Edible

12

“I think tonight went well, don’t you?” Rachel asked as she removed her hat and unbuttoned her coat.

Ben pushed in through the door behind her, closing it with a lot more force than was necessary. “What part exactly were you thinking went well? The part where your brother asked me a million questions about our plans? Or the part where your father glared at me all night?”

Rachel chuckled as she shrugged out of her coat. She had known Ben had been uncomfortable, but she didn’t realize just how upset it had made him.

Poor guy. Meeting the family for the first time is always hard.

“Oh, come on, Ben. You can’t be serious. Mase was just trying to be polite, and…well, dads always glare at boyfriends.”

Ben spun around to face her as he threw his jacket on the couch. “Just how many boyfriends do you have, Rach?”

Rachel pulled off her gloves and smiled as he walked closer. He knew she hadn’t dated before him. He was being ridiculous. She tilted up her head, thinking he was about to tell her he was kidding. Instead, his hand whipped out, strong fingers gripping her chin.

“Ouch! Ben, you’re hurting me,” she told him, trying to tug her chin free.

Rather than releasing her, Ben tilted her head back farther and leaned down toward her. “I don’t care how many guys you dated before me, and I don’t want to hear about them either. You might find it amusing, but I don’t.”

“Ben,” Rachel pleaded. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Then, why say it?”

Releasing his grip with a cruel flick of his wrist, he turned away from her. As he walked to their bedroom, the last thing Rachel heard him mutter was, “Stupid bitch.”

Rachel awoke with a start.

Sitting up in a panic, she scooted up to the headboard, clutching the sheet to her chest. As her eyes locked on the bedside table clock, she saw that it was two forty-five.

“Rachel?” a low, calm voice cut through the air and reached her ears.

Looking across the bed on the opposite side from her, she saw Cole propped up on his elbow, staring at her with wary eyes.

“Are you okay?” he questioned cautiously.

Trying to calm her breathing, she reached up and pushed her hair behind her ear. Nodding, she lowered herself back down on the bed. When she was flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling, she felt the bed dip, and she knew Cole had moved closer.

Turning her head on the stark white pillow, she stared through the darkness to a man she had never thought she would trust, let alone sleep beside.

“Bad dream?” he pressed gently.

Rachel blinked twice, just to make sure he was real, and for a brief moment, she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw he was still there beside her, larger than life, and she nodded.

“Do you have those often?”

Finding it easier not to look at him, she turned her head back to stare up at the ceiling. “Sometimes,” she whispered.

She was surprised when she felt tentative fingers on her naked shoulder.

“Want to talk about it?”

Feeling a tear escape her right eye, she reached up to brush it away. “Not really.”

“Rachel?”

Turning her head back toward him, she allowed herself a moment to really give in, to really see at him.

“You can trust me,” he promised.

Reaching across her chest to the fingers on her shoulder, she pressed them closer to her cool skin as she rolled to her side, scooting in close to him. As his strong arm slid around her body, she found herself tracing the writing on him.

Before drifting back to sleep, she softly muttered, “I know.”

With the alarm beeping incessantly, Cole woke up a few hours later with his arm still wrapped tightly around Rachel. Reluctantly, he released her and rolled over onto his back to hit the snooze button.

How is it that we have moved forward so far in only one night?

As he shifted and turned back to her, he was surprised to see her wide blue eyes open, staring back at him. Giving him a shy smile, she pressed a small palm to his chest and pushed him down on his back.

Cole raised a brow at her as she moved to her side. As she propped herself up on her elbow, the sheet fell down around her waist.

“Not that I’m complaining, because this is affording me one hell of a view, but what are you doing, Rachel?”

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, she reached out a delicate finger and traced the wolf tattooed on his right pec. “I want to see you.”

“See me?” he queried.

“Yes, see you,” she replied.

She lifted her hand and whipped the covers all the way off of him, leaving them both naked in his bed.

Never one to be ashamed of his body, Cole craned his neck to look down at their bodies. Turning his head, he brought his eyes back to her. “Well, now, you can definitely see me.” He chuckled as he fingered one of her hard nipples. “And I must have done something right because I can see all of you.”

“I know.” She grinned impishly as she scooted up to her knees beside him. “I want to know all about this,” Rachel informed him as she made a gesture to his piercings and tats.

Cole thought about the request for a moment. “Why are you so brave this morning?”

She leaned down over him with her hands behind her back, and he enjoyed her full round breasts as they swayed forward to graze his chest while she kissed him softly.

