The Sweet Touch

by Madelaine Grant

  Dan arrived five minutes late. “Sorry for the delay,” he said when she opened the front door. “I had a last minute confrontation with my son.”

  When he didn’t elaborate, Kate sent him a questioning glance. He was dressed casually in khaki pants and a navy jersey. He still looked good, she thought with an inner groan.

  “Let’s get going and I’ll explain.” He picked up the large storage container she’d left near the front door and headed to his car, depositing it on the back seat.

  Kate followed carrying a briefcase and handbag. Having him drive her did make it easier. But there was probably a price to pay.

  Driving to the restaurant Dan said, “My son, Ethan, is almost seven. Since I travel frequently for business, I try to spend as much time with him as I can when I’m home. I’d planned to take him to his martial arts class this morning. Afterward, we’d have lunch out and then, in the afternoon, we’d go horseback riding. He was disappointed that I’ll be tied up with business matters. My housekeeper will handle everything.” Dan let out a long sigh. “Being a single father isn’t easy.”

  “I can imagine,” Kate replied. She sensed his struggle and empathized with his situation. “I’m sure you’re doing the best you can.” Then she couldn’t help adding, “Do you share custody with your ex-wife?”

  He shook his head. “It’s complicated. I’ll discuss it with you another time. Right now I want to concentrate on you.” He turned in her direction for a quick moment and sent her a broad smile. “It’s good to see you again. Did you have a peaceful night?”

  Now why had he asked that particular question? And should she give him an honest answer? She took a moment to figure that out. “Not exactly. I’m used to taking a long run in the late afternoon. Yesterday I didn’t have time to do that and, consequently, I didn’t sleep well.”

  “I could’ve picked you up at seven instead of six if you’d mentioned that. Then you’d have time for your run. So I’m going to put the blame on you for not being up front with me.”

  She noticed his mouth quirking at one corner and realized he was amused rather than annoyed. Dan didn’t get disturbed easily, she thought. “Perhaps I should have,” she murmured.

  “Next time I’ll check to see if you’ve had your run before we go out,” he promised. “Then you’ll be in a cheery mood. I can tell you have stuff on your mind. Running must be your time to figure things out. Am I right?”

  Dan was pretty sure of himself, she thought uneasily. He was talking about their next encounter while she had no intention of seeing him again, at least in a personal way. “Dan,” she began hesitantly, “I should probably mention that I don’t date. I wouldn’t mind a platonic friendship, but anything more is not possible. I’m much too busy for any kind of involvement.” She sent him a glance and, when he didn’t reply right away, she added, “This isn’t a recent decision. After my divorce I decided to put all my energy into my own life, finishing my education and building a business. I’ve never allowed myself to swerve from that course. I hope you understand.”

  He suddenly started laughing. Shocked at his unexpected response, Kate turned toward him with a puzzled stare. “What’s so funny?” she demanded.

  “You,” he managed to say in a choked voice. “You sound so definite.” He pulled into the parking lot of the Brookhouse restaurant, turned off the ignition and looked at her, his blue eyes twinkling. “I’ll just have to convince you to swerve a little now and then, like our brief time in the greenhouse.” He reached out a hand to run a finger down the side of her flushed face. “That was just an introduction, mind you. I’m sure we’ll find more in common than you could imagine.” His tone was tender as he said this.

  She glared at him. “You are incorrigible. Did anyone ever tell you that?”

  He nodded solemnly. “I’m sure someone has, but I can’t remember.” Then he spoiled it all by laughing again. He left the car to open her door. “Let’s concentrate on this presentation. Then we’ll talk about other things.”

  When he helped her out he brought her close for a light kiss. His arms tightened around her for a few moments while he gazed into those melting brown eyes. “You have the most extraordinary eyes,” he murmured. “But then you know that.”

  She was confused. She felt both comfortable and uneasy wrapped in Dan’s strong embrace. Part of her wanted to stay there and forget she’d made strong resolutions for her life. The other part told her to push him away before he could get a toehold and sink all her aspirations. Frozen between these opposing poles, she couldn’t come to a conclusion. The mousy outfit she’d decided to wear that day did absolutely nothing to diminish his interest, she thought with an inward sigh. What could she do that would turn him off?

  ”Don’t fight so hard,” he said in a husky tone, watching all those warring emotions flicker across her face. “I’m not out to sabotage any of your plans. I’m here to help. I have a feeling we could teach each other a few things.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Twelve chefs garbed in identical white jackets were gathered in one of the restaurant’s production kitchens waiting for Kate’s presentation. She noted that a full third were women, a percentage higher than usual as chefs go. There were greetings to Dan when they entered the room. While Kate set up her equipment on the stainless steel table, Dan talked to his staff and suggested they all sit around the table to view the coming demo. He decided to be her assistant and passed around brochures while she arranged ingredients and other paraphernalia to her satisfaction.

  “Do you want me to introduce you?” he asked quietly.

  “That’s not necessary. I can handle things on my own.” She didn’t want to rely on him or anyone else.

