“Are we having thick American pancakes?” he asked, rubbing his palms together like an excited little boy.
“When in America, only American pancakes,” she informed him with authority.
He went behind her, his arms sliding past her waist as he reached for the bowl. She allowed him to mix the batter, cherishing their tender moment.
“This is fun,” he huskily whispered into her ear. “We should do this more often, but maybe you could let me spend the night?”
She elbowed him softly. “You’re distracting me from making my masterpiece.” Seeing that the batter was satisfactory looking, she placed the bowl next to the stove and took out her pan. Some moments after the fire was turned on, she scooped a cup of batter and placed it smoothly on the pan. She turned to him, admiration blossomed in his eyes. Dipping a finger into the batter, she then licked it while giving him an innocent look.
“You’re really beautiful and ravishing, and you’re not being aware of it, unlike most girls. It makes you even more desirable.” His blue-green eyes met her chocolates brown ones. She quickly averted her gaze, focusing on the pancakes instead. He started to laugh. Scowling, she glanced at him as she scooped another cup of batter. The scent of the freshly made pancake filled up the kitchen.
“What’s funny now?”
He put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. “Nothing, I love you. Is that okay?” His fingers twirled a lock of wavy hair and a masculine hand landed on her waist.
“Yes, it’s completely fine. And, as luck would have it, I love you too.” She placed the second pancake on top of the other and faced him. He kissed her softly, coaxing her lips to give in to his. Shivers cascaded from her neck down to her toes.
When she pulled away to study his handsome face, she smiled. “How did I get so lucky?”
“Let me make the pancakes. Allow me to add special ingredients to it. Do you mind?”
“And what special ingredients may I ask, before you conquer my kitchen?”
“Love,” came his short reply as he stepped closer to the stove and poured more batter into the pan. A perfect circle of smooth and creamy batter formed at the centre. Like a professional pancake-maker, he then flipped the pancake with a quick twist of his wrist.
“Wow! And where did you learn to do that, Mr. Cromwell?” She was genuinely impressed.
“I told you, I worked at a coffee shop when I studied in Harvard. We served pancakes. It was always a winner with the ladies.”
She poked his sides. “You are so hot.”
“Are you melting yet?”
“Shall we have breakfast in bed?” she teased back.
“Darcey, do not start with me.” He placed the cooked pancake on top of the first two and grabbed blueberries and bananas waiting on the counter. “Do you have maple syrup?”
She opened her refrigerator and looked through the cramped contents. Being organized wasn’t one of her strongest points. After a full minute, she found the syrup hiding behind a bottle of wine. She handed the syrup to him and he poured some on his masterpiece. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of the pancakes covered with fruits and amber maple syrup. He placed an arm around her waist and pulled her towards the kitchen table.
“What are you doing? The dinning table is over there.” She chuckled as she tried unsuccessfully to pull away from his grasp.
“No, you sit right here, my queen. This is your throne.” Before she could protest once more, he cut up a piece of pancake and lifted the fork to her lips.
As soon as she took a bite, the sumptuous mixture of berries, butter, pancake and maple syrup caressed her tongue in one delicious wave. “Oh my gosh, this is beyond delicious.” He sat down next to her, a satisfied expression on his face. She pulled him in for a hug. “I will never let you go, Nate.”
“For pancakes, this is the love I get? How about if I made a six-course meal?”
“Well then, you’ll already have me at first course.” It was her turn to cut up a piece for him and feed him a generous portion.
“But I’m only good at making pancakes,” he protested.
“How about I make the meal and you take care of dessert?”
“Is that a promise?”
She put a hand up and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Every day? For as long as we both shall live?” His eyes glimmered as the Los Angeles sunshine basked them in warmth and joy through the open window. A cool breeze came to dance in harmony with the sunlight. It was hard to get over Southern California’s perfect weather.
She felt her face heating up. Is he hinting on marriage? We’ve only been dating a few months! No way, Darcey, you must not read into these things too much.
