by Kailin Gow
Matt reached out to put a protective arm in front of Taryn. Stepping in front of her, he looked at the two would-be muggers straight on. “I’ve got fifteen bucks in my pockets and a maxed out credit card in my wallet. Sorry, but I’ve got nothing that could interest you.”
“Then we’ll have to ask for the little lady’s purse.”
“Better yet,” the clean cut guy said as he shot a leering glance at Taryn. “How ‘bout we just get you out of the way and we’ll take care of the pretty little lady ourselves?”
“I think you guys might have picked the wrong guy to play with.”
“Really? And what are you going to do… take us both on?”
Matt rolled his shoulders, shook out his arms and took a solid step toward the pair.
“Matt, don’t,” Taryn said. “It’s not worth getting hurt over. They can have my purse.”
Matt simply stared the two young men down. The scruffy guy gaped with disbelief and uncertainty as he backed away while his partner stood his ground a moment longer before also backing away. “You better think twice before you come walking through here again, pretty boy.”
Chapter 17
Errol sat sullen in Suzanne’s car as she drove them to her apartment to discuss the future of La Benicoise. He knew she had the capacity to put everything back in order, to assuage the disappointed customers booked for the upcoming weeks and to calm his worries. Despite all her capabilities, however, he simply wanted to be with Taryn. He’d tried to call her, but she never picked up.
She’d not waited for him and he wondered why. Of course she had her own restaurant to deal with, but somehow he sensed that wasn’t the true reason. He’d seen her speaking to Matt, but more worrisome was what he’d seen in the handsome young fire fighter’s eyes. He’d seen the same look on the young chef Henri’s face.
“I know this is all a shock, Errol,” Suzanne was saying, “but, believe me, this isn’t going to stop us. We’ll be at the top of the list in no time.”
“I have complete faith in you.”
She pulled into the parking lot of her building and Errol followed her to her apartment.
“A drink?” she offered.
“Cognac would be nice.”
“Be right back.”
Errol stood and looked through the window that overlooked the Hudson River. It’d been an eternally long and demanding day. And it wasn’t over. Suzanne insisted they look at every reservation to determine how to best deal with some of the more distinguished and demanding patrons.
It’d been a long time since he’d last seen financial woes, and he now feared what lay ahead. It didn’t take much to lose a patron. It didn’t take long for them to forget and find another restaurant to satisfy their palate.
He’d dug in deep to get the restaurant started. He’d found the perfect piece of real estate, the perfect location and it had cost him plenty. His staff, all highly efficient, had been drilled to suit his demanding pace and he’d prided himself on the finely tuned machine his kitchen was, but would they wait around while he got the restaurant going again?
As his fingers played over the contour of his phone in his pocket, he thought of Taryn. More than anything, he needed to talk to her. He wanted to hear her words of comfort, of reassurance. He wanted to share with her the pain of watching his kitchen go up in flames.
He wanted her… in every way possible.
Five minutes later, Suzanne returned with his brandy. Surprised to see she’d not changed into something frilly and titillating, he took the drink and sat in the lone armchair.
“You looked like you were miles away.”
“La Benicoise is my baby. It kills me to see it destroyed.”
“It’s not destroyed. This is just a little bump in the road, Errol. We’ll be up and running faster than you think.” She sat on the sofa and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees as she scrutinized him. “What’s really on your mind?”
He shrugged. “My original plan was to stay in Paris, to teach.” A vision of Taryn came rapidly to his mind as he remembered the first day he met her. “If I hadn’t been here…”
“Things would not have been worse. I would’ve handled things exactly as I did. Admit it; you enjoy being in New York more than Paris. She reached out to put her hand on his knee.
Dropping a sour gaze to her hand, he held back on a grimace and sipped his cognac.
“The institute must be eager to have you back.”
He nodded. “They were very understanding when I told them I needed to come here.”