“Because I trust you,” she admitted.

As she sat back up, Cole was surprised to feel his heart warm at her admission. Damn, it didn’t only make my heart happy, but it’s also making my cock hard.

“Okay, Rachel, what do you want to know?”

He studied her closely as her eager eyes looked over his body. When they zeroed in on his morning erection, he waited for the question that he figured was obvious, but in usual Rachel fashion, she marched to the beat of her own drum.

“When do I get to taste you?” she asked, her gaze lifting back to his eyes.

As he met her stare, Cole replied, “When I say so.”

She pouted at him as he raised his arms and placed them under his head. Suddenly, he was liking this game of hers very much.

“Not now?” she double-checked, letting her eyes fall back to his Prince Albert.

“No, not now.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said no.”

Rachel scoffed, “What guy says no to a—”

“Rachel?” He waited for her to look at him. “Not. Now.”

“Fine. Your loss though.” She shrugged before she pointed to his arms. “What do your tattoos say?”

Feeling a smug smile cross his lips, Cole reached out and took one of her arms. Tugging her down over him, he shifted and rolled them over, so he was lying on top of her. As she parted her thighs, he snuggled between them and placed his palms on each side of her head.

“Not going to answer that either?” she guessed as she reached up to trace the bar through his left nipple.

“I’m going to answer,” he told her, pressing his hardness against her warm mound, “but you keep interrupting me. That’s not very nice.”

As Rachel’s eyes met his, he thought he saw some hesitation for a moment, but as he continued looking down at her, he felt the hesitation disappear as her mouth curved and her lips parted.

“No, it’s not. So, what’s my punishment going to be?”

Playing with the red-and-black hair that was spread out on the pillow, Cole rocked against her. As a small moan left her lips, he leaned down to her ear.

“Patience of a saint. The mind of a sinner. That’s what my tattoos say.”

She let her eyes drift to his arms, and as he ground his hips into hers once more, she pouted and sighed.

“What language is it written in?”

Cole nibbled the shell of her ear down to the lobe. “Norwegian.”

She pulled her head away and turned it on the pillow. “Is that your heritage?”

Enjoying her curiosity, Cole continued to assault her ear as he murmured, “Part of it.”

“As in big blonde Vikings?” she asked, her voice catching in breathy excitement.

Cole lifted himself up on his arms and pinned her to the bed with a stare. “That seems to excite you. Do you like the idea of being ravished by a Viking?”

Her hands came up to grip his upper arms as she arched her back, pushing herself against his cock. “Maybe I want to be punished by one, for not being very nice.”

“I don’t want to punish you, Rachel.”

As she raised her thighs to his hips, he brushed his mouth on hers.

“But I am going to show you why I have that written on my arms.” With that, he rolled off of her. Getting out of the bed, he made his way to the bathroom, and just as he stepped through the door, he heard her call him.

“Cole!”

Looking over his shoulder, he saw that she had turned her head on the pillow to face him, and she was now moving her hand down between her thighs.

“Don’t,” he warned.

She bit her lip hard. “That’s it? You’re just going to leave?”

“Yes. You need to learn the reward that comes from patience. I have it in abundance. While you are practicing that today, remember the other half of the saying. Because when I’m sitting behind my desk at work, I will be thinking of all the ways I can sin with you.” Cole turned and continued into the bathroom, and just as he was about to shut the door, he called out, “And do not touch yourself today, Rachel. Don’t you dare come before I get to you.”

“And how would you know?” she shouted in response.

Cole strolled back over to the door, staring at her in his bed. “By the time I get to you, I promise you will be begging for it. In fact, I should just be able to look at you, and you will want to come. If your greedy little hands have done the deed, you won’t need me now, will you?” Turning on his heel, he said, “I’m taking a shower. Keep your hands off of what is mine.”

As a frustrated groan met his ears, he couldn’t help but smile as he turned on the water.

Rachel pushed through the back door of the restaurant at six fifteen. She rushed in and made her way straight to her office. Late again, damn it. When she spotted Sarah, Rachel gave her a quick wave and a smile. She shrugged off her jacket and pulled the bright red beanie from her head.

“We ready to go for tonight?” Rachel asked.

Sarah was hot on her heels. “Yes.”

After Rachel hung up her jacket on the back of her office door, she removed her turtleneck pullover and threw it on her chair before picking up her smock. Fastening it quickly, she reached back to braid her hair. She stopped when Sarah gave her a soft laugh.

