Solomon shook his head. “So, you and that chick are serious?”
Devon bristled. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
Solomon threw his hands up. “I’m not trying to say anything, but if I can give you a word of warning.”
“Uh-oh,” Alicia mumbled. Devon stopped mixing and glared at Solomon.
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t know Marie and I’m sure she’s a nice girl. But I’ve seen a lot of party girls in my day, and it’s a lifestyle that’s hard for them to give up, and it comes back to bite you at the more unexpected times,” he said. “Just putting it out there.”
“Well, she has changed a lot,” Alicia said. “I just read on that silly After Dark blog that she’s now considered MIA and they’re trying to see who’s going to take her place on the party scene.”
“And,” Solomon said, “this isn’t New York.”
“Thanks for your concern, both of you,” Devon said. “But I got this.”
Alicia shrugged and tossed her head back. “I hear you, player. Oh, wait,” she said, pointing at Solomon. “You used to be the player.”
“And all this time, I thought you were the nice one,” Solomon shot back.
“They are all evil,” Devon said. “Especially the one in denial.” He nodded toward Alicia as she left the kitchen.
Solomon turned to Devon once Alicia left. “So, are you going to consider being Kiana’s godfather? She’s going to need you to balance out those three godmothers.”
“I’ll do it,” he said. “But it may be a long-distance job.”
“Yeah, I do want to move back to New York,” Solomon said. “Not sure how Kandace is going to like that.”
“Guess we’re in a similar position. I wonder how Marie’s going to feel about moving to Paris.”
“Paris? Damn. I get the feeling that she won’t say no. That’s every woman’s dream to be whisked away to the city of lights,” Solomon said. “You’re right, you do have this.”
As Marie drove to her father’s office, her cell phone would not stop buzzing. Every time she glanced at the phone, the screen read Unknown. The only thing that came from answering a call from an unknown number was trouble. But when the phone buzzed again, curiosity got the best of her.
“Marie Charles.”
“Miss Charles, it’s David Cross from Charlotte Living magazine. How are you?”
“What can I do for you?” she asked.
“Well, I’m calling because I know that you’ve been seen around town with Chef Devon Harris, and I was wondering if you had any information about the funeral arrangements for Devon’s father.”
“What?” she asked. “His father passed away?”
“You weren’t aware? According to the Associated Press, he passed away this afternoon,” the reporter said. “We’ve tried to contact Mr. Harris, but he’s not at the restaurant.”
Marie ended the call and made a quick illegal U-turn and sped to Devon’s loft. Was he all right? Had he left to go to Atlanta? Why hadn’t he told her about his father? What if he didn’t know? Then she needed to get to him before he got a call from a reporter. She made it to NoDa in record time and saw that Devon’s car wasn’t in the parking lot. She reached for her phone and started to dial his number when it buzzed again. Another unknown number. What now? She grabbed the phone and pressed the answer key.
“Yes?”
“Marie Charles?” a female voice asked.
“Who is this?”
“Helen Conover from the Charlotte Observer. My colleague passed your information on to me.”
“I don’t have any information about Devon Harris Sr.’s death. I would suggest calling one of his charities in Atlanta ...”
“Miss Charles, that’s not why I called. I have been trying to reach Chef Harris to confirm a rumor I heard about him taking over a French restaurant and becoming the face of the Paris Food Network.”
“What?” Marie murmured. Paris. What other changes did he have going on that she knew nothing about?
“Miss Charles? Do you at least know how I can reach Devon?”
“I–I don’t,” she said as she watched Devon pull into the parking lot. She disconnected her call and hopped out of the car. Devon stepped out of the Mustang with a confused look on his face. “You’re early,” he said. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Devon, what’s going on?” she asked. “I just found out two things about you from reporters. Pretty important things that I’d like to think my boyfriend would tell me.”
He calmly reached into the backseat and removed two bags from the restaurant. “Let’s take this inside, all right.”
Miffed, she followed him up the stairs and inside. “Really,” she mumbled as he held the door open for her.
“I keep forgetting that reporters have you on speed dial,” he said. “So this is about my father?”
“And Paris,” she said. “When were you going to tell me about either of these life-changing episodes in your life, or didn’t I warrant ...”
Devon brought his index finger to her lips. “I didn’t find out about my father’s death until I left your office. I’m still processing it, because I don’t feel any emotions about his passing. So, forgive me if I didn’t rush to tell you. As far as Paris goes, I haven’t officially given them an answer and I was going to discuss that with you tonight over dinner.”
Marie tilted her head to the side and tried to think of something to say, but she couldn’t. There was no way she could be angry. “Devon, are you going to Paris?” she finally asked.
He took her hand into his and kissed it. “It depends,” Devon said.
“On?”
“You.”
“Me?”
He nodded and led her to the sofa. They sat down, and Devon pulled Marie against his chest. “Have you ever seen Paris at night? It’s a sight that you can barely describe with words, and the smell. Chocolate, freshly baked bread, and the sweetest breezes. When I was a student in Paris, I fell in love with that city.”
“Why did you come back?” she asked.
