Read Online Recipe for Desire by Cheris Hodges - Free Book Online

remarry that woman,” Marie said. “I’m done with the lame men of Charlotte anyway.”
    “Where are you heading now? Want to grab a drink at Whisky River?”
    Though Marie wanted to pump Adriana for more information about what people were saying about her, she said no. “I have to go home. The guy who’s over my community service is a hard ass, and he’s already laid down the law about me being late. And I have to prove to him and Richard the third that I’m trying to learn a lesson.”
    “That’s great,” Adriana said. “Want a ride?”
    “Hell yes! And I hope you have some shoes for me in your trunk.”
    Adriana frowned. “Come on, now. Do you think I would forget my best friend?” The women headed to Adriana’s car in the parking deck, but Marie wasn’t thinking simply about the shoes; she couldn’t get Devon Harris off her mind.
    Was he really that altruistic, helping those women because it was the right thing to do? Maybe he had something going on with one of them or the director of the place. Why do I care with whom the chef is dipping his spoon? All I have to do is perform the community service and then I’m out of there. Still, there has to be something behind why he’s so dedicated to that shelter. Maybe it will be fun to uncover and expose his judgmental ass.
    “Marie,” Adriana said as she popped the trunk of her car open. “Did you hear me?”
    “What? Huh?”
    “I said, the two boxes on the right are yours. What are you plotting over there?”
    Marie shrugged as she picked up one of the shoe boxes. “I was thinking about something. You know who I met with earlier?”
    “Your community service supervisor, and?”
    “It was Devon Harris.”
    Adriana’s mouth dropped open. “The Devon Harris from the Food Network? Is he as fine in person as he is on TV? I watch that show just to see his sexy behind. Nothing like a smooth black man who can cook and look that good at the same time. Between him and G. Garvin, I love cooking shows. You’re lucky to be working with him.”
    “Lucky? To be stuck in a homeless shelter with him? He was insufferable,” Marie said. “I don’t care how unbelievably sexy he is, I’m not going to allow him to treat me as if I’m some derelict.”
    “A derelict? Well, I guess you can understand why he would feel that way,” Adriana said.
    Marie shot her friend a chilly look. “That’s not the point. He was talking to me as if I was some hood rat with a mile-long criminal record. I’m Marie Charles, he’d better recognize it.”
    “That’s right, so you have to show him who you are and who knows what will happen after that. Knowing you, he’ll be eating out of your hand once this thing is over.” Adriana and Marie climbed into the car.
    “I want to uncover why he’s so into taking care of the people at this shelter. Now, he claims that he’s not doing it for the ratings on his show, but no one is that caring. Not in Charlotte and not for nothing. So, the more he treats me like garbage, I’m going to dig until I find his secret.”
    “What if there isn’t a secret?”
    “Then maybe I’ll let him buy me dinner,” Marie said with a laugh.
    “Better still, let him cook you dinner,” Adriana said. “So, how are you going to find out what his secret is, Nancy Drew?”
    “I figure something out,” she said. “Even if I have to be sugary sweet to him.”
    “You, sugary sweet? Please let someone have a video camera around when this happens.”
    They took the short drive to Marie’s home in silence, and Marie tried to wrap her mind around what Devon Harris was really doing. She had to get her plan ready, arrive at the shelter on time, cozy up to Devon, and pretend that she was interested in whatever was going on there and watch how he interacted with the women. Then, if there was something unsavory going on, she’d use it to her advantage.
    “How long will you be at the shelter?” Adriana asked when she pulled up to Marie’s