“Lena showed up around forty-five minutes ago, and we have not seen or heard…well, much from Mason since. They’re in his office.”

Rachel screwed her nose up in an exaggerated eww look and shook her head. “I don’t even want to know,” Rachel joked, walking out into the kitchen to the stainless steel prep table. “As long as the pears are cored, wrapped, and ready to bake, all I care about is that the weekly special is ready to go.”

Sarah nodded. “Of course, of course. He’s just so funny when Lena’s here. He goes from Mr. Business Smooth to a dopey-eyed, lovesick—”

“Fool?” Rachel suggested with a grin. “Yeah, I know. They are sweet and all of those great adjectives. Let me know when you see them emerge. I don’t really want to be—”

“What? Ambushed?” her brother’s voice called from behind her.

Groaning, Rachel shut her eyes for a moment as she raised a hand and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Surprised, Mase,” Rachel told him, turning to find both Lena and Mason standing behind her hand in hand. “I didn’t want to be surprised.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” Lena said, coming to the rescue, as she stepped forward. “I was leaving anyway. I’m meeting up with Shelly for a movie. Hey, when’s your next day off? We should all get together.”

Rachel creased her brow and glared over at Mason as he raised his eyebrows. Obviously, he hadn’t told his wife about their little chat, so Lena didn’t know that Rachel wanted some time away, making this all the more difficult. Lena was such a sweetheart, and lying to her never felt good.

“I’m pretty busy right now with the flower shop and all. I’m in the middle of hiring someone, so maybe next week?”

There. That wasn’t a full-on lie.

Mason wasn’t buying it though. She could tell by the disapproving look on his face, and Rachel felt her guilt creeping in.

“Oh, okay. Well, that sounds good. I have a really busy schedule this week anyway.”

Good, Rachel thought.

Just when she stupidly assumed she had gotten away without any kind of uncomfortable conversation, Lena added, “But we need to get together soon because you need to tell me all about Cole.”

Oh, fantastic.

“Cole? Who’s Cole?” Sarah asked with a curious smile.

Rachel lifted her eyes to her brother’s to find they were fixed on her.

“No one, Sarah. He’s just a mutual acquaintance. He works for Josh.”

“Oh, gotcha.”

“Who works for me?” a deep voice said into the kitchen.

Rachel cursed under her breath as she glared over at Josh—the traitor—who had just appeared in the door of the kitchen.

“Last time I checked, you don’t work here. So, what are you doing back in my kitchen?”

As the staff made their way around them, like they weren’t even there, Josh gave her a look that screamed, Since when do you care?

“I’m dropping off Georgia. These two are going to a movie.” He nodded to Lena.

Rachel looked around him, but she couldn’t see the blonde bombshell anywhere in sight. “Then, where is she?”

As the side of his mouth curled up, Rachel had a fleeting fantasy of socking him one right in the kisser.

“She’s in the bathroom, fixing her already perfect hair. What’s the problem, Rach? Trying to get rid of me?”

Through clenched her teeth, Rachel managed to say, “No. I am trying to get everything I need together before it gets insane back here.”

“Well, most of it is done. We just need to mix the caramel sauce, and we are good to go. Prep is finished.”

It was normally such a blessing to have an organized worker, but in this instance, Rachel really wished Sarah had been an incompetent mess. Rachel wanted an excuse to flee, any excuse to get away from familiar eyes piercing into her.

“That’s great, Sarah, but I need to—”

“Um, excuse me, Rachel?”

Like some horrible comedic scene, all five of them turned to the main window, dividing the dining room from the kitchen to see Wendy. The restaurant manager was standing there with a grin so wide that there was only one thing that could have possibly prompted it.

Oh, please. Not now. Not right now.

“There’s someone asking for you in the dining room,” Wendy said, looking at Rachel.

Before Rachel could say anything, Mason jumped in, speaking up. “Who, Wendy?”

“Don’t answer that!” Rachel countered as she glared at her brother.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Mason pushed.

With her pulse pounding and blood ringing in her ears, Rachel glared and stormed past him. “It’s none of your business. Stay here.”

“Hang on a minute,” Josh finally piped up. “Cole’s out there? Waiting on you? That guy doesn’t wait for anyone.”

Aiming annoyed eyes over her shoulder at Josh, Rachel warned, “Don’t even start. As of yesterday morning, I am not talking to you.”

“What did I do?” he asked, having the gall to act offended.

“You have a big mouth,” she accused, looking from Josh to her brother. “Now, both of you, stay here.”

