Recipe for Desire

by Hodges, Cheris

  “I’m coming over,” he said. Before Marie could protest, her father had disconnected the call. She couldn’t help but smile; even when he was trying to be tough on her, she was still Daddy’s little girl.

  Devon drove around aimlessly for about forty-five minutes after leaving Marie’s place. He finally ended up at the restaurant. He figured working on a new recipe or something would take his mind off the enigma of Marie Charles. Maybe if he worked with chicken and spices he could erase the sweetness of her kiss from his mind. As soon as he walked through the back door of Hometown Delights, he saw that he would have a distraction.

  “Kandace,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

  A very pregnant and glowing Kandace Crawford turned around and smiled at Devon. “Hey, buddy,” she replied. “I came by to meet the girls. Solomon is announcing plans for a Crawford resort in Ballentyne tomorrow, and I couldn’t pass up a chance to come to Charlotte.”

  Devon looked down at his watch; dinner service was over, but he knew his friends would probably want something to eat. “Who’s here?”

  “Jade’s in the office on the phone and Alicia’s closing out the bar. Serena’s allegedly coming over, but we probably won’t see her until breakfast.” Kandace laughed and then rubbed her stomach. “Where have you been?”

  “That’s a long story,” he said as he motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. Before Devon started whipping up something for them to eat, he inspected the cleaning that his staff had done. Excellent job, he surmised.

  “Hello,” Kandace said. “Did you hear me?”

  “What?”

  “Tell me the story.”

  Devon smiled as he looked at Kandace’s swollen belly. She rested her hands on her stomach and tilted her head to the side. “You act like you’ve never seen a pregnant woman before,” Kandace joked.

  “I’ve never seen a pregnant Kandace before,” he replied. “But anyway. I’m just leaving the hospital. Marie Charles, who is working at My Sister’s Keeper with me, twisted her ankle, and when we left the taping today, her ankle was swelling, we thought it was broken.”

  “This isn’t a long story, this is a boring story,” Kandace quipped.

  Jade appeared in the doorway. “What’s going on in here?” she asked, looking from Devon to Kandace.

  Kandace tilted her head toward Devon. “He’s boring me with a story that’s hiding the truth.”

  “Is this about Marie Charles?” Jade asked.

  Devon threw his hands up and shook his head. “And I was going to cook for you nosy heifers.”

  “A new recipe?” Kandace asked. “Oh, this is serious.”

  “Alicia said she saw sparks,” Jade said.

  Devon leaned against the counter and folded his arms. “Alicia didn’t see a damned thing,” he snapped. Jade and Kandace exchanged a knowing look.

  “He had to take her to the hospital,” Kandace told Jade.

  “And then what happened?” Jade asked as she and Kandace focused their stare on him while he crossed over to the freezer. Devon opened the door and pulled out a package of chicken breasts.

  “Well,” he said, “I took her home and we kissed.”

  “I knew it,” Alicia exclaimed from the doorway. “This is about Marie Charles, right?”

  Devon slammed the meat on the counter. “Do y’all want to eat?”

  “She’s trouble,” Alicia said. “Be careful.”

  “Did you think she was trouble when you invited her to dinner here?” he asked as he walked over to the spice rack.

  Alicia shrugged. “Marie is a walking headline, that’s why I invited her for dinner. Marketing one-oh-one. Photographers follow her like moths to a flame.”

  Kandace raised her hand as if she were in class. “Who is Marie Charles?”

  Alicia crossed over to Kandace and placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Charlotte’s chocolate Paris Hilton. Her father is an attorney, Richard Charles. Ask Kenya about him. He’s like the reincarnation of Johnnie Cochran.”

  “That I did not know,” Devon said as he set the spices on the counter. “I wonder why he didn’t get her out of ...”

  “Out of what?” Kandace asked.

  “While you were in New York, Miss Marie got a DUI charge and has to do community service with Devon at the shelter,” Alicia said. “But when they were here earlier today, I know what I saw.”

  Devon groaned and shook his head. “Here we go,” he said.

