Cooking with Fire

by Kira Barcelo

  She looked over her shoulder at him. “Oh, and did you tell him you’d spank me to accomplish all that?”

  “I sure did. He told me—Carolyn, you can squirm all you want. You’re not getting away this time.” For good measure, he brought the paddle down on her chubby rear end, earning a yelp from her. “Like I was saying, he told me you were smart, that you had a good way with your employees. He couldn’t give the restaurant all his attention because of his other business. But he knew I could because I’d already lost my restaurant in upstate.”

  “You lost it? How?”

  “In a fire.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I told him I’d wanted to have a partner anyway. If it’s a good fit, two people can make a place run more smoothly than one, and they have each other to depend on. I—I didn’t really count on my partner being anything like you. I didn’t count on having feelings for you, either.”

  She turned and pushed herself up a little. “I have feelings for you, too.”

  “I was hoping, baby.” He smiled but then got right back to business. She groaned when he pulled her skirt up over her waist and peeled down her panties, revealing her bare bottom. “And I will be able to depend on you. That means I don’t want to have to come down to the station to bail you out because some cop pulled you over and you failed a breathalyzer test.”

  “Oh, Alex—I had nobody to call to pick me up.”

  “I don’t buy that, Carolyn. All you had to do was call me.”

  “You? I couldn’t call you!”

  “Why not?”

  “Why would you think? Because I walked out on our staff and our customers…and on you. I figured you’d be pissed—um, mad at me—and I’d end up—well,” she finished her sentence miserably, “right where I am right now.”

  “I see. So to avoid a spanking, you didn’t call me to pick you up after you had a few drinks. Instead you got behind the wheel when you didn’t have any business driving at all.”

  “I know, that was bad, but it won’t happen again. Pleeeease. And you can depend on me, Alex. I promise.”

  “Yeah, that’s what you said the last time you promised me you’d take the restaurant seriously. Now I’m not taking empty promises anymore. Now I’m going to teach you a lesson…quite a few lessons, actually.”

  “Oooooh, but Al-ex—”

  By then he was through with the chit-chat. He knew talking would only get them so far. Carolyn had behaved irresponsibly and childishly that night; she didn’t need talking. She needed to go to bed that night with a hot, red, sore bottom.

  So Alex wasted no more time. He brought the paddle down hard, over and over, and her tender flesh. He had to admit, the implement was much more efficient than his hand, taking only a few resounding smacks to turn her cheeks rosy pink. Unlike the first time, when he’d had her over his knee, her legs were now unrestrained. Carolyn kicked them wildly in the air, losing both of her sandals in the process.

  Good, he thought, keeping a steady rhythm of smacks raining down on her naughty ass. Maybe I’ll get my point across this time.

  “Nooooo! Don’t sp-spank me with that thing anymore, Alex! Owwww!” she wailed.

  But he continued to apply the paddle, concentrating its impact on her right cheek alone.

  “Let’s get a few things straight, Carolyn,” Alex said, turning her on the ottoman enough to paddle her left cheek next. “Number One: You are not a failure. Tomorrow, I want you to march back into that restaurant tomorrow, and you treat it like what it is: a new day.”

  “I just—I will, I will, ohhhhhhhh…”

  He stopped to let her rest. He looked from the paddle—worth every cent he’d spent on it—to her glowing red behind. Almost of their own volition, Alex’s eyes traveled up the curve of her back to her shoulders. His arousal became even more intense when he noticed her ample breasts pushed against the ottoman. While Carolyn had tried to wriggle off the ottoman, her breasts had popped fully out of her peasant blouse.

  “All right, that’s it,” he said, first standing and then lifting her onto her feet.

  “That’s it? Oh—whew! Good!” If nothing else, that spanking had certainly sobered her up. Her hands flew behind her and began to rub.

  “Not so fast, cowgirl. You’re going over my knee now.”

  “What? No—”

  He could hold her steadier on his lap. Alex held her securely and resumed the spanking, this time using his hand. He concentrated the whacks on the tender flesh right above her thighs, then made his way back up, spanking vigorously.