Wracking her brain for a diplomatic answer, she laughed nervously. “That’s impossible. We hardly see each other. Lucky for us, my Florida trip got moved to next week.”
Slowly, as slowly as the maple syrup was sliding off the thick stack of pancakes, disappointment formed on his sharp features. “Darcey, how is it that here I am trying to be extremely romantic, yet you’re preoccupied with work?”
She reached out for his hand. “Nathan, I just want to do my best. And I certainly don’t want Sissi regretting she hired me.”
His eyes were wistful. “Maybe I should have her fire you instead.”
Was he joking? She didn’t like where the conversation was going one bit.
“I love my job. And I do hope your mother warms up to me more than just one of her employees.”
“My mother has no choice. She has to love you.”
”Huh?”
“Because I love you. If the person who raised me has a little spot of affection for me, she should approve of the woman I love. It’s as simple as that.”
“Well, not entirely. Trust and love, especially when it comes to people who haven’t known each other for a while, do not come easily. I can see why she should be protective of her beloved son.”
He leaned back and turned his neck to watch the sight of the beach scene outside, his voice growing colder by the second. “That’s because she expects me to take over the family business, something I have zero interest in. I don’t know why she doesn’t give it to my sister. She loves fashion and travelling. Lucky for my sister, her husband’s family in Italy owns a fashion house. Or else Olivia would be working for my mother today.”
“And when do I meet Olivia?” Darcey had long wondered what Nathan’s sister would be like.
I wonder if she’ll like me.
“She might come down to LA soon. Florence has been kind to her and, from what I know, she has a busy social and family life over there. I do miss her children. They’re such darlings. And Stefano, her husband, now there’s a nice chap. We should visit their villa in Lake Como.”
“Is theirs a love match?”
“Well, both a love and business match, I reckon. Olivia met Stefano at a summer party hosted by one of her friends. My sister was then working coincidentally as a buyer for Stefano’s store in Milan. He was smitten by her at first sight. At least that’s what she tells me.” He chuckled, his voice grew warm again as he spoke of his sister. “Olivia is beautiful like our mother, and she has a hefty trust fund from our grandparents. But you’d be hard-pressed to find someone more dedicated than her in all of Europe. She’s a hands-on mum, takes Dominic to football practice and little Demi to ballet lessons.”
“You love kids, don’t you?” She squeezed his hand, her heart beating faster.
“Yes, I love kids, especially if they were ours.” She felt her face heating up again. He went on, oblivious to her growing discomfort, “I want a house full of children. I want screaming children jumping on our beds, and pancakes and maple syrup and a huge mess.”
“Well, you have me to create mess!” They both laughed. Everyone knew how she wasn’t winning any neatness award.
*****
“Earth to Darcy!” Luis’ voice jolted her out of her reverie.
“I’m sorry, you were saying?”
&nb
sp; “Leo and I were just talking about Japan. I think I could take a week or two off to join you,” Luis prattled on. “I can’t wait to sing karaoke, eat sushi, wreck havoc in Shibuya and do that Asian pose in all my photos.” He showed them the two-finger pose. “Kawaii! See, I even know a Japanese word. ”
“You’re done with your pancakes? You barely took more than two bites.” Leo’s face was filled with concern.
“No, no,” she stammered. “I suddenly don’t feel too hungry.”
“Can I take a bite?” Without waiting for her reply, Luis cut up a huge slice and ate it with gusto. “Mmm, so good. Seriously, this is good. Take a bite too, Leo,” he ordered.
Leo hesitantly yet obediently cut up a piece. “You’re right. This is excellent. I’ll be telling the chef to add this to the buffet menu.”
She swallowed her pain. Hard. “Well, that’s a specific recipe.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Leo nodded, taking another bite. “This has bits of blueberries, bananas and, if my palate is right, some maple syrup.”
Luis seemed to read uncertainty written on her face. “What do you think is in the special recipe, Darcey?”
