Scorch (2 page)

Chelsea tried to get around Daniel but he stayed in her path. “Allow me.”

He took a strawberry, dipped it then held it out for her. He smirked when she hesitated. “I thought you were desperate for a bite?”

Did she want it enough to take it right out of his hand? Maybe. But it was too tempting for many other reasons.

Chelsea tried to get around him. He just stepped in front of her again.

“Look, I—”

But Daniel cut her off. He pressed the plump, cream-covered strawberry between her lips.

It was just too good to get angry. She chewed, swallowed then smiled wryly at him. “Never do that again.”

He held up his hands. “I was just trying to help you out.”

“I don’t need your help.” She circled around him and placed the bowls on the counter.

Chelsea had to stop herself from fanning her face. What the hell was that? They’d been working together for months and now all of a sudden it was as though someone had pushed the ‘holy shit Daniel is hot’ button—and he was. Obviously of Mediterranean descent, he was tall, broad-shouldered, olive-skinned with dark brown, almost black, hair and piercing eyes. Under a patrician nose, his lips were full, begging to be kissed. All in all a very delectable package.

Shaking it off, Chelsea sighed. She was just frustrated. That was it. She hadn’t felt a man’s touch in so long that the tiniest hint of flirtation made her head spin.

Chelsea took a moment to straighten her clothing—though it was her mind that needed straightening more than anything—and marched into the dining room. She did her usual sweep, making sure that everything was pristine and ready for diners when they started pouring in. Not that she ever had much to do when it came to that part of her job. All of Cara’s staff were exceptional at what they did.

There was nothing left to do but wait for opening time. Curious about what might be going on in the other room, she strolled in, just in time to see Daniel enter the pantry. She followed.

Like everything else Cara had a hand in, the room was hyper-organized. Daniel had moved a few things around, and she wondered if it was out of spite or if he just felt things needed to be in another spot.

“Grab that there.” He pointed at a small box of mushrooms that had been delivered earlier.

Chelsea did as she’d been asked. As she stood back up, she nearly dropped it when her back met with a hard stomach and chest. He grasped the box before it slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers.

“Careful.” His voice was soft against her ear as he bent and took it from her.

Chelsea’s mind blanked just from the feel of his body against hers. The combination of it and the husky timbre of his voice made her knees weak. She pulled herself together and turned around to see him busy looking for other ingredients.
Did that just happen?

He looked completely composed while she felt as though she had been tossed around like a leaf in a hurricane.

The rest of the night went by as it usually would, except for the fact that Chelsea couldn’t stop looking at Daniel. He didn’t seem at all fazed by the contact in the pantry. His demeanor hadn’t changed. He didn’t look at her other than the occasional casual meeting of the eyes. Whenever they connected, his gaze zapped something deep in her belly, but he seemed as cool and unflappable as ever.

Each time they were close, Chelsea felt the heat emanating from him. Could smell the scent of his aftershave. Of his skin. She was slowly descending into lust-filled madness on her own.

It wasn’t until the end of dinner service that they came into contact again. Chelsea wasn’t even sure what happened, only that their hands grazed and fireworks exploded on her skin. Daniel brushed his hand up hers, prolonging the contact. When their gazes collided, his eyes burned with an intense new light.

What was she supposed to do with this? They worked together. How would they be able to concentrate if things really did happen? He barely touched her today and she could hardly focus. If anything were to go wrong…

His fingers touched hers again, this time lingering a little longer than necessary.

Conversely, Chelsea wanted to know what he was like when that control slipped. A conversation she and Cara once had regarding Daniel’s quiet and always-in-control disposition popped into her head. Over a glass of wine late one night, they had somehow started talking about Daniel. Neither knew very much about his life outside the kitchen. What they did know was that the man was sex on legs, not that he seemed to realize it.

In all their time working together, about seven or eight months for Chelsea and four years for Cara, he’d never mentioned a relationship. He had talked about his dog once. Chelsea distinctly recalled the look on his face when he’d talked about his beloved mutt. The harsh angles had softened as much she’d ever seen on his face. A man who loved his dog that much couldn’t be all bad.

