Seducing His Heart (12 page)

“
He wouldn’t bite me,
would he?”

“
He’s new, so I don’t
know. Not on purpose, but if he has a hard mouth,
maybe.”

“
Hard mouth?”

“
Trust me.” Bess grabbed
his hand. She laid the treat on his palm then held his hand down
close to Homer’s face. The dog scooped the tidbit up without
drawing blood. “I think he has a soft mouth,” she said, dropping
Whit’s hand.

“
Hard, soft. So many
things for me to learn.” He shook his head.

“
You’ll get it. We were in
your shoes once.” She squeezed his shoulder and smiled before
giving Dumpling her treat. The pug waited patiently, keeping an eye
on Homer.

They sat down and passed around the
delectable food.

“
What dessert did you make
to go with this?” Whit asked before putting a spoonful of stew in
his mouth.

“
Pear and apricot compote.
And a plum torte.”

“
That’s what I smelled! It
was like butter baking.”

“
That’s it. Plum torte. My
mom used to make that in the fall.”

“
Any leftover?” She
detected the note of hope in his voice.

“
Of course.”

“
Ah, my lucky day. I meet
three charming, beautiful women and am fed like a king. This must
be a dream.”

“
Oh, brother. Some
malarkey,” Rory muttered, rolling her eyes.

“
I’m afraid flowery talk
doesn’t go over well with this group,” Bess said.

“
But I meant every
word!”

Bess shot him a dubious look.

“
Perhaps I’d better eat
and shut up,” he muttered.

The ladies laughed. The dogs had settled
down, each finding a place on the sofa, a chair, or the floor. Some
were cuddled together with another pug or two, while others rested
alone. Homer inched closer to Dumpling, who issued a low, warning
growl. The young male stopped and cowered. The female lay back and
closed her eyes, allowing him to move toward her. Homer curled up
back-to-back and closed his eyes as well.

“
I see our dogs have made
their peace,” Whit said.

Bess blew out a breath. “Thank God. What
hell, having dogs hate each other and living across the hall.”

As soon as they finished eating, Miranda,
Brooke, and Rory got busy cleaning up. Whit helped by clearing the
table. They were a whirlwind, creating a spotless kitchen within
minutes.

Miranda looked at Brooke and raised her
eyebrows. Rory checked her watch. “I think it’s time to go.
Baxter!” she called for her pug.

“
But it’s only eight
thirty,” Bess said. Before she could offer take-home leftovers, the
three women had packed up their pooches and hit the elevator. Whit
tilted the wine bottle over her glass and looked at Bess. She
nodded. “Why not?” She took her drink over to the sofa, sank down
next to Dumpling, and put her feet up on the coffee
table.

Whit joined her. Bess’s gaze roved over the
city as darkness deepened and the many lights of New York
apartments twinkled like stars on the East side of Central Park.
She lifted her wine. “I’m lucky to have such good friends.”

“
They seem like a nice
group. Think they’re sizing me up for you.”

Bess turned to face him. “You think so? I’ve
told them we’re only friends.”

He inched closer. “Are we only friends? Are
we sort of related now, through our dogs?”

She laughed. “That’s quite a line,
Whit.”

“
Hey, I tried.” He sat
back and gave her a long look. “You’ve heard my life story, what
about yours?”

“
Me? Too boring for
words.”

He ignored her attempt to shut down the
conversation. “How’d you get into cooking?”

She shifted around, trying to get
comfortable.

“
Let’s go.”

“
Okay, okay! I started a
long time ago.”

“
Why?”

“
Patience! I’m getting
there. I was a regular, boring kid when I was little. My favorite
things were raking leaves with my dad, reading, and taking
pictures. I’d take long nature walks with my father. He’d lecture
me about the plants and animals, and I’d take pictures.”

“
Doesn’t sound boring to
me.”

“
Wait. My sister, Jane, is
two years younger. She was the smart one, always getting the best
marks in school. I was a daydreamer.”

