Secret Tastes (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 4)

by Charles, Miranda P.

  "I didn't see the point. I'm sure he knew what I meant when I said I knew about Byron Bay."

  "Byron Bay happened when you weren't sure yet how you felt about each other," Jasmine said.

  "And I still don't know how he really feels. How do I know he's definitely over Sandy when he went to fuck her while I was away?"

  The other three girls glanced at each other.

  "What?" she asked, irritated and knowing she was taking the anger she'd been suppressing out on them.

  "Nothing. You were cussing, that's all," Kris said.

  "Well, I'm mad," she declared, close to tears.

  "We know, honey," Jasmine said. "You have every right to be."

  Sam went quiet. Did she really have the right to be angry? Nothing was promised between her and Adam. No declarations of love and commitment had been made. She buried her face in her hands.

  "So what do I do?" she blurted out.

  "What do you want to do?" Kris asked.

  She breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. "I want to see if he'd chase after me instead of Sandy. I can't ignore the fact that they had a history of getting back together after breaking up."

  "So you're not going to do anything? You'll let Sandy continue to wear him down?" Ari asked.

  "He slept with her after we got together. How do I know he's not seeing her now? And to be honest, I feel like I'm someone wrecking a relationship here."

  "Don't be silly," Kris admonished. "They'd already broken up when you came into the picture."

  "And am I in the way of them reconciling?"

  Ari sighed loudly. "Why do you think the boys don't like Sandy much? They don't think she's good for Adam."

  "And yet he keeps going back to her," Sam pointed out. Her eyes widened as a thought hit her. "He must really love her." Tears started running down her face. "That must be the reason why he couldn't let go of Sandy even though she's some bitchy gold-digger. He must really love her, even if he thinks he doesn't want to," she repeated, her voice breaking.

  "Oh, dear," Kris murmured. Her cousin put an arm around her and hugged her tight. "Honestly, Sam, I don't think that's true. Adam doesn't look like a man in love when he's around Sandy. But I can see why you think that. I agree with you that Adam must prove he's over Sandy. He has to show that what he feels for you is more than just lust. You're not built for casual relationships, honey."

  "No," Sam agreed, taking the tissue Jasmine handed her. "So do you think he'll choose me over Sandy?" she asked in a small voice.

  "We don't know. Only time will tell."

  "Please tell the guys not to get involved. I don't want anything or anyone influencing Adam's decisions. If he does come back to me, I want to know for sure it's because he really wants to, not because my best friends are his best friends' partners."

  The girls nodded, agreeing with her.

  *******

  "I'm really grateful you're here to help with these orders, Sam," Rowena said sincerely.

  Sam smiled at her boss as they worked together on the desserts for John's birthday party. "No problem. And don't worry. I'm not vindictive enough to put something undesirable in their food," she joked.

  Rowena laughed, then turned serious again. "Bella will be passing by sometime today."

  Sam glanced at Rowena in surprise. "Why?"

  "She just wants to make sure everything's going well. Some clients are like that. They want to check that everything's on schedule and that we're cooking the exact food they ordered."

  "I haven't heard of clients like that before."

  "They're rare, but they do exist," Rowena replied. "Anyway, Brian would deal with her when she arrives. He'll escort her in here for a couple of minutes, just to show her we're working our butts off and that her food will be great. You can hide away in the office while she's here."

  "Thanks, but I'll be fine," she said. She was a professional. She could handle it.

  "Um, Sam," Rowena said tentatively.

  "Yes?"

  "Can I ask you something?"

  "Sure."

  "You do know that Brian's interested in you, right?"

  Sam sighed. "I've kind of been noticing that, yes." When Brian saw her in tears that day after meeting with Bella in the garden, he'd been a shoulder to cry on. She'd disclosed to him that she'd seen an intimate picture of her boyfriend and his ex—who happened to be Sandy, the person Brian had spoken to on the phone.