  Jade turned to Alicia. “I thought it was just me,” she said to her friend. “But when you and Devon were talking at the end of the taping, she looked as if she wanted to claw your eyes out.”

  “Why would you say something that stupid?” Devon snapped, then he dropped his head. “How about all of you get out of my kitchen. Go in the office and talk about me there. If you want to stand around, then all of you can help cook.” He pointed at Kandace. “Pregnant women can work, too.”

  “Whatever,” Kandace said. “And how are you trying to tell us what to do?”

  Devon cocked his head to the side and laughed out loud. “Y’all are a trip, haven’t changed since college, just got older.”

  “Then you know we’re not moving until you tell us what’s going on with you and Marie,” Jade said.

  Devon began seasoning the chicken and kept his eyes focused on the meat as he said, “I could like her, under different circumstances. She’s different when the cameras aren’t around her.”

  “Oh, snap,” Alicia said. “Are you out of your mind? Weren’t you lamenting about not being able to find a good woman the other day?”

  “And why do you think Marie isn’t a good woman? I saw a different side of her today. She was nice to the women at My Sister’s Keeper and quickly dropped that diva attitude that she’s known for. But it’s not as if anything can come from it.”

  “Why not?” Jade and Kandace asked in concert.

  Devon crossed over to the sink and washed his hands, then grabbed a pan for the chicken. “Because, I supervise her community service,” he said as he turned the stove on. “I’m sure there are rules against that.”

  “She’s not going to be doing community service forever,” Jade said.

  “Which means she might not be on her good behavior forever,” Alicia said.

  “What will getting to know this woman hurt?” Kandace asked.

  Devon coated the bottom of the pan with olive oil and pondered Kandace’s question. What would getting to know Marie better hurt? Maybe his work at the shelter, maybe his sanity, maybe his heart? There was one thing he knew about her and that was going to stay on his mind longer than it was going to take to cook this almond chicken dish. As the chicken sizzled and his friends bantered back and forth about whatever they were talking about, all he could think about was Marie’s kiss: the softness of her lips and the sweetness of her tongue. He wanted more. Needed more, and he couldn’t have it, which made the tightness in his loins unbearable.

  “Shit,” he muttered as he nearly burnt his hand on the side of the pan.

  “Are you all right over there?” Alicia asked.

  “Fine,” he said. “Just broke my number-one rule.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Cooking while distracted,” he replied.

  “You know,” Kandace said. “You never answered my question.”

  Devon sprinkled a half cup of almonds over the chicken as well as his secret blend of spices, then flipped the breasts over and sprinkled more almonds and spices. “What question was that?” he asked, fully aware of the question.

  “Now, you’re just playing silly,” she replied. “About this Marie Charles lady, why can’t you get to know her? Devon, you deserve to be happy.”

  Jade and Alicia cast a suspicious glance Kandace’s way. “I mean,” Kandace continued, “I think you’ve grown and will treat the next woman in your life the way she should be treated. She’s going to be a lucky woman.”

  Devon smiled and shook his head. “I hones
tly never thought I would hear those words come from you.”

  “I never thought I would say them, either,” she said. “I thought I wanted you to be lonely for the rest of your life, but everyone deserves a second chance.”

  As Devon continued making the chicken and preparing the jasmine rice to accompany the dish, he wondered if he and Marie could find that second chance together.

  An hour later, Devon was setting plates of almond chicken over jasmine rice, steamed vegetables with Devon’s secret blend of herbs and spices, and piping hot crescent rolls on the bar in the back of the restaurant for the women to sample.

  “Just like old times,” he said as he watched them eat. “I cook, y’all eat.”

  “Better than old times,” Jade said. “The cooking has improved tremendously.”

  “Even if you could always out cook us,” Kandace said as she broke a roll in half and slathered it with warm honey butter. “So, have you fed Marie Charles yet?”

  “I can take the food away, too,” he said as he took a piece of chicken breast from the platter. Devon savored the nuttiness and richness of the chicken. This was good, a menu-ready dish, he decided. “How about we make this a dinner special next week?”

