All around the city center, spiky green garlands adorned the fronts of buildings and doorways. Elaborate candelabras hung from special wrought iron posts outside of businesses, and firethorns had sprung up in almost every available planter. The red berries and green leaves of the local plant seemed to make it the Maatkaran version of holly.
No twinkling Christmas lights. No nativity scenes. No elaborate Christmas trees that called to mind New York City or classic Christmas movies from back home.
No, this was humble. Earthy. And somehow exactly what she’d expected without even realizing what an Orthodox Christian country in the Middle East might do to celebrate their revered holiday.
“Come.” Noel grabbed her hand, which sent a jolt of warmth through her, and he pulled her down a small path through a square park. Short, neatly trimmed bushes boasted ornaments galore. He pointed to them. “This is part of our city’s celebration. The hanging of the ornaments.”
She inspected a few of them; delicate glass baubles hung from shreds of ribbon, some even from paper clips. Each one had a differing version of Mary or Jesus painted on it.
“Everyone makes one of these,” Noel said, grabbing one by the base. It showed a sad-looking Mary, gazing down at her newborn son. “Some of them are quite excellent.”
“Wow.” She circled the bush slowly. “And these don’t get stolen?”
“Of course not.” Noel gently touched a different one. His face softened. “It’s part of the family tradition to make these with your mother or grandmother. They pass down the painting skills.”
“They’re gorgeous.” The two of them circled the bushes, looking at the ornaments in turn. Her belly rumbled, the warning kick of hunger. “We should get back. I’m getting hungry.”
“Let’s eat here.” His gaze swept toward a row of small cafés lining the main street. Round tables topped with simple white tablecloths faced the street. “My treat.”
She couldn’t say no to that. “As long as you pick. You know which is best.”
A smile flickered over Noel’s face, and he led them to the second café. A pleasant breeze danced over her face as they chose an outdoor seat. A waiter brought them a simple menu on a clipboard almost immediately.
“Oh, wow. Better options than I expected,” Ana murmured as she skimmed the French-language menu. “Ooh. This quiche right here—wild mushroom, served over arugula. Doesn’t that sound good?”
Noel’s face hardened. “I wouldn’t get that.”
“Oh, come on, it’s the best thing on the menu. And I would know—I’m a chef.”
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
She creased a brow. The man barely ate, and he hadn’t seemed to enjoy a single thing she’d made for him. “Okay, what gives? You’re a pickier eater than my three-year-old daughter.”
His jaw flexed as he studied the menu. It was a few moments before he spoke. “I nearly died as a teenager from eating some mushrooms on a walk. It left me a very picky eater.”
She frowned, reassessing the menu with this in mind. “So the quiche is out.”
A few moments of silence stretched between them, and she could feel his gaze sizzling on her. When he spoke, his gruff tone sliced through her. “Why didn’t you stay in California after your restaurant closed?”
His words almost didn’t fit inside her brain. He was quoting facts from her life like he was a superfan or something. They’d never spoken about her restaurant or California. He wasn’t even supposed to know where she was from.
“Um…How do you know about California?”
“I did some research on you.” He set the menu down, his gaze sparking with intensity and curiosity. “I know your restaurant had a Michelin star. I know you owned it with your husband. And I know your parents have a winery in Sonoma. I wonder why you didn’t stay closer to them.”
Ana lowered her menu slowly. This was somewhere between friendly interest and stalking. “Research, huh? Sounds more like you ran a background check.”
“I wanted to know who my father had brought on board.” His face softened, those fine lines around his eyes appearing as a smile came on. “Forgive me if I know too much about you. But I do find you fascinating.”
His quiet admiration made part of her insides turn to mush. She jerked her gaze back to the menu, but all the words were swirls. “My parents do run a winery. You’re correct. But that’s never been my life to lead. They were less than thrilled about my career choices. Less than thrilled about my adopting Linh. And obviously less than thrilled about my divorce. Their home is sort of a non-option for me.”
Noel nodded, curiosity dancing across his face. “You’re very brave. And very successful because of it.”
His words warmed her, but she eyed him suspiciously. “I guess we all have different definitions of success.”
He smiled, but it faded quickly. His jaw flexed again, and he seemed lost in thought when the waiter came for their orders. Noel gestured for her to go first, and she ordered the quiche. Noel ordered in sharp Arabic, and when the waiter disappeared, he leaned back in his seat.
“Would you rather I’d stayed in Sonoma?” Ana finally asked, heart pounding. This man was mystifying. Cool to the point of cold sometimes. Yet he sparked a heat so fierce it made her dizzy.
“Most definitely not.”
“Then is that kiss on the mountaintop the only one I get or what?”
* * *
Time slowed to a stop between them. She’d said it—she’d gone there. Noel drew a measured breath; part of him had been hoping it would just wither and die in the background, like a social gaffe that everyone secretly agrees to never mention again. Pursuing more kisses couldn’t be a good idea. Even if every bit of him wanted to feel her sweet heat pressed against him.
“Part of me thinks it should stay on the mountaintop.” He fingered the edge of his paper napkin. “The other part of me would spend the rest of today kissing you.”