  After that, Brian had been extra attentive and sweet. He'd even been a bit touchy-feely, putting his hand on the small of her back once or twice, or touching her arm casually. The physical contacts were brief and innocent enough for her not to make a big fuss, but his gazes and smiles had been telling.

  Kris had encouraged her to give Brian a chance so she would stop moping around for Adam. Ari and Jasmine were less enthusiastic about it, but thought she should at least consider the possibility of dating the guy. Even the girls weren't sure if Adam was really over Sandy.

  "I want you to know that I don't have anything against my staff having a relationship with each other," Rowena said. "Your personal lives are none of my business. If the two of you want to date, you don't have to worry about me or your jobs. But if you do go out with each other, all I ask is that you don't let it affect your work. As you know, it's Brian's job to be a task master when things are going too slowly. You've seen him push us all when he feels we're taking things too easy. Others will notice if he gives you favourable treatment. Not that I've seen you slacken off. I'm just saying."

  "Thanks, Rowena. Brian's a nice guy, but at this point, I'm not looking for a new relationship." She was still hanging on to hope that when the three and a half weeks of being apart were up, Adam would come running back to her, saying how much he'd missed her and that Sandy was never in his mind at all.

  "Well, for what it's worth, I think Brian's a great catch," Rowena said.

  "Rowena!"

  "Speak of the devil," Rowena whispered. "Yes, Brian," she said in a loud voice.

  "Do you have a moment?"

  "Sure."

  "She'll be back soon, Sam," Brian said.

  "Take your time," she responded.

  Only a couple of minutes had passed when Sam felt a hand on her arm.

  "Come with me to the garden for a minute?" Brian said close to her ear.

  "Why?" she asked in surprise.

  "Just for a minute," Brian insisted.

  "Where's Rowena?"

  "She'll be back in a tick."

  Sam grabbed a tea towel to wipe her hands and went with Brian. "Aren't you worried we'll get behind schedule?" she teased as they stepped out into the sunshine.

  "You guys will catch up. You work fast. You know, I don't know why Rowena makes you work on the same station as her. Things will be a lot quicker if she puts you in charge of another station. But I think it's because she wants to take things easy and you make that possible for her."

  "Are you saying that the boss wants to be lazy?" she asked lightly, perching herself on the edge of the outdoor table.

  "Well, I guess the boss is entitled to be as lazy as she wants to be," Brian said with a chuckle, sitting next to her. "She's worked hard enough that she can afford to simply watch over you guys without lifting a finger. Frankly, I'm surprised Rowena's still working in the kitchen. But I guess she just enjoys cooking."

  "I'm glad I work alongside her. I learn a lot from her, especially about the catering business."

  "She's a very generous woman," Brian mused.

  "Yes, that she is," she agreed. "Anyway, why are we out here?"

  A strong breeze blew just then, letting a few tendrils escape her hair tie.

  Brian smiled and reached out to tuck them behind her ear. "Bella's here. I thought you might not want to be in the kitchen while Rowena shows them around."

  The light rebuke she was about to give Brian for his intimate gesture died on her lips, replaced by a different chiding. "I already told Rowena I'm okay to be there while Bella's doing h
er inspection." She was tempted to take a peek inside the kitchen, but pride stopped her from doing so. What if Bella caught her looking? She didn't want her to know that her presence affected her.

  "I also wanted an excuse to spend a couple of minutes alone with you," Brian said, gazing at her intently.

  "Brian—"

  "Shh." Brian put a finger on her lips to stop her from talking. "I know you're not ready. You just broke up with your boyfriend. I'm willing to wait, Sam."

  She took a deep breath, not really knowing how to respond to that.

  "Can I take my finger off now?" Brian teased.

  She nodded.

  "You won't lecture me about this?"

  She chuckled, shaking her head.

  Brian did remove his finger away from her lips—to brush a stray strand off her forehead.

  "Brian—"

  "Sorry," he interrupted. "I know what you're going to say, Sam. I'll try not to do it again. I know that right now, we're just friends. There's nothing to talk about at this point. Okay?"

