by Maddie James
“Older than thirty-five.”
“He’s barely thirty-two.”
“And you’re what, Patricia, thirty-eight?”
“I’m forty-two, dammit.”
Suzie grinned. “Nothing wrong with having a younger man. Brad is a few years younger than me.”
“A ten-years-younger man is a boy toy. I’m looking for a husband, Suzie.”
“Debatable.”
“What’s debatable? The boy toy or the husband?”
“Both.” Suzie paused and studied the list. “What about this next one. Must be ready to commit.”
“Ppht. We’re talking Ames here. He doesn’t commit.”
“Kids?”
“No, thank God.” What kind of father would Ames make? The self-centered male that he is. Actually, he would likely make a great father...
“Can’t work in the food industry.”
“Scratch that.”
“Ick factors?”
“Not going there.”
“Drop dead gorgeous.”
“Enough said.”
“Has job? Money?”
“Freelances.” She cringed inside at even saying the word.
“Catholic?”
“Protestant.”
“Loves sushi?”
“Vegan.”
“Patricia?”
“Hm?”
“Seems like you went to a whole lot of trouble to make a list that would, beyond a shadow of a doubt, exclude the one man in your life who really needs to be in it.”
Patricia looked at Suzie and honestly had no clue how to respond to that, because at first blush, that statement took her totally by surprise. No. She’d not made that list to exclude Ames, she’d made that list because those were her husband requirements.
Plain and simple.
Leaning forward, she hooked into Suzie’s challenging stare and said, “Suzie Matthews, don’t you dare go thinking that you are going to match-make me with Ames Cooper because that is not happening. Ames Cooper was a diversion. He is not husband material and never will be.”
Chapter Four
“I want to ask her to marry me.”
Suzie imagined that her eyes were quite huge at the moment. Ames had spirited her away from the studio for lunch the next day while Patricia held a meeting with one of their advertisers. They’d worked hard all morning and had managed to tape two shows with Ames swooping in throughout to take a number of food shots.
Of course, there were so many more shots to take. They were just getting warmed up and comfortable working together, but Suzie knew that she liked Ames a whole helluva lot—besides, she’d always considered herself a very good judge of character. She imagined that should she be able to finagle Ames and Patricia together as a couple, the four of them—she and Brad, Ames and Patricia—would be great friends.
But first, she had to find out some things from Ames. She had to be sure.
“So let me get this straight—you and Patricia haven’t been together for almost three years, the relationship ended badly, and now, after just meeting back up with her yesterday, you realize you want to marry her?”
“Yes.” Ames stared at her with a very determined look on his face. “I let her go. No, I pushed her away. I was such a scared, stupid fool. I loved her then, I was just too young to realize it, and I love her now. I simply need to convince her of that fact and that I...”
“That you won’t cheat?”
“So, you’ve heard.”
“I’m beginning to get the picture. I mean, people talk, and I have ears.”
Closing his eyes, Ames inhaled deeply, held it for a second, and then let out a lengthy cleansing breath. “I didn’t say I don’t have my work cut out for me.”
“So what makes you think you won’t stray again?”
“Remorse.”
She arched a brow. Remorse was a good sign. “Go on.”
“For three years my heart has ached, and I’ve regretted my actions for every second of my life since Patricia left.”
“But you continued to cheat on other girlfriends.”
“They weren’t Patricia. After her, no one compared. I gave up.”
Suzie drummed her fingers on the table. “I think I know Patricia well enough to say that she’s not going to be a pushover.”
“No.”
“So, how will you win her over?”
Ames replied very succinct and matter-of-fact with, “That’s where you come in.”
****
“And that, ladies, is how you set a cozy desert table for two, complete with a warm and gooey Double Chocolate Decadent Delight Brownie ala mode with my signature Buttered Almond Toffee Topping followed with a Bourbon Coffee chaser.” Suzie leaned closer to the camera and brought a bite up to her mouth, stringing fudge from plate to spoon. “All I can say is this.” She took a bite of the gooey confection and savored it. “Yummmm. I’m Suzie Matthews and this is one way to bake you a match, girls.”
