“We can start now.”
Maggie rolled her eyes. “I highly doubt it.” She pressed her hand against his chest. “We may have joined forces, but we’re still at war.”
Chapter 8
A savory scent filled the air. Coffee...bacon...biscuits, even. Maggie’s mouth watered before she opened her eyes. Flipping the down blanket off her body, she swung her legs over the side of her four-poster king-size bed. The dark floors cooled her heels, metaphorically and literally. She was waking up in Caden’s house. His home...the grand home it was. With the sunlight pouring in from the balcony window, Maggie had a chance to survey the room better than she had last night when she was too tired to keep her eyes open.
The gray walls were bare. The fireplace cold and barren. The only spot of color came from a French Louis XV-style chaise lounge with an antique silver finish and black cushions. She imagined herself resting there and watching the world below. Not only did Caden have his own place, the home was beautiful. The fact he’d let her believe he still kept a room at his parents’ burned her britches. But before she waged war on her host, she needed coffee and a freshening up.
Fully expecting to have headed back to Southwood this morning, Maggie had only brought a change of clothes, which she discovered Caden had had delivered to his place. She washed in the spacious, second-floor, en-suite bathroom with the walk-in shower and gold fixtures, then dressed in an off-white jersey dress that would have been perfect for car travel today. She slid on a pair of white canvas shoes and piled her bedhead hair on top of her head in a bun, not caring if a few loose strands hung down.
Downstairs in the kitchen from where delicious smells emanated, she found a woman dressed in a pair of black-and-white-checkered chef’s pants and black tank top. Maggie couldn’t judge the length of the woman’s hair, because it was swept up into a huge bun at the top of her head.
“It’s about time you got up,” the woman said.
“I don’t mean to alarm you,” Maggie said after clearing her throat. “I didn’t want you to think I was Caden or anything.”
The woman’s shoulders straightened as she spun in slow motion to greet Maggie with wide eyes. “I did not just say that to you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Maggie said with a wave of her hand. “I’ve had a lot worse said to me in the mornings from my siblings.”
“I thought you might have been Caden coming in. I’m Ebony.” At a half turn back to the popping frying pan, the chef offered Maggie a smile. “Caden already called to tell me about you, Maggie.”
“Uh-oh.” Maggie entered the spacious kitchen that belonged on a Food Network show.
“You and Caden are supposed to get married.”
So much for telling her everything, Maggie thought. She stepped farther into the kitchen. “With as good as that bacon smells, there’s no way I can look you in the face and tell a lie,” said Maggie. “We’re not really engaged or getting married.”
Ebony reached over on the counter and lifted the paper towel–lined plate toward her. “If you say so.”
Before giving the pretty chef the whatever eye roll, Maggie took an offered slice of brown-sugared bacon. Her taste buds exploded. Maggie made a mental note to ask Ebony how she did this and figure out how to redo it on a budget for Haute Tips. She might not be able to splurge on the thickness of the bacon, but she might be able to replicate the flavor. As Maggie continued to think about her blog while she chowed down on a bacon slice, Ebony continued.
“Well, let me say this,” Ebony corrected herself, “for starters, I already like you. Caden offered me triple for breakfast today over what he’s asked of me to cook up for him for a week.”
“So Caden can work with women?”
“Work?” Ebony waved the notion off with her own eye roll. “When I am here, this is my kitchen. Caden works for me by supplying the food and taste testing whatever I feel like making. No matter what I cook, though, it’s going to be great.” They both chuckled. “I know about Caden’s troubles at his agency,” Ebony continued, “about not taking on female clients. I don’t know what to say about that other than he’s missing out on great opportunities.”
“He’s afraid something will happen, something sexual,” Maggie offered. “You’re drop-dead gorgeous. I am even considering taking you out for a date just by your cooking.”
“I can’t promise anything won’t happen on that date,” Ebony teased with a wink, “but Caden wouldn’t dare dream of any funny business. EJ might break his neck.”
