TWO
ERIC CLOSED THE DOOR TO his office and made his way down the hall to the kitchen. Julie sat at the island, her laptop open and papers spread out around her. She’d piled her dark hair on top of her head and pinned it with one of his chopsticks. She was so caught up in her reading; she didn’t hear him until he was almost beside her.
Her focus was so fucking sexy. He had to fight the itch to pull the chopstick from her hair and let her chestnut waves spill over his hands. He’d had her on the counter and on the stool she was sitting on, and his cock swelled at the memory. Hell, he’d had to lock himself in his office to keep his hands off her long enough to get some work done. He’d put his business off for as long as he could, but if he didn’t get on top of things it was going to be a problem.
“Hungry?” he asked, settling for coming up behind her and nuzzling her ear. He gave himself a moment to breathe in the spicy floral scent that had worked its way into his sheets and burned itself into his heart. God, he was never going to get enough of her.
“What?” she asked, shutting the window she’d been looking at, but not before he had a chance to see what looked like an aquaculture logo.
He knew she’d been looking for a job to replace the one she’d lost at her brother’s company, but he loved that she was giving serious thought to pursuing the aquaculture idea. His interest in the venture wasn’t strictly to support Julie. He’d do anything he could to make her dreams come true, but fish farming in urban centers was a brilliant idea with a real future. He wouldn’t have any trouble securing investors for her. He’d be proud to pitch the idea to the other chefs he knew, many of whom would jump at a chance to get local quality seafood from a reliable supplier.
“Yes, I am,” she said, looking a little sheepish. “I am hungry. I guess I lost track of the time.”
“It’s okay, cher.” He traced his finger over the notes she’d made about water temperature and stock density. “I want you to dream.” He brushed a kiss over her forehead not trusting himself to taste her lips and not lose control. “I’ll cook for us and then I need to get down to the restaurant and check in with my staff.”
“I’m sorry. I’m keeping you from your work.”
He could see the guilt settle over her like a blanket. She wore her emotions on her face and with the exception of the time she’d disappeared on him, he’d always been able to read her like a book.
“Don’t be silly. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing than spending time with you. And I love having you here so don’t get any crazy ideas about going back to that deathtrap of an apartment you live in. No security at all, anyone could get in there.” He made a uniquely French derisive noise and she laughed. The fastest way for him to work around her anger had always been to play up his French heritage. He was going to need her agreeable to get the rest of his plan to work out.
“I like my apartment.”
“I like you here,” he said, grabbing his apron from the hook and slipping it over his head. “And we have to go out of town tonight anyway.” He opened the refrigerator to find something to fix for lunch but also because he knew she wouldn’t appreciate his grin knowing how flustered his comment made her. He could practically hear her spluttering. “I have to go to New York tonight. I’ve got to do an appearance tomorrow on one of those morning shows, and I want you to come with me. We’ll leave as soon as I’m sure things are under control here. Adam’s going by your place later to pick up some of your things. Tell him if there’s anything specific you want.” He emerged from the refrigerator with a roll of chevre and the things he needed to make a salad, just in time to see her jump from the stool, her fists clenched at her side.
“You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you? What if I don’t want to go to New York? Are you planning on throwing me over your shoulder like some fucking caveman?”
“If I have to.” The idea had definite appeal, but that wasn’t why she was going with him. One of the calls he’d taken when he was holed up in his office was from Jackson. The security specialist still didn’t have a solid fix on the animals who’d taken Julie. Lots of leads but nothing concrete and until that threat was eliminated he had no intention of being away from her. “You can’t stay here, not unless you want to bunk with a security detail. I mean it, Jules. I can’t do what I need to do while I’m worrying about your safety.”
He saw guilt cloud her face again and felt like an asshole for using it against her, but honestly, he’d do anything he had to do to keep her safe.
“I’m sorry. I never meant to cause you trouble.”
He was at her side in two strides. “Stop it,” he said, cupping her face in his hands. “You didn’t cause the trouble. The bastards who took you did. I’m just not willing to take a chance with your safety. If that makes me a caveman, you’re going to have to get used to it because it’s not going to change. I love you, Julie. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you.” He watched the emotions war across her face, but love beat them all.
“I love you, too,” she said, not sounding very happy about it. “But I don’t want Adam going through my underwear.”
“Fair enough. I don’t want him going through your underwear either. I’ll get Jackson to send some people to go with you to your place.If,” he said, emphasizing the word. “If you promise to stay with them and listen to everything they say. No taking chances. Promise?”
“I promise.” She nodded. “I really didn’t mean to bring this mess to your doorstep. I can’t imagine how much Jackson’s services are costing you, and that’s on top of the hundred grand you lost for the ransom. I’ll pay you back. I promise.”
“Remember that summer working in your father’s field?”
Her answering smile was soft and sweet. He couldn’t help but dip his head to taste her lips, slanting his mouth over hers before pulling back to smile at her.
“That was one of the best times of my life. We didn’t have anything – either of us – but we didn’t need anything but each other. I’ve worked very hard for my success.”
She opened her mouth to say something, and he pressed a finger to her lips.
“Let me finish. I’m not going to negate what I’ve done, say it was luck or that the money doesn’t matter. But the money came as a result of doing the work I love. The work was the important thing.” As he spoke the words, he remembered what it felt like before he made it. Back when he was hungry for everything and it felt like everything was an adventure. He’d get things with Julie sorted and then he was going to consciously do things that made him feel like that again. Hell, the thing with Julie was a huge part of feeling like that. He hadn’t been hungry in a long time, not like he used to be for cooking and never like he was for her. “I worked impossibly long hours at work I felt passionately about. The money just followed. Sometimes more than I could ever imagine. You knew me before all of this.” He motioned around his beautiful penthouse which had felt so empty before she came. “You know it isn’t what’s important to me. You are. The money’s just that – money. It’s nothing more than a tool and one I’ll gladly use to keep you safe and support your dreams.”
She nodded, but he could see in her eyes she still didn’t believe him. It was okay. He had plenty of time to convince her. The rest of their lives if they were lucky.
“And I know you’ll pay me back because you are going to be wildly successful, too. As soon as you trust yourself to do whatyou’repassionate about.” He touched the small jeweled fish on her wrist and watched them swing. When he looked up he saw hope and even more important, determination in her eyes. He knew her – knew she had the drive and focus to make her dreams work. She just hadn’t had anyone believe in her before.
“Now,” he said, giving her ass a smack. “Get in the kitchen and let me teach you the proper way to make a salad.
“THE RESTAURANT IS booked, as usual,” said John, Comme Ci’s maître de and Eric’s front of the house manager. We had one cancellation last night. The Andersens. She promised her first born if we could move the reservation for her. Their daughter had a baby and they had to fly to Wisconsin.”
