She nods. "Take another minute. I'll go back out and make sure the line is clean. When you're ready, come back to the pass. If you're not ready, I'll close out the service."
No. No, no, no. I don’t want her so far away from me. And I’m not ready to go out there either. Just for a few seconds, I don’t want to be the Michelin-starred chef. The one who has to deliver an ROI to his investors. I don’t want to 'pretend' to be in a relationship with her either. I want to be the real deal. The man who wants her.
"Harper—"
"You've covered for me a dozen times, James." Her voice is quiet, but there's steel underneath. "Let me return the favor."
She begins to release her hold on me, but I grab her hand. "Harper."
She looks at me with curiosity.
"Don’t go."
52
Harper
He’s looking at me like a man who’s lost everything at sea, and I’m the only piece of wreckage left to cling to.
His blue eyes turn almost black with the intensity of what he’s feeling.
And he asked me not to leave. He wants me to stay with him. I’ve never known him to be this…open about what he wants. This vulnerable.
Everything he’s feeling seems to be reflected in his eyes.
My heart squeezes in my chest, then begins to beat fast. My pulse does a somersault. All this time, I’ve waited for him to look at me…to really look at me. To notice me as being more than his sous chef, more than the woman he married to secure his investment and his inheritance. And now, he’s doing so, and my heart feels like it’s going to cleave through my chest.
The touch of his hand on mine sends shivers of delight racing up my arm. My entire body feels like it’s on fire. I can’t even feel the cold of the walk-in refrigerator anymore.
Surrounded by duck carcasses on hooks, trays of fish on ice, as well as pans of veal stock and purées in squeeze bottles, I sway toward him.
He circles his arm around my waist securing me to him. His big chest rises and falls; the pulse at the base of his throat beats steadily. His color has come back to his face; his gaze is intense, but there’s also a softness around his eyes.
The air between us spikes with awareness. A nervous hum zips under my skin tightening my nipples and drying my mouth. I lick my lips, and he lowers his gaze.
He’s going to kiss me.
I want him to kiss me.
I raise my chin, he lowers his. Our breaths mingle; our scents dance with each other. Then he brushes his mouth over mine. Soft. Gentle. So very sweet. All the yearning trapped inside, the pent-up longing over years when I was sure I’d never see him again, when I wondered how he could walk away from me… And then, the anger at his turning out to be a tyrannical boss who ignored me… All of that falls away. It’s just me and the man who’s occupied my dreams for so long. I melt into him. He draws me up to my toes, tightening his hold on me as he licks into my mouth.
I part my lips.
He instantly takes over. He thrusts his tongue over mine, and drinks from me so deeply, my head spins. My knees weaken. I cling to the front of his chef coat, feel the planes of his chest shift, and the heat of his body pressing against me. I kiss him right back, wanting to get even closer. To get under his skin and not feel the clothes between us. He groans deep in his throat.
A thrill runs up my spine.
This incredible man desires me. The man I never thought I could have is holding me close and worshipping my mouth, and… Oh God. It feels so good. So, right.
He releases me long enough to grab me under my thighs and lift me up. I instantly wrap my legs around his waist.
I’m aware of him moving when my back hits the door. He pushes his crotch into my core, hitting my clit just right. Shock waves vibrate up my spine. My head spins. My toes curl. I dig my heels into his waist,flattening my breasts against his chest. I press myself even closer, rubbing up against the long, thick column between his thighs.
He makes a rumbling sound, kissing me even deeper, if that’s possible. And when he bites down on my lower lip, my clit throbs. My heels hurt. Even my hair follicles seem to tighten. Jesus. I’m burning up. I’m going to catch fire at any second.
He pinches my nipple, and I cry out into his mouth. He swallows down the sound.
Then he wraps his fingers around my throat and squeezes gently.