  “No, oh, Alex!” Carolyn broke into sobs. She didn’t do that the first time. Truthfully, she sounded so pitiful that he almost stopped, but he steeled himself and continued peppering her rear with spanks. To his amusement, his hand moving in that staccato beat translated to her words. “I—won’t—do it—again! I—won’t—I—promise! For—oh, owww!—real—this—oh—time!”

  At last he stopped. He didn’t get up quickly that time, instead sat there on the couch listening to her soft crying and then the subsequent hiccoughing. He resisted the urge to comfort her, to rub her throbbing bottom for her.

  “For the record, I would have been devastated if something had happened to you tonight in that car,” he told her. “You’re going straight to bed. I want you rested for tomorrow. We have a big day.”

  Carolyn waited until he brought her to her feet. “We—we do?”

  “Yes. We have the editor of Joie du Vivre!, one of the leading cooking magazines, coming tomorrow. Now that could make or break us. The editor-in-chief is coming because…he happens to be a friend of Pam’s. They went to school together.” Sternly, he shook an index finger at her. “And you’d best behave yourself around him, young lady.”

  “I will. Just as long as I don’t have to do much sitting.”

  Alex smirked, watching her lead the way to her bedroom. Those little hands rubbed at her bottom all the way. He stood in the doorway, a good vantage point to observe her changing out of her work clothes. She remained naked for a few moments, then slipped into an oversized T-shirt. To his delight, the panties she pulled out of her drawer were thongs, giving him a splendid view of those two deeply red cheeks.

  “These are more comfortable,” she explained.

  “Yeah, I bet those things were made for bad girls like you who need a little wiggle room for their butts after a good paddling.” He nodded at the bed. “Let’s go. Off to bed with you. I don’t want to hear about how you overslept tomorrow and your alarm clock couldn’t go off and you couldn’t make it in to work on time.”

  He waited until she’d climbed into bed. Even that was cute, this girly bed with frilly covers which he started pulling over her until he heard her hiss at the fabric of the sheets brushing over her spanked behind.

  “Good night. Aw, well…” He climbed into the bed beside her. “I’m exhausted. You mind?”

  “No. There’s room.” After a second Carolyn, lying on her tummy, propped herself up on her elbows. “Can I have a good night kiss?”

  “I’ll give you better than that tomorrow night. Not after you’re spanked, though. But a kiss? Yeah.” Heartily, he obliged, relishing her luscious kiss. “Good night, baby.”

  “Good night…honey.”

  “Mmmm. I like the sound of that.” Reaching over the side of the bed, he switched off the lamp on the nightstand.

  “And Alex?”

  “Yeah?”

  In the dark there was silence, and then Carolyn’s sweet, plaintive voice said, “You won’t be disappointed in me tomorrow. I’ll make you proud of me tomorrow.”

  He held his breath. His hand went to her back, stroking her lovingly under that T-shirt.

  “I’ll look forward to it, baby. Now you get some sleep.”

  Chapter Five

  Like always on weekdays, the alarm clock sounded at 5:30. Groggily, Carolyn reached over and hit the snooze button, then turned back over and stretched out. That was when she remembered she’d had a visitor in her bed, one who’d ended up
falling asleep with her.

  But Alex had heard the alarm clock, too. He smiled when she cuddled up to him and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her closer against him.

  “Hmmm, on the agenda for this week, honey,” he drawled. “Let’s put an ad on the Internet for an experienced restaurant manager. ’K?”

  “Ohhh, that’d be good, baby,” she agreed. “That’s the only way we’ll get to take some time off.”

  “Yep. And now that Marta’s gone, I think we can trust Rhonda and Jamie to handle things until their new manager learns the ropes.”

  “I think so, too. But not today, Alex. We have to be in today. That editor’s coming in today.”

  “Ahh, you’re excited about that.” He grinned. “Good!”

  “Yes, I’m excited. As long as your ex remembers to keep her grubby little hands off you.” Carolyn paused before purring, “You’re mine.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that, baby. I’m all yours. And…you’re mine.”

