Tempt Me, Taste Me, Touch Me
Page 29

Both of which brought her right back to "shocked'
Had she really done all of those spectacularly dirty things with a man she'd just met? A gorgeous, Napa Valley chef, no less?
Rose waited to wake up. Usually, she woke from her hot dreams before the kiss, definitely before the orgasm. This had to be a first. Her subconscious had let her go all the way.
"Hungry?" Jack said as he kissed the back of her neck one more time, then slid out of her and sat back on the couch. Funny, her dreams had never been quite so lifelike before. She readjusted from her spreadeagle-on-her-knees position on the couch so that she was sitting in the opposite corner from Jack. She popped both of her br**sts back into the built-in cups in the bodice of her dress and pulled her skirt back down to cover her thighs.
Rose knew she should have been embarrassed by what had just happened. She should have slapped Jack's face. Told him she wasn't that kind of girl. Instead, to her continuing surprise, she grinned and said, "Starved."
When Jack smiled back at her, his eyes holding hers several moments too long, she knew that her wild, sexcrazed romp must be messing with her head in a big way. Especially if she was imagining that Jack wanted anything more than a quick roll.
So, even though she was certain that she'd enjoy tonight's cooking lesson-and that she'd be happy to take whatever else Jack offered her by way of cooking lessons and, hopefully, hot sex for the next two days-she needed to tread cautiously.
Because if she wasn't careful, if she let great sex delude her into thinking that Jack felt anything real for her, she'd end up with something much worse than five chocolate-chip-cookie pounds on her hips. She'd end up with a broken heart. And getting dumped twice in one week was a record she didn't care to make.
Jack didn't remind her of anyone in her past who'd hurt her.
Quite the opposite, in fact, given that he was far better looking, far more successful, far better at giving her pleasure than any ex-boyfriend ever had. Which almost made her situation scarier. Because if so many losers had dumped her, what would a man like this do if she gave in and let herself fall for him beyond a one night stand?
Trying to focus on food, rather than Jack's mouthwateringly sexy features, she asked, "What are we making?"
Jack looked worried. "I should probably be honest with you .... " He paused way too long for Rose's comfort. Oh no, she was thirty seconds too late in preserving her dignity. Here it came: You're really great and I'd love to teach you to cook, but now that we're done having raunchy sex I need to get back to work. Rose took a deep breath. Why couldn't the fairy tale ever work out for her? Would it kill the man upstairs to give her one full night with Jack? Five or six hours of blissful sex, food, and time spent with someone wonderful?
But no. All she got was a quick spanking and sex on the couch.
Not that she was complaining about the sex, of course. It had been wonderful. And the spontaneous spanking had been amazing. Too bad it had felt like an appetizer. And she was being sent home before the main course.
She swallowed back angry tears. She was sick to death of being patted on the head like a little girl, of being told she was second, third, fourth best. Channeling her inner Vanessa, she raised her hand, not allowing him to finish his sentence.
"I already know what you're going to say' she said, trying to keep her stupid voice from trembling, "so you can save your breath. It was a pleasure meeting you, Jack. And I'm sure your food is wonderful, but I've really got to get back to my friends now She stood up with as much dignity as she possessed, hoping she didn't look too wrinkled and messy from all the wild sex. She took a step toward the door, only to stop dead in her tracks at Jack's loud curse.
"Don't let me screw this up, Rose' He looked up at her, his green eyes full of something that made Rose's stomach flutter. "I had planned to do the lessons at the restaurant. But then the tourist ended up being you and I forgot all about food. I don't have anything prepared here and we're gonna have to wing it." Rose gaped at Jack. She didn't want him to stop talking. Every word out of his mouth was better than chocolate. Especially the part where he said she made him forget all about food. That had to be a pretty big statement for a chef, didn't it?
"I'd really like to make it up to you;' he said, and Rose brushed her hair away from her eyes to get a better look at the miracle that was taking place right in front of her.
"You want to make it up to me?" she said in disbelief.
Hope flared in Jack's eyes, along with more than a little unsated lust. "If you'll let me."
The corner of her mouth quirked up. He wasn't kicking her out. He wanted to make this evening really special after all. She made a silent apology to you-know-who. Next Sunday she'd go to church and grovel in person. Rose had never before been in the position of power with a man. Some devilish imp she'd never known to exist inside her prodded her to take advantage of it.
"Okay;' she said, trying to act as if she wasn't quite convinced. "I suppose I can give you another chance' Was that really her saying those words in that teasing, sexy tone? Who knew it could be so fun having the upper hand with a man? No wonder Vanessa was always jerking her dates around. The power was heady, sensual.
A surefire aphrodisiac.
Pitching her voice low and sexy, she put one .hand on her hip and said, "So, what's on the new menu, Chef?" forcing him to think fast. Or else.
"We're going to spend the weekend on a menu of ... " He let his words fall away and came to stand before her. His lips a breath away from hers, he finished his sentence. " ... aphrodisiacs."
Hot damn, Rose thought as he took her lips in a passionate kiss. He really does have that ESP thing down.
JACK HANDED ROSE a red-and-white striped apron. "I hate to cover all that gorgeous skin up;' he said, "but cooking can be dirty business:' "What' she said, as she pulled the apron over her head and began to tighten the ties at the waist, "you aren't just going to lick the food off me?"
Jack threw his head back and laughed. The confident Rose seemed to be back to stay. So many times since that first moment he'd seen her standing in the bar, he'd felt her uncertainty and had wanted to kiss it out of her. Yes, she'd had wild, fantastically dirty sex with him, but that didn't change who she was at her core. His instincts told him that Rose was special and he needed to treat her with great care. Or else she'd bolt before they could explore the massive sparks that exploded between them.
His instincts also told him that beneath her quiet exterior was a sexpot just dying to emerge. And he was the man who was going to show her the woman she really was.