McDonald_TWT_GENVers_Feb2014 (6 page)

Tired of his baiting, Sabine stared at him as she slowly licked the glaze from her fork, exaggerating the slowness when he started to squirm in his seat. “I don’t know. Maybe. Do you think it’s important how I look?”

Koka sighed at the sight of her pink tongue sliding up and down over the tines. The woman was sneakier than she looked. “Nice trick, Sabine. I admit I am now thoroughly distracted from being curious about the rest of you. Your tongue holds my full attention, much like my ass held yours.”

Sabine laughed loudly at his extreme honesty. “Okay. The fork licking wasn’t really fair of me—or good first date etiquette either. I was just teasing you so you’d stop talking about my clothes. I’m a little sensitive about my aging body.”

“I don’t care about first date etiquette. It’s been a long time since I was attracted to a woman. As soon as I can walk comfortably, I’ll make us dessert. How is that for honesty? Get comfortable, Sabine Blakeman. This could take a while,” Koka said.

Sabine snorted. “Now who’s the one flirting?”

“Maybe I am. If I give you a spoon with dessert, are you going to lick it clean too?”

“Depends on how good your dessert is. I have high standards,” Sabine said softly, leaning on the counter as she studied his profile. “I’m also good at my job and I predict that one day the restaurant you eventually open is going to be enormously successful. But I also predict that years after that happens, I bet you look back on this time with your grandmother as one of the most important things you ever did in your life. It will be far more important than having your TV cooking show do well or opening even the most astounding restaurant. I wish I could wave a wand tonight and help you be happier in your current choices until time changes things for you.”

Koka slid from his seat and landed as close as he could to Sabine’s still-seated body. Grinning when she leaned back, he lifted a hand and put it against her cheek. “
Mahalo,
Sabine Blakeman. Thank you for your kindness today and yesterday. One day perhaps I can return the favor and be equally as kind to you.”

Sabine swallowed hard at the sudden racing of her heart. Koka smelled like spicy aftershave overlaid with limes and pineapple. Had this exceptionally attractive man really gotten aroused by her teasing? It was going to take a long while before she’d ever find the nerve to explore such a prospect—like years probably. She sighed over how much her dating cowardice was going to limit her life, before reining her longing in and smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world.

“How about you make me dessert and we’ll call it even on the favors? I’m having the best first date ever and that’s not even an exaggeration. Joe is going to be incredibly jealous. That achievement alone is worth every cent I donated on your behalf.”

Dropping his hand from her cheek at her resumed teasing, Koka walked around to the stove again. “How does fried rum bananas sound?” he asked.

“It sounds as delicious as the rest of the dinner. I’m gaining weight just thinking about it,” Sabine said.

Koka stopped his preparations and came back to lean over the counter as far as he could to get close to her. “I think you’re beautiful with your golden hair and smiling eyes. But it is your kind heart that draws me most. The rest of your body has me curious because that is the nature of every man. I want to ask you a question before the rich dessert puts you into a food coma and clouds your mind.”

“If it’s anything legal, the answer is probably going to be yes. And that’s not the fried rum bananas talking yet,” Sabine joked.

“Be serious for a moment,” Koka ordered. “Will you go out with me again? On a real date? This is a serious request.”

Sabine groaned. “No . . . don’t ask me that. You’re going to bankrupt me.”

“
Bankrupt you?
That’s hopefully another joke, but I’ll gladly give you back the money you spent on my behalf yesterday if you would say yes. What do you say to that level of honesty?” Koka demanded.

Sabine leaned back in her chair, way back. “Didn’t you see that room full of beautiful, screaming women? I’m sure one or two of them would be way more suitable for you. The ink is barely dry on my divorce decree and . . . well, I have a lot to work out in my mind before I can date anyone.”

“Until yesterday I have been saying all women I meet are like the one at the back of the room who bid so fiercely against you. They don’t really want me, Sabine. They want to be fixed, to be made alive, to become something more because of being seen with
The Sexy Chef
, with
Todd Lake
. True compassion is absent from them. I’m tired of women like that. But you are not like that. I can read your heart and I’m rarely wrong,” Koka said, pointing his spatula at her.