She cleared her throat, playing with the tip of her ponytail. “Why stop at today?”
“Because pursuing more isn’t right for either of us.” Speaking plainly was his strong suit, even when it meant speaking reason in front of a gorgeous woman. In earlier times, he might have thrown all caution to the wind. But at his age—with his aspirations—he had to play it smarter. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”
“Who says I am?” Ana lifted her a brow, which sent heat straight to his cock. This wasn’t exactly plain speaking, but it was plain as day to him.
He leaned forward, drumming his fingers against the table. Starting an affair with the head chef of the palace was a bad idea. But it wasn’t the worst idea, either.
“I don’t want anything to get in the way of what’s important to me,” Ana said a moment later. “All I have room for is Linh and getting back on my feet in my career.”
“I respect that.” Desire thrummed under his skin, reminding him that it had been far too long since the last time he’d truly wanted someone. He’d missed the heated urgency, the wobble in his stomach that was both painful and glorious. “And I feel the same.”
“Well that makes things easier.” She lifted that brow again, promising all the sexiest things he’d been imagining since laying eyes on her.
“Easier.” He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. Having fun for just a little while—that was always the goal.
Except something inside him whispered that this wouldn’t be just for a little while.
9
The car tires crunched over gravel as the chauffer drove slowly up to the house, but Ana didn’t even realize they’d arrived. She and Noel had been lip-locked since the second they sat in the backseat. It had to have been a fifteen-minute drive. If only the driver would take another lap, give them some more time.
Ana pulled away, her lips swollen and tingling. Noel was too good of a kisser. His thumb grazed her jawline, everything about him begging her to return.
“God, we’re here.” She le
aned forward, her lips finding his immediately. Their tongues met in the middle, sloppy and playful. Her pussy clenched. At this rate, the driver needed to keep driving for at least a couple more hours.
She might never get her fill.
“We can stay in here,” Noel murmured, his hot breath grazing her ear. “I’ll send the driver in. We never have to go inside.”
“I’m down if you are,” she whispered. Somehow, she’d gotten unbuckled and was draped legs first across his lap. She didn’t remember moving; the urgency of their passion must have physically moved her. Noel dragged his fingertips up and down the side of her thigh, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
Noel cleared his throat and looked toward the front of the car. He barked out something authoritative in Arabic. It sent a shiver up her spine. That’s what she liked to hear—a man taking control. Clearing the way for some backseat sex.
She gnawed on her lip as the driver responded in drawling Arabic, clearly unfazed by the growing sexual need in the backseat. Through the windshield, the palace grew nearer.
And coming down the palace’s steps toward them was Charlie.
“Oh no.” Ana swallowed hard, enjoying the last few moments of Noel’s hard heat beneath her. “This can’t be good.”
Noel followed her gaze out the front window. His fingers bit into the flesh of her thigh. “Did you tell him we were returning?”
“No.” Ana straightened herself in the backseat, reluctantly moving her legs back to her side of the seat, watching as Charlie approached the back door of the car. When the sedan slowed to a stop, he approached the driver’s side hesitantly, wringing his hands.
“Is Ana in there?” His voice was muffled through the glass
Noel’s face hardened, and he rolled the window down. “May we help you?”
“Oh, hi, Noel. Sorry for the interruption.” Charlie’s words came out rushed. “Ana, we need to talk. Now.”
Thinly veiled panic lay behind his words. She could sniff it out only from all the years of working at his side. Her stomach flopped and she pushed out of the back seat. “Coming, Charlie. Thanks for the ride, Noel.”
“This isn’t about Linh, right?” she asked sharply, as Charlie led the way toward the palace. He shook his head. All the sexiness and need that had pooled inside her vanished in an instant. Something must have gone down while they were out running. And part of her didn’t want to know what fresh new hell awaited her in the kitchen.
“We need to do a major retool of our dinner menu for the next event,” Charlie said in a low voice. As they wound through the palace halls, employees were out in full force: carrying linens, dusting sconces, positioning new potted plants just so. From here on out, there were important meals almost every day. The next big event was tomorrow afternoon.
“It’s going to be lentil heavy, to highlight the traditional planting of the legumes,” she said on autopilot. Every event, every history, had been committed to memory. She could answer questions in her sleep if she had to. “It’s planned to perfection. What could possibly be wrong?”
Charlie lobbed a sigh. “Segal. He was keeping from us the fact that this dinner isn’t just going to commemorate the planting, it will take place alongside the planting.” Charlie’s face was creased with stress. So much for the quick and fun side job in Maatkare.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Ana slowed as the reality sank in. An outdoor lunch changed everything. The setting was as important as the meal, and she’d created their menu around the creature comfort aspects of being tucked inside a comfortable home. With silverware, place settings, embroidered napkins. Not outside, plowing the earth, coming to the meal with dirty hands.
“How did you find out?” she asked sharply, resuming her stride. Her mind kicked into high gear. There was still enough time to salvage the menu. They just had to work fast.
“I was talking to one of the newer cooks. He let it slip. When I started asking questions, he was so confused that I didn’t know. He said all the cooks knew this. But Segal has been going along with us like it’s gonna be inside.”