There was a second’s pause and then, “That’s a wrap.”
Suzie whooshed out a breath. “Okay, I’m officially tired.”
“Same.” Patricia swept up next to Suzie and gave her a hug. “Perfect, hon. It was classic. You are a world-class pro in front of the camera now.” Glancing down at the dessert, she wanted to swoon from lack of food since she’d skipped lunch.
“That brownie is absolutely sinful.”
With her pointer finger she reached to scoop up some fresh whipped cream.
“Stop!” Ames caught her wrist.
A bit flustered, she turned what she hoped was a serious-as-hell scowl on him. “Take your hand off me, Ames.”
“Don’t touch that. It’s perfect. I need a shot.”
“It’s melting, Ames.”
“No, it’s perfect. Move your ass, honey.” He crowded up to her and shoved her aside with his hip. “This will only take a—”
For the likes of her, she didn’t know what possessed her to do what she did next. Maybe because it was Ames, and maybe it was because she was hungry, and maybe, just maybe, it was because she didn’t like being hipped out of the way.
She wanted like hell to pick a fight with him. Some sort of weird payback?
“Go home, Ames. We can do this tomorrow.”
He was hunched over the desert with his camera poised, snapping away.
She bumped him in mid-snap.
He turned an annoyed but wicked grin on her. “You don’t really want to do that, Plummish.”
“Do what?”
“Interrupt me while I am in pic mode.”
“Well, I’m in ala mode and I want that ice cream.”
He turned away and positioned himself again to take a shot. “You’re going to have to wait another couple of minutes.”
“By then it will be too melted.” Why was she goading him? “Even though I have to work with you doesn’t mean you call the shots, Ames. I do.”
“Not when you’re in my arena. I—”
He started to snap, and Patricia shoved her hand forward and simultaneously scooted him out of the way. With two fingers, she scooped up a huge dollop of semi-melty ice cream and whipped cream topping.
“What the hell?” Ames lowered his camera and squared himself in front of her.
Uh-oh, she had angered him now. For some odd reason she giggled inside. “Oh, you weren’t finished?” She brought the ice cream up to her mouth and sucked her fingers dry.
There was a distinct twinkle in Ames’ eyes. The outer corners crinkled. Without hesitation, he set his camera down, picked up the brownie plate, and took a step closer to her.
“No, I wasn’t finished.”
“Hm.” She swiped her finger into fudge this time, then again, brought it to her tongue and licked. Damn, it was almost like a dare. Maybe closer to a tease.
Before she could react, Ames took a couple of fingers full of the brownie goo as well, and without words, crowded closer and smeared it down the side of Patricia’s face, raking his cho
colate-covered fingers across her lips.
“Oh, now you’ve done it,” she mumbled through brownie crumbs and fudge.
She stood steadfast, but truth be told, the act of his hand smearing chocolate over her face and lips was way too sensual. The way he lingered, smoothed...
Dammit.
She scooped up another finger of cake and ice cream and slung it. The sticky mass splatted across his nose.
Ames palmed a handful of the dish and smeared it across her chest.
Patricia dove for the table and the other dessert.
Unfortunately, just as she scooped up the second plate, her heel slipped in melted ice cream on the floor and down she went. But not before she fisted Ames’ black t-shirt at his chest and pulled him down with her.
On top of her.
The second dish of Double Chocolate Decadent Delight Brownie ala mode with Buttered Almond Toffee Topping tumbled from her fingertips and landed on the floor beside them. Soon, cake, ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, and topping were flying, and Ames and Patricia were rolling on the floor of Suzie’s new kitchen set, squealing and shoving and pushing, while the crew jeered and hooted, and Suzie fretted about her tablescape, until...