  She nodded. Brian really was a sweet guy. But she didn't feel anything for him apart from liking him as a good friend and colleague.

  "Well, I think they should be gone now," Brian said, glancing at the kitchen.

  "They?"

  "Bella had her husband with her."

  "She did? I thought he wasn't supposed to know about his party."

  Brian shrugged. "Maybe he found out."

  They walked back into the kitchen, just in time for Sam to catch the backs of their visitors. She hadn't met John before, but she could swear the guy with Bella looked like Adam. There were enough similarities that even with that one-second sighting, her heart had started galloping so fast that she found it hard to breathe. Obviously the two cousins shared very similar genes. Gosh, when will she stop reacting so strongly to anything that had anything to do with Adam?

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Adam marched back to his car, followed by Bella. On the exterior, he was calm. But inside, he was bleeding.

  It had been his idea to go with Bella to check out the catering for the party. There was still a week and a half before Sam's stipulated timeframe for their temporary break ended, but he'd been dying to see her.

  Well, saw her, he did. Now he just wanted to punch something, and Brian's face would be ideal. The only thing that stopped him from going out and confronting them was his sense of professionalism. They were in a work environment where people were busy getting their jobs done. He would have been disruptive.

  So Sam had a new boyfriend. How cruel was it that in the one time he was at her place of work, she was out in the garden with Brian tucking her hair behind her ear—even holding a finger against her lips. They looked sweet together.

  Sam must have known he was there. Brian must have told her. So did they go out to the garden together on purpose? To show him that things were over between him and Sam?

  Damn it. Since Sam dealt him a heart-wrenching blow two weeks ago, he'd been biding his time and giving her what she'd asked for—time apart. At the end of it he was determined to prove to her just how much he missed her, and tell her that he loved her. He had hoped that Sam's cautious mind just needed to catch up with the magic that was happening between them.

  Magic his ass. He'd been totally wrong.

  The last two weeks proved two things he hadn't expected. Sam didn't want him. She wanted Brian.

  He got in the car, banging the car door shut. Bella silently got in the passenger side, glancing at him warily.

  "I'll take you home now, Bella," he said flatly.

  "Okay, good. I need to start getting ready for tonight. I'm really looking forward to the party. What about you?" Bella asked with forced cheer.

  He didn't respond. He wasn't in the mood for some fucking chit-chat when what he wanted to do was yell. Or howl.

  *******

  The buffet table was laden with sumptuous food, but Adam's eyes were glued to the desserts. He knew they were mainly Sam's work. He wasn't hungry, so maybe he'd just have one of her little cakes then leave.

  "Hey, man," Trey said from behind him.

  "Hey."

  "Are you okay?"

  "No. But you can go get your food," Adam replied, sweeping his hand toward the delectable arrangement.

  "Did you say you're not okay?" Trey asked, peering at him curiously.

  "Yes. The roast looks good. You'll like that," he answered with a casual expression.

  Trey frowned at him. "Where are you sitting?"

  "Where else but at the special table consisting of Sandy and Bella's other friends," he said sarcastically.

  "You're not having a fun time, are you?"

  He shrugged. "It's not my birthday."

  Trey was about to say something else when Kris appeared at his side. "Hello, boys. Have you decided what to try first? They all look yummy."

  "Not yet, babe," Trey replied. "Why don't you go ahead? Adam and I need to discuss something urgent."

  "Now?" Kris asked in surprise.

  "It's not urgent, Trey," Adam said.

  "You keep saying that, Adam. It's become urgent now," Trey answered, giving him a knowing look.

  Adam gave Kris a conciliatory smile. "You don't mind if your fiancé disappears from your side for a while?"

  "Of course not. I've been thinking of ways to get rid of him, but he's stuck to me like glue," Kris said with a mock pout.

  Trey slitted his eyes at Kris. "You're going to pay for that, woman. When we get home."

  Kris gave Trey a sultry smile and a wink. "Can't wait." Then off she went to get some food.

  Trey followed Kris with his eyes, biting his bottom lip that had curved into an anticipatory grin.