  “Every last piece of me.”

  She knew they could have waited until the alarm went off again. They could doze off for ten more minutes or so. Or they could just out of bed, shower, and hurry out of them, catching a cup of coffee and maybe some pound cake for breakfast at the Beachcomber.

  But he was naked beside her. Carolyn had fallen asleep the night before, so Alex must have slipped out of his clothes afterwards. The man didn’t have to tell her that he worked out for her to know, she could tell by the tight build of his body, the firmness of those muscles. She liked the way those big shoulders of his accentuated how his upper body tapered down to his waist.

  And right below that was an immense erection. Immense! She hadn’t seen it but she could feel it up against her. On impulse she glided her hand down his chest, then further on down to wrap her fingers around his sheath. The moment he felt her touch, she heard a sharp intake of breath from Alex.

  “Oh, if you do that,” he said in a husky whisper, “I’m going to want to get inside you.”

  She smirked. “That’s the idea.”

  “So you’re teasing me? I can you tease you right back, you know.”

  “Yeah? Tease away, cowboy!”

  She hadn’t expected him to accept her challenge. Not Mr. Stickler for Time himself. Yet within seconds, Alex had flung aside the covers with abandon and tugged up her T-shirt. He flicked his tongue at one upraised nipple, then the other, alternately fondling each breast with his fingers and mouth.

  Then his hand reached around her and cupped around one buttcheek. He eased up his hold when she blurted out, “Ooooh!”

  “Ooops. How’s your behind doing this morning?” He frowned.

  “Not…too badly.” That wasn’t altogether true. Her bottom, set ablaze the night before by both Alex’s hand and that blistering paddle, had cooled off some, but it was still pretty sore. Sore enough that, if she could help it, she wouldn’t be sitting down for most of the morning.

  “Oh, baby.” Alex brushed a kiss onto her mouth and withdrew his hand from her derriere.

  “You sure you want to do this?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Even if we’re late?” Carolyn closed her eyes. Whatever he was doing with his hand down there, having parted her legs and was now playing with her, was making her almost incoherent with pleasure.

  “The chefs can open up the place. I’m having a very important meeting with their sexy boss.”

  She laughed, then in moments held onto those big shoulders of his tightly. He had slipped that rock-hard erection into her and was continuing to fondle her, his mouth leaving searing kisses all over her skin. Sliding in and out of her with slow, deliberate movements, his breathing had become heavier.

  “You know what, baby?” He opened his eyes, giving her the most tender look, more tender than she would have imagined he could be only days earlier, when he’d first stormed into her life. “I’ve wanted to be with you like this from that very first day. I’ve wanted you from that day on.”

  Carolyn was silenced, not knowing what to say. She let her embrace speak to him instead, holding him as intimately as she could and kissing his neck. He felt so delicious inside her and he was touching her so expertly that she was already on the edge of a climax.

  “I wish you could be inside me all day!” She giggled. “I’ll be thinking about this, about doing it again and again with you, oh, all day, Alex…”

  “Uh-huh. There’s always your office, baby.”

  Carolyn laughed, but her heart was racing. The more he stroked her, the more his hands and mouth teased her, the more potent her excitement grew. Especially when his erection found her G-spot.

  His eyes were closed, and he was breathless under her, murmuring, “Baby, baby…” In that masculine voice of his, the word had never sounded sexier, and so laced with fire and passion.

  And then a tingling spread through the lower part of her body, a tingling that transformed into red-hot ecstasy. She held onto him, feeling as if every nerve ending was on fire, a fire that had also spread to him. Afterwards Alex collapsed beside her on the bed.

  When they’d both recovered enough, he pushed strands of hair away from her face. Carolyn beamed back at him with satisfaction, and something else—something she hadn’t counted on experiencing when she’d first discovered her brother had sold his half of the business out from under her.

  He licked his lips. “It’s okay with you if I take a shower here?”

  “Okay? Sure it is. I need one, too.”

