Just One Taste (Kimani Romance)

by Norfleet, Celeste O.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a long day and I’m tired and ready to go home.”

  “Why don’t you go? I’ll finish up here,” Darcy said.

  “No, you have a date, so you go ahead. I’ll finish up here. I just have to fill the dishwasher and put the leftovers in the refrigerator. It won’t take long.”

  “Are you sure?” Darcy asked.

  “Yes, positive. Go, I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for finishing up the Bentley job.”

  “No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow. Behave yourself,” Darcy warned sternly, then smiled and waved as she followed Russ and Leroy out the back door into the pouring rain.

  Nikita stood there a moment shaking her head. Her temper and touchiness about her cooking would get the best of her one day. Thankfully, she had Darcy to keep her tempered. She looked around the empty kitchen. Large and extravagant, this was exactly as she’d planned when her brother had asked her to design it for him. Her thoughts quickly focused on the ideas she had for her new café kitchen. It would be perfect, if everything worked out like she planned. “Soon,” she muttered, “but right now…” She turned quickly and her arm hit a dessert plate and brandy snifter, knocking them off the counter. They fell to the floor and shattered.

  Chapter 3

  Chase and Kelvin stood in the foyer just inside the doorway as torrential rain poured down in front of them. They discussed the evening’s events as he watched the guests drive away. They came to the same conclusion, that it was a successful beginning. But Chase knew he had a long way to go to get his plans solidified. He made arrangements to follow up the next few days with a series of one-on-one meetings.

  “How soon can we get the governor’s team involved?” he asked as his cell phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was Daniel Buchanan. He let it go to voice mail.

  “The governor’s tied down in legislation right now and has a governors’ meeting in New York next week.”

  “Okay, set up an appointment for the week after. I want to meet with him as soon as possible.”

  “Before you head back to Alaska?” Kelvin asked.

  “Yes,” Chase said, checking his cell phone messages. “All right, that’s it.” Kelvin nodded. “Oh, one more thing, good job on getting the caterer. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Kelvin nodded, turned and hurried to his car. He drove away. Moments later three more cars left from the back of the house. Chase stepped back inside and paused in the foyer to look around. This really was a stunning home. Six bedrooms, six baths, living room, dining room, library, office, exercise room, a game room and a few others he hadn’t even bothered to check out. It was perfect for his short stay in the states. It was also just by chance that his half brother, Andre, knew Mikhail Coles and was able to secure a short-term residence for him while he was in Key West. The cell phone rang again. He answered, knowing exactly who it was. “Yes.”

  “Chase, did you see the location yet?” Daniel Buchanan asked abruptly, obviously not in the mood for basic phone pleasantries.

  “Hello, Daniel. No, I haven’t seen it yet.”

  “Why not?” he said heatedly. “What are you waiting for?”

  “It’s private property.”

  “It’s on an island, not in the middle of Fort Knox. It’s not like there’s security. It’s a shack in the middle of nowhere. You need to get out there and see it now,” he ordered.

  “Daniel, it’s against the law,” Chase said pointedly.

  “Damn the law. Tell them you’re a Buchanan.”

  Chase nearly laughed out loud. Daniel was a throwback relic from the arm-twisting days of the twenties when lawless racketeering, official bribing and blatant aggression ruled the land. “That might work in Alaska, but not in the real world with the rest of us. I follow the rules.”

  He huffed. “Fine, so what exactly are you doing?”

  “I just purchased two buildings in town.”

  “Chase, we’re supposed to be making money on this venture, not giving it away.”

  “We need leverage. This is it.”

  Daniel exhaled loudly with a deep grumble of annoyance. “All right, did you at least meet with the officials yet?”

  “Yes. I met with them this evening. They just left. It went well. I don’t think we’ll have a problem should it become necessary to go in another direction.”

  “What do you mean ‘should it be necessary’? You suggested initiating the process of eminent domain, I approved. I want you to go in another direction right now. We’re on a nonnegotiable timetable here.”

  “I know our timetable, Daniel, and upon further review of the situation I don’t believe that’s a necessary option at this point.” Chase knew full well Daniel’s impatience. Daniel Buchanan would certainly not be considered a charmer. His idea of swatting a mosquito was to detonate a nuclear device. He was brash and impetuous and when he wanted something, he ran roughshod over anyone and everyone to get it. Titan was his only concern. He lived and breathed for the company and God help anyone who got in his way.

  “Make it an option. This was your idea and it will give us exactly what we need,” Daniel ordered. “I want this finished now.”

  “Daniel, we have to be patient. This is going to be tricky enough and we need to move cautiously. The last thing we need is a PR nightmare, and after the Gulf oil spill in 2010, that’s exactly what we’ll get. Your way, bulldozing into submission, will not work in this case. We need to use finesse. The locals are already—”

  “I don’t give a damn about the locals. We can’t let this opportunity slip by. Do you have any idea how many companies would love to step in and take over this project? No, this is too important to Titan. Perhaps your being in Europe the last few months has softened your edge and clouded your outlook on our goal. Apparently, you’re not the uncompromising businessman you once were.”

  Chase visibly bristled. His jaw tightened and he shifted the phone against his ear. “Respectfully, Daniel,” Chase began patiently, “my outlook has neither changed nor varied. You need to step back and allow me to get the job done the way I see fit. You had a problem, remember? Your way didn’t work, so you called me. Not the other way around. I resolve problems. That’s what I do.”

  “Well, you don’t seem to be doing it right now,” Daniel said.

  Chase’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t taunt me, Daniel, and don’t threaten me.” His voice was stern and uncompromising. “Remember, I’m the last person you want to push too far.” His words of warning sliced deep.