“I had to be here for my mother,” he said. “And I never got a chance to go back to Paris until now.”
“But what about everything that you have here?” she asked, though she wanted to ask about her and their relationship.
“Of course, I’m going to have to turn over running the kitchen at Hometown Delights, but the most important thing I have in Charlotte, I’m hoping I can take it with me.”
“What, your Mustang?” she asked.
Devon narrowed his eyes at her. “Be serious for a moment. I want you to come to Paris with me.”
Marie’s eyes bulged. “You want me to what?”
“Come to Paris with me.”
“Are you serious? I’m just supposed to leave my life and do what?” Marie asked, leaping to her feet. “What about my business?”
“You said you’re doing social media work. Can’t you do that from anywhere?”
Marie paced back and forth, her mind clicking like a high-speed camera. “I can’t just make this kind of decision without talking to Adriana about our business, then there’s my father and ...”
“I wish I could tell you that you had all the time in the world, but I have to let them know something pretty soon,” he said.
Marie shrugged. “How can you just drop this on me and expect me to make a decision?”
“Let’s be real: There’s no way we can continue a relationship with that much distance between us, and I understand your apprehension, but ...”
“No, you don’t understand, because if you did, you just would stay here!” Marie grabbed her purse. “Obviously, you’ve made your decision. You’re going and I’m not going to stand in your way.” She paused and took a breath. “Paris is your dream and I can’t keep you from that.”
Devon leapt to his feet and blocked her exit. “You want me to stay? Just say it; I’ll call them in the morning and turn them down flat.”
“
And live to resent me? When you described Paris, I could hear in your voice that you’ve always had one foot in France,” Marie said. She blinked back tears and shook her head. “I guess I should get used to being without you.” Marie ran out the door in a blur of sobs and tears. Devon ran after her, but she made it to her car before he could stop her. He turned around, went inside, grabbed his keys, and then got into his car to follow her. Devon reached speeds of sixty miles an hour on the city roads, trying to keep up with Marie. He finally slowed down when he saw a blue and white police cruiser near Fifth Street. Marie turned into the parking deck of her condo complex and he followed her.
He double parked beside her and hopped out of the car. “Marie,” he called out.
“Why did you follow me?” she asked as she climbed out of the car. “Just go home, call the people in Paris, and tell them you’re on your way.”
“Is that what you really think I’m going to do?” he asked. “Marie, I don’t want to lose you.”
“And I can’t ask you to give up your dream, and you can’t expect me to ...”
“Give up yours?” he finished. “Then I guess we have to find a way to make this transcontinental relationship work.”
Marie dropped her head, sexy French women flashed in her mind. Sexy French women kissing Devon when he got the yearning late at night. “It won’t work,” she said quietly. “It’s all or nothing, and I refuse to stand in your way to living your dream. What’s holding you back?”
“Am I supposed to forget that I love you? Am I supposed to just forget what I feel and go to Paris?”
“You might not forget now. Or six months from now, but at some point when you’re in your Parisian chateau, you’re going to forget.”
“Do you have a crystal ball in that car so that you can see the future? If that’s the case, tell me if this show is going to be a success. Tell me if Paris is going to be worth anything without you there.”
“Devon,” she groaned. “Please, don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Do you think walking away from us right now is going to be easy?”
She shrugged, holding back her tears. “But it’s the right thing to do.”
Holding her against his chest, Devon shook his head. “I don’t want to do the right thing; I want you, and if it’s here or in Paris, then that’s what it will be.”
“No,” she cried. “I don’t want you to miss this chance, this opportunity that you’re excited about and that’s obviously getting buzz. You can’t let it slip through your hands again.”
“So, you want to give up? You want this to be the last time that I touch you?” He leaned into her, his lips inches from her face. “The last time I kiss you?”
Before Marie could reply, Devon captured her lips. The lie she was about to tell—yes—died in the back of her throat as his tongue danced in her mouth, bringing her temperature to the boiling point. He pulled back from her. “You want to walk away from that?” he asked, stroking her arm.
“This is so unfair,” she said. “If you stay, if you go, nothing will ever be the same.”
“What happens if you come with me?” The heat from his breath made it hard for her to think, hard for her to imagine her life without him.
“Devon,” she said.
“Marie.”
She didn’t say another word; she kissed him, and he lifted her into his arms and backed against the wall. When he slipped one hand underneath her skirt, he remembered that her panties, her flimsy lace panties, were in his pocket. She was wet. She didn’t want to be apart from him any more than he wanted to leave her. He needed to remind her that they were meant for each other, and apart, there would be no happiness. No dreams and no joy. Lifting her leg, he wound her around his waist.
“Tell me that you can be without me,” he said, his lips so close to her ear that she could almost feel his tongue. She pressed her hips against him, making his erection nearly burst through his zipper.
“I don’t want you. To. Go.”
“I want you to come. Right here and to Paris,” he moaned, then kissed her again. Devon suckled her bottom lip until she nearly exploded.
“Take me inside,” she cried. Marie wrapped her arms around his neck and Devon nearly ran to the elevator as she stroked the back of his neck and his desire rose like yeast-rich bread.
