by Terry Towers
Looking down at her watch, she noticed it was nearly 7pm already! "Shit!" She immediately sprung into action, stripping off her jogging pants and t-shirt as she made her way to her private bathroom, directly off the bedroom. "Shit, shit, shit," the curses ran as if on a loop through her mind as she rushed to take a shower.
She ran the possibilities through her mind of what the big surprise could be. Seeing the gown she was expected to wear, she imagined it was some place formal and classy. She wasn't much for formal and classy. "Just wing it Wilmington," she coached herself as she grabbed the shampoo and began to lather up her hair.
****
He'd admit that perhaps what he had planned for Beth was a little inappropriate, okay a lot inappropriate, considering she was now technically his employee. But, he reasoned the inappropriateness away by calling it a celebration outing. Fuck, the whole situation was slightly inappropriate so what was a little night out to add to it.
Pulling the Lamborghini up to the house, promptly at 8pm, he was pleased to see that she was waiting patiently for him just outside the front door and looking more stunning than he'd ever seen her. She was a beautiful woman, he'd thought it from the first moment he laid eyes on her at the coffee shop, with her long golden hair, her sweet heart-shaped face and large blue eyes; she was girl next door, adorable. But now... She was like a goddess if he'd ever seen one and she quite literally took his breath away with her classic beauty.
Turning off the car’s engine Gabriel jumped out and made his way over to Beth, making it to her side before she had a chance to take a single step. Taking her hand into his he brought it to his mouth, flipped it over and kissed he palm. "You look stunning tonight."
Her cheeks turned an alluring shade of pink as she caught his eyes "You don't look too shabby yourself boss," she teased, "Don't suppose you're going to tell me where you're taking me." She looked down at her dress and his eyes followed her gaze, his cock jumping in his black pants as his eyes took in the sight of the tops of her bare breasts.
Keeping hold of her hand he led her down the stairs to the car. "Now if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" With that he gave her a wicked little grin. At the car he opened the door for her, and helped her in while at the same time adjusting his suit jacket to ensure it was covering his growing erection. This was going to be a harder night than he'd expected.
****
Beth eyed Gabriel as he assisted her into the car, trying to decide which Gabriel she liked more; the casual one with the tight t-shirts accenting his sexy chest and shoulders, with the low slung jeans or this one wearing the finely tailored suit with the authoritative demeanour. Both were so damned sexy it made her body yearn for him.
For the thousandth time since she decided to take the job, she wondered how she was going to manage to keep from falling for him. She already had a hardcore crush on him. She'd had one for some time now, hell most of the women at the coffee shop were crushing on him. She remembered all too clearly the look in those women's eyes when she'd told them she was quitting the coffee shop to work for and live at his home, it was a look of pure envy, mixed with a slight hint of hatred.
Boy, if they could see me now, she thought with a smug feeling of satisfaction as she watched him slide in the car behind the steering wheel. He glanced over at her and her heart skipped a beat. A warm smile graced his face as he started the car. The engine roared to life and he shifted it into gear, speeding out of the driveway.
"So do you buy all of your employees beautiful, overpriced dresses and take them to some surprise location whenever you hire them?" she teased.
He shot her wry grin and shook his head, "Nah, I'm starting something new with you."
"So I'm the guinea pig," she lifted a brow at him.
"Something like that. Besides, might I remind you that you are not only the chef, but there are other duties that come with the position..."
Beth laughed, "I know. I know. The non-wife - wife duties, minus the sex."
Gabriel's face blanched at the wisecrack, but he quickly regained his composure and glanced over at her, his eyes roaming the length of her body, before returning back to the road. "I never said sex was off of the table."
Was he serious? Despite the colour rushing to her cheeks she glanced over at him trying to read his expression, but it was blank. Damn him, surely he was joking, but... Her mouth opened to speak, to say something - anything, but she snapped it shut. Sex with Gabriel? She wouldn't lie; she had envisioned the scenario more than once over the months' since she first met him. She had envisioned in her mind's eye what his body would feel and look like under those finely tailored designer suits. Amazing to both the eyes and to the touch, she had no doubt about that. She'd even masturbated to thoughts of him. Truth be told, Gabriel was normally the star of all her fantasies.
Finally, after what felt like close to an hour of awkward silence but amounted closer to a fraction of a minute, he grinned at her. "I'm teasing you Beth."
She released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding until that moment with a loud huff. She wasn't sure what she was more of - relieved or disappointed. No, he's my boss now. I have to keep reminding myself of that. Off-limits! Period! Sadly, the reaction of her body to his close proximity seemed to disagree with her reasoning as she found herself squirming uncomfortably as wetness began to form between her legs from her desire for him.
"Sorry I-"
"Hmmm," he cocked a brow at her and grinned.
"How did you know my dress size?" She decided it best to change the subject, before she got herself more embarrassed than she already was.
It was his turn to flush. "I-um. Well, I had this planned and-"
"And you went snooping through my private things," she narrowed her eyes at him, pretending to be aghast at his actions.