  Adam sighed deeply, envious of the relationship between the two. Hell, being in a party with all these loved-up couples around him was the last thing he wanted right now. Pleading some sort of illness and going home was proving to be an attractive course of action.

  "Now where's a quiet place to talk?" Trey mused.

  "Let's go to my car," he suggested.

  On their way out, Adam caught Trey giving Dylan a signal. Dylan whispered something to Ari and followed them.

  *

  "What's up?" Dylan asked as they made their way to Adam's car.

  "Something wants to spill out of Adam's guts," Trey answered.

  "I just want to go home, that's all," Adam said sullenly.

  "Why?"

  "Sam's got a new boyfriend." He tried to sound as nonchalant as he could but failed miserably.

  "What?" the other two said together.

  "How do you know?" Trey quizzed.

  "I went with Bella to Rowena's Kitchen today to check out the food for tonight—and to see Sam, of course, even though I'm still supposed to stay away from her for another week and a half. I just miss her badly." He exhaled harshly. "I saw her in the garden with her new boyfriend. They were sweet together."

  "Sweet as in how?"

  "Touching her hair, silencing her with a finger on her lips…" Adam said, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Hell, his chest hurt.

  "Kinda intimate, wasn't it?" Trey asked, squinting at him.

  "Fuck, yeah," he replied, the urge to smash something coming back with a vengeance as the memory of Sam being with another man flooded his mind.

  "Did you ask her about it?"

  "No. It wasn't the right place and time. Besides, what for? It was obvious enough."

  "Where they cuddling or something?" Dylan asked.

  "No. But they were at work. In fact, they both should have been working."

  "Remember when I thought Kris was with Blake when I saw him wipe something off her lips?" Trey asked quietly.

  "Yes," Dylan said, his eyes widening. "If Trey had spoken to Kris then, it would have saved the both of them a lot of heartache."

  "This is different," Adam said.

  "How?"

  Adam paused. Wasn't what he witnessed earlier strong eno
ugh proof that Sam was over him? His brain said 'yes'—but his heart was pleading with him not to listen to his anguished mind.

  "Sam didn't seem to mind that Brian was being sweet to her," he argued.

  "You know, this is all speculation," Trey said. "Speculations aren't necessarily the truth. Why don't you just talk to Sam? If you're right with your assumptions, then it would hurt like hell, but so what? You're hurting now anyway. But if you're wrong…"

  Dylan nodded his agreement.

  A sliver of hope prodded Adam. "Okay. I think I'll go now and see her."

  His buddies patted him on the shoulder in encouragement.

  "You know, she must have known I was there and that I'd see her and Brian together," Adam said dejectedly as he opened his car door.

  "You think Sam deliberately tried to hurt you?" Trey asked.

  Adam frowned. "Looks like it."

  "Why?"

  Adam shrugged, not having a ready answer for that.

  "Maybe because she's still feeling bruised from the Byron Bay thing and wants to hurt you back," Dylan suggested.

  "I thought this break was so I could prove to her that I miss her more than I miss Sandy. There isn't even a comparison as I don't miss Sandy at all. While I can understand that she's hurt that I spent one night in the same room with an ex, I didn't think that was reason enough for her to go find herself a new boyfriend. It's not as if anything happened."

  "And she's clear you didn't have sex with Sandy, right?" Trey asked.

  Adam stopped and pondered. "I don't remember specifically saying the words 'I did not have sex with Sandy'. I'm pretty sure I made it clear nothing happened though. Although she did accuse me of lying to her…"

  "Let me try something," Trey said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Make sure we have all the facts."

  "What are you doing?" Adam asked.

  "Shh. I'm calling Kris."

  Adam gazed at his buddy quizzically as Trey waited for an answer on the other end of the line.

  "Hi, baby," Trey said in a grave voice. "I know you know about Adam and Sandy and Byron Bay."

  Adam raised an eyebrow. He had to hand it to Trey. That was such a non-specific statement that was open to any interpretation.