Delicious

by Susan Mallery

  “Bright and early.”

  Reid put his arm around her. “Early, at least. I don’t think your assistant is going to be getting any sleep tonight.”

  Naomi smiled. “I like that in a man.” As she passed Cal, she patted his arm. “Want to know how many times we did it last night?”

  “Not even for money.”

  Reid made a fist. Cal did the same. They bumped them together.

  “Later,” Reid called as they left.

  When the front door of the restaurant closed, Penny grinned. “So do you think they’ll wait until they get back to his place or do you think they’ll do it in the car?”

  “What is with you? You’re on a roll with the sex talk tonight.” Was she feeling an itch? He would admit to a need to scratch. After all this time, Penny could still get to him just by being in the same room. “Someone else might think you were issuing an invitation.”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Don’t go there. This is my kitchen and I know where all the knives are. It’s just interesting to speculate. Okay, not about Gloria, because I don’t want to think about her naked. But with Naomi and Reid. Come on—you have to wonder. They’re both out to break the land speed record for most partners in a lifetime.”

  “Doesn’t it get old after a while?”

  Penny’s eyes brightened. “Are you saying sex gets boring? How interesting.”

  “No. I’m saying switching partners all the time would get old. I gave up counting conquests about the time I turned twenty-two. The sex is more fun when I’m in a relationship.”

  He hadn’t had any complaints about Penny. She’d been caring and responsive and just adventurous enough to keep him guessing about what was going to happen next.

  “I think they both do it because they can,” she said. “I’m not sure Naomi’s ever met a guy who didn’t want her and Reid is just, well, Reid. Women flock to him.”

  “Not you.”

  “I know. I always saw him as a friend.”

  “And after we split up?”

  He’d wondered. Had his brother offered comfort?

  He’d told himself it wasn’t possible. That neither of them would do that to him. Except Reid didn’t play by the rules and Penny had wanted revenge.

  “Yuck,” Penny said, sounding both sincere and annoyed. “Why on earth would I sleep with your brother? It’s gross and tacky. It would be like you sleeping with Naomi.”

  “No, thanks.”

  “That’s my point. Besides, I wouldn’t have done that to you.”

  “Why? I thought you hated my guts.”

  “I did. But I didn’t want you punished.”

  He thought about the angry fights, the things she’d said to him. “Could have fooled me.”

  Penny put down her empty bowl. He hadn’t understood then and she doubted he would understand now, but she meant what she’d said. She didn’t want Cal punished—she’d wanted him to get it. She’d wanted him to love her enough to want to have a baby with her. She’d wanted them to be a family.

  Deep in her heart, she believed he loved her but with Gloria always ready to pounce at any sign of emotional weakness, he’d been afraid to show his tender side. Leaving had been a last-ditch attempt to get him to admit that she was important to him. The plan had backfired. Instead of coming after her, he had let her go and decided that being apart permanently was the best course for both of them.

  “It was three years ago,” she said. “Does it really matter now?”

  “Probably not. But speaking of the past, I heard an interesting story about you the other day.”

  Uh-oh. “From who?”

  “Gloria.”

  “Then it’s probably not true.”

  “She said you’d stabbed one of your cooks when he wouldn’t do what you said.”

  Penny laughed. “Actually, that is true.” She giggled at Cal’s shocked expression. “Well, sort of.”

  “What happened?”

  “This guy was bugging me. He didn’t like that I’d been promoted over him. You know how guys are in the kitchen. Every word is profane and it’s a giant power play. The guy had been backing me into the corner and touching me. I told him to stop it or I’d make him stop it.”

  She paused as Cal stiffened. “Don’t get all macho on me. I mean it. I took care of him.”

  “How?”

  There was anger in that word. His hands curled into fists and he looked ready to take on the world.

  His reaction was that of a man to a woman in jeopardy. She liked that he was still one of the good guys, even if he wasn’t good for her.

  “I didn’t exactly have a plan. One day I was cutting up chicken. Someone called to me. I turned, just as the guy moved close. I don’t think he meant to do anything. It was a small kitchen and really crowded. Anyway, I was holding the knife and someone bumped me from behind. I fell forward, so did the knife, which slid neatly between his ribs.”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t hit anything vital and even though I told the police it was an accident and everyone backed me up on that, all the guys in the kitchen thought I’d done it on purpose. Including him.”

  “What happened when he came back?”

  “He called me ma’am.”

  Cal grinned. “Good for you. Now you have a reputation for being a tough boss.”

  “Now I have a reputation for being a dangerous bitch who’ll take out your eye if you talk back to her. I like that. It makes my job easier. I wonder how Gloria heard about it?”

  “She hears everything.”

  “Ah. A network of spies to admire.”

  Penny was suddenly aware of the quiet of the evening. Except for the guy cleaning up the dining room they were alone. It was late, she was tired and that made her vulnerable to Cal’s appeal.

  Dangerous, she thought. It was past time for her to head home.

  “It’s late,” he said.

  “So I was just thinking.”

  “You head out. I’ll lock up.”