  “Cool. Let’s conserve water. Shower together.” Chuckling, he kissed her again. “And I’ll need a change of clothes.”

  “So let’s swing past your house on the way. And then we’ll get to the restaurant. And then…” Carolyn winked at him. “Let’s get cookin’, baby!”

  * * *

  “Guess what? The editor from that cooking magazine?” Jamie announced as he flew into the kitchen, holding multiple orders in his hand. “Looks like he brought his whole damn staff with him.”

  Carolyn glanced around at her two chefs—three in total now, since Alex had stepped into the role temporarily to compensate for the restaurant’s loss when Marta was fired—and Hailey. Without hesitation, she leapt into cheerleader mode.

  “Hey, that’s fine,” she said with a shrug. “We can handle this.”

  Hailey, always spirited and energetic, mirrored her enthusiasm. “That’s right. That’s not a problem for us.”

  She exchanged a glance with Alex, who undoubtedly was proud of their little crew. He waved his hand at the tickets being posted up by Rhonda, saying, “You’re in charge, ma’am. Just tell the guys what you need done.”

  Why hadn’t she seen that before? Carolyn had known Rhonda was talented when she’d hired her, but her loyalty to Marta DeLong had kept her from seeing her full potential. On the drive to work that morning she’d discussed it with Alex, deciding that they would promote Rhonda to executive chef and hire one more experienced sous chef to work alongside her and Orestes.

  The restaurant was taking shape. That was the same restaurant that had been in danger of going under and in effect bankrupting her and putting her wonderful staff out of work. It had taken Alex coming aboard. Alex who could be impossible at times, Alex the perfectionist, who’d had to contend with a partner who hadn’t wanted him at her side at the onset of their relationship. He had just turned the whole place upside down and brought out the best in them.

  “How’s that look, boss?” Orestes was asking him as he put the final touches on the salads that were going out to the editor’s table.

  She stepped out of the kitchen, holding two of the new menus in the crook of her arm. Nonchalantly, she let her gaze travel to the table of seven. Jamie hadn’t been kidding: It really did seem like the editor had brought his whole staff with him. Carolyn strained to hear what they were saying, though by the looks of things, how much their laughter and conversation flowed as they sipped their drinks and accepted their salads from Hai
ley, they seemed to at least be having a good time.

  And there, over at a table with an attractive older man in his late forties, was the woman that had orchestrated the magazine staff’s visit. Pam leaned over, her glass of Chardonnay poised in her hand, regarding Carolyn curiously. She managed a smile but breezed away to greet a couple that had just entered through the doors.

  Carolyn had known that Pam would also be there that night. She’d made sure to wear her burgundy dress, the one with the matching heels that outlined the curves of her voluptuous figure without being too hoochie-mama. She’d swept her hair up in an alluring, sophisticated style and done her makeup just right, dabbing on some of her Dolce and Gabbana perfume. Just because she was grateful to the woman for having done the Beachcomber Bistro a favor—after all, Pam had really been thinking of her former beau and not Carolyn anyway—didn’t mean that she was about to be outshined by her in any sense of the word.

  Neither did she know how to react when Alex’s ex-girlfriend approached her shortly after the editor’s table had received the main course of their meal. It happened to be a good night in general for the restaurant. Summer was in full swing, visitors had begun flocking to the beach, and word had gotten out that the old restaurant, a relic from the past, was undergoing some exciting changes. Plus, from what Jamie had heard, word of mouth had it that the food was a lot better than it had been in ages.

  “I think you’re going to be tickled pink by the time they leave your waiter his tip,” Pam began, speaking to her near the colorful floral arrangement near the bar.

  “Well, we’re hoping!” Carolyn put aside her jealousy to be a gracious hostess. “Thanks for pulling the strings and getting us to this point, Pam. We really needed some help.”

  “Aww, that’s very sweet of you, but I didn’t do anything.” The other woman grinned. “Now Alex. He’s been great for this place, hasn’t he?”

  “He sure has. It wasn’t a, um…” She searched for the words, giggling. “Very easy partnership, but you know, it’s really working out now.”