my life. This was not the way it had been with other guys. They had been focused on themselves, their own pleasure. This was all about me. His hands were everywhere, his mouth firmly attached to my breast. My legs started shaking and I knew I was close. There had been no slow build, no clear warning, just a sudden, overpowering orgasm that coursed through my body, leaving me positively shattered in its wake.

  Liam ran his tongue one last time around my nipple before pulling his hand out from between my legs. I lay there, paralyzed, trying to catch my breath, wondering what the fuck had just happened. I’d had orgasms. Many orgasms. And they’d all been exactly the way I wanted them because I’d been the one controlling them.

  But this? This was completely different. I turned to him.

  “So, it’s got something to do with relinquishing control, right?”

  He smiled and got out of the bed, making himself comfortable on the floor before answering.

  “Now you got it.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Liam

  It was hands-down the most beautiful orgasm I’d ever seen. So beautiful I couldn’t get it out of my mind all day. Twice Toni came over to check on me, as I’d been over-prepping the entire morning. She threw a soup on the menu at the last minute to get rid of all the vegetables I’d cut up.

  “You barely even do prep anymore. What’s gotten into you?” she asked.

  Adam walked into the kitchen just then.

  “What’s up, boss?” I asked.

  “I was just coming in to tell you we’ve got a couple of VIPs tonight, but frankly I’m more interested in this discussion. What is going on?”

  “What do you mean? Both of you? Everything is fine,” I insisted.

  “I don’t know,” Adam mused. “I think it’s got something to do with this showmance you’ve got going on.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Meaning I’ve seen you walking around with that look on your face. I’ve met Justin’s sister. You’re too good for her. Don’t do anything stupid,” he said.

  “For Christ’s sake. Can we leave this alone?”

  The two traitors exchanged knowing glances and left me to my work. Adam discussed the VIPs in hushed tones with Toni, and I plugged in my headphones and got back to chopping celery.

  *

  At around five o’clock, Maggie sent a text letting me know she was having a late dinner with her parents at a French restaurant down the street and asking if I’d come by when I was done my shift so we could all walk home together. I sent her a thumbs up.

  I spent the next several hours in the weeds, cooking up a storm with Toni and seeing lots of empty plates coming back. It was my kind of night. Bree came into the kitchen with cocktails and we toasted a great service. As I was packing up my knives, Toni came over and waited silently by my side.

  “Yes?” I asked.

  “Going to see your fake girlfriend?” she asked.

  “Yes, I am.”

  “You’re sure there’s nothing…?”

  She let the question trail off, and I waited. She just stared at me.

  “Toni. There’s nothing going on. I owe Justin, you know that. It’s just a few more days. Once her parents are gone, we’re done. There is nothing between us.”

  “I don’t know, Chef. Seems like she’s messing with your head.”

  *

  When I got to the restaurant, the Grants had just finished eating and were lingering over coffee and dessert. I said a quick hello, then went over to see Jerome, the owner, and took care of the bill. In a small town, it was essential to build relationships.

  My phone rang as I was walking back to the table. I glanced at the Caller ID, nervous it would be some woman I’d made plans with and had forgotten about, but it was Duke, my contractor.

  “Duke, what’s up?”

  “Liam. Sorry, man. I know it’s late. I just knew you’d want to know as soon as we were done. We’re done. You can move back in tomorrow,” Duke said.

  “Wow. That was fast. Fantastic. Send me the invoice.”

  I hung up the phone and sat down to join them at the table. Maggie eyed me curiously, and I shook my head slightly, indicating we shouldn’t discuss it at the moment. She took the hint and turned to her mother.

  “So? We ready? We can walk back home through the square. It’s such a nice night, and there’s usually a band playing during the summer,” she said.

  “Sounds lovely. Let’s do it.” Mrs. Grant stood up and waited for her husband to join her. I got up and put out my hand for Maggie. She took it, getting to her feet, and then didn’t let go as we walked out the front door.

  “Darn, the bill,” Mr. Grant grunted.

  “Taken care of,” Jerome called from the back of the restaurant.

  The Grants all turned to me and I shrugged, sheepish. Mrs. Grant leaned in towards her daughter and said in a whisper I wasn’t meant to hear, “He’s all right.”

  When we got outside, the warm air hit us like a wall after the air conditioning of the restaurant. It was unusually hot for June, but I had no complaints. We’d come out of a long, cold winter and I loved summer in Mountain Valley. This would be my second one, and if last year had been any indication of the number of incredible women who passed through over the course of three months… I glanced down at Maggie, but it wasn’t like she coul
d read my mind or anything.

  It was close to nine, but still light out. There were tons of people around—families with young children, elderly couples, young lovers—the sleepy little town had come alive. Sure enough, there was music coming from the square, and we crossed the street and made our way over, Maggie and I staying a few paces behind her parents.

  “So how was your day?” she asked.

  “It was great. Busy. You?”

  “It was okay. I was, uh, kind of distracted.”

  I looked down at her and grinned, squeezing her hand.

  “We’ve got three more nights. Let’s see how much more damage, I mean research, we can do.”

  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, lowering her voice despite the noise of the crowd.

  I stopped walking and turned to face her, leaning down and whispering in her ear.

  “Has anyone ever gone down on you before?”

  I watched in delight as the blush crept up her neck, colouring her cheeks and making her freckles all but vanish.

  “I’ll take that as a no. Well, then. If you thought last night was something—”

  “Liam!”

  “I’ve been told I’m quite good at it, actually.”

  “LIAM!”

  Her parents turned to look at us, her mother shooting a questioning look. Maggie smirked in return, then turned back to me with a mortified expression.

  “Stop it,” she pleaded.

  “Research, Em, remember? Research.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Maggie

  My father headed straight for the living room when we got home, picking up the remote and settling into the couch.

  “Whose turn to pick tonight? Liam?”

  Liam kicked off his shoes and followed my father into the living room.

  “Why don’t we do something else tonight? Ever play poker?”

  “You know, I always wanted to learn, but the missus never let me.”

  “Perfect. I’ll teach you.”

  Liam walked over to the junk drawer and pulled out a deck of cards. I was impressed he’d remembered that. My mother walked over and stood beside me.