“EJ Archibald?”
The high points of Ebony’s cheekbones reddened.
“I see,” Maggie responded with an amused turn of her lips. EJ stayed away from the pageant world. That was about as much as Maggie had gathered from the man.
A sizzle hissed through the air. Ebony placed a few more slices of bacon in a cast-iron skillet and then went to lift the top of a pot to stir a serving of creamy grits. A bowl of four cracked eggs sat to the right of Ebony’s arm on the marbled countertop. The sight of the countertop brought Maggie’s thoughts to hers in her apartment. Heat now sizzled up her neck. Ebony must have noticed but maybe thought the sweat at Maggie’s brow came from the sun through the window overlooking the river. Diamond crystals of light danced across the seam where air met water.
“Where are my manners? You must be thirsty after that bacon.” After washing her hands in the deep sink at the motion-sensor faucet, Ebony moved to the high-end refrigerator.
“Water, thanks.”
The oversize appliance had to be custom made to fit into the wall like it did. The fridge was a side by side but with a wine rack in the center. Of course Caden had a wine rack—probably a wine cellar, too, for all the party hosting he did.
Last night, at the Archibalds’ gathering, Maggie had heard the retelling from Kofi of Caden’s most recent party here in his home. A bachelor party for a frat brother. Of course he was a frat guy, Maggie thought. He was arrogant and cocky, and, as she nodded her head in agreement with her thoughts, he had every right to be. From what Maggie had learned about this party he threw, it was almost as if he wanted to show his fraternity brothers what kind of lifestyle they’d be missing once they tied the knot. Kofi told the table about the art party Caden had hosted, which was code for naked models. Maggie wasn’t new to how that game was played. Usually a single man hosted a painting party for his friends to sit back, paint and drink beer. The models were nude, and the events were a mockery of the wine and paint parties she attended.
She hated the fact she looked forward to him coming down the stairs. Caden was her adversary...or at least he would be once they knocked out everyone else’s ideas. She had no intention of sharing a victory with him.
Thinking of ideas, she and Caden needed to get started on their plan. “Is the boss man around now?”
“He didn’t stay at this house,” Ebony answered, pouring a bottled water into a stemmed crystal glass.
Maggie’s mind went into irritation mode. So Caden had the nerve to surprise her with his engagement announcement, had her phone blowing up with missed calls from her brother and sister, so he could go off and explain this situation with some other woman?
Shrugging, she lifted another crispy slice of heaven to her mouth. “At least there’s bacon.”
“I like you,” Ebony chuckled. “I can see why Caden is going out for you.”
“Dare I even ask what that means?”
Ebony motioned toward the bar stools at the kitchen’s island and poured coffee from a silver French coffeepot, then cream from its claw-foot mate with a helmet-shaped pot. Maggie had spotted a similar pair at Christie’s a year ago, back when she had money to spend.
“I would just like the record to show that Caden has never called me and begged me to find out the top restaurants in Southwood and get the names of the chefs.”
Maggie lifted her cup to
her lips. “I don’t understand. Southwood has like two really nice restaurants.”
“I know, Valencia’s and DuVernay’s,” said Ebony. “Did you find it odd that you guys got in without a reservation?”
“I thought we took someone’s table. Every place was packed. There was no way he knew if we could get a table anywhere.”
Ebony laughed. “That boy is smooth. Not only did he call me up to get a favor from my friends who work there, but he also reserved a table.”
“No.” Maggie shook her head back and forth. “He had no idea where we’d eat.”
“He reserved a table everywhere and prepaid as well.”
“Oh dear God.” Maggie touched her heart. “I had it on my radar to go back to DuVernays and pay for our meal somehow.”
Again Ebony laughed. “This is how I know you’re special.”
“There is absolutely way too much laughter going on in here.”
Both women glanced up and found Caden standing at the archway of the kitchen. He filled the room before even stepping into it. He wore a pair of tan slacks and a solid green polo.