  “Okay.”

  She jumped down from the counter. He moved toward her.

  It was one of those moments when good sense seemed highly overrated.

  “What are you thinking?” he asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Liar.”

  Despite the tension, she grinned. “Yeah. But I’m cute when I do it.”

  They moved closer until they were almost touching. And then they were in each other’s arms, his mouth on hers.

  Several things occurred to her at once, the foremost being that the man could still kiss like the devil. Even with his lips only lightly pressing hers, she felt shivers and heat and need. Second, her breasts were so exquisitely sensitive—probably from a combination of abstinence and the pregnancy—she suspected if he’d simply touch her tight nipples she would explode into orgasm.

  She wanted to throw her arms around him and give in to the moment. She wanted to crawl inside of him and see how much two-become-one they could muster. But then that pesky third thought crept into her brain.

  This was not a good idea.

  She wanted it to be, but it wasn’t. Smart people did not get involved with their ex-husbands at work. Not even ones who were only sticking around for a few months.

  She gathered every ounce of strength and stepped back.

  His arms looked inviting and she wouldn’t mind more pressing her sex-starved body against his. But then what? Did she really plan to get naked with him? Ignoring the whole working together issue, the second he saw her without clothes, the secret would be out. She might be able to disguise her condition behind loose shirts at work, but in the nude, she was obviously pregnant.

  Not exactly how she wanted to tell him, she thought.

  “You still have it,” he said, his eyes dilated, his voice low.

  “You, too.”

  “Not a good idea. Mixing work and…”

  She nodded. “So I guess I’ll, ah, go.”

  She headed for her office where she grabbed her purs
e and keys. “See you in the morning.”

  He walked her to the back door. “Come in later. I’ll be here at seven to check on the delivery. If there’s a problem, I’ll call. Otherwise, you get some sleep.”

  The concept was too heavenly to ignore. “Thanks. You have to check the fish. Sniff it. You shouldn’t be able to smell anything.”

  He smiled. “I know how to buy fish, Penny. I’ve done this before.”

  “So you say.”

  She hesitated, suddenly wanting something more but not sure what it was. A connection? Closure?

  Whatever it was, she and Cal had already had their chance and messed it up big time. There was no going back.

  TWO WEEKS LATER Cal ran the numbers a second time, then tossed the report in the air. “Damn, we’re good,” he said. They were already thirty percent above their income projections. Profits were only up eighteen percent, but that was because Penny insisted on large portions of expensive ingredients. As much as he hated to admit it, she was onto something.

  Someone knocked on his open door. He glanced up, then waved in the young woman standing there.

  Tina was still in street clothes, her coat and handbag over her arm. She held her punch card.

  “You said you wanted to see me?” she asked.

  Rather than asking her to sit, he stood, then pointed at the clock on his wall.

  “Care to tell me what that says?” he asked.

  “Five-fifteen.”

  “Right. Your shift starts at five.”

  Tina sighed heavily. “I know, but there was traffic.”

  Something that happened every night, he thought. “You know the rules. No unexcused tardiness, Tina. You call and give us notice or you show up on time.”

  She stared at him. “Are you kidding? You’re mad ’cuz I’m fifteen minutes late?”

  “I’m not mad. You’re not in trouble. You’re fired.”

  Her mouth opened, then closed. “For fifteen minutes?”

  “You were told the rules when you were hired. You had to sign a copy of them along with your application. Call if you’re going to be late or lose your job.” He bent down and picked up her paycheck. “I’ll walk you out.”

  “Don’t bother.”

  She jerked the check from his hand and sailed out. He heard grumbling, which he ignored, then returned to his seat. Penny walked in.

  “Someone’s unhappy. One of the waiters just left in a huff.”

  “Tina. She was fired.”

  “For what?”

  He nodded at the clock.

  Penny took the chair opposite his and sighed. “I do that, too. Fire ’em for being late. You have to or no one believes you mean it. Call and let me know what’s going on, just don’t leave me hanging. I sure can’t afford to be wondering if I’m going to be shorthanded for the night.”

  “So we agree.”

  “About that.” She smiled. “Don’t get your hopes up. I’m here to complain.”

  Why wasn’t he surprised? Penny had earned her reputation as a perfectionist. Three days ago she’d come in saying that the flowers on the table smelled too much—their scent interfered with the aromas from the food. She demanded excellence and wouldn’t accept anything less.

  “What’s wrong now?” he asked.

  “The wine list sucks.”

  “Agreed, but I’m working on it.”

  She leaned forward. In her white chef’s coat and headscarf, she looked both professional and completely feminine. An intriguing combination.

  “I have a plan,” she said, her voice low.

  “I’m not going to like it.”

  “You don’t know that yet.” She glanced over her shoulder, as if checking to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then smiled. “Raid the wine cellar at Buchanan’s. I sent someone over to check it out and it’s fabulous.”

  “I’m not cannibalizing from one of the family’s restaurants.”

