Read Online Advertising for Love by Elisabeth Roseland - Free Book Online Page A

told me if there was anything on the stove, people were welcomed to it.”
    “Your mother sounds like a great woman.”
    “Oh, she is.” Greg reached over and picked up the spoon on Aisha’s tray. “Speaking of food, try this.” He scooped up some strawberries and whipped cream and fed it to her. The berries had been soaked in something, and the sharp liqueur contrasted perfectly with the sweet berries and the smooth whipped cream. She looked at him. “It’s cognac.”  
    “So delicious.”
    “Well, in the absence of a concentration in desserts and pastries, I do what I can.”
    Aisha took the spoon from him and helped herself to another bite. “What do you mean?”
    “Learning how to cook desserts and pastries is a whole other set of skills, and you can do a concentration in culinary school. I chose not to because I want to eventually run a restaurant that serves down-home cooking, so all I need to know how to make are the basics—peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, bread pudding, that kind of stuff.”
    Aisha licked the last of the whipped cream off the spoon. “And you know how to make all of that?”
    “Absolutely.”
    She put the spoon back down on the tray and placed everything on the floor before snuggling up against him. “Well why didn’t you just go ahead and whip one of those up?” She shook her head slowly. “There you go again, slipping.”
    Greg’s smile turned Aisha’s thoughts to having one more quickie before she had to return to the office. “I’ll try to do better next time,” he whispered, kissing the remnants of the strawberries from her lips.

Chapter Nine
    “My God, this is delicious. What is this again?”
    “Coq au vin. It’s a French dish. Braised chicken prepared with a wine-based sauce.”
    “This is seriously tasty.” Aisha took another sip of her wine from her leaded crystal glass and relished the flavor profiles as they slid over her tongue. “So, exactly how many benefits are there to seeing a chef?”
    “Many. And you haven’t experienced them all yet.”
    “Oh, really? There’s more?”
    “Yes, but you’ll have to wait until after dessert to find out.”
    Aisha continued eating. She looked around Greg’s open kitchen in his cozy, North side home. Everything in it from the plates to the rugs on the hardwood floor to the pictures on the walls reflected Greg’s love of beauty and simplicity. And many small decorating touches revealed an understated but expensive personal sense of style.
    “I’m glad I was finally able to cook a real dinner for you, instead of throwing something together for a quick lunch.” Greg’s sexy voice washed over her. Aisha contemplated telling him to skip dessert so they could get to those other benefits.
    “Me too.” She finished her meal and sighed contently. “It’s nice to have a dinner date after all these weeks.”
    “I know. I’m sorry about that. My evenings have been booked up solid. It’s good to have a night off.”
    Aisha said nothing and drained her glass of the last drop of wine. As much as she tried to get used to it, the more she started to care for him, the more talking about Greg’s job, even in a general way, made her feel uncomfortable. She changed the subject. “This wine is delicious. What did you say it was again?”
    “It’s a pinot noir.” Greg poured her another glass. “I know you prefer a pinot grigio, but to serve white wine with this dish would be a travesty.” He poured another glass for himself. “Salud.” Aisha lifted her glass, and Greg slowly touched hers with his. His brown eyes stared at her deeply, and the ping of their glasses ignited her desire. Greg read the look in her eyes. “Shall we move on to dessert?”
    “Mmm. Yes, please.” She took another sip and relished in watching his bicep flex as he picked up her empty plate. His jeans highlighted everything, and she couldn’t peel her eyes off of his ass as he walked over to the sink. She wanted to squeeze it firmly as he