  “Sure,” Alicia said. “What about that New Orleans chicken dish you make; can we make that a dinner special tomorrow? When we did inventory, there was a lot of chicken that might go to waste.”

  Devon squeezed Alicia’s shoulder and smiled. “My favorite bean counter. We’ll make it a lunch special.”

  “I know where Solomon and I will be for lunch,” Kandace said, then took another bite of her chicken.

  Devon smiled. “When are you due?”

  “Less than a month away,” she said, then rubbed her belly. “We decided that my baby is going to be born here.” Kandace turned to her friends. “I couldn’t bear having my baby without you guys here.”

  “Aww,” Jade said as she dropped her fork and hugged Kandace. “I was ready to load James and Jaden up for a trip to New York.”

  “Well, I was impressed with the facility at Presbyterian, where you and Kenya gave birth. So, I thought it would be best that we had the baby here, especially since construction on a new Crawford resort will be starting soon.”

  “Do you know if you’re having a girl or a boy?” Alicia asked.

  “I’m praying for a girl,” Kandace said. “The world is not ready for another Solomon Crawford.”

  “Amen,” Devon muttered, causing the women to focus a glance in his direction. He threw his hand up. “Hey, you said it, I just agreed.”

  “I wish you and my husband would grill this beef between the two of you, serve it on some yeast rolls and get rid of it,” Kandace said with a delicate shake of her head.

  “I’m not the one with the beef. That’s all on your hubby,” he replied. “I can understand why he’d think you’d leave him for someone as devastatingly handsome as myself, but I messed that up a long time ago.” Devon winked at her. “If it isn’t obvious that we’ve moved on, I’m going to have to question your husband’s confidence.”

  “Please,” Alicia said. “That’s the one thing the world knows Solomon Crawford isn’t lacking.”

  Kandace rubbed her stomach and smiled brightly. “He’s not lacking in anything.”

  “And on that note, I’m going to clean up the kitchen and go home,” Devon said, then headed for the kitchen. Sometimes when he was with Alicia, Kandace, Serena, and Jade, he felt as if he was the fifth girlfriend in their circle. Amazing that they had remained friends after the nasty breakup he and Kandace had nearly a decade ago. He could understand why Solomon would have a problem with the two of them working together. But Devon wasn’t the type of man to go after a woman who could never belong to him. His desire for Kandace had waned long ago. But he couldn’t ignore his growing need for Marie. Her lips, their kiss, and the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest were burned into his brain like a tattoo. Just how in the hell was he supposed to work with her now when all he could think about was that amazing kiss and those dangerous curves?

  Marie popped two anti-inflammatory pills, then washed them down with the glass of Simply Apple juice her father had poured for her. “Just like the old days,” Richard said fondly as he handed Marie a peanut butter and banana sandwich, sliced in half with the crust cut off. Marie couldn’t help but smile as she took the plate from her father’s hand. He’d been making her favorite sandwich the same way since she came home crying because Joey Porter had called her ugly and pulled her hair when she was in the fifth grade.

  “Thank you, Daddy,” she replied. “I’m glad you came over tonight.”

  “So, how did this happen again?” he asked as he took a seat on the chaise across from the sofa, where Marie was stretched out.

  “I wore the wrong shoes to My Sister’s Keeper and slipped.”

  “Was the floor wet? Did they have a sign up?”

  Marie took a bite of her sandwich and threw her hand up. “It was my fault,” she said after swallowing. “I’d hoped that my community service would’ve been less service and more sitting.”

  Richard shook his head. “If you’re working in an unsafe environment ...”

  “Daddy,” she said. “I was the one who wore Jimmy Choo heels when I should’ve expected to do some work. But Devon took good care of me.”

  “Devon? Who is he?”

  “The chef who’s supervising my community service,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even. Somehow, Richard seemed to see what Marie was trying to hide.

  “I hope you know getting involved with this man while you’re doing community service with him is a mistake.”