“
Creative,
maybe?”

“
Shhh! Do you want to
listen or not?”

“
Okay, okay. Sorry.” He
held up his palm and took a sip of wine.

“
Jane and my mom were
inseparable. Mom drove Janie to be number one in her class. She
wouldn’t let her come on walks with Dad. Jane was always studying
and practicing to become a cheerleader.”

“
Not you?”

“
I had no interest. She
succeeded, too. Still, Mom and Dad would get into awful fights
about us. Dad wanted Mom to stop pushing, and Mom wanted Dad to
push me more.” She took a breath to steady herself. “Here comes the
hard part.”

Whit took her hand.

She smiled at him. “One day, spring, I
think, it’s hard to remember every detail. They had a huge fight.
It was right before dinner. Dad had had a few. I don’t remember
what they said, but Dad grabbed the car keys and left the house.
Mom stood at the door, screaming after him. I blocked it out.
Simply one more fight. But it wasn’t.”

Whit raised his eyebrows.

Bess’s eyes watered. She breathed in,
shuddered, and then pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes.
“It was their last fight,” she whispered. Whit handed her his
handkerchief. “Dad got into an accident, a DUI, and was killed.
Fortunately, he didn’t hurt anyone else. Wrapped his car around a
tree.”

He squeezed her hand then pulled her into an
embrace. For a moment, Bess hid her face in his shoulder. “It was a
long time ago. I was fourteen.” She sighed and wiped away her
tears.

“
That’s pretty young to
lose your dad.”

“
Not as young as you
losing your mom.” Bess took a sip of wine.

“
That was different.” He
shifted in his seat. “Go on.”

“
The shock affected us
all. There was no more fighting allowed in the house. Mom had to
get a job. She went to work. I bought the groceries and cooked.
Janie did the laundry. We all cleaned together.”

“
A team?”

“
Yeah. All bad feelings
were forgotten. Janie and I did babysitting on Friday and Saturday
nights. We contributed to the food bill.”

“
And?”

“
That’s where I learned to
cook, by trial and error. I took out lots of cookbooks from the
library. I liked the creativity. And I was learning. Janie buckled
down even more and became the top math kid in school. She won a
full scholarship to college.”

“
What about
you?”

“
I couldn’t go. Within a
year of Dad’s death, I took over running the house. Mom worked lots
of hours selling real estate. Sometimes she’d do well, and some
months we were overdue on everything.”

“
Life must have been
tough.”

“
It was. I didn’t realize
it at the time. Survival. At sixteen, I was making pies and selling
them to local restaurants. I could make and sell six on a Saturday.
Sold ’em for ten bucks. We needed the money. I didn’t even think
about college. I knew I couldn’t go.”

“
What did your mom
say?”

“
We never discussed it.
The guidance counselor tried to change my mind, but I knew what Dad
would have wanted me to do. He’d want me to stay and help out. So I
did.”

“
And your
photography?”

“
Oh that?” She laughed. “I
made a couple of scrapbooks, but the stuff was pretty pathetic. I
put my camera away after Dad died.”

“
That’s terrible,” he
said.

“
What’s terrible was my
pictures. I didn’t have any talent.”

“
Continue.”

“
Nothing more to say.
Janie graduated with honors. That’s when I got my freedom. After
winning a couple of contests, I had an offer for a cable cooking
show in Baltimore. I took it. Janie landed a job at the bank,
supported Mom, and I was free.”

“
How old were
you?”

“
Twenty-four. I worked in
Baltimore for four years on that show before I got this
deal.”

“
Still in touch with your
mom and Janie?”

“
Yeah, sort of. Janie’s
pretty busy. We were never close. Mom is happier with her. As vice
president of the local bank, she gets a lot of attention. Mom loves
that.”

“
But you have your own
television show.”

“
I know. But it’s cooking.
She says anyone can do that, but not everyone is gifted in math.
She has a point.”