By the end of the night, they were the last two in the restaurant. Chelsea made it a habit to be there until she could lock the doors every night Cara wasn’t around. But tonight it sounded like a lame excuse to hang around with Daniel, even to her own ears.

Not that she had anywhere to go or anything to do.

She straightened the stacks of plates needlessly for the eighth time. What was she still doing there anyway? What did she think was going to happen? That he’d throw her up against the wall and ravish her right then and there?

Actually. That wouldn’t be so bad. Well, it would, but it’d be so good.

A hot flush crept into her cheeks. Just imagining the scenario made her tingle.

“Are you okay?”

Daniel stood barely an inch away. Close enough for the scent of him to make her mouth water. Chelsea cleared her throat and backed up half a step. “I’m fine.”

“You look as though you have something on your mind.” He reached around her…for some reason. Chelsea’s mind short-circuited when his solid chest brushed against her shoulder. All that she could focus on was the heat emanating from him. The feel of him.

When he stepped back, he looked completely unperturbed.

It had to be all in her head. She’d just been alone for so long that her body was playing tricks on her. That was it.

“I’m going to go. I thought there was something I needed to do, but I guess I was wrong.” She wound her hair behind her ears and looked at him, hoping that he bought the story. “You’re okay to lock up, right?”

Daniel’s face didn’t reveal a thing. “Why don’t I walk you out?”

She couldn’t see why not. At the very least, she was going to be around to make certain everything was secure. “Sure.”

Chelsea retrieved her coat and waited as Daniel did his usual routine. Once he was done checking things were tidy, turned off and locked, he gathered his things and waved at the door. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Was it her imagination or did his lips quirk at that?

Daniel led the way out of the restaurant. Once Chelsea was through and the alarm armed, he gave her a half smile. “Which way to your car?”

She was too pent up to go straight home. “I think I’ll walk a little bit. Get rid of some excess energy.”

His lips curved downward. “I wouldn’t be much of a gentleman if I let you wander around alone at night, would I?”

Chelsea wished he wasn’t much of a gentleman at all. The fantasy playing out in her head had him taking her into a dark corner, hiking her skirt up and doing whatever he wanted, as long as he was touching her.

She gasped a little too loudly at the thought because she caught the questioning arch of his eyebrows.

“What’s wrong? You don’t want me to come with you?”

All she heard was ‘come with you’ and again her brain skidded off into the gutters. She had to get a grip. He was only trying to be a nice guy and here she was turning it into something else.

“Not at all. Sorry. I was thinking about something else.”

“Seemed unpleasant.”

Far from it.
“Not really. So where do you feel like going?” She looked up and down the street. What was there to do around here this time of night?

One thing came to mind.

He turned to her then, as if he’d tuned into her thoughts. Tension hummed between them for what felt like an eternity. Then he was wrapped around her.

Daniel tunneled his hands through her hair and anchored her head in place as he plundered her lips. The kiss was hard, and when she gasped from the force of it, he took the opportunity to slip his tongue in to tease her own.

Chelsea clung to him, dueling his tongue with her own. Pleasure rocketed through her, blasting all thoughts out of her head except the need to get him naked.

Here.

Now.

She shoved her hands under his shirt to finally touch the taut skin she’d been wondering about. Chelsea dragged her fingers over the ridges of his muscles, marveling at his physique. Meanwhile, Daniel let his hands wander over her to cup her bottom and breast.

Good Lord but the man could kiss.

It wasn’t until he backed her into the car and the screech of its alarm ripped through the silence that she regained enough sense to push him back and dig through her purse for her keys. Heart threatening to punch through her chest, she jabbed at the fob until the sound stopped.

Trying to slow her pulse, she hazarded to meet his gaze. Daniel looked just as stunned as she was as he raked his hair back into place. Chelsea’s pulse leaped again when she caught his gaze. He knew exactly what he was doing—and he wasn’t done yet.