"No. No-it wasn't snooping. You see I knew I was going to take you here and to keep it a surprise-"
"You went poking through my underwear drawer," she couldn't hold the stern look any longer, as a grin broke through ruining her facade.
"Nah," he gave her a wink, "I had Gerald do it."
Beth cringed. Gerald the older, stern looking butler was rummaging through her personal belongings? She prayed he didn't open the drawer with her vibrator in it. He did seem to have a hard time looking her in the eye all day today. Oh God! The whole idea was too mortifying to even consider.
"He didn't happen to mention anything else about what he found when going through my clothes looking for sizes did he?"
Gabriel frowned, "No. Why would he?"
Beth shook her head, attempting a reassuring smile. "No reason at all. Just wondering."
"Hmmm, sweet little Beth from the coffee shop, are you keeping secrets from me?" he flicked on the blinker and pulled the car into the parking lot of one of the hottest and most exclusive restaurants in town - The View. The dress made perfect sense now considering the ultra formal dress code the restaurant required. She'd always wondered what it was like there and if the food was truly worth the pricetag she'd heard was on it. She supposed she would find out soon enough.
Gabriel pulled the car up to the front door and turned it over to the valet while a second valet assisted Beth from the passenger's side. He immediately handed her off to Gabriel as he approached. Gabriel offered his arm to her, which she accepted, feeling like royalty, or some sort of superstar as they strolled - quite literally - down a red carpet into the very elegantly styled, modern restaurant. Oh, I could totally get used to this!
Chapter 4
"You know, Gabriel, this feels an awful lot like a date," Beth commented as he pushed her chair in for her. They were seated in a private room where one wall was actually a window overlooking Portland. Millions of lights sparkled in the darkness below them and if you looked far out you could see the water. It was nothing short of spectacular.
"Does it now?" he asked unbuttoning his suit jacket, shrugging it off and laying it across the back of his chair as he sat down ac
ross from her. "For the sake of argument. You don't start working for me until tomorrow morning, so technically, even if this were a date it wouldn't be a conflict to our working relationship."
A light knock came at the door.
"Come in," Gabriel called out.
Beth turned in her seat, expecting to see the waiter, but instead the head chef walked in closing the door behind him. "Gabriel, good to see you again."
"Pete." Gabriel stood and walked over to the other man. They shook hands and then did what Beth called a "man hug," one arm, with no lower body contact. The chef appeared to be about the same age as Gabriel; early thirties perhaps.
He waved his hand in the direction of Beth. "This is Beth; she's going to be your student for the next few weeks or so."
Student? Beth looked up at the handsome blonde-haired man, who was assumed to be a close friend to Gabriel.
"Ahhh Beth, it's going to be a pleasure teaching you everything I know," he gave her a wink that had her heart racing and colour rising to her cheeks as he extended his hand to her.
Beth took his hand, as she glanced over at Gabriel with a questioning frown.
"Peter is a world renowned chef and he is going to be teaching you the art of cooking. You know, something beyond... mac and cheese."
Beth's eye narrowed as she glared over at Gabriel. Oh God, could that have been more embarrassing.
Peter chuckled good-naturedly. "No need to be embarrassed Beth, a good many people should stay far away from the kitchen, but no worries, I will turn you into a master chef in no time."
Gabriel caught her gaze and grinned, unaffected by her penetrating stare. "So now, you won't be able to say you're not qualified for the job." Gabriel nodded towards Peter. "Pete here will ensure that you are."
While becoming a chef certainly wasn't her lifelong dream, to be tutored by the head chef of The View, was an opportunity that she couldn't refuse. Maybe he could whip her into becoming a great chef. Maybe this was the opportunity she needed? Anything was possible and she was determined to keep an open mind.
"I really appreciate you taking the time to teach me what you know Peter."
Peter smiled down at her and nodded. "My pleasure." Turning back to Gabriel, "I have your pre-order; a selection of your favourite dishes to sample."
"That would be great. Thanks."
"I'll be seeing you tomorrow Beth. And have a good evening, let me know if there are any problems. Your usual wine Gabe?"
Gabe? She hid her grin. Yes, they must be close if he's calling comfortable enough to call Gabriel, Gabe.
"That would be splendid Pete. Thanks."
With a final nod, Peter turned his head and left closing the door firmly behind him. Without the conversation, Beth's attention was shifted to the soft, sultry music that had been playing in the background.
She glanced over at Gabriel as he pushed back his chair and stood, extending his hand to her. "Dance with me until dinner arrives." It was more of an order than a request, his eyes saying he did not expect to be denied.
"Here? Now?"
He smiled softly and nodded, but his tone was firm, "now."
Taking his hand, she rose from her chair and he led her to the small vacant area in front of the window. He pulled her tight into him, wrapping his arms around her waist. She found herself melting against him. As she slipped her hands up his hard chest and secured them around his neck, a voice in the back of her mind warned her she was going to get hurt. It warned her that he was way out of her league and that she was just a distraction until he started dating some new super model or actress. She pressed that voice to the deep recesses of her mind, as she gazed deep into his intense, dark eyes.
