New York HEAT (HEAT Vol. 6) A Coming-of-Age Romantic Suspense: Master Chefs: Heat Series

by Kailin Gow

  I found the shoe in the kitchen and stooped to pick it up, only to come face to face with Bobby when I straightened up. Naked, he was a vision to see and it only made it all the more difficult to leave. It would be so easy if I were the type of girl who could just sleep with a guy and walk away without so much as a thought about him, but I wasn’t. Sleeping with Bobby only amplified the affection I’d always had for him. It only confirmed how great we could be together.

  “Where are you heading off to so early?” he said.

  “I… I was just… I’ve got an early…”

  “I happen to know that you open late on Sundays, so stop stammering and tell me what has you rushing out of my bed so early. I thought we could spend the day together… you know… hang out.”

  Really?

  He pressed his lips together and his eyes narrowed. “Did you come here last night just to finally fulfill your teenage crush? Is that all that last night meant to you?”

  “No, don’t be silly. I just… You…” It was impossibly distracting to have him standing nude in front of me.

  “I thought your heart was in it,” he said.

  “It was… It is, but you… what about yours? Where’s your heart?”

  “My heart might be bruised, but it was there last night, all of it.”

  “Then why were you calling her name this morning.”

  “What? Whose name?”

  “Lilly. That was her name, wasn’t it? You’ve been calling her since I woke up.”

  He smiled, then he laughed, and then he reached out to grab me and pull me to him. “I distinctly remember the dream I was having just before waking up.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him. “Yeah, I definitely remember what I was dreaming about.”

  “Well, so do I,” I said as I tried to pull away. “And you can’t deny it.”

  “What did I say, exactly?”

  “Lilly.”

  “Lilly?”

  “Well, Ly. You were mumbling, and I couldn’t make out a word you were saying.

  “Ly?”

  “Yeah. Ly.”

  “As in A-Ly-son.”

  I stopped struggling against him and gaped.

  “I was dreaming of you, Alyson, and I was calling to you, at least I was trying to.”

  My heart swelled and I leaned in to kiss him. He pinned me to the kitchen table and wrapped my legs around his nude hips.

  “I dreamt that I was having you for breakfast… right here on this very table.”

  He set my ass on the edge of the table and I leaned back, arching my back as he ripped my pants off.

  I was wet. I was hot. I needed him, and I wanted him.

  Grabbing both ankles, he pulled my legs up into the air, and rammed his cock deep inside me. His greedy hands tore my blouse open, exposing my breasts that had yet to find their bra.

  “You delicious dish. I want you every morning.”

  Reaching out for the bottle of maple syrup on the table, I poured some over my breasts and he immediately came in for a taste. I wanted to scream as he continued to pound his cock into me like a man who hadn’t seen a woman in years.

  I was thrilled. I was fulfilled, and I never wanted it to end.

  But when he finally spilled his seed, bringing me to an explosive orgasm in the process, we were a hot, sticky mess.

  “Now look what you’ve done,” he said with a wicked grin. “And I’ve got to be at Sam’s in an hour.”

  He took my sticky hand in his and led me to the bathroom where we shared a hot, lathery shower.

  “I’ve got nothing going on today before the dinner crowd,” I said as we dried off and got dressed. “Mind if I tag along.”

  ***

  The media got wind of our budding relationship surprisingly fast. And all of a sudden we were the golden couple of New York cuisine, but it was something Bobby and I took in stride.

  “I’d like to have you with me when I do The Chat Hour.”

  “Sure,” I said. “Will I get to meet Catherine Goheen and Tanya Ziemer?”

  Still amused by how easily star struck I could be, he laughed. “I’m sure they’d be thrilled to meet you.” He grabbed my arm suddenly. “Hey, why don’t I contact the show and see if they can’t let you come on with me?”

  “On television?” I balked. “No.”

  “It would be a great way to sneak in a word about Red’s.”