Her nostrils flared, fists balling. “This is absurd. He’s sabotaging us, Charlie!” She practically ran to the kitchen, eager to get a glimpse of her domain. To see if he’d gotten up to any other hijinks while she’d been out, foolishly enjoying herself as if this job would actually go her way.
“We need to get this kitchen on lockdown.” Ana strode past the workstations. A few cooks lingered, checking inventories and organizing equipment. She paused, turning to Charlie. “I want actual locks.”
Charlie blinked. “Okay. Like, padlocks?”
“Yeah. That way nothing goes missing.” She counted the work stations, walk-ins, and cabinets she’d need to secure. “Let’s get twenty of them. Can you take care of that for me?”
“Of course.”
“Put them on as soon as you can. Then we’ll retool the menu, and quietly. I don’t want Segal to know we’ve found out quite yet. Not until we have the new menu finalized.”
Charlie nodded and got on his way. Ana took one last look at the seemingly peaceful kitchen and then pushed through the swinging doors into the palace. Ideas were already swirling for the new menu. She just needed to jot them down. She hurried to the bedroom to grab her notebook and perched on the side of her bed as notes flitted through her mind.
Ana worked as much as she could that afternoon on the new menu, in between spending quality time with Linh and helping Charlie quietly lock up the kitchen. She’d hardly stopped to eat. Around nine p.m., a knock sounded on her bedroom door.
The door creaked open. Noel poked his head in.
“Boo,” he said, a grin curling his lips.
“Couldn’t stand to be away from me, huh?” Her whole body bloomed at the sight of him, satisfaction spreading through her alongside the prickles of desire. It wass like she might not ever tire of looking at him.
“I couldn’t find you all day,” Noel said, shutting the door quietly behind him. His gaze roamed her room, and somehow, his seeing her private space sent a thrill through her. Even though this was his space, his family’s space, it felt like the illicit nighttime visit of a boyfriend in high school all over again.
“I’ve been busy.” She set the notebook down. She had needed a break. It was like Noel instinctively knew.
“What are you working on?”
She hesitated. Admitting the issues with Segal didn’t seem quite right. She was still the new girl in town, and tattling to the boss immediately never did anyone any good. She needed more evidence before she said anything. “Just finalizing details for tomorrow. It’s going to be an excellent lunch.”
“Yes. I checked in on your kitchen earlier.”
Ana’s insides tightened. This was not where the conversation needed to head. “You know, I was thinking earlier. If there are no Christmas trees during your celebrations here in Maatkare, do you give gifts at any point?”
Noel shook his head. “That’s not so customary here.”
Ana nodded, tapping her pen against the edge of her notebook. “I wanted to put a small Christmas tree in here. Just to keep the tradition alive. I’m going to be getting a few presents for Linh.”
Noel’s gaze drifted toward the adjacent bedroom, where Linh’s crib was. “Maybe I will too.”
Something fluttered inside Ana’s body, but she tried to squash it. Any amount of excitement or smittenness with a man beyond simple lust was too much. “She loves giraffes,” Ana said, jerking her gaze away from Noel’s lean, striking profile in the amber light of her bedroom. “Just an FYI.”
Noel came to the edge of her bed and sat beside her. Their shoulders brushed.
“I’m not overstepping the boundaries, am I?” Something in his tone had changed, signaling the start of exactly where they’d left off in the car. Heat thrummed through her.
“Definitely not.” She turned toward him, only slightly, but enough to let him know she got it. She understood where he wanted this to
go. How badly she wanted it to go there too.
Noel ran a palm over the exposed top of her thigh. Her breath hitched at the unexpected intensity. It was like the man was a heat source. Warming her down to her bones.
In that instant, every stressor of the kitchen disappeared. Even though the anxiety of the looming lunch threatened to split her into pieces, Noel’s touch made it all fade away. His dark gaze drank her in, begging her to melt into him. To say screw it to the work obligations, to find hours of bliss and solace in the quiet steadiness of his arms.
She’d said yes to that temptation plenty of times before. And being here…the whole point was to turn the tables on what she’d always done in the past.
She needed to say no sometimes, too. Unless she wanted to find herself in exactly the same situation as before: broke, jobless, abandoned.
She must have been staring at him for too long. Noel squeezed her thigh gently, as though urging her to respond. Ana sighed, leaning forward, resting her forehead against his shoulder.
“I have to finish up these details for tomorrow.” Her own voice sounded tinny to her, like a recording she’d suddenly turned on. Linh stirred from the other room, as though she could sense her mother’s energetic dismay. “And now Linh is awake.”
Noel hummed softly, his arm encircling her waist. He scooped her against him, his chin finding the top of her head. Ana squeezed her eyes shut. This was more than just lust. This feeling. This moment. Noel had something else buried deep inside him that her whole body just recognized. Even if it didn’t make total sense.
“Do you ever stop working?” Noel’s voice held a trace of disappointment. He gave her another squeeze before he tilted her head up with fingers.
“And you don’t even eat the fruits of my labor,” she blurted, meaning it as a joke. But there was an accusation layered in too. Even though she knew the reason now, it still grated on her.
Christmas with the Yared Sheikhs: The Complete Series Page 6
