always had a knack for creating new dishes or embellishing on old ones.’ Lifting the knife, she showed it to Jackson. ‘The restaurant really could use a better set. These are horrible.’
He grinned, but didn’t comment.
‘What about you? Why did you become a millionaire?’ She chuckled.
‘Who says I’m a millionaire?’ He reached over, grabbing a piece of raw carrot from the maple-topped worktable.
‘About every restaurateur and industry magazine out there.’ She cut an extra carrot and slid the pieces over toward him with the side of her blade. ‘Seriously, though. Did you always want to be in the restaurant business?’
‘No, I thought I’d be a horse rancher or work in the stables. When I was younger, I had no real ambition.’ He scooped the carrot pieces into his hand, cupping them in his palm. ‘I found out that one of the old ranchers was going to sell his property. I convinced him to let me work the stables for a share of whatever business we created. He gave me one year. I borrowed money from my family to buy a stud horse. The business took off with his expertise, my dumb luck and a very high-producing horse.’
‘Then how did you make the leap from rancher to restaurant genius?’
‘Are you trying to kiss up?’ His playful expression lightened his words.
‘Just answer the question, Mr Levy.’ Zoe felt giddy. Cooking always relaxed her and when she had something to do with her hands she became less fidgety and nervous. As he spoke, she mindlessly worked – simmering the fish in a pan and blending the hazelnuts and chives with lemon juice and hazelnut oil.
‘Six months into it, the rancher’s son came home from the military. He bought me out to work with his father and I bought into the neighboring ranch. It did well and seven months later, I sold my share to the original owners. I took that money and bought this diner. Everything I touched just seemed to work. With the money I made here, I invested into a restaurant in Columbia. The owner of that bought me out and then some businessmen paid me to design them a restaurant. I did, and it’s still in business. From there, I got another job, then another, and it just kept building. Not a single one failed.’
‘Must be nice.’ Zoe inhaled, moaning slightly at the wonderful smell coming from the blender. She motioned for Jackson to do the same.
He came close and she trembled at his nearness. Instead of smelling, he dipped his finger into the sauce and licked it slowly. She watched his mouth, transfixed by the way his cheeks moved as he sucked. ‘Mmm, delicious.’
All thoughts evaporated from her mind as she looked at him. The memory of what had happened in the forest haunted her flesh and seeing him, smelling him, only made the remembrance all the more potent. ‘Thank you.’
‘So tell me about the specials you have planned for this week .’ He leant closer, his lids dropping lazily over his eyes.
‘Ah, for the soups, I thought I’d do a vichyssoise.’ She grinned.
‘Another one served cold?’ Jackson chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that reverberated along her flesh. His head tipped to the side.
‘A cold cucumber, chilled beet, chilled creamed broccoli.’ She didn’t pull away.
Jackson moved so his lips were a hairs-breadth away from hers. The faint trace of liquor wafted on his breath. ‘You’re begging for trouble, aren’t you?’
‘No, trouble is when I don’t make meatloaf my special tomorrow.’
Jackson pulled away. ‘I wouldn’t joke about the meatloaf.’
‘Crap, the fish.’ Zoe moved to take the fish off the heat, but Jackson stopped her, tugging her hard against him. His lips crushed against hers as he poured all his passion and lust into the kiss. He maneuvred her against the worktable. Jackson cupped her breasts, then ran his hands over her sides and chest and along her waist to pull up her tank top. He reached her naked lower back and she gasped when he skimmed the tender scratches left from the
He grinned, but didn’t comment.
‘What about you? Why did you become a millionaire?’ She chuckled.
‘Who says I’m a millionaire?’ He reached over, grabbing a piece of raw carrot from the maple-topped worktable.
‘About every restaurateur and industry magazine out there.’ She cut an extra carrot and slid the pieces over toward him with the side of her blade. ‘Seriously, though. Did you always want to be in the restaurant business?’
‘No, I thought I’d be a horse rancher or work in the stables. When I was younger, I had no real ambition.’ He scooped the carrot pieces into his hand, cupping them in his palm. ‘I found out that one of the old ranchers was going to sell his property. I convinced him to let me work the stables for a share of whatever business we created. He gave me one year. I borrowed money from my family to buy a stud horse. The business took off with his expertise, my dumb luck and a very high-producing horse.’
‘Then how did you make the leap from rancher to restaurant genius?’
‘Are you trying to kiss up?’ His playful expression lightened his words.
‘Just answer the question, Mr Levy.’ Zoe felt giddy. Cooking always relaxed her and when she had something to do with her hands she became less fidgety and nervous. As he spoke, she mindlessly worked – simmering the fish in a pan and blending the hazelnuts and chives with lemon juice and hazelnut oil.
‘Six months into it, the rancher’s son came home from the military. He bought me out to work with his father and I bought into the neighboring ranch. It did well and seven months later, I sold my share to the original owners. I took that money and bought this diner. Everything I touched just seemed to work. With the money I made here, I invested into a restaurant in Columbia. The owner of that bought me out and then some businessmen paid me to design them a restaurant. I did, and it’s still in business. From there, I got another job, then another, and it just kept building. Not a single one failed.’
‘Must be nice.’ Zoe inhaled, moaning slightly at the wonderful smell coming from the blender. She motioned for Jackson to do the same.
He came close and she trembled at his nearness. Instead of smelling, he dipped his finger into the sauce and licked it slowly. She watched his mouth, transfixed by the way his cheeks moved as he sucked. ‘Mmm, delicious.’
All thoughts evaporated from her mind as she looked at him. The memory of what had happened in the forest haunted her flesh and seeing him, smelling him, only made the remembrance all the more potent. ‘Thank you.’
‘So tell me about the specials you have planned for this week .’ He leant closer, his lids dropping lazily over his eyes.
‘Ah, for the soups, I thought I’d do a vichyssoise.’ She grinned.
‘Another one served cold?’ Jackson chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that reverberated along her flesh. His head tipped to the side.
‘A cold cucumber, chilled beet, chilled creamed broccoli.’ She didn’t pull away.
Jackson moved so his lips were a hairs-breadth away from hers. The faint trace of liquor wafted on his breath. ‘You’re begging for trouble, aren’t you?’
‘No, trouble is when I don’t make meatloaf my special tomorrow.’
Jackson pulled away. ‘I wouldn’t joke about the meatloaf.’
‘Crap, the fish.’ Zoe moved to take the fish off the heat, but Jackson stopped her, tugging her hard against him. His lips crushed against hers as he poured all his passion and lust into the kiss. He maneuvred her against the worktable. Jackson cupped her breasts, then ran his hands over her sides and chest and along her waist to pull up her tank top. He reached her naked lower back and she gasped when he skimmed the tender scratches left from the
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