Suzanne squeezed his knee and looked pointedly at him. “I’m thrilled you changed your plans and decided to come to New York, but you know as well as I do that you didn’t have to come. We didn’t need you. Things have been running smoothly for a while and contacting you via emails and the occasional phone call was more than enough.”
“You know I’m a hands-on kind of guy.”
She let out a sexy chuckle, though her eyes remained hard and inquisitive.
“Why did you really come to New York, Errol?”
“I just told you.”
“I know you. You're lying.” She sat back and crossed her arms in front of her, pulling on her torn shirt to expose more of her breasts in the process. “You came here because of that silly little cook you're so enchanted with.”
Errol glared at her. In no mood to argue, he said, “So what if I did?”
“You must be losing your golden touch. Seems it wasn’t too long ago girls all over the world were chasing after you. Now, here you are ready to cross the Atlantic just to be with this one girl.”
Swirling the cognac in his glass, he looked intently at the amber liquid. “Maybe it’s time,” he said softly. “I think I just might be ready to settle down.”
A loud guffaw exploded in the room as Suzanne threw her head back and slapped her knee. “You’ll never settle down, Errol, especially not with a pixie like her. Be realistic. You get bored with an ordinary woman after only a few months. Do this girl a favor and cut off communications with her now. Leading her on and letting her believe she could actually have a future with you is unfair to the poor thing.”
“And since when do you care?”
Her lips took on a sultry grin as her eyes narrowed. “I’ve always cared, Errol. I know the type of man you are. I know the kind of loving you need. I know how to keep you happy… in every room of the house. Don’t you remember how it was, Errol? Don’t you remember how great we worked together when you first started plans for La Benicoise? Don’t you remember how we’d cap those hard days of work with nights filled with such passion, so much passion you thought you’d explode?”
“I have a wildly colored past. I know that.”
Outraged, she got to her feet and tore the remaining tatters of her shirt off. “Are you calling this a colored past?”
Bored, he looked up at her. “Suzanne, I think I’ve reached a new chapter in my life.”
“Yeah, right. That little gnat is an insanely jealous little fiend who won’t ever let you out of her sight if you give her that power. Is that what you really want? To be tied down to a woman who’ll control you, tell you what you can and can’t do?” She let out a sardonic chuckle. “You wouldn’t last three days.”
Biting his lower lip in concentration, he looked past Suzanne. Yes, Taryn had a few insecurities, but he had to admit, they were well founded where he was concerned. He could certainly understand her lack of faith in him, but he was ready to prove her wrong.
If Taryn was insecure about the women he met on his travels, he’d gladly take her with him everywhere he went. They could travel the world together, and they would share a bed every night.
A slow, pleased grin moved over his lips at the thought.
Suzanne fell to her knees in front of him, a glimmer of desperation in her eyes. “When I first met you, I thought you were arrogant, pretentious and conceited, but I quickly discovered the real man beneath that hardened shell.” She trailed one h
and over his lap, found the tear that exposed his thigh and slipped her hand inside. “I’d never made love quite the way I did as that first night with you. You brought out the animal in me. You made me feel…”
Gripping her fingers in a tight hold, he stopped her. “We had fun, Suzanne, but now it’s over.”
“No.” She pressed her breasts to his legs.
“Don’t.”
“You know you can’t resist it,” she whispered. “The only reason you're so hung up on this girl right now is because she won’t have you. Think about it. You have thousands of girls eager to please you and all you want is the one girl who ran away from you. The moment you win her over, the minute you succeed in getting her into your bed again, the thrill will be gone and you’ll be on the prowl for the next conquest.”
“If that’s true, don’t you think you’ve taken the wrong strategy… throwing yourself on your knees before me?”
