involuntarily on his shaft, a delicious death grip.
‘I want that,’ she said. ‘You have no idea how much.’
He was about to kiss her again when the clatter of the busboy’s cart broke them apart.
Later, he promised, with silent lips.
She blushed hard and quickly left the kitchen.
* * *
Still fanning herself, Abby found Francine and Richard and their two little monsters in the lobby. They had circled the beleaguered hostess like natives inspecting a nervous pilgrim. Francine was in full warpaint tonight. As short as Abby, she’d inherited her deep bosom from their father’s side of the family. Her stylish, chin-length hair was red this week, a red echoed by her fluttery tunic and skirt. Her husband Richard was a tall, thin, serious man. Unlike his wife, he had no flash whatsoever, though he did look handsome in his black business suit. Francine was always after him to get fitted for contact lenses, but Abby loved his Buddy Holly-style spectacles. They were sexy, she thought, in a nerdy scientist kind of way.
‘There you are,’ Francine said, as if Abby were late for an appointment. ‘Tell this woman there’s always a table for family.’
The hostess turned pleading eyes to her employer. ‘I’m sorry, Ms Coates. We’ve no tables for four open right now.’
Francine heaved a dramatic sigh. ‘I told you, we don’t want a table for four. We want a table for two.’
‘And what,’ Abby asked, ‘do you propose to do with little Mary and Milton?’ Her niece and nephew, six and four respectively, goggled up at her, both wearing their best innocent faces.
‘Leave them in the kitchen with you, of course,’ Francine said. ‘You know they love that.’
Both kids nodded energetically.
Abby smiled, for once not feeling the least compulsion to comply. Breaking up with Bill had started a new chapter in her life, and Storm’s flattering pursuit was rapidly flipping the pages. Hiring him had been one of her brighter decisions. Soon she’d be able to repair the upstairs dining room, with or without her sisters’ grudging help. Of course, she still had the second mortgage on her cottage to pay off, but everything would work out. Her life was on an upswing now. She was going to think positive. I’m a new woman, she thought, or at least I’m beginning to be: a new, more sensual woman, who puts her foot down now and then and doesn’t let people treat her like a doormat — not even people she loves. She ran her tongue over her lips for courage and tasted Storm.
‘I’m afraid the kids will have to stay with you,’ she said, her secret places shimmering in remembrance. ‘I’m not cooking tonight. The new chef is, and I sincerely doubt he’d take the same view of children in the kitchen that I do.’
‘But–’ Francine exchanged a look with her husband ‘–Richard and I were so looking forward to an evening alone.’
Richard cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Abby suspected Francine had been looking forward to the evening alone more than he had. Her big sister had just turned forty and, from the comments she’d let slip lately, Richard was having trouble keeping up with her. Abby pinched her lower lip in indecision. She didn’t necessarily believe Storm’s claims about his food, but maybe a platter of oysters was just the inspiration Richard needed.
‘Tell you what,’ she said. Her sister’s eyes brightened. ‘I’ll set up a table in the herb garden. You can watch the kids while they run around, but you’ll still have privacy to talk.’
‘Are you sure it isn’t too much trouble?’ Richard asked.
Francine punched his upper arm. ‘Of course it isn’t too much trouble. We’re family.’
The statement was so typical of her and Abby was feeling so happy, she burst out laughing. The sound startled Richard into a rare, slow smile.
‘Thank you,’ he said, because he really was a nice man. ‘That’s very kind of you.’
‘You’ll like the new chef,’ Abby
‘I want that,’ she said. ‘You have no idea how much.’
He was about to kiss her again when the clatter of the busboy’s cart broke them apart.
Later, he promised, with silent lips.
She blushed hard and quickly left the kitchen.
* * *
Still fanning herself, Abby found Francine and Richard and their two little monsters in the lobby. They had circled the beleaguered hostess like natives inspecting a nervous pilgrim. Francine was in full warpaint tonight. As short as Abby, she’d inherited her deep bosom from their father’s side of the family. Her stylish, chin-length hair was red this week, a red echoed by her fluttery tunic and skirt. Her husband Richard was a tall, thin, serious man. Unlike his wife, he had no flash whatsoever, though he did look handsome in his black business suit. Francine was always after him to get fitted for contact lenses, but Abby loved his Buddy Holly-style spectacles. They were sexy, she thought, in a nerdy scientist kind of way.
‘There you are,’ Francine said, as if Abby were late for an appointment. ‘Tell this woman there’s always a table for family.’
The hostess turned pleading eyes to her employer. ‘I’m sorry, Ms Coates. We’ve no tables for four open right now.’
Francine heaved a dramatic sigh. ‘I told you, we don’t want a table for four. We want a table for two.’
‘And what,’ Abby asked, ‘do you propose to do with little Mary and Milton?’ Her niece and nephew, six and four respectively, goggled up at her, both wearing their best innocent faces.
‘Leave them in the kitchen with you, of course,’ Francine said. ‘You know they love that.’
Both kids nodded energetically.
Abby smiled, for once not feeling the least compulsion to comply. Breaking up with Bill had started a new chapter in her life, and Storm’s flattering pursuit was rapidly flipping the pages. Hiring him had been one of her brighter decisions. Soon she’d be able to repair the upstairs dining room, with or without her sisters’ grudging help. Of course, she still had the second mortgage on her cottage to pay off, but everything would work out. Her life was on an upswing now. She was going to think positive. I’m a new woman, she thought, or at least I’m beginning to be: a new, more sensual woman, who puts her foot down now and then and doesn’t let people treat her like a doormat — not even people she loves. She ran her tongue over her lips for courage and tasted Storm.
‘I’m afraid the kids will have to stay with you,’ she said, her secret places shimmering in remembrance. ‘I’m not cooking tonight. The new chef is, and I sincerely doubt he’d take the same view of children in the kitchen that I do.’
‘But–’ Francine exchanged a look with her husband ‘–Richard and I were so looking forward to an evening alone.’
Richard cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. Abby suspected Francine had been looking forward to the evening alone more than he had. Her big sister had just turned forty and, from the comments she’d let slip lately, Richard was having trouble keeping up with her. Abby pinched her lower lip in indecision. She didn’t necessarily believe Storm’s claims about his food, but maybe a platter of oysters was just the inspiration Richard needed.
‘Tell you what,’ she said. Her sister’s eyes brightened. ‘I’ll set up a table in the herb garden. You can watch the kids while they run around, but you’ll still have privacy to talk.’
‘Are you sure it isn’t too much trouble?’ Richard asked.
Francine punched his upper arm. ‘Of course it isn’t too much trouble. We’re family.’
The statement was so typical of her and Abby was feeling so happy, she burst out laughing. The sound startled Richard into a rare, slow smile.
‘Thank you,’ he said, because he really was a nice man. ‘That’s very kind of you.’
‘You’ll like the new chef,’ Abby
Similar Books