  “Why not? We don’t care about them. The Waterfront is what matters. Just take half of all the good stuff. The wine list here is too young. We don’t have any really expensive wines. You know how diners love to impress each other with the pricey stuff. We’re going to lose their business, along with the serious wine lovers. Come on, Cal. You have pull. You could do it.”

  “I could, but I won’t. And before you start calling me names, read this.”

  He took a piece of paper off his desk and handed it to her. Then he leaned back and prepared to enjoy the groveling.

  She scanned the sheet, then looked at him. “What happened?”

  “Two restaurants went out of business. I heard about them first and bought up their wine lists. Both were excellent. And you wanted to say what about that?”

  She grinned. “You’re the best.”

  “And?”

  She sighed and reclined in her chair, the back of one hand to her forehead. “You’re smart and funny and I’m just so lucky to work for you. Oh, I can barely breathe from the excitement of just sitting close to you.”

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  She straightened. “Seriously, this is very cool. I’m impressed.”

  Her compliment pleased him. She wasn’t a woman who impressed easily and she had no reason to be especially nice to him.

  Things were so different now, he thought. While he’d liked being married to Penny, she hadn’t been very strong back then. He’d worried about her getting hurt. Ironically, he’d been the one to hurt her the most. Now she was tough, and he admired her ability to take charge.

  If she’d been like this back then, would they have made it? Or would his secrets still have screwed up things?

  Probably the latter, he thought. Penny could forgive a lot, but he doubted she would have understood why he’d been unable to risk loving another child.

  Penny pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket. “I can meet with you tomorrow morning about the group bookings. I’m open to the idea, but I want to start slow. We have to be up and running in the kitchen, with all the kinks worked out before we start feeding fifty at the same time.”

  “I thought we’d start with a very forgiving crowd. The Daily Grind has an awards luncheon every year in July. We can have that here. I’ve had calls about a few other things. Two more over the summer and three in September.”

  “Get me the details on everything and I’ll let you know what we can do. The summer ones are fine, and I’ll cook for the Daily Grind event as long as I can stand in the back and watch.”

  “Why would you want to?”

  “Professional curiosity. It’s your other life.”

  Why would that interest her? “Sure.”

  “But we can’t schedule anything in September.”

  He frowned. “Why not?”

  “I won’t be here.”

  “For the whole month? You can’t do that. We’ll only have been open five months.”

  “I know, but I’m still going to be gone and you can’t stop me.” She held up a hand to silence him. “This isn’t by choice, Cal. Well, technically, I guess it is. I’m not going on vacation. I’m going on maternity leave. I’m going to have a baby.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  CAL’S EXPRESSION DIDN’T CHANGE, but as always, his mouth gave him away. His lips thinned into a line of displeasure while a muscle in his jaw twitched.

  “Congratulations.”

  There was a world of anger in that single word, Penny thought, doing her best not to react. She’d known the news would throw him. The smart thing would be to give the guy a couple of minutes to get used to the idea.

  “Thank you.”

  “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.” His mouth tightened. She had a feeling he was thinking about their kiss.

  “I’m not. There isn’t anyone in my life right now.”

  “What about the baby’s father?”

  “He isn’t involved.”

  He looked both angry and disapproving, which really annoyed her.

  “My condition doesn’t have anything
to do with you,” she told him. “I’m fully capable of doing my job while pregnant. It’s been a couple of centuries since women had to disappear from public life while in a delicate condition.”

  “Doing your job is the least of it.”

  He stood and walked toward her. She rose so they remained eye to eye…sort of.

  “You deliberately kept this information from me when I offered you the job,” he said.

  “I didn’t mention it because I knew you’d freak out if you knew.”

  “I’m not freaking out. I’m pissed off. How far along are you?”

  “Four months.” She glared at him. “Me being pregnant doesn’t change how good I am in the kitchen.”

  “As a chef, you’re on your feet for twelve hours a day. You can’t do that pregnant. How are you supposed to taste the dishes? Aren’t there certain types of fish you should avoid? What about wine?”

  “I can taste both the food and the wine. One bite or one sip isn’t the issue. I’m perfectly capable and I’m doing a damn good job, so get off of me.”

  He loomed over her. “You lied to me. You withheld material information. I can fire your ass for that and we both know it.”

  She opened her mouth, then closed it. He had a point. If she’d been in his position and had learned an employee lied about something this big, she would escort them to the door without thinking twice.

  “I’m the reason this place is successful,” she said, deliberately lowering her voice. “I do good work. Yes, you can fire me, but then what? You think this place can survive losing its chef two weeks after opening?”

  She stared at him, willing him to understand. “I have this all figured out. I can do the job and be pregnant. We’re in this together, Cal. Don’t get weird on me now.”

  “Don’t pretend we’re a team when you’re keeping secrets like this,” he said. “Anything else you want to spring on me?”

  “No.”

  “Fine. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

  “But we’ve just opened. It’s dinner.”

  “So? According to you, you have a plan. Deal with it.” Then he turned and walked out.

  CAL DROVE without thinking and he wasn’t surprised when he found himself in front of Reid’s place. He tossed his keys to the valet, then stalked into the crowded bar.