And she didn’t want him to be. She didn’t even consider dragging him back into the restaurant, even though that’s what she wanted to do.

She opened the door and waved him in. “Come on.”

He took the keys from her. “Get in.” Daniel didn’t stop to argue. He circled the car and got in the driver’s seat.

Chelsea did as she’d been told, curious to see what he had in mind.

The drive was quick. The beach was quiet when they pulled up. Not that she got much chance to study it. The instant the engine stopped, Daniel reached for her again. She ripped off her seatbelt and climbed over to straddle him. He immediately gripped her close and attacked her mouth and clothes with equal vigor. The buttons of her shirt pinged off the windows. He wrenched her bra out of the way and closed his mouth, hot and wet, over a hardened nipple.

Chelsea let her head tip back as he licked and tasted.

A tiny voice in the back of her head screamed,
What the hell are you doing?
Was she really about to have sex in her car like a hormone-crazed teen? She’d never done it before and she wasn’t about to now.

“Daniel…”

He groaned. He kissed his way up her collarbone to nip the skin just under her ear. “I love my name on your lips.”

Shivers of pleasure skittered through her at his touch. There was nothing wrong with car sex. It wasn’t as if anyone would find out. What could it hurt? It could be the one crazy thing she’d ever done in her life. She’d followed the rules for as long as she could remember and where had it gotten her?

Alone.

As far as she was concerned, she was entitled to a little fun. And right now that meant getting naked with Daniel.

She hooked her fingers into his shirt and tore it open. By the dim streetlight, she saw how taut his skin was over ridges of muscle. Who knew he had that hidden under his chef’s jacket? Fascinated, Chelsea ran her fingers over them, trailing a path to the waistband of his trousers.

He tugged at the button and zipper of hers, but their cramped positions made it impossible to get them off. Why hadn’t she worn a skirt today?

Undeterred, Daniel slithered his hand in and under the silk of her panties then plunged two fingers inside her. He silenced the cry that escaped her with a hard, biting kiss that only wound her tighter. He expertly coaxed an exquisite orgasm from her as easily as he would have whipped up cream.

The slide of Daniel’s fingers within her, hot, wet and slippery, provided just the right amount of friction. He knew exactly how deep to delve to find that spot that had her writhing against him. He pressed his palm tight against her clit as he rocked his hand back and forth.

Chelsea gasped as the combination of his thrusting fingers and the glide of his palm over her clit sent sparks of sensation along with searing waves of heat through her body. Mindlessly, she rode the sensations—and Daniel. Grinding her hips against him seeking her pleasure.

It took her seconds for the bubble to burst and Chelsea to cry out from the force of her orgasm.

She sagged against him, fighting to regain her breath. Sex had never been so all-consuming with Richard—or as hot. They had been together a few years and she couldn’t remember a time when they’d just let passion take over. He’d most definitely never brought her to orgasm in a car. The quiet sex they’d had was just that, quiet and sedate.

Boring.

When Chelsea could focus her eyes again, she found herself staring at a half-naked man pinned between her and the driver’s seat and found that the world hadn’t imploded. No one was the wiser. It was just her and Daniel—and she felt good.

Fantastic.

And a little awkward.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you?”

Daniel chuckled and nibbled at her lips. “I’m not done yet. Think you’re up for round two? How far is your place?”

She slid off him and righted what she could of her clothes with a smile. “Not too far.”

Chapter Two

Chelsea opened the door to her apartment and led him in—and regretted not thinking it through first.

“Wow.” He scanned the spartan room. “You at least have a bed, right?”

She wasn’t in the mood to discuss her décor choices, or lack thereof. She took his hand and dragged him into the bedroom, which indeed had the requisite furniture. She might not have splurged on other things for her apartment, but she did have a good bed. A strong one. One that she intended to put to the test right now.

She quickly dropped her ruined shirt on the floor and followed it with the rest of her clothing as he did the same with his. Chelsea studied him and sensed his eyes roving over her the same way.