  Without another word, Dan seated himself at the table and waited for her to begin.

  “Hello everyone,” she began. “This demonstration is a real treat for me. I’ve never had such first-rate equipment around me and such first-rate chefs in my audience.”

  With this simple introduction, Kate had the Brookhouse chefs in the palm of her hand, Dan thought, as he watched the interaction. After a short overview of the benefits of a mostly raw food diet, Kate prepared the chocolate pudding and fruit cobbler desserts. When Dan offered to pass them around, she nodded her assent.

  The next part of the demo was new to Dan. Kate made two raw food soups, one a tomato basil and the other a cream of cucumber soup. After sampling the two, Dan decided they were both flavorful and would add a special touch to the Brookhouse menu.

  “What do you think?” he asked his staff. “Maybe these would do well in warmer weather. I know we usually offer a gazpacho but these are unique and very tasty.”

  “I like them,” Scott said. “They’re different and no other restaurant in the area is offering raw soups. I wouldn’t wait till warm weather. These could go on the menu now.”

  Some of the others nodded their agreement. “The cream of cucumber is especially good,” one of the women chefs commented. “It has a delicate flavor and would complement our other dishes.”

  Dan distributed printed copies of the recipes she’d demonstrated. “If any of you are interested in taking a few classes in creating raw food dishes, let me know. I’m sure Kate could accommodate us.”

  Kate sent him a quick glance with raised eyebrows. Was he assuming she’d have time for more classes? Then again, this had been a most enjoyable presentation. And she didn’t have to do any cleanup. An assistant hovered nearby to handle that detail.

  After everyone dispersed, Dan packed Kate’s equipment back into the container. “That went well,” he told her with a pleased expression. “I know you’ve a class starting in the early afternoon. I thought we could lunch together at your place before it begins. I’ve taken the liberty of getting us an order of sushi with raw ingredients and miso soup. What do you say?”

  She was speechles
s for a moment. Dan was going out of his way to please her and that made her feel special. Then again, she didn’t want any kind of deep involvement. Could she keep things on a friendly level without complications? Once again she couldn’t come to any definite decision.

  Dan watched her face aware that fortunately for him her emotions were easy to read. “Kate, it’s only lunch,” he said quietly. “I’ll be away most of next week on business so I thought we could have some time together today.”

  Acting on impulse, she nodded. “Lunch is okay. That’s very thoughtful of you.”

  Smiling he reached for her and drew her close. Leaning against the granite counter behind him he positioned her between his thighs and let his hands rest on the small of her back. “You have no idea how thoughtful I can be,” he announced with a teasing look.

  In spite of her best intentions, Kate’s traitorous body responded to the feel of his well-muscled legs holding her close, his arms cocooning her and the sensual gleam in his dark blue eyes. Stilled by his magnetic force, she waited with bated breath for his next move. She didn’t have long to wait.

  Already attuned to her inner responses, Dan raised his hands to either side of her head and framed her face. Then he bent to capture her lips for a long, languorous kiss.

  The electric charge from that contact brought her body closer and her hands slid up his chest to encircle his neck. It was a moment both satisfying and frustrating at the same time. She felt the firmness of his chest as her breasts leaned into him. The musk scent of his skin tempted her to explore further. When she felt the tip of his tongue flick against her mouth she opened automatically.

  A discreet cough inside the production kitchen brought Dan back to reality. Raising his head he caught the amused glance of his head chef. “Give me five minutes, Scott,” he said quietly, holding Kate close.

  She tried to leverage herself away from him to no avail. “Please, Dan,” she said as her face flushed with embarrassment.

  “Don’t struggle so much,” he murmured. “Scott’s already left. And don’t tell me you weren’t enjoying this.”

  Hanging her head in defeat, she couldn’t argue with him. “You have the strangest effect on me,” she whispered. “I lose all sense of control and that’s not good.”

  “Why do you need so much control?” he argued softly. “Aren’t you entitled to pleasure once in a while?” Seeing her anguished expression, he eased her away. “I think we’d better head out. Do you suppose we could have a picnic in your greenhouse?”

  His light-hearted suggestion brought Kate up sharp. How could he change moods so easily? “Uh, I guess so,” she murmured, still in turmoil from Scott’s intrusion.

  “Let’s go then,” he said, picking up the large container.

  She followed him, trying to calm the strong feelings that waged war inside her psyche. Men had the advantage, she thought. She remembered the many times Jared would turn over and go to sleep after they’d had a vigorous argument while she was up half the night processing everything. It was amazing how they could tune out an unpleasant event and simply change the subject. Why this should be she hadn’t a clue.

  ~ ~ ~

  Back home Kate cleaned off the small table she used for potting plants in the greenhouse and arranged colorful placemats for their meal. Dan was busy in the kitchen warming the miso soup and fixing a tray with the sushi and side sauces. She breathed in the peaceful atmosphere of the greenhouse and her mood lightened. This really was a pleasant place to eat.

  “Well, this is a great atmosphere for lunch.” Dan glanced around with a satisfied expression. “I’ll have to build one of these on my property. I know Ethan will enjoy it. He loves working in the garden.”