He was disappointed at Sabine’s nervous gaze darting around as it avoided his. Unable to think of anything else to say that might persuade her to go out with him, Koka turned and started preparing their dessert. The task at least kept him from going back and trying to physically convince her. Pride was pushing him to either ignore Sabine or seduce her. There seemed to be no polite middle ground in his feelings.

Sabine stared at Koka’s strong back as he cooked, her gaze not even dropping to his appealing backside this time. Instead, all she could see was the invisible weight his too public life had put between his shoulder blades. It was an unfortunate by-product of her job to notice such things, one she could see now was going to cost her a hell of a potential romance with the man across the counter. Koka Whitman was part jaded and part innocent. But his vulnerability was something she wasn’t ready to violate for the sake of an amazing date or even ending her long streak of celibacy. Not that a date with the sexy, fun, and talented man wasn’t more appealing than pretty much anything.

But it wouldn’t be fair for her to work out her dating issues at Koka’s expense. For all the female attention he drew, he didn’t understand that all women were a bit like the woman at the back of the auction room. A woman’s sexuality was just as rampant as any man’s, and not all women managed to keep their beast side in check.

Martin had shredded her sexual identity when he had re-married before she had even had a chance to take a deep breath. Even counting the last two years of separate bedrooms in her favor, there were a hundred other little demons she still had to wrestle about getting naked with a new man. Clothing might even be one of those demons, if Koka was right about all men wanting a look at what she was hiding. Tonight her soft, aging body had morphed from a matter of acceptance into yet another big obstacle to moving forward with her romantic life.

“I’m more flattered than I could ever say that you would ask me out. But I don’t know if I’m ready for a real date yet,” Sabine said softly. “When I am ready, I could let you know—in case you might still want to date me then.”

Koka plated the still sizzling bananas and drizzled more coconut rum over them. “Well, at least it’s not a complete rejection,” he groused.

“Oh come on—you can’t be that heartbroken. Be honest here. Does a woman ever say no to you? If so, I imagine it doesn’t happen often,” Sabine said quietly.

“No, it doesn’t happen often. But lately I haven’t even felt like asking. You’re the first in almost a year who has even interested me,” he said.

Sabine nodded in sympathy. “Then I’m even more flattered you would ask me.”

He grabbed two spoons and headed around the bar to her. When he got back to his seat, he scooped up a bite as he sat. “Open your mouth,” he ordered.

Sabine snorted. “I bet you like to be in control all the time, don’t you? See—that would never work between us. I like to be in control too.”

“Sabine, stop talking and open your mouth for me,” Koka said more firmly, envying the spoon he held for getting to go where he wanted to.

She stared for long moments trying to decide. When she finally did open her mouth, a spoon full of heaven slipped inside. Flavors of the rum, the banana, and spices she didn’t recognize slid along her tongue. She swallowed and sighed. “Okay. That’s pretty amazing. My high standards are more than met.”

“I know. And I made it for kissing,” Koka declared, staring at spot on her lip that she unconsciously licked clean. “The flavors lubricate the palette and it has spices that neutralize dinner smells and tastes.”

Sabine felt her eyebrows rise, but smiled at his innocent look. “I swear to God—that is the best line to ask for a kiss that I have ever heard.”

Swearing under his breath at her relentless teasing, Koka scooped up another bite for her and fed her again. Then he scooped one for himself using the same spoon. He dared her to say a word about it.

She pondered the decadence of having Koka feed her and the intimacy of sharing the dish with him. Even if it was just some practiced seduction or clever intention to charm her, his serious frown would have kept her from believing it completely. On the next scoop, she placed her hand over his.

“That’s enough of that for me. I think I’m ready for my real dessert now,” she said, holding his quizzical gaze. “Let’s test your kissing theory.”

Fearing the offer might be retracted if he didn’t accept it quickly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips gently, but firmly to hers. Banana, coconut, and Sabine hit his taste buds. It was a heady combination. He pulled away reluctantly. “I cannot trust myself for more than one kiss. You are completely delicious.”