After all of the nights she spent dreaming of him, why couldn't she allow herself to pretend this could be real? Just for the night while dressed in the most exquisite gown she'd ever owned, being held in the arms of the most charming and gorgeous man she'd ever laid eyes on. She wanted to pretend she was the princess and this life was really hers.
He held her tight, the soft sway of his hips against hers lighting the fire within her. She leaned in closer to him, and the smell of his cologne came to her, a sweet, yet spicy musk that begged her to come closer, pressing her hips against his.
Damn, damn, damn, she chastised herself. It was so hard keeping her distance when all she wanted to do was get closer. How could she possibly work and sleep just down the hall from him? She shuddered at the thought of seeing him bring another woman home, and God forbid hearing him fucking that woman.
"Hey, what's the matter?" She was jolted for her thoughts by his soft voice and his index finger hooked under her chin lifting her eyes back up to meet his.
Time seemed to freeze as they stood together, locked in each others embrace. She could see the hunger evident in his eyes that it sent a pleasurable chill through her. As she pressed up against the length of his body, she felt his erection against her stomach. He wanted her, and she'd never wanted anyone so badly than at that very moment. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped her. He lowered his mouth to hers. His lips were about second from touching hers when the moment was suddenly shattered by a knock at the door.
"Fuck," he muttered softly, as he straightened back up, saying exactly that she was feeling. "We'll talk in a bit okay?" He loosened his grip on her and she immediately missed his warm, hard body against hers.
Beth nodded and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Come in," Gabriel called out, stepping away from her completely and leading her back to the table with his hand planted firming at the small of her back.
The door opened to reveal a number of servers holding platters of delicious looking and smelling foods.
Oh-my-God! I'm going to have to cook dishes like that! She was going to need more than Peter to cook like that; she was going to need a miracle.
****
"The food was amazing Gabriel. I have no idea how I could even compare to the food they serve there. Even with tutoring from Peter." Beth looked up hesitantly at him as he opened the front door of his home - correction, their home - and ushered her in before him.
Gabriel sighed in exasperation. "I've already told you Beth, if I wanted a gourmet chef I would have hired one. As we have discussed in the contract, you're duties include-"
"Wife without being the wife, maybe minus the sex. I got that," she teased.
Gabriel shook his head, but a smile touched his lips.
"But those dishes were intimidating."
Closing the door and locking it behind them, Gabriel turned to face her. He'd wanted to kiss her all evening. If the waiter hadn't had such fucking bad timing he would have. But would that have been the best of ideas? He raked his fingers through his short dark hair, feelings of indecision rushing through him as he considered it.
After a minute he shook his head. "You'll do fine. You were amazing at coffee shop." With a hand at the small of her back, he urged her towards the winding staircase.
Her sapphire blue eyes peered up at him and she flipped her golden hair over her shoulder as they ascended the stairs. "I served you coffee at the coffee shop. Hardly a testament to my cooking abilities."
He grinned. "I suppose not."
At the top of the staircase both paused and turned to face each other. Gabriel's room was to the left, while Beth's was to the right. The air between them thickened. She had been right; it felt like a date. But if it had been a real date, he'd be pulling her into his arms and ushering her to his bedroom, instead of standing before her as the air between them simmered.
She captured her lower lip between her teeth and his eyes were automatically drawn to her frosted pink painted lips. They were lush and inviting. His cock stirred in his pants and he groaned inwardly.
Not being able to control himself he reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Her skin felt like satin to the touch and he stepped closer, closing the gap between them. He needed to feel more of her and he was powerless to st
op himself. Her breath became ragged as their eyes locked and he saw the fire burning in hers that reflected his body's reaction.
He had to have her, at least one kiss. One. Technically she didn't start work for him until tomorrow. Technically.
As if waiting for the inevitable kiss, she inhaled sharply as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers, giving her a chance to back away. His hand slipped from her cheek to the back of her head and he fisted her long satiny locks, tilting her face up a fraction more and then capturing her lips with his own.
Beth slipped her palms up his chest and to his shoulders. She moaned as his lips touched hers, her body melting against him. Her touch and her moan set off fireworks within him. His cock hardened almost instantaneously as he slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her tight to him, his erection pressing hard against her stomach.
Her lips parted and Gabriel took full advantage of the opportunity, slipping his tongue between her soft lips and exploring her mouth fully tasting the sweetness of the wine on her tongue. His tongue caressed hers, as his hand slid to her backside and he pulled her groin tighter against him.
Fuck he wanted her. Needed her. He didn't think he'd ever wanted a woman so much. What was it about this woman that set him aflame? He had no idea, but she was special. She was a classic beauty that didn't even know it. She was genuine and in the span of a few minutes a day for several months she'd managed to enchant him.
He groaned against her lips and the temptation to lift her up onto his hips and carry her to his bedroom so he could ravage her became too great to withstand. So he released her, stepping back so quickly he nearly stumbled in his haste.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
He wasn't.
Disappointment flashed in her eyes and she gave him a shy smile. "Don't be."
They stood several feet from each other, both reeling from the kiss and the feelings that came with it. "I'll see you in the morning Beth. Thank you for a great evening."