“Love,” she whispered as she fought back fresh tears. “The special recipe needs love, lots of it.”
Chapter 16
“Luis, I’ll be fine. I know you’re busy. Thank you for the concern. Look, he’ll be here anytime now. I’m hanging up now.” Darcey put her phone down as her heart beat to the rhythm of her worries. Her eyes searched her surroundings.
She had agreed to meet Nathan at the Savoy Hotel bar, a favourite spot of her and her closest friends. It was the first place where she noticed Nathan’s allure, but it wasn’t the place where they met for the very first time. Their first encounter was a rather unusual, and very awkward, meeting.
This evening, the bar entertainment consisted of a singer and a pianist. The crooner’s voice caressed the air with classic tunes. Since it was early in the evening, only a few other patrons occupied the place. Darcey sipped water while waiting in anticipation, her fingers incessantly played with her simple pearl necklace.
And then he walked in. Nathan was staggeringly handsome in a navy blue suit, crisp shirt and a silk tie, which she immediately recognized was a present she gave him. He had loved the blue Italian pattern as he opened the gift during a romantic weekend in a quaint hotel in Laguna Beach in California.
She reminded herself that everything was going to be fine, told herself that after they spoke tonight, he would be holding her tight until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
As he made his way towards her table, it was easy to spot the stressed expression on his face. He could have fooled someone else, especially with the confident stride he always bore, but she knew better. A table of three ladies turned to observe his tall frame. He had always been a head-turner, even when they would hit the trendy spots in Los Angeles, places filled with gorgeous Ken’s and Barbie’s. His stunning eyes reminded her of the calm Maldives sea, the hint of grey in their depths created a symphony of pure masculine art. One could get lost staring at Nathan Cromwell.
As he approached her inch by inch, her breaths grew shallow, her cheeks hot. Without thinking, she stood up as soon as he was a foot away. Without missing a beat, he pulled her in for a kiss, a kiss long enough to tell her just how much he missed her.
Maybe he had forgotten the incident at Leo’s hotel?
“How’s the foot?” he asked after pulling away.
She knew her cheeks were flaming red by the heat that rose up to her eyes, but she didn’t care.
Smiling, she replied, “Better. I’m hoping by next week I can run on it. But, as for now, high-heeled shoes are my foes.”
They sat beside each other as silence quickly descended on the table. A waiter came to get their drinks. She was only too glad for the distraction. Nathan ordered whisky while she opted for a glass of rose.
“So, where do we begin?” He spoke first.
She cleared her throat. “Do you want me to explain why you saw Leo Warwick having dinner with me?”
At the sound of the other man’s name, Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed and anger appeared in his ocean eyes. “I see we’re skipping the niceties and going straight to business.” The sarcasm in his tone wasn’t too subtle. “All right then, tell me. Tell me the whole truth. I want to know. All of it.” His eyes pierced right into her soul.
“You make it sound like I cheated on you.” Her voice rose. She couldn’t help it, she immediately felt the need to defend herself.
“No, I’m not accusing you of that. And, hey, for all it’s worth, we broke up.” The waiter returned to place their drinks on the table. Nathan was quick to take a sip.
“See here--” The initial feeling of elation from seeing him was slowly turning into annoyance and hurt.
“Oh, wait, actually, you broke up with me,” he reminded her.
“Leo’s hotel is one of the hotels I was assigned to write about and he happened to be there.” Her tone was edgy but she didn’t give a damn.
He nodded and leaned back. “Okay, I understand that. Carry on.” He sounded like a lawyer cross-examining a witness.
To her irritation, she actually found herself feeling guilty. “And he wanted to have dinner with me, maybe because he felt bad about my foot.”
A sarcastic laugh came out of his lips. “Darcey Vaughn, what do you take me for? A fool?”