“Well, damn,” Ebony said. “You can find a shirt to put on before noon.”
Maggie pressed her lips to keep from grinning too hard. He had stepped out of her shower wearing just a pair of shorts.
“Funny.” Caden offered them both a half-hearted grin. “Do I dare ask what secrets you’re spilling?”
“Just the ones that you got me involved in,” said Ebony.
“Don’t make me fire you,” Caden joked before glancing over at Maggie.
A quickening beat jolted Maggie’s heart. She could get used to seeing him every morning. Licking her lips, Maggie cleared her throat. “If he fires you, I’ll hire you as the pageant chef once I’m handed the reins.”
“Speaking of a royal chef for the pageant,” Caden began, “Maggie, what do you think about taking a drive this afternoon to scout out some local market foods?”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Maggie said, perking up. “I want to scratch the stigma that beauty queens starve themselves. Let’s make sure there’s a great healthy spread we can feature in promotion.”
Caden tapped on the wall. “All right, let me get dressed and we’ll head out.”
Ebony began clearing off the table, but Maggie covered her hands. “The least I can do is help you clean up in here.” She paused for a moment while Ebony feigned a heart attack. “Let me guess, Caden’s previous guests didn’t ask to help?”
“Try more like expecting me to serve them breakfast in bed in their rooms.”
Had she woken up in the common room where all of Caden’s conquests slept? Maggie tried not to snarl. She’d be a fool to think she was special. She was surprised Caden didn’t have a revolving door somewhere around here.
“And before your mind starts wandering,” Ebony said, giving Maggie’s hand a squeeze, “you’re the only person he’s ever let sleep in his bedroom.”
“Oh, I, uh...”
“It’s okay.” Ebony gave her a wink next. “I said you were special.”
* * *
“I can’t imagine my brothers or cousins have gotten as much accomplished,” Caden declared later on that afternoon. He opened the passenger door to his Aston Martin for Maggie to slip inside. “We’ve covered half of my mother’s wishes for the fiftieth anniversary. It’s as if you’ve been planning this for years.”
So far the two of them had been able to locate the bakery where Kit had originally ordered a celebration cake for her first contestants. Back when Kit threw her first pageant, clearly everyone wanted to participate and donate. The local dress shop had offered up dresses for Kit’s girls. But that was back in the day. He highly doubted anyone would be so willing to be so generous now, since the pageant was no longer a start-up. But Maggie said she knew a person who could help, and Caden planned on banking on that. Besides contacting the local cake shop, Maggie also was able to get quite a bit of colorful Gullah Geechee artwork donated for the event. Kit originally had a live zydeco band in homage to her New Orleans roots. They also selected a few works of art from the Walter O. Evans African-American Collection at SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Maggie shrugged her shoulders, sat down in the car and swung her legs inside. “I grew up around beauty pageants, Caden,” she reminded him while shuffling a bunch of loose papers filled with ideas she’d had for the pageant. Maggie wanted to have the event be pretty much a celebration like the Kentucky Derby, with several smaller pageants before the main event. Caden especially admired her idea for girls in STEM programs, which did not surprise him, given her own coding talents. She wanted a talent show showcasing girls’ science, math and technology skills on a runway, not their model figures in gowns. Caden was in awe. And so was his mother, who green-lit every idea they sent her way.
Not wanting to miss a minute away from her, Caden made a quick dash to his side of the car. “Your sister was in a pageant, right?”
“Kenzie? Yes.” Maggie seemed to beam at the mention of her sister. “There’s a long line of Swayne beauty queens. My father was attending his sister’s pageant when he met my mother.”
“Yikes, who did he root for?”
“Clearly, since we are here, he rooted for my mother.”
Caden liked it when she laughed. Maggie closed her eyes. Her long lashes fanned against the sprinkle of freckles high on her cheeks. “And my aunt Jody never let him live it down. Since then there have been several Hairston—that’s my mama’s side—beauty queens. And then of course the recent winner, my niece, Bailey.”
