Crista McHugh - The Sweetest Seduction

“Never mind.” He tilted her chin up so he could kiss her lips. “You were talking in your sleep.”

She sat up and stretched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s a good to know we can actually sleep next each other without having torn each other’s clothes off beforehand.”

She chuckled, a wash of deep pink flooding her cheeks. “I agree.”

As he watched her, snapshots of them together in the future flashed in front of him, distracting him from the here and now. He rubbed his eyes to clear them from his sight. “I regretfully inform you that it is just past two.”

The smile fell from her lips. “Which means I have to go.”

He crawled toward her, grinning as he said, “Of course, you could just play hooky for the rest of the day.”

“Sorry, but my name is not Ferris Bueller, and I don’t get a day off.” She gave him a playful shove and rose to her feet.

He followed her, taking a moment to throw everything back into the basket. “We should do this again some time.”

Her shoulders tensed and her eyes widened. Her gaze moved up and down his face before she relaxed into a nod. “Yes, we should.” She took the blanket from him and draped it over her arm.

The house was dry and cool after the humid heat of the afternoon, but lonely and empty. He’d grown up here and couldn’t remember a moment where he and his brothers weren’t running through the halls. Even after they’d all grown up and moved out, there was still Jasper galloping from room to room, trailing his mother or any houseguest who might have come over. What good was a big house if there was no one to fill it?

They were at the door before he realized it. Lia paused, her hand on the door, and leaned over to brush her lips on his cheek. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Adam.”

The glance she gave him as she left told him she hoped to see him again soon.

As she drove off, he pulled out his phone and found the translator app. He set it for Italian to English and repeated the words she’d said earlier. “Ti amo.”

“I love you,” a proper feminine computerized voice replied.

The blood rushed from his head, and the bones melted from his legs. He sank down onto the stairs.

She loved him.

And he could no longer deny that he’d fallen in love with her, too.

But until he settled the restaurant problem, they didn’t stand a chance.

He stared at his phone, paralyzed with fear rather than indecision. He knew what path he needed to take, and he dreaded the struggle that lay in store for him.

Lia wiped the sweat off her brow after adding the finishing touches to another order and watched as it was whisked into the dining room. The folded piece of paper containing her review in the London Times scratched against her thigh through the fabric of her pants. She reached into her pocket, holding it in her fist once again to make sure it was real.

Everything this afternoon had been part of some perfect dream that had shattered the moment Adam reminded her that it was time to come to work. Her hands had trembled the entire drive into the city. Her gut told her that he would keep his promise to let La Arietta stay here, but a creeping wisp of doubt danced along the fringes of her mind, always asking her “what if.”

What if Adam did choose Schlittler over her? Would she still want to be with him?

What if he did let her keep the restaurant for now, only to ask her to give it up as their relationship progressed so she could become the society wife someone like him deserved?

The prospect of finding herself locked in a gilded cage again terrified her more than she cared to admit. Worse, the fact she’d actually toyed with the idea of going along with it to keep him sent chills into the very essence of her soul. Adam understood her love of cooking, her passion for the restaurant. If he truly cared for her, he’d never ask her to give it up.

Julie used the break in the action to come stand next to her. “So, how did it go today?”

Lia had been so determined to throw herself into work that she’d gone nonstop from the moment she stepped into the kitchen. “It went...well.”

Funny how she could capture all the confusing thoughts rolling around in her subconscious into one tiny word.

“Well? Or well-well?” Julie raised her brows suggestively.

“Just well. No hanky-panky involved.”

Her sous chef gave a dramatic sigh. “And here I was hoping to hear all about your afternoon delight.”

Lia giggled and bumped Julie’s hip with her own. “It was just a picnic in his backyard, sweet and romantic.”

“As opposed to the way you took off with him last night and came back with your hair all tangled up.”

Lia’s hand flew to her hair as though it were still a tangled mess. She smoothed it out and tried to remain calm. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, get over it, Lia. Dax and I both know you two are into each other.”