With that, Rachel rushed around the prep tables and over to the doors to the main dining room. Pushing through the frosted double doors, it took her only seconds to spot Cole.

He was seated at a table in the center of the restaurant, facing her, and he was dressed in the same immaculate black suit, white shirt, and blue tie he had left the condo in this morning. He had one arm resting flat on the white linen tablecloth, and the other, his left, was propped up on his elbow with his fingers and thumb at his chin. He looked like he was in deep thought, and as his eyes met hers across the dimly lit dining room space, she knew she was at least a part of those musings.

After he had seen her home this morning, which was completely out of his way, Rachel had changed into a pair of flared black dress pants and a purple turtleneck pullover. Now that she was at work, she was dressed in her purple smock and black pants.

Smoothing her palms down her sides, she thought, Breathe. Remember, you were just with him this morning.

The only problem with reminding herself of that little tidbit was the fact that she was still completely frustrated, and she wanted his hands down her pants pronto. He had been spot-on about one thing: Just his look alone was bringing her perilously close to the edge.

Walking through tables that were starting to fill, she was aware of him tracking her every move. Pushing her shoulders back, she walked as confidently as she could to his table. She stopped behind the seat that was opposite him, placing her hands on the back of the chair.

“Good evening, Mr. Madison. I heard you requested to speak to me.”

Taking a good long look at the woman standing on the other side of the table to him, Cole decided he liked what he saw. He was almost positive that most chefs wore black-and-white checker pants with a white top, but not Rachel. No, Rachel, as usual, was making a statement, and on her, it worked.

“I did.” He replied, tracing his fingers along the pattern in the tablecloth.

“Well, here I am. What can I do for you?”

Cole tilted his head to the side. “Well, first things first, how are you feeling right now, Rachel?”

She looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. With a tight-lipped smile, she informed him, “I feel like if you touched me, I’d explode.”

“Is that why you are all the way over there?”

“Yes,” she confirmed quickly. “I thought, for the time being, it was the safest place to be.”

“You’re probably right, especially with how I’m feeling.” Sitting up straight in his seat, Cole had to hold back a laugh at the way she gripped the back of the chair she was using as a shield. “Relax, Rachel. Despite how hungry I am, I’m not into sharing my meals.”

He was about to add something else, but then he spotted Josh and the man he knew was her brother, making their way through the restaurant toward them. Shifting his eyes to just behind them, he also saw the two women he had seen at both Whipped and the Halloween party.

Ahh, I see the women are smarter than their men, Cole thought as the two finally flanked by each side of Rachel.

Immediately, he noticed Rachel’s spine stiffen as her fingers grasped the chair to the point of turning her knuckles white. Cole wasn’t quite sure what she was so worried about. As far as he was concerned, this was just a blip on his radar, and his radar was fixed directly on her.

“Evening, Josh,” he greeted his friend and colleague first.

Cole couldn’t decide what emotion had crossed his usually easygoing friend’s face, but he didn’t look pleased, so Cole decided to focus on the tall, dark hair guy who had an expression Cole knew very well. That look screamed, Meet me outside. You and I need to talk.

Cole decided he needed to be on equal footing, so he pushed his chair back from the table and rose. He was pleased his stature met with Rachel’s brother as he held out his hand toward him across the table. “You must be Mason. I’m Cole Madison.”

Cole studied the look that flashed over the big guy’s face as Mason reached forward and shook his hand.

“Yeah, I’m Mason, Rachel’s big brother.”

At that announcement, Cole removed his hand as it seemed the silently seething Rachel lost her shit.

“Are you kidding me?” Rachel demanded as she turned on her brother. “My big brother? What am I? Fifteen?”

Mason was about to say something when Cole’s voice interrupted smoothly.

“You are definitely not fifteen, Rachel.”

“Cole, cut it out,” Josh warned in a voice that shocked even her.

Rachel was surprised by the attitude Josh was throwing off, especially since he had originally wanted to set them up.

Turning to face Cole, Rachel was about to tell him he wasn’t helping the issue, but the way his eyes were focused on her rendered her speechless. Always so flipping intense.

Instead, she tore her gaze from his and looked at Josh, who was also glaring at Cole.

Stupid men and their testosterone.

Spinning back to her infuriating brother, she clenched her teeth. “I thought I told you both to wait in the kitchen.”

“Well, I wanted to meet the man who has all your attention these days, Rach,” Mason told her, eyes still focused on the man standing opposite them all.

What an absolute nightmare. Three guys standing around a table, all glaring at one another, ready to engage in a pissing match.