“Ah, a legacy of beauty queens.”
“That’s more my sister’s pride and joy title.” Maggie laughed lightly.
“You had a look on your face when you brought up Bailey’s name, like you enjoy being an aunt. Love it?”
“It’s the best thing ever,” Maggie boasted. “I get to spoil her and send her back to my brother. Every time Bailey spends the night with me because she’s mad at her dad for some teenager thing she’s done, I get to tell her stories about her dad. It’s great. I take it there aren’t any young Archibalds running around Savannah, huh?”
Caden shrugged his shoulders. At that moment he realized just how removed he was from his brothers. Besides EJ, Caden had no idea who his brothers were involved with. Either way, he knew they came with a string of women and broken hearts. “None that I know of. But I get to somewhat fulfill my role as an uncle in the form of being godfather. One of my frat brothers is expecting his first child in a few months. I wholeheartedly expect to be named the godfather.”
“Wouldn’t the mother have a say over that?” Maggie inquired.
With that, Caden cast a glance at his passenger and gave her a wink. “Zoe loves me. She’d have no problem with Will naming me godfather.”
Maggie’s brows rose. “Zoe Baldwin?”
“Well, Zoe Ravens now, but yes.” Caden nodded his head and snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Zoe does have a Southwood connection. Her family’s from there, right?”
Maggie nodded. “Yes. And the Ravenses are going to remodel her grandmother’s old home and make it a satellite station for Ravens Cosmetics thanks to fellow beauty queen British Ravens, a Southwood native. And Southwood has a new citizen.”
“Soon to be three,” Caden added. “So what do you want to do for the rest of the day? A movie? Dancing?”
“Caden,” Maggie began with a slow Southern drawl, “this is great that we’ve been able to knock out a few good ideas for the pageant like the food and the artwork we secured from the art galleries and some of Dr. Evans’s collection.”
“Great, let’s celebrate with lunch,” suggested Caden. Something about her tone changed from fun to serious. “Narobia’s Grits and Gravy is right this way. They have a great brunch.”
“What about Ebony?”<
br />
“Ebony can’t stay mad at me for eating someplace else,” Caden bragged. “She’s practically family.”
As if she knew, Maggie nodded her head. “She and EJ, eh?”
Even though EJ was older than the rest of them, it didn’t mean he was wiser. EJ had been nursing his crush on Ebony for at least five years now, bringing her the freshest fish or first pick of what he caught. Whenever Caden’s mutual friends called him up, typically asking for tickets to a sporting event, they mentioned how EJ began grooming himself before leaving his boat rather than not caring who smelled him. On the other hand, Caden always felt it was best to look his best. It wasn’t about attracting women so much as presenting himself in a businesslike image. He wanted his clients to know he took care of himself and his money, so that they’d trust him.
“She’ll understand,” Caden finally said. “Besides, she has a knack for turning breakfast into something to eat later.”
Maggie stared out onto the road. “Why isn’t she in a restaurant? She’s an awesome chef. You can’t hog her all the time.”
“I bring her on when I have company.” Caden glanced over in time to see Maggie roll her eyes at him. He reached over and touched her leg. “You need to get your mind out of the gutter, Miss Magnolia.”
“Sure, as soon as you want to explain this epic bachelor party I’ve been hearing about.”
“Speaking of bachelor party.” Caden snapped his fingers together. “We have a few events coming up where we’ll need to make a public appearance as a united front.”
Maggie’s face cut over to him. “We were just out in public, Caden. We left your mother’s party last night. We’ve got to do something about Saturday.”
When she gave him the wide-eyed blank stare, he went on. “Your aunt Brenda is getting married, and we need to make an appearance.”
“Need is kind of strong, don’t you think?”
“What I think,” Caden said taking her left hand and stroking her bare fingers, “is we need to get you a ring.”
Southern Seduction ; Pleasure in His Arms Page 11