She swallowed the indignant ball of resentment as her eyes narrowed in scorn. Rolling her tongue around in her mouth, she stood and jutted her chin out. “Believe it or not, Errol, I see us together. I see a future for us, and it’s not just sex. We’re the perfect professional team. You’ve even said how many times I’ve read your mind in the kitchen, knowing ahead of time what you want and need. With the time you’ll lose to repair the damages, you can’t afford to start looking for a new chef.” She looked pointedly at him. “You know you need me in your restaurant.”
“Is that a threat?”
“I love you, Errol. While you were in Paris I’d allowed that simmering love to dissipate and I concentrated all my efforts into the running of La Benicoise, but now that you're here… How can I make you see…?”
“You can’t, Suzanne.” He stood and set his cognac on the end table. “I better go.”
“Errol,” she called as he walked away. “I swear, if you walk out that door, you’ll regret it for the rest of your days. La Benicoise will suffer… your career will suffer. Errol… that amateur chef… that juvenile lover won't satisfy you.”
He hailed a cab and gave the driver the address to La Benicoise where he’d left his car. Sitting in the back seat he considered going to Taryn’s. Would she be home? Would she be alone?
He wasn’t really sure if he wanted to find out. It had gnawed at him since she’d left; the possibility that she’d left with Matt. The handsome young fire fighter had been talking to her when Errol had last seen her. Why? Why would she leave with Matt when he’s specifically told her he’d wanted to see her?
Matt was more her age. She’d known him for years, and no doubt he had a less colorful history. Was that really what Taryn wanted? Matt was a good guy, but when it came to Taryn, Errol wanted her all to himself.
He pulled out his phone and sent her a pleading text. By the time his cab had pulled up beside his car, she’d still not answered. He paid his fare and got out. As he debated what to do next, he paced in front of his boarded up restaurant for the next ten minutes.
The thought of losing her killed him. Just the past weeks without her had been torture, and he couldn’t bear the thought of living the rest of his life without her. He’d never felt such tenderness, passion, possessiveness, and lust for a woman before.
With a hasty decision made, he got in his car and headed to Taryn’s apartment. His heart ached at the thought of what he might find and he wasn’t really sure how he’d react if he were to find her alone with Matt.
He parked and noticed that her car wasn’t there. Perhaps Matt had brought her home. Maybe he’d gotten her drunk and was now licking her, fucking her, taking what was his.
Don’t, he told himself. Don’t even go there.
At the door, he listened for a long moment. His heart dropped to the floor as he detected soft and sensual male murmurings and the unmistakable sound of a female giggle.
The lost little boy in him was prepared to declare defeat. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door frame. He’d lost her. He’d been stupid and selfish, and now she was wrapped up in another man’s arms.
“I won’t give up that easily,” he muttered as he took a deep breath and banged on the door. His heart raced and his breaths came out in short spasms. He tried to swallow, but his mouth was painfully dry.
The murmurs ceased and the giggles subsided, and were followed by a torturous moment of silence. The latch clicked open, the doorknob turned and the door opened.
“Hey, Errol,” Bobby said with a lusty grin still plastered to his face. The room behind him was dark save for a few lit candles.
“Bobby,” Errol sighed with relief and disbelief. “Bobby, man am I happy to see you.” Behind Bobby, he could see a pretty young girl sitting on the sofa, one of the girls who’d been at the seminar, and she eagerly awaited Bobby’s return. “I’m so sorry to barge in like this, but… where’s Taryn?”
Startled, Bobby looked at him and frowned, and put a silencing finger up to his lips. “My mom’s in the next room. I don’t want to wake her,” he whispered. “What do you mean, where is Taryn? I thought she was with you.”
“She stopped by the restaurant earlier, but she left before I could finish up.”
“I don’t get it. She called me earlier asking if I could cover for her. I assumed it was because she wanted to spend some time with you, what with the fire and all.”
Errol felt the ugly grimace work its way over his lips. He’d rarely been given to bouts of jealousy in his life, but now, as he realized she really was with Matt, he was filled with emotions that threatened to tear him apart. “She must’ve left with her fireman friend.”