She turned her head around quickly to see if anyone was staring. He wasn’t even trying to lower his voice. “No, but you make it sound like I did something wrong. Remember when I accused you after I saw you with those Hollywood hotties? How angry you were that I didn’t bother to ask you? I’m sorry about that. I--I was jealous, okay? And I wasn’t thinking straight. Can’t you see that you’re misunderstanding me now as well? You told me nothing happened between you and the California dolls. And I’m telling you nothing happened between me and Leo!”
To her surprise, tears weren’t threatening to spill down her cheeks. Maybe she was getting used to stress after all. But the pain in her chest was one she couldn’t ignore.
He took another sip of drink, a frown formed on his perfect lips. “Fine, say you are telling me the truth and nothing happened. Trust me, Darcey, I love you that much to believe you. I want to give you all the benefit of the doubt.” His voice was calm.
She wanted to immediately hug him. As she leaned closer towards him, something in his eyes stopped her. He dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. It appeared to be a page from a newspaper.
He held it up. “How then would you explain this?”
She had mistaken the calmness in his voice for one of peace. This time his eyes revealed his true feelings, and there was nothing placid about them.
With shaking fingers she took the paper from his hand and instantly gasped. It was a cutout from one of England’s most widely circulated tabloid newspapers. And right on the front page was a photo of Leo Warwick and her, an image of them locked in a kiss. It was taken during the ball.
The caption boldly displayed, Has Prince Charming finally found his Cinderella?
Below it was an article written by the malicious yet sadly popular high-society gossip blogger, Edward Oman. Edward detailed how Darcey and Trisha, fiancé of Matthew Warwick, were best friends and there was speculation that the two women were going on double dates. There was another picture of Darcey stepping out of Matt’s apartment with Leo in tow. Luis wasn’t in the kissing photo and nowhere was it mentioned how Darcey didn’t kiss Leo back.
When she finally spoke, her voice was trembling. “Nathan, seriously, there isn’t anything going on between Leo and me. I mean, yes, he did kiss me and I saw him at Matt’s flat, but Luis was there. And it wasn’t a double date.”
The tears were slowly making an appearance. Edward Oman had always been the bane of London society and she was never a fan of the vapid blogger. But this time, she hated Edward with a passion.
“These are all exaggerated stories. Don’t tell me you believe them?”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to believe. These photos don’t seem altered. And I’ve seen other variations online. In high definition! I don’t believe in gossip, but I know what I saw with my own eyes: you in Leo Warwick’s hotel room in the middle of quite the romantic dinner.”
His voice was strained and dark grey storm clouds formed in his eyes. He took a large swig of his whiskey. “How can you honestly tell me that you don’t believe Leo Warwick isn’t interested in you one bit?”
“To think so would be presumptuous.” Her voice was weak as energy slowly slid off her body.
“Answer me. Do you like him?” This time, a few people turned to stare at their corner.
“Do you really think I’m the type of person who jumps from one man’s arms into another? That I can forget you and throw myself into another man’s arms simply because he’s showing interest?” How she wished she didn’t agree to meet that evening.
“Was the ball the first time you saw Leo?”
“Why does it matter? Leo is Matt’s brother. And, as you already know, Trisha’s dating Matt.”
“Did you meet Leo after we broke up?”
“What? What are you implying? You’re Sherlock Holmes now? Do you really think I have to prove my innocence? Why should I even bother to explain to you when you’ve oh-so clearly decided as early as now that I have betrayed you? What do I have to do to prove to you that it had always been you? Do you think I could just forget you easily, move on and live life without you?” Her palms were beginning to hurt from her fingers digging into skin, her fists had formed into tight balls.
He stared hard at her. Several agonizing seconds passed before he spoke. “Prove it.”
“What do you want me to do? Do a press release denying my involvement with Leo Warwick?”
“No.” He shook his head, his gaze continued to hold hers. “Come back to Los Angeles with me.”
The request took her by surprise. Before she could formulate a response, he took something out of his pocket.
Be Mine Forever_Darcey's_Book 2 Page 10