  Marie sighed and took another bite of her sandwich. If only she could explain to her father that after one scorching kiss, she didn’t give a damn if it was a mistake; she simply wanted to feel his lips against hers again.

  Richard rose to his feet and smiled. “Since I see that you’re all right and you’ve eaten, I’m going to go. I have court in the morning.”

  “I’d walk you to the door,” she said, then pointed to her ankle. “But, you know.”

  He crossed over to his daughter and kissed her on the forehead. “Marie, please take this community service seriously and remember that Devon is in a position of power over you. You cannot and should not cross the line with him.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said and offered him a mock salute. Richard shook his head, wondering why he even wasted his breath. He knew Marie would do what she always did: anything she wanted. He just wished his daughter would do a little more growing up.

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, Marie woke up to find that the swelling in her ankle had subsided slightly. Smiling, she limped out of bed, showered, and searched for the flattest pair of shoes she had. She ended up slipping into a pair of two-year-old, barely worn Converse All Stars. The shoes were specially made for her during that period of time when everyone in the world thought Converse sneakers were the coolest thing in the world. She slipped into the silver, purple, pink, and green shoes and realized why she hadn’t worn them to the Chuck Taylor party that her marketing company had hosted—she was short. Today, however, Marie was glad she hadn’t thrown the shoes away. She could move around her bedroom, albeit very slowly, without the crutches, but she wondered if she would be able to work in the shelter without them. As she called her father’s car service to come and pick her up, she decided to take one of her crutches with her, hoping and praying that trying to walk with it would give her something else to think about. Something other than the taste of Devon’s mouth. Slipping the crutch underneath her left arm, Marie headed for the kitchen. She figured that she’d better eat breakfast before heading into work. Sadly, all she had to eat in the kitchen was a bagel, since she normally ate breakfast out. As she brewed a cup of coffee in her Keurig machine, Marie promised herself to buy some eggs at the supermarket later. Marie dropped a sesame seed bagel into the toaster and leaned against the counter, wondering
if Devon did more than just cook in the kitchen. Would he take her on the counter, using chocolate and sugar as he licked her until she shivered with anticipation and desire? Would he wrap her legs around his waist as he thrust into her, touching her most sensitive spot while she screamed his name?

  “Stop thinking about that man,” she muttered as she snapped the pod in place. “He plays by the rules.”

  Just as her bagel popped up in the toaster, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”

  “Marie, it’s Devon,” he said, his voice thick and deep, causing her knees to quiver.

  “Hi,” she said. Then she wondered why he was calling her.

  “I just wanted to let you know that I called your probation officer and informed him of your accident, so if you can’t make it in today, it won’t count against you.”

  Disappointment snaked through her body, though she did appreciate his thoughtfulness. “I plan to come in to the shelter today, I’m actually waiting for the car service,” she said.

  “How’s the ankle?”

  “It’s still sore, but the swelling has gone down some.”

  “That’s good to hear. And you have flat shoes to wear today?” he asked.

  Marie laughed. “I do.”

  “Why don’t I come and pick you up? I’ll even bring you breakfast,” he said.

  There was so much more she wanted him to bring her, she thought as she looked at the clock on the wall. If she was going to accept his ride, which she was, then she needed to call the car service and cancel. “I need to call my driver,” she said as she tossed her half-burnt bagel in the trash. “Thanks for the ride. I guess I’ll have some coffee ready for you.”

  “Don’t worry about it; I’m not a big coffee drinker. I’ll see you in about ten minutes.”

  Marie smiled brightly. “All right.” She ended the call and quickly phoned the car service, letting them know that she didn’t need to be picked up after all. Moving as quickly as she could, Marie went back into her bedroom to make sure her outfit—black leggings and a white tank top tunic—and her hair were impeccable. As she slathered lip gloss on her lips, she heard the door buzzer go off. Now she wanted to slap herself for not having an intercom installed in her bedroom so that she could tell the doorman to send Devon up. She hobbled to the front door and pressed the Talk button on the machine. “Yes?”