“
Not everyone can cook
like you do.”

Bess shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been with
this program for four years. I’m happy. I love what I do, even if
it isn’t unique.”

“
I think it’s unique. I’ve
never eaten food as good as you make. And I’ve eaten in some top
restaurants.”

The heat of a blush warmed her cheeks.
“Thanks.”

“
You sell yourself
short.”

“
I’m good at what I
do…”

“
The
best
at what you do.”

She patted his hand, which was still holding
hers.

Whit leaned over and kissed her. It was a
slow, probing kiss. Bess lifted her chin as he slipped his arm
around her waist. He pulled her closer and increased the pressure
of his mouth on hers, warming her. He raised his head, and his
clear eyes bored into hers, staring. The intensity startled her.
Hers widened. Something flickered in his then disappeared.

He brought his lips to hers again, but more
demanding this time. His hand cupped her cheek while his arm moved
her flush up against his hard chest. A soft moan escaped as she
opened for him. His tongue possessed her mouth. His heat melted her
insides. She softened against him, like chocolate in the sun. She
steadied herself, bringing her arms up to join around his neck. He
tasted delicious, and she wanted him.

As quickly as he kissed her, he retreated,
burying his face in her neck, kissing his way down to the neckline
of her sweater. His hand closed around her breast. His touch
ignited heat that traveled all the way to her toes. Small flames
licked her insides when his thumb found her peak.

Bess slid her hands down his pecs, digging
her fingertips into his muscles as she unbuttoned his shirt. He
groaned when she came into contact with his skin. Her hand brushed
through the dark hair on his chest. He slipped the shoulder of her
sweater down, exposing her breast, resting in a white lace bra.

“
Beautiful,” he murmured,
reaching into the cup and raising her flesh to his lips. He nibbled
on her then flattened his tongue and circled her with it. She
gasped as his actions made her throb. The heat between her legs
grew, making her squirm. “Can we go somewhere more…comfortable?” He
raised his head. Lust shone through his eyes and a slight sex flush
colored his cheeks.

Bess could hardly breathe.

“
I want you,” he
whispered. Then, he stood and offered her his hand. “Come, Bess.
Time to get what we want.”

She rose silently, took his hand, and led
him to her bedroom.

Chapter Seven

Whit had filled her mind and her senses,
morning, noon, and night. From wondering what he was eating, to
whom he was sleeping with, he had crept into her thoughts day after
day. Her skin tingled when she recalled his touch. His pleasing
scent lingered. The taste of him never left her.

Curiosity had grown into almost obsession.
Obsession had become passion. She wanted him with every fiber of
her being. Now, she was going to fulfill that desire, and her whole
body hummed in anticipation.

The dogs snored softly and didn’t move. When
the would-be lovers entered her room, she reached for the hem of
her sweater.

He stopped her. “Wait. No. Let me. I’ve
wanted to for a long time.”

“
Make love?”

“
Undress you. It’s a
fantasy of mine.”

A blush of pleasure at his words warmed her.
She dropped her hands and faced him. Whit lifted her top over her
head slowly, then folded it and put it on a chair. He reached
around and unsnapped her bra with one hand. She let it slip to the
floor. His eyes feasted on her naked breasts as he raised his hands
to touch her. She finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off
his shoulders.

“
You’re beautiful,” he
murmured, lost in exploration of her chest with his mouth. She lost
her fingers in his thick hair and kissed his head, bent in front of
her. She reached for the snap on her jeans, and he undid his belt
buckle. They removed their pants and stood facing each
other.

“
Wait! Let me,” he said,
as she hooked her thumbs in the sides of her white, lace panties.
Whit slipped his hands under the sides and eased them down, his
gaze following their descent. When she was naked, he dropped his
boxers.

Her gaze skimmed down his abs to his
erection. Her eyes widened. “Wow,” slipped from her lips.