“Matt?”
“Look, I’ve left her a few texts and I’ve left messages. She knew I was distraught over the fire. I’m sure she would have called back if she could have.” He knew it was wishful thinking on his part, but he couldn’t believe she could so callously ignore his pain right now.
Bobby rushed to the end table, grabbed his phone and dialed. “Taryn, Taryn are you there? Pick up. Taryn, it’s Bobby. I need to talk to you, now.” With the phone still up to his ear, he looked at Errol with fear in his eyes. “Taryn,” he whispered. “Please call me the minute you can.”
“Where could they have gone?” Errol said.
Bobby shrugged. “I know Matt mentioned taking her out before, but…” Clasping his hands, he said, “Oh, I know. The other day he mentioned taking her to this pizzeria… Joe’s I think. They used to hang out there when they were teens and he thought it’d be a great place to reminisce.”
“If he did take her there, he’s nuts. That neighborhood turned sour a few years back. It’s not a place to go wandering at night.”
Bobby turned to the quiet and disappointed girl on the couch. “I’m sorry. I really have to go.” He gazed down as her state of semi-dress. “Let yourself out when you're ready.”
She nodded as Bobby grabbed his jacket and ushered Errol out.
Errol drove at breakneck speed. He was eager to find Taryn, but also hoped to attract the attention of the police. If something had happened, they’d need all the help they could get.
They arrived at Joe’s and parked the car.
“There,” Bobby said as he pointed across the street. “That’s Matt’s car.”
Could they still be at the pizzeria? Errol wondered. Had it been one of those long and luscious nights of talking about old times, getting reacquainted and connecting all over again?
He rushed to the door of Joe’s. “Have you guys seen a really pretty young woman come in here with a tall young man?”
“A young couple came in to have a pizza,” the waiter said. “They must have left, what, five or ten minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” Standing out on the sidewalk, he looked at Bobby with a helpless sense of desperation. “Matt’s car is there, but they’re not. They couldn’t possibly have gone for a walk, not here. It’d be suicide.”
In the moment he spoke, he heard a disturbing cry from the alley across the street. With B
obby at his heels, he ran to the source of the cry and found a scene even more disturbing than seeing Taryn in another man’s arms.
Lying on her back, she screamed as the scumbag sitting atop her grabbed her neck with his filthy fist while he tore her shirt open with grubby and eager fingers. Beyond them, Matt struggled with another young and angry man.
Without taking a second to consider his options, he jumped the guy on Taryn while Bobby tackled Matt’s attacker.
“Hey, what the…?” Taryn’s assailant cried out as he was jerked off her thrashing body. He tried to throw a punch back at Errol, but the blood flow to his arms didn’t seem quite adequate. Lust and anger burned in his eyes a moment before he finally managed to focus on Errol’s face.
Chapter 18
Breathless as she ran a soothing hand over her aching neck, Taryn sat up the moment the weight of her attacker was taken off her.
The attack had happened so fast. Matt had turned to open the car door for her and she’d hurried inside, eager to get away from the unwelcoming neighborhood, but before Matt could close the door, one of the guys came back and jumped on Matt while his friend jerked Taryn out of the car and dragged her to the nearby alley.
Kicking and screaming she’d tried to fend him off, but he’d quickly thrown her to the ground and given her a resounding smack on the cheek. Stunned, she’d remained silent for one frozen moment, painfully aware of the struggle Matt was having with the dirty fighter he was confronted with.
But when her assailant tore her shirt open and exposed her, she’d let out a panicked cry.
Now as she watched Errol, barely recognizing him with the murderous fury in his eyes, she feared for him. While the two young men had initially been intimidating in a juvenile sort of way, they had quickly proven to be violent in their attack.
Errol, however, quickly showed her just how strong and determined he was by pulling a punch that wiped the focus right out of the greasy guy’s gaze. The guy fell back and wiped the blood from under his nose with the back of his hand.