  I smiled as I considered the possibility, but before I could argue more, Bobby pulled out his phone and made the call. Wandering around in Sam’s kitchen, I tried to find something to busy myself while he spoke to the producer. I didn’t want to look too eager, but I was secretly hoping they’d accept.

  “Thanks,” he said. “I think my performance will be greatly enhanced just by having her there with me.” He hung up and looked at me. “Isn’t that funny?”

  “What’s funny?”

  “They were just about to call me to suggest the very same thing. There’s been so much talk about us lately, people have almost come to think of us as a team.”

  “Do you think that means we’ve been spending too much time together?”

  He laughed and pulled me into his arms. “You think?”

  When we weren’t at each other’s apartment sharing passionate moments together, we were at each other’s restaurant, sharing cooking techniques, and recipe ideas. What started as shaky and fiery soon became steady. We were inseparable.

  “I did read an article that said we were too sweet together; so sweet it made the writer sick.”

  “Ah, they’re just jealous.”

  He kissed me, his lips soft and loving as his mouth covered mine. In an instant, my body was in flames and I was thankful we were alone. The mid-week dinner crowd had left a long time ago and the last of his employees had headed for home ten minutes earlier.

  It wasn’t the first time he’d made love to me right there in his kitchen. I’d been scandalized the first time, but it’d quickly become our fetish spot for making love; the danger of getting caught the naughtiness of getting so hot and passionate in a place reserved for the preparation of food; the absurdity of making love on the kitchen counter beside the spatulas and wooden spoons.

  Bobby picked me up and sat me on the counter, quickly pulling up my skirt to expose the bright red panties beneath.

  “You left early this morning,” he groaned as he ran his fingers along the waistband of my panties. “I didn’t even have a chance to make love to you.”

  “Why do you think I hurried over here the minute you closed up?”

  “You slut.”

  “You love it.”

  He pushed my shirt up over my breasts and tugged down on the cups of my bra, his eyes riveted to my nipples. “I do love it.” He leaned in to kiss each nipple.

  After months of dating, we still were as hot for one another as the night of that very first kiss. He turned me on in ways I never would have thought possible, and he made me do things I never thought I would do with a man.

  Before he could turn me into a helpless pile of mush, I pushed him off me and jumped off the counter. “You're turn to be the main course,” I said.

  He eyed me with defiance, and I rewarded him with a sound slap on the ass.

  “I’m hungry, Bobby. Don’t keep me waiting.”

  With a sly look in his eyes, he jumped up on the counter and I diligently rid him of his pants and tight black boxer briefs. His cock stood at attention, begging to be tended to. I ignored it for the moment.

  The night before, Bobby had mercilessly teased me, touching me until I was a burning flame only to release me and let me cool off. It’d been torture. His tongue and lips had run circles around my sex, tempting the wet folds of skin, only to dash off and kiss my inner knee, or ankle, or even suck on a toe. Again and again, he’d brought me to the brink, only to retreat, and every time had been delicious torture.

  And now it was my turn. I kissed the tip of his cock, and while he tilted his hips up to push his coc
k in my mouth, I pulled away, refusing him that pleasure. Taking a step back, I unclasped my bra and let it and my shirt fall to the floor. My breasts heaved with every breath I took, swelling beneath Bobby’s steady gaze.

  I took hold of my heavy breasts and squeezed them while my thumbs ran over my nipples. I was incredibly horny and knew an orgasm would be quick to come.

  Bobby reached out to grab a breast, but I slapped him away. “Be a good boy, Bobby.”

  “You know you can’t hold out as long as I can, Red. You're probably already dripping wet.”

  “Never mind how wet I am. You're to sit tight and behave.” I grabbed his cock and gave him a few fast pumps with my fist.

  A loud, but controlled hiss pierced through his teeth. “We’ll see who can hold out longer.”

  I pumped him until his toes curled, then pulled away again.

  “Holy shit,” he muttered, his fists white as they clung to the edge of the counter.