The elevator couldn’t move fast enough as Marie closed her lips against his neck. Her heat was becoming unbearable and told Devon that he wasn’t going to leave Charlotte without her. As they reached her floor, Marie realized that she couldn’t and wouldn’t let the best thing that happened to her leave Mecklenburg County without her. Devon planted her on the floor as she dug her keys out of her pocket. With trembling hands, she unlocked the door. Once they were inside, she looked him in the eyes and said, “I can’t let you go to Paris without me.”
“Maybe I won’t go at all, at least not to stay,” he said before covering her mouth with his, coaxing her tongue into his. As he pushed her skirt up around her waist, she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. Marie stroked his erection until he moaned with anticipation. Their need for each other was electric and crackled as Devon ripped her blouse open. Her breasts heaved and tingled as he caressed and squeezed them. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
“Yes! Yes,” she moaned.
“I mean, moving to Paris,” he said as he thrust into her wetness, ignoring the fact that he needed a condom. She felt so good around him. Tight. Hot. Wet. His. Yes, Marie was his and he wanted and needed her to be his forever. She couldn’t go to Paris as his girlfriend. She was going as his fiancée, and he’d marry her in the sweetness of a Paris spring with the flowers in bloom.
Marie thrust her hips forward and reveled in the skin-to-skin feeling, wishing that she was making love to her husband. She wanted and needed him as much as she needed her next breath.
“Devon,” she moaned. “Oh, baby.” Marie tightened herself around him and felt him shiver with desire.
He scooped her into his arms and they fell on to the sofa. Marie straddled him and Devon looked into her eyes and smiled. “Love me,” he moaned as she ground against him, milking his passion, making him shiver before he exploded inside her. Marie collapsed against his chest and released a sigh of relief. Devon stroked her back and kissed her chin while she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Devon,” she whispered.
“Yes, baby?” he replied.
“I love you,” she said.
“I know and I love you, too.”
“But I’m really scared about going to Paris,” she said honestly.
“What are you afraid of?” He held her chin, not allowing her to look away. “Marie, if you don’t want to go to Paris, don’t feel as if you’re forced to come. I’ll still love you.”
“That’s not why I’m afraid. I’ve visited a lot of places, but I’ve never lived anywhere else. What happens if you decide that you don’t love me anymore or vice versa? Then what?”
“You really think that’s going to happen? I’m going to love you forever, Marie Charles.” Devon kissed her with a gentle passion that was as reassuring as it was hot.
Chapter 24
After Devon called Amélie Michel and accepted the position in Paris, he had to tell the ladies at the shelter about his decision to leave. Part of him wanted to wait until the fund-raiser was over, but he wanted to tell his culinary class before they read about it or heard it from someone else. He was happy that his class had been getting smaller over the last few weeks. Marie had worked her contacts to find jobs for a few of the women, and many of them had found places to live. Devon was going to send part of his salary to My Sister’s Keeper so that the shelter could continue with the classes and add more staff to help the women continue on their quest to getting back on their feet.
The fund-raiser was a step in the right direction, and he hoped that My Sister’s Keeper would be around to help women like Bria for years to
come. As he headed inside, Bria met him at the door and wrapped her arms around him. “I have great news!” she said.
“What’s that?” he asked as they broke their embrace.
“Marie’s dad got my trust fund handed over to me. I was just on the phone with him. I can finally get my life together, and I have you and Marie to thank for this,” she said. Bria hugged him again. “Is she with you or are you two still fighting?”
“She’s not with me, but we are definitely not fighting. I wanted to talk to you ladies about some news I have,” he said as he and Bria walked inside.
His students, who were milling around the shelter doing different chores and finishing up errands for the fund-raiser, smiled when he walked in. “Ladies,” Devon said, “we need to talk.”
“Wedding plans?” Shay asked. Though she didn’t live at the shelter anymore, she was still involved in the planning of the fund-raiser.
“Not yet,” he said. “I’m not going to be teaching culinary arts anymore.”
The ladies exploded in moans of disappointment. “Why?” Bria asked.
“I’m taking a position in Paris,” he said. “As much as I hate to leave you ladies, this is an opportunity that I can’t turn down.”
“So, what happens now?” Rita asked. “Is the class over?”
“I’m going to talk to Mrs. Harper about bringing the new chef from Hometown Delights in to continue the class, because I know how important this class is to all of you.”
Bria and Andrea nodded. “It won’t be the same,” Andrea said. “We’re going to miss you.”
“And I’m going to miss all of you, but I expect big things from you ladies,” Devon said as he walked through the students and hugged them.
“Are you taking Marie with you, too?” Shay asked as she and Devon embraced.
He smiled. “That’s the plan,” he said.
“Well, I hope you plan on marrying her before you go to another country,” Shay said, then popped him on his shoulder.
“Or at least asking her father for her hand in marriage,” Bria said.
“You know what,” Devon said, feeling as if a lightbulb had exploded in his head. “You ladies are right. I have one last assignment for us. We have a wedding to plan. I’m going to marry Marie in two days at the fund-raiser.”
Recipe for Desire Page 23