A deep voice, reminiscent of the voice of God, boomed out over the chaos. Patricia knew that voice, and also knew that things weren’t going to bode too well for either of them.
“Ahem,” the voice said and then paused. “You know, when I was a child we used to fetch the water hose to separate dogs in heat from their rather aggressive suitors. Anyone have a hose handy?”
Patricia immediately stopped shoving cake in Ames’ face.
His eyes were wide and his smile broad. He looked like a candied chocolate confection laying there on the floor opposite her. His hands were on her waist, and the look in his eyes was one of...
Shit.
She pushed back and stood. Ames followed. She tore her gaze away from Ames’ come-hither sexy aura and brushed cake crumbles and gunk from her ruined suit. Looking up, she connected with the stoic face of her boss—Patrick Monahan, the CEO of The Food Channel—and was not entirely able to tell if he was angry or amused.
“In my office. Now. Both of you.” He turned and walked away.
She nodded and swallowed. Ames swept a hand in front him as if to say, “ladies first.” She straightened her back, her lapels, and the mess of sticky goo she once called her hairdo, and made her way through the snickering throng. She assumed Ames was following and didn’t turn around to check.
Monahan was quick about it. At least there was that. Ames stole several glances at Patricia during the man’s stern speech, a speech he wasn’t sure he really heard much of, but wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Patricia look so yummy.
Whipped cream became her.
Monahan dismissed them with a warning and practically shoved them out of his office.
Glancing sideways at their exit, Ames said, “I would love to lick every morsel of whipped cream and chocolate fudge off your body right now.”
Her eyes widened as she turned, looked him straight on, and said, “In your dreams, Coopsie. In your dreams.” She walked away, her pencil-skirted ass sashaying a rhythm to rival the erratic beating of his heart.
He smiled big, inside and out, his chest swelling with emotion. He was getting to her. She called him Coopsie.
Chapter Five
Peering out the cab window, Patricia picked up her cell and dialed. Suzie was supposed to be waiting for her in front of her hotel, and she was nowhere to be found. After the day she’d had, Patricia was ready for dinner and a cocktail or two.
And more.
Suzie was going to turn on her matchmaking skills full blown tonight because Patricia wanted a man, and she wanted him now. At the moment, she didn’t care about her freaking husband list, or if it was only for the night. After rolling around snug and cozy on the floor this afternoon with Ames like a couple of chocolate-covered cannoli, she was rather hot and bothered and ready to be...
Well, she was ready for action.
“Hello?” She glanced at the back of the cabbie’s head, who patiently waited, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel while the meter was running. “Suzie?”
She listened to her friend babble on the other end. “What? Oh, Suzie. It will take us forever to find another cab at this hour if I let this one go…and we have a reservation!”
Listening some more, her shoulders slumped, and she signaled to the cab driver. “I’m getting out,” she told him. “How much?” She waved her hand toward the meter. To Suzie she added, “Please don’t make me wait too long, you hear me? I’m a starved woman. In more ways than one.”
The guy behind the steering wheel indicated sixteen dollars. She handed him a twenty and exited. “All right, all right,” she said, approaching the sliding glass doors of the hotel lobby, “I’m on my way up. Get moving!”
She pushed the disconnect button on her cell and sighed. Of all days for Suzie to oversleep a fifteen minute power nap. They had reservations! They had men to catch—er, a man to catch.
In no time she was through the lobby, up the elevator, and knocking on Suzie’s door. Suzie answered quickly and motioned her inside while Patricia announced, “I’m hungry, I’m tired, and I’m horny. I have only one plan, Ms. Suzie the Matchmaking Chef. Food, drink, and a man—and I want to you to make it happen tonight.”
The look on Suzie’s face was priceless, a cross between surprise and... Wait a minute. Something was wrong.
“What’s going on?”
“I am so sorry, Patricia.”
“What?”