“So are you,” Sabine whispered, her mouth still amazed at the lingering tingle.

Koka sighed, frustrated to have to let her go home. Pekala’s prayers for a woman had been answered in a way that surprised even him. “The limousine that brought you is no doubt waiting impatiently. I was supposed to send you home thirty minutes ago. Pekala delayed the schedule.”

Sabine nodded and slid from her chair. “Pekala was a wonderful delay and I’m very glad I got to meet her.”

She walked on shaky legs to the small table where her purse had landed earlier. That simple little kiss had rocked her harder than she realized. On her way back, Sabine paused by the seat where Koka still sat unmoving. Evidently, he wasn’t going to walk her to the door.

Maybe he couldn’t do so yet.

The thought of causing him more masculine discomfort after their kiss went to her head faster than his pineapple cocktail. She looked at Koka and wanted to test that theory more than she wanted to take her next breath. Thanks to him she now believed there would be sexual life for her after Martin.

“Thank you for one of the best evenings of my entire life. I truly will never forget the pleasure of it—all of it,” Sabine said softly.

“On the islands, we say
Mahalo
to give thanks,” Koka said, his gaze asking her to act on what was in hers.

Sabine nodded and smiled, the effort forced. “
Mahalo
then. Good night, Koka Whitman. Thank you for a wonderful dinner.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Koka said.

“Seriously the best one I can ever remember having,” Sabine replied.

Then she walked to the door as quickly as she could to make her escape.

Joe held up the special edition Sunday afternoon paper and looked at Sabine over the edge of it as he grunted.

“Your very expensive Todd Lake told all of Seattle that you were the most enchanting woman he’d met in years. All you said about him was that he was a great chef. Sabine, you’re in public relations for pity’s sake. Couldn’t you have thought of something more eloquent to say about a date with one of Seattle’s premier bachelors?”

“Todd Lake is a great chef,” Sabine said, repeating without explaining.

She was having a hard time shrugging away the guilt Joe was causing. First she hadn’t even bothered to wear a dress to dinner when Koka’s show had sent a limo for her. Now she was having morning after guilt for not kissing him back like she had wanted to.

Was she wanting in or wanting out?

It simply wasn’t fair for her to be so on the fence about a relationship that didn’t have great odds of working out.

Frustrated, she glared over her coffee at Joe. “Since when are you a poet? What did you and
your Todd
say about each other the day after his first public outing on a man date?”

Ignoring her glare, Joe went back to reading the interviews. “Our situation is different.
My Todd
is still cautious about coming out all the way. In our interviews, we each sort of joked about the dinner being nothing overly important. I said he was a good sport for putting up with a flaming gay like me for the evening.”

“Well there. Doesn’t that just sum it all up? We both said what was necessary to protect our dates from excessive media hype and negative speculation.”

Sabine dropped her gaze from Joe and turned her attention back to her lackluster meal. The reason she had called him to come over was because she couldn’t stop thinking about Koka’s banana and rum flavored kiss. It had haunted her all night.

And Joe was not making things better with his nagging questions.

“I will never believe it was nothing more than a simple meal. I saw the way the man looked at you. Whatever
The Sexy Chef
might have fixed for dinner, tasting you was high up on his menu plans,” Joe said bluntly. “And you haven’t said if it happened or not.”

Sabine ignored the uncomfortably accurate comment and went back to eating her dry chicken. “Last evening is a blur now. I had most of a bottle of champagne in the limo, some killer pineapple shooter concoction he invented, and then a third glass of something I couldn’t identify with the two entrees he cooked. I was in coma after all that. Limo transport is the only reason I made it home in one piece.”

“I’m not buying any I-was-too-tipsy excuse either,” Joe said, folding the paper. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me what really happened. You have a right to protect your privacy even from someone who has known you for a couple decades.”

Sabine sighed. “How do you do that? How do you make me feel guilty for no good reason? Okay look Joe—I know I promised you three thousand on a second bet, but I’ll be damned if I spend one more cent on your hare-brained ideas where any man named Todd is concerned.”