  Turning my back to him, I slowly pulled my skirt up, giving him a nice view of my ass. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed his hand was pumping his cock.

  “What’d I say about being a good boy, Bobby?”

  “This is as good as it gets in my book.”

  Smiling, I pulled his ass to the edge of the counter and plunged his cock deep into my throat. He let out a hungry growl and shoved his fingers deep into my hair, pushing my face to his crotch.

  “I can’t wait anymore,” he muttered. “I can’t wait. I love you, Alyson. I love you. Yes. I love you. Ah yes.”

  Chapter 9

  Bobby

  I’m doing a promo for Sam’s tonight at the top of the Empire State Building. I’d love to have you there for support. We could go out to dinner after… something elegant, delicious and romantic. How ‘bout it?

  I sent the text to Alyson and waited for her response. As usual, she answered within two minutes.

  Will be there. Can’t wait to see you. Love and kisses.

  It seemed the dinner crowd was determined to keep me at Sam’s for as long as possible. They ordered dessert, dawdled over coffee or tea, or simply stayed at their table chatting over a fourth or five bottle of wine.

  The minute the late night dinner crowd finally cleared out of the restaurant, I hurried home, showered and put on the snazzy black suit I’d bought for the special occasion. This was going to be a big night and I wanted to look as suave and handsome as possible.

  Slicking back my hair, I looked at my reflection, happy to see I’d managed the aristocratic look I was hoping for. My life had changed so much these past months. I was constantly in demand for one show or another. I’d had to hire a half dozen new employees at Sam’s, and if things continued as they were, we were looking at the possibility of expanding or opening a second restaurant in Manhattan.

  It was wild, but I was thrilled; thrilled with this new turn in my professional life, but also thrilled with the sudden turn of events in my personal life.

  Alyson… Who would have ever thought that such a fiery redhead could make me forget the heartache I’d known in Paris.

  I was a bit nervous as I headed into Manhattan, and even more nervous as I made my way to the top of the iconic building. Had Alyson guessed the real reason for my meeting her there? I didn’t have to wait very long to find out. She was in the very next elevator that came up and I was blown away by how beautiful she was.

  Her wild red hair was pulled up into a sexy updo, and she was made up, which, for her, meant a light swipe of mascara and a hint of luscious lip gloss. But it was the long black dress that knocked me out.

  “Wow,” I gasped. “Look at you.”

  “You like it?” Smiling she turned around to show me the full effect.

  With long sleeves and a mock turtle neck, it could have been a severe and even matronly look, but the large cutout at her belly and the larger cutout at the back made for an enticingly sexy gown.

  I let out a long, slow whistle. “You're positively ravishing.”

  She looked me up and down with a scrutinizing eye. “You're not so bad yourself. New suit?”

  “Tonight’s a special night.”

  “I guess it really is. You know, you’ve really come into your own these past months, Bobby. I’m really proud of you. I have to admit that, back in college, I thought you’d go nowhere. You were so undisciplined and wild, I couldn’t imagine you running you mom’s restaurant.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. You’ve taught me a lot these past months. ”

  She laughed. “Now that’s a load of bull. You did this all on your own, and you know it. You’re a successful restaurateur because you work hard and you're going to be the biggest celebrity chef because you're talented, charming and so easy on the eyes, which makes me wonder…” she said as she looked around. “With all the television appearances you’ve been making lately, why do you feel you have to promote Sam’s. I would have thought your appearances were promo enough.”

  “Maybe, but you can never be too sure. Not everyone watches those shows.”

  “Okay, then. Where are all your promo people? And this is really such a strange place to promote Sam’s. Why come all the way to Manhattan?”

  “Because the Empire State Building is New York.” I guided her to the railing and she took a second to take in the view, but when she saw no one around, she looked at me again with a hint of suspicion.

  I pulled her into my arms and held her tight. “I guess it’s not really my restaurant I came here to promote.”

  “Oh?”

  I looked into her eyes, into the face I loved to look at every morning, and watched her expression change as I bent down on one knee.

