Read Online Feel the Heat (Hot In the Kitchen) by Kate Meader - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Meader
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lower.”
Aim a little lower. Marco’s words went down like Pepto—they tasted awful but they were probably good for her. She could fake it up to a point, but no way, no how could she pull a league jump of this magnitude.
A glass of clear liquid appeared in front of her with uncanny timing and a wink from Shannon. Tad saluted a bottoms-up cheer with his beer bottle. Marco raised a disapproving eyebrow. She knocked back the shot—ugh, mint schnapps—and her Benedict-Arnold hormones did the rest.
Pinned against the dartboard, Jack had been stunned into submission by a crescent-shaped line of brunette admirers with a blonde thrown in for variety. Lili watched as he engaged in a rally of repelling tactics, from slow nodding to diversionary swigs of his beer. The blonde loitered at his shoulder with intent, her hand glossing over his bicep. Angela was two baby steps short of clambering on top of him. Gina, despite her affianced status, was trying to outflank her cousin with a couple of undone shirt buttons and frenzied eyelash batting.
Jack’s gaze locked onto Lili’s, and she felt a sudden and startling jolt of attraction right down to her toes.
“Kilroy’s working it, I see. You’ve got no chance there, Lil,” Marco said, his tone jovial but laced with something else. She looked at her ex with interest. If it was possible for eyes to sneer, Marco’s were doing it right now. Her own eyes were drawn back to the evening’s entertainment and found Jack still staring above Angela’s frizzy curls, his gaze direct and true. His sexy mouth hadn’t moved a muscle but his eyes, in that rare green hue…they promised everything.
That look enveloped her like a curl of flame, immolating all her hesitation in a fiery burst. Just one night was all she asked. One night to see stars, to experience scorching passion, to get a little lost. A combination of the corrosive burn from the liquor and Marco’s smug grin decided it. She was tired of aiming lower.
“Later, Marco.”
Sidestepping him, she skirted around the fan club and addressed Jack. “Hey.”
His eyes widened and shifted to a smoky darkness. “Hey, yourself.”
“We should talk.”
“We should?” he asked in a graveled voice that guaranteed talking would be low on the list for the rest of the evening.
“Logistics,” she said, playing along. “Getting into the kitchen tomorrow to test your dishes. That kind of thing.”
“Right, we should talk about that.” He bowed to his rapt audience. “Ladies, business calls.”
The ladies shot her unladylike glares aimed at sending her six feet under, twice. Jack tucked his hand under her elbow and with a gentle, but very deliberate, pressure propelled her toward the bar.
“How can I ever thank you?” he murmured close to her ear.
Lord, that accent. Combined with his touch and that delicious male spice, it set off a high-frequency vibration throughout her body.
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Chapter Four
The crush at the bar was tight, the sliver of space between them shrinking fast, and Jack’s world was all the better for it.
“I’m sorry about the girls,” Lili said, not sounding sorry at all. “They’re just excited.”
He stole a look back at the kettle of vultures. Excited wasn’t the word—more like ravenous .
“We don’t get a lot of famous visitors,” she added. “You’ve caused quite the stir.”
“I’m not even that famous,” he said, the familiar irritation creeping into his voice.
“They’re easily impressed.”
Evidently she wasn’t, and that turned him on to an unreasonable degree. She pushed one of her dark curls behind her ears while he shoved a twitching hand into his pocket, wishing he could have got there first.
“So, did you enjoy the food?” she asked with a sly smile.
“It was amazing. Your father’s a great chef.” Lip service wasn’t Jack’s style. The pastas were out of this world, especially the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth
Aim a little lower. Marco’s words went down like Pepto—they tasted awful but they were probably good for her. She could fake it up to a point, but no way, no how could she pull a league jump of this magnitude.
A glass of clear liquid appeared in front of her with uncanny timing and a wink from Shannon. Tad saluted a bottoms-up cheer with his beer bottle. Marco raised a disapproving eyebrow. She knocked back the shot—ugh, mint schnapps—and her Benedict-Arnold hormones did the rest.
Pinned against the dartboard, Jack had been stunned into submission by a crescent-shaped line of brunette admirers with a blonde thrown in for variety. Lili watched as he engaged in a rally of repelling tactics, from slow nodding to diversionary swigs of his beer. The blonde loitered at his shoulder with intent, her hand glossing over his bicep. Angela was two baby steps short of clambering on top of him. Gina, despite her affianced status, was trying to outflank her cousin with a couple of undone shirt buttons and frenzied eyelash batting.
Jack’s gaze locked onto Lili’s, and she felt a sudden and startling jolt of attraction right down to her toes.
“Kilroy’s working it, I see. You’ve got no chance there, Lil,” Marco said, his tone jovial but laced with something else. She looked at her ex with interest. If it was possible for eyes to sneer, Marco’s were doing it right now. Her own eyes were drawn back to the evening’s entertainment and found Jack still staring above Angela’s frizzy curls, his gaze direct and true. His sexy mouth hadn’t moved a muscle but his eyes, in that rare green hue…they promised everything.
That look enveloped her like a curl of flame, immolating all her hesitation in a fiery burst. Just one night was all she asked. One night to see stars, to experience scorching passion, to get a little lost. A combination of the corrosive burn from the liquor and Marco’s smug grin decided it. She was tired of aiming lower.
“Later, Marco.”
Sidestepping him, she skirted around the fan club and addressed Jack. “Hey.”
His eyes widened and shifted to a smoky darkness. “Hey, yourself.”
“We should talk.”
“We should?” he asked in a graveled voice that guaranteed talking would be low on the list for the rest of the evening.
“Logistics,” she said, playing along. “Getting into the kitchen tomorrow to test your dishes. That kind of thing.”
“Right, we should talk about that.” He bowed to his rapt audience. “Ladies, business calls.”
The ladies shot her unladylike glares aimed at sending her six feet under, twice. Jack tucked his hand under her elbow and with a gentle, but very deliberate, pressure propelled her toward the bar.
“How can I ever thank you?” he murmured close to her ear.
Lord, that accent. Combined with his touch and that delicious male spice, it set off a high-frequency vibration throughout her body.
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Chapter Four
The crush at the bar was tight, the sliver of space between them shrinking fast, and Jack’s world was all the better for it.
“I’m sorry about the girls,” Lili said, not sounding sorry at all. “They’re just excited.”
He stole a look back at the kettle of vultures. Excited wasn’t the word—more like ravenous .
“We don’t get a lot of famous visitors,” she added. “You’ve caused quite the stir.”
“I’m not even that famous,” he said, the familiar irritation creeping into his voice.
“They’re easily impressed.”
Evidently she wasn’t, and that turned him on to an unreasonable degree. She pushed one of her dark curls behind her ears while he shoved a twitching hand into his pocket, wishing he could have got there first.
“So, did you enjoy the food?” she asked with a sly smile.
“It was amazing. Your father’s a great chef.” Lip service wasn’t Jack’s style. The pastas were out of this world, especially the fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth
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