“Well, great, Mason. You’ve seen him, met him, managed to embarrass me, and have now drawn all of our customers’ attention.”

Mason still hadn’t bothered to look at her. His eyes were still on the calm and put-together Cole, and Cole now had his hands in his pants pockets and was refusing to drop his own eyes from her brother’s.

“How did you two meet?” Mason probed.

“Mason!” Rachel exclaimed. She swung her eyes to Cole’s, pleading with him to keep his mouth shut.

The message must have been received because cool-as-you-please Cole replied, “I don’t think that’s really any of your business unless Rachel wants to tell you. Now, is this over with? Or should I go and grab my dueling pistols and meet you out back at high noon?”

“Cole,” Josh warned again.

“Yes, Joshua?” Cole questioned.

Rachel was just trying to keep up with everything that was going on.

“Cool it, man. Mason’s just worried about his sister.”

Cole nodded slowly before he asked pointedly, “And you? Who are you concerned about? His sister, your friend, or your business partner?”

“You know what?” Rachel finally cut in. “You two are acting like overprotective jerks. I am a grown woman, and if I want to date someone, I do not need permission from either of you. And as for you,” she stressed, turning to look at Cole across the table.

She had been feeling extremely confident until she saw an expression that screamed, Remember who you are talking to, cross his face.

Deciding she was already screwed, she thought, To hell with it. Bluntly, she stated, “You promised me something, and I want it!”

“Rachel, calm down,” Mason muttered.

Spinning on her brother, she poked him in the chest and glared up at him. “I will not calm down! I asked you for space, and I asked you to wait back there. I did not ask you to come out here and act like my father—who, by the way, would have never embarrassed me!”

“That’s not true, Rach. He was just more discreet than Mason. He pulled me aside and read me the riot act before I took you to the formal that year.”

As those words left Josh’s mouth, Rachel’s eyes flew to Cole’s to see how he would react to this new information. His eyes had shifted to Josh and narrowed slightly, but other than that, he did nothing else.

She could feel her heart thumping hard in her chest as she thought about the way Ben had reacted to the mere mention of Josh, and Josh hadn’t even been in the same state as them then. Her worries were laid to rest though when Cole began speaking again.

“Well, it’s a good thing Rachel is no longer fifteen or sixteen, and she is now woman enough to make her own decisions. I actually don’t understand the issue here, Josh. You had originally told me you’d be happy to introduce us.”

Just as Josh was about to answer, Rachel hissed, “Stop it, all of you. You two leave now. No more words, or I will walk out of this restaurant and leave you screwed.” She pointed to Mason and added, “And I will not cook you any more beignets for a whole year.”

The minute the threat was out of her mouth, both men told her in unison:

“Aww, come on, Rach.”

“Rach, we were just worried.”

“Just. Leave. Us. Alone,” she gritted out between her teeth.

Without any more words spoken, the men she had grown up with turned and walked away, leaving her to stand alone, opposite Cole, with most of the dining room watching them.

She hurried around the table, so she was standing beside him. Looking up at Cole, in a lowered voice, she said, “I’m sorry about that. I told them to—”

“Rachel?” he interrupted.

“Yes?”

“I don’t care about that, and now, it’s done and over with. I have, however, lost my appetite.”

She didn’t blame him one little bit.

Stepping to her, he cupped the back of her neck, tugging her forward. As he lowered his head, she thought for sure that he was about to kiss her in the middle of the dining room and under the judgmental eyes of Mason, Josh, Lena, and Shelly.

Instead of doing the expected though, he moved his lips to her ear. “I’ve been patient all day, and now, I am very ready to sin. Be ready for me. I’ll be back to pick you up.”

As he let go of her, Rachel felt her knees go weak. He straightened to button his suit jacket, and he gave her a smug look that told her he had accomplished exactly what he had set out to do tonight. Then, he turned and made his way over to the hostess to retrieve his coat.

As he left the restaurant, Rachel realized she was still standing exactly where he had left her. Making herself move, she turned on her heel and stormed back to the doors where Lena and Shelly were both standing with huge we-knew-it grins on their faces.

Rachel glared at them both as she stopped in front of the doors.

“Not your type, huh?” Shelly asked.

“Not interested?” Lena reminded her.

Rachel shook her head, but she couldn’t help the small tug at the corner of her mouth as she pushed through the large double doors. “Oh, shut the hell up, you two.”

And as the doors swung shut behind her, she heard the two women laugh, and she couldn’t help chuckling a little to herself.