  “Bobby,” she gasped as she brought her hands over her mouth.

  “The truth is I came here to promote our relationship. I love you, Alyson. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. These past months with you have shown me what true love is and I never want to be without you.”

  She gasped again as I pulled out a small blue velour box.

  “You make me a better man, and I want to continue this journey with you. I want to continue to grow, to better myself.” I opened the box and showed her the ring my mother had passed on to me. Set in white gold was one solitary emerald cut diamond. “Will you marry me?”

  Tears filled her eyes while her lips alternated between a joyous smile and a happy cry. “Yes,” she finally managed to say. “Yes.”

  With joy and reverence, I slipped the ring on her finger. “It belonged to my mother and it might be a little outdated,” I said. “I could have the diamond set in a more modern…”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Bobby. It’s perfect. It’s beautiful. I love it just as it is.”

  “Good.” I kissed her fingertips.

  “You look so nervous, Bobby. This isn’t like you.”

  “It’s just that… I just… Alyson, I know you’ve had your doubts about me. I know you’ve been reluctant to trust me completely with your heart, but I’m a different man than the one you knew in college. I know what I want now, what I need, and you're a huge part of that.”

  “I have to admit that you surprised me.” She leaned in to kiss me. “I never even dared think you would be ready for such a commitment. Even if making a solid commitment to one another has been at the back of my mind for a while, I thought we were just having fun together.”

  “It has been fun, and I only want more. It feels so right being with you. Every morning when I wake up and you're not there, I feel hollow, like something’s missing.” Kissing her hand, I kept my eyes steadily on her. “This way, I can ensure that never happens again.”

  “I’ve love you for so long, Bobby. Even when I denied it to myself, I knew there was a part of me that would always belong to you, and after the past few months, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  She blushed suddenly and looked down at our clasped hands. “Your timing really couldn’t be better. There’s something I’ve been m
eaning to tell you, but I didn’t know how you would take it.”

  “What’s that?” My heart sank as I anticipated a repeat of my break up with Lilly. Did Alyson also have a long lost love in her past? Had she had an affair?

  Her bright green eyes met mine with a hint of apprehension. “I hadn’t really planned it this way. I wanted to wait. I wanted to be sure… about us… about you, but…”

  “What? What is it? You're killing me here, Alyson.”

  “We’re going to have a baby, Bobby.”

  My ears popped, my heart pounded and my face broke into the biggest smile ever. “For real?” Laughing, I pulled her into my arms and hugged her.

  “You're not disappointed,” she mumbled into my shoulder. “I mean, it’s so soon in our relationship, and we’ve never discussed having a family and...”

  “It’s perfect. It couldn’t be more perfect. When I found out that Taryn was expecting a baby I realized how eager I was to have my own family. I’m thrilled, Aly, thrilled. And just think, her baby and ours will be born only a few months apart. They’ll be friends for life.”

  Epilogue

  “Anything interesting in the mail?” Alyson said as she came up behind me and gave my shoulder a soothing squeeze. She’d moved in with me a few weeks back and we’d shared every moment together. “What’s that one all about?”

  I’d kept the small white envelope with gold lettering for last, and the envelope and card were still in my hand. “It’s an invitation.”

  “Cool. An invitation to what?” Giggling, she sat down beside me and leaned in to read the card.

  “An invitation to Lilly and Rial’s wedding,” I said when she’d read the card and remained silent.

  She looked at me and wiggled her nose from side to side, the way she always did when she was uncertain and afraid. “Oh,” she said quietly.

  “Don’t look so glum, honey.” I put my arm around her to squeeze her tight. “It’s all good.”

  “You sure?”

  I nodded. “I’m happy for her, Red, really happy. Look, I won’t lie; she was an important part of making me the man I’ve become, and I’ll always be grateful to her for that, but I couldn’t be happier with the outcome… for her and for me. I mean, look at us. Have you ever known a happier couple?”