“I need to leave. Petey is sick. He’s only four and Brad has been trying to handle it, but the little guy wants his mommy. He’s got the flu. And Brad is short-handed at the lodge, which makes it difficult for him to be home all the time. My parents both have got a touch of the flu, themselves, and besides they are older, and I don’t want them to have to care for Petey. Too much on them. My sister Chelly’s girls have got it, so her hands are full. It’s running through Legend like a house-a-fire.”
She paused and took a breath. “Brad just called. I have to go home. There is a flight out of JFK in two hours and I can be home by midnight. I need to run if I’m going to make it. I’ll keep the room with all of my stuff here and try to be back in a few days, okay? I’ll let the hotel know my plans on the way out.”
Patricia nodded. “Okay.” What could she say?
Suzie picked up her jacket and purse and headed for the door. “Oh, and I know you are hungry. I figured we’d miss our reservation so I ordered room service for you.” She pointed to a table of food already set by the window. “Why don’t you stay and eat and...”
The hotel phone rang and she answered it. “Yes, I’m coming.” Turning to Patricia she added, “My car is waiting. Gotta run.”
With a quick peck on Patricia’s check, Suzie was gone. The door shut and she wondered what whirlwind had just run roughshod over her life. It took a moment for her brain to quiet. Slowly, she spanned the room, only to realize that something, somewhere, was out of place.
On the phone Suzie said she’d fallen asleep and wasn’t ready for dinner. Yet, she was fully dressed and had already called the airport in less than two minutes since Patricia had called from the cab. The room was neat, a table was set with room service—when had that happened?—and the table was set for...
Two.
“Hello, Plummish,” came the greeting from the bedroom door of the suite. She turned and faced the only man on earth who could curl her toes into oblivion with a simple, sexy smile.
And a simple, sexy smile was all Ames Cooper was wearing.
****
Ames heard Patricia’s quick intake of breath and knew that she’d been caught off guard—and in a good way. He’d also heard her proclamation about being horny as she’d burst through the door, and could only thank the gods above for landing such a gift at his feet. Now, he had to handle the rest, and with kid gloves,
he suspected.
Pushing away from the door, he sauntered forward. Even though he knew she was itching to lower her gaze to his, well, better parts, she held fast the connection between their eyes.
“Ames,” she squeaked out. “What in the hell...”
“Is going on?” He shrugged. “Some hair-brained scheme of Suzie’s. Ridiculous, huh?” He slid her bag off her shoulder and laid it on a nearby chair. “I mean, truly, she did have to leave and all, her little boy is sick. Poor thing. But that doesn’t mean we can’t sit and enjoy this lovely dinner she ordered, does it?”
Patricia cleared her throat. “You’re naked.”
“Um. Yes. Come here.” He turned her around and slipped her short-waisted beige jacket off her shoulders, sliding his hands down her shoulders and biceps as it lowered and dropped to the floor. Her jet black camisole was all that remained on her upper body. With fingers ready to please, he slowly kneaded her shoulders and felt the muscles there relax. “Ah, that’s it, honey, it’s been such a long day.” She leaned back into him and again, he tossed up a thank you to whatever gods were on his side tonight. Continuing to smooth his large palms over her ivory shoulders, he knew he was sitting in a good place at the moment.
He hoped.
He had his speech all ready and could only pray she would fall eagerly into his arms after he apologized for his past indiscretions, told her he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and then showed her the ring he’d bought this afternoon.
Then, and only then, would he make delicious love to her for the rest of the night in middle of that huge king-sized bed of Suzie’s.
Whispering, he said, “There, sweetheart. Lean against me and relax. Close your eyes and let me massage your shoulders. Then maybe we can talk...”
She turned in his arms. “Ames Cooper, take me like you’ve never taken me before. Now.”
Well, that hadn’t been his plan but he wasn’t disinclined to flipping things around a bit. He gazed into her hungry eyes.
“Don’t you dare refuse me,” she added.
Stepping back, he pointed toward his groin. “Does this look like refusal?”