  “If you want any information on greenhouses, I have a file full of stuff I collected when I was researching the subject,” Kate offered. She munched on avocado and cucumber sushi and then took a spoonful of miso soup. It was relaxing sitting out here with him.

  “By the way, what’s your class going to prepare today?” he asked.

  “We’ll be doing more desserts – a chocolate cupcake with a vanilla cream center and a lemon cranberry cheesecake,” she replied.

  “Ah, that sounds tempting. Do you have room for another student? I wouldn’t mind taking your class. Of course I’ll pay my way,” he said with a hopeful glance. He demolished two more veggie rolls and finished his soup.

  Caught off guard, Kate was speechless for a few moments. She probably had enough supplies for one more student, but would he be a distraction? “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she finally murmured. “I’d probably find it hard to concentrate.”

  “Because I’d be in the class?” Dan’s brows rose in surprise. “I thought I could be your assistant and give you a hand with setup and cleanup. I’d really enjoy learning more about your techniques.”

  Dan’s words were sincere, she realized. And maybe he could help. Hadn’t he made things easy this morning? “I suppose it might work,” she finally conceded. “I do need to take a long run after the class ends,” she pointed out.

  “I understand,” he said quietly. “I want you to follow your regular routine. However, when your run is finished, would you consider visiting my place for a relaxing swim? I’ve an indoor-outdoor pool with a water temperature of around eighty-five degrees. I noticed on your brochure that you’re a triathlon competitor and swimming was one of the skills listed.”

  This was getting complicated, she thought uneasily. “After my run I’ll probably want to relax and work on my school plans for the week. As I mentioned, I don’t date.” She hoped her tone sounded firm enough.

  “I wouldn’t consider swimming an actual date. It’s just an experience which I think you’ll enjoy. There’s a changing room, showers, a sauna and, of course, a hot tub.”

  Tempting, very tempting, she mused, trying to find something wrong with his plan but nothing came to mind. “What about your son? Won’t he want to spend time with you? I’d be disturbing your usual routine with him.”

  “That’s not a problem. My parents live about forty minutes away and they often take him overnight. There’s a zoo near their home that Ethan loves to visit on Sundays. They’re free tonight so I just have to call them later. I’ll make several business calls while you take a run.”

  Dan had it all figured out. Kate took a few moments to think things through. Would there be any harm in taking a swim at his home? And he was right—it wasn’t an actual date. “If I decide to take you up on your offer, I’ll drive my own car to your place.”

  “You don’t trust me to drive you there and back?”

  “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she retorted.

  “Then what is it?” he asked quietly.

  She opened her mouth to reply and stopped short. If she told him the truth—that she didn’t trust herself—he’d probably start laughing at her. This inner dilemma was at the heart of the issue. “I’m not sure,” she said evasively.

  “Why don’t we discuss this later after you’ve had a run? Maybe you’ll make peace with whatever’s bothering you,” he suggested. He had a good idea of her misgivings but wasn’t about to reveal that knowledge. Changing the subject, he said, “I’ll clean up while you prepare for your class. Also, let me know the cost of the class and I’ll write you a check.”

  She hesitated at the idea of charging him her usual fee. “There’s no need for you to pay me. The dinner last night was a generous gesture on your part so we’re even.”

  He placed their dishes and silverware back on the tray. “All right for now but I’ll find a way to compensate you. I know many of the ingredients you use for your dishes are expensive. Since my restaurants buy things in quantity, perhaps we can order some of those needed items at wholesale prices. We can talk about this later.” He headed back to the kitchen with the tray in hand
.

  Kate sat there for a long moment as she considered his offer. This relationship was getting more complicated by the minute. Or was she making too much of the whole thing? That was something she’d have to give more thought before she could come to any conclusion. Rising from her chair she decided to table all unknowns and concentrate on her upcoming class. At least she’d have a bona fide assistant, she thought with an inner grin.

  Cream of Cucumber Soup

  1½ cups chopped Romaine lettuce

  1 large cucumber, cut into chunks

  ½ cup water

  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  ¼ teaspoon salt

  1 clove garlic, chopped (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

  1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into pieces

  2 tablespoons chopped herbs (mint, basil, dill, parsley, etc. to taste)

  Blend together all ingredients. If mixture is too thick to blend, add a few more tablespoons of water. After mixture is blended, add avocado and chopped herbs. Blend until smooth. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

  Chapter 6

  “The class was fun,” Dan said. “You’re a good teacher.” He helped Kate collect all the cooking equipment that needed cleaning.

  “Thanks. I enjoy seeing people learn new ways of preparing more healthy types of food. Next Saturday we’ll start a four-week session on appetizers and soups. I always begin with desserts because everyone loves that part of a meal.”

  Dan nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a good strategy. Why don’t you get ready for your run? I can take care of the cleanup.” He rolled up his sleeves and filled the sink with hot water, ready to tackle several food processors, blenders, and various cooking utensils.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she exclaimed.