Thankfully Julie had enough sense not to broadcast to the rest of the kitchen what she really meant. Restaurants were worse than high schools when it came to the rumor mill. “Yes, we’re seeing each other, and I thank you for agreeing to open today so I could have lunch with him.”

“No worries.” Julie started to walk off, but paused and added, “You know, I’m really glad you found someone who makes you smile.”

“Smile?”

“Yeah. I mean for the last year, you’ve come in here every day we’ve been open, working so hard to make this place a success, but you never really lit up until you started seeing him, if that makes any sense.”

It made too much sense. She’d mended her broken heart back together with cooking, but it had still remained empty until she’d found someone to open it up to again.

A new batch of orders came in, destroying any time she had to reflect on this discovery. The evening passed in waves of orders and entrees, dishes and desserts. Before she knew it, it was closing time. She was in the middle of assigning clean up tasks to the staff when she spotted Adam leaning against the wall outside her office.

She stepped away from the bustle of the kitchen and pulled him inside. “How did you get in here?”

“Staff entrance.” He pointed to the back door that led to another stairwell and the ever-so-important trash chute. “Dax looked ready to jump me when I tried to come into the kitchen through the dining room last night.”

She snickered. “Dax wants to jump you, but not in the way you’re talking about.”

“Too bad for him, I’m already spoken for.” He pulled her into his arms and gave her a kiss that left her breathless and wanting to pull him into the stairwell for a repeat of last night.

The sound of someone clearing their throat ended the kiss before things got too out of hand. Julie stood in the doorway holding a clipboard and wearing a know-it-all grin. “You’re becoming a familiar face around here, Adam.”

“Would you believe I’m crazy about the cooking?”

“Who can blame you?” Her grin widened as she scribbled something on the clipboard. “I’ve finished assigning the closing tasks, Lia. Why don’t you get out a bit early for a change?”

“I think that’s fabulous idea, don’t you?” Adam reached around cupped his hand firmly on her ass. “Julie looks like she has things under control.”

It was a conspiracy. They must have coordinated a rendezvous point to coerce her into going home with him an hour earlier than normal. And their plan was working. She peeked at Julie’s notes. “Make sure you put all the receipts in the safe.”

“Got it,” she replied with an efficient check mark.

“And double-check to make sure all the food is properly stored.”

“Done.”

“And—”

Adam cut her off by taking her hands in his own and placing them on his chest. “Lia, I think Julie knows the evening routine by now.”

She’d trusted Julie to open for her today, just like she’d trusted Julie to close for her on those rare nights she ceded control of La Arietta to her sous chef. Tonight should be no different, but she still felt like she was abandoning her child in a way. The more demands Adam made of her time, the less she could dedicate to her business.

But tonight, she was willing to let go of the uptight side of her nature and enjoy her new passion—Adam. “It’s your ship, captain,” she told Julie as she relaxed into him.

“Woo-hoo!” Julie jumped up into the air and ran back into the kitchen. Lia listened carefully as her sous chef continued the closing routine the exact same way she normally did.

Adam guided her chin back to him. “See? Nothing to worry about.”

“You’re right.” She unfastened her chef’s jacket and switched it for the denim one she’d worn to work. “Is there any reason why you came over tonight?”

“Yes, but I’ll tell you later. Right now, I just want to get you home.” He leaned closer to her, his breath grazing her ear as his voice lowered. “When we get there, I’m going to remove all your clothing and explore every inch of your body from the top of your head to tips of your toes.” He paused, pulling her hips forward so the evidence of his arousal pressed against her. “With lots of intermittent stops along the way.”

His arousal was so infectious, she was ready to let him begin his exploration right then and there. Her skin tingled with anticipation. “Then let’s be on our way.”

The drive to his place was short enough that she managed to keep her hands to herself. All restraint disappeared once they got into the elevator, though. She kissed him the same fast and frenzied way he’d done last night. Tonight, she was the one who needed him. She was the one who was tempted to press the stop button in the elevator and find her release before they even made it to his front door.