  Daniel immediately backed down. “I need this done, Chase,” he said calmly. “I sent you in for one reason and one reason only.”

  “Either I handle this my way or I get back on my plane. You choose, right now.” There was a noise in the house. Chase grimaced and turned around. Something had broken in the kitchen. As far as he knew he was in the house alone.

  “Okay. Your way, and that’s exactly the determined fire I want to hear in your voice,” Daniel said. “I needed to make sure that the Chase I know is still up on his game. You keep that fire burning, son. Just make sure it works in Titan’s favor. Call me next week with good news.”

  Chase ended the call and turned toward the kitchen. He walked through the foyer and dining room down the short hall to the kitchen door. He heard water running, but the room was empty when he opened the door. He scanned the kitchen more closely, knowing someone was there. Seconds later, Nikita Coles stood up with a brush and dustpan in her hands. She walked to a closet in the mudroom, came out and went to the sink.

  Chase stood there watching her. Seeing her earlier had made him curious. Seeing her now piqued his interest. He’d observed her in photos, both on the internet and in the dossier he had on her. But they were nothing compared to her being there in person. She was medium height and slim with
cinnamon-toasted skin. Her features were soft and delicate, dark almond-shaped eyes, and high cheekbones and full softly tinted lips. She was known as a brilliant and temperamental chef and also an intelligent businesswoman with an eye for future developments. The latter was what brought him here.

  A knowing smile tipped his lips. Knowing everything about a person can sometimes take the fun out of getting to know them naturally. But this wasn’t a typical get-to-know-you situation. This was business. She had something he wanted and within the next few weeks he intended to get it. But right now he needed to find a way to get close to her.

  “Good evening,” he said in a mellow voice.

  Nikita turned quickly, obviously unaware that he’d been standing there watching her. “Hi,” she said breathlessly, turning the water off. He started walking around the counter toward her. “No, don’t come any closer,” she warned. “There might still be broken glass on the floor.”

  He looked down, scanning the perfectly clean marble floor. “It looks like you got it all,” he said, seeing the broom and mop leaning against the counter.

  “Just in case, you’d better stay back. I’ll take care of this.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need a hand?”

  “No. Thank you.”

  He nodded, realizing she obviously wanted to keep distance between them. He smiled. She seemed nervous to be here with him. This was perfect. Apparently, what he’d recently learned about her wasn’t quite complete. He looked down on the floor again seeing two small pieces of glass a good distance from the sink. He walked over and bent down to pick them up. “You missed a couple.”

  “No, I got it,” she said quickly, but he was already there. “Here, let me take that from you.”

  He stood up with the cut glass already cradled in the palm of his hand. “I have it. Trash can?” he asked. She pointed. He walked over, opened the lid and dropped the broken glass inside.

  “Thank you. Please, by all means get back to your guests. I’ll be out of your way shortly.” She grabbed a towel and wiped the already perfectly clean island counter.

  “My guests have already gone,” he said casually as he moved closer, then stopped and leaned back against the counter beside her.

  “Did they enjoy the meal?” she asked, moving to the sink.

  He chuckled. “You know they did.”

  “And you?”

  “Yes, I enjoyed it, too. You’re a very talented chef.”

  “Thank you,” she said, turning the water on and rinsing her hands.

  “I’m sorry, where are my manners? My name is Chase Buchanan.” He extended his hand to shake.

  “I know who you are, Mr. Buchanan. Key West is a lot smaller than some people think. When a Buchanan from Titan Energy Corporation comes to town, word gets around fast.”

  “Yes, I suppose it would, and I also suppose you pay attention.”

  She nodded. “I’m Nikita Coles. Sorry, my hands are wet.”

  “That’s okay.” He grabbed a couple of paper towels and handed them to her.

  “Thanks.”

  He nodded. “Then you also know I’m new in town and I was wondering if you—” he began, then stopped. She smiled and seemed to half chuckle. He was immediately curious. “What?” he asked.

  “That’s a really lame pick-up line,” she said, drying her hands.

  He smiled. “Yes, I guess it is, but I assure you I hadn’t intended it to be. I don’t do pick-up lines.”

  “Of course not. Sorry, I just thought—” She cut off her words as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Never mind. It was presumptuous of me to imply otherwise.”

  “No need to apologize,” he said. “I’m sure you hear lame pick-up lines all the time. And I would be more than happy to oblige, perhaps another time.”

  “No, not necessary. You were saying…”

  “I was saying, I’m new in town and I was wondering if you’d be willing to—” He stopped again and walked over to her looking very serious. “Are you bleeding?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked. She held her hands up to show him. There were no cuts and no blood. He slipped the paper towels he’d given her from her hands and held it up. There was a bloodstain on it. “Then where did this come from?”

  “You’re bleeding,” Nikita said and quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him to the sink. She turned the water on and moved his hand under the cool stream, inspecting his hand for the wound. When she found a cut on his forefinger, she removed his hand from the water to examine the cut more closely. “Okay, it doesn’t look too bad.”

  Chase watched as she carefully touched around the cut checking it closely. Her quick, immediate actions took him off guard at first, but now he was impressed and even liked it. “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Yes, believe me I’ve had my share of kitchen cuts, burns and bruises. This doesn’t look too bad at all.”

  “So you think I’ll survive? No stitches?” he joked again.

  “No, I don’t think you’ll need stitches. But if you’d feel better, I’ll drive you to the hospital. My brother Dominik is an E.R. surgeon at Key West Medical Center.”

  Of course he already knew that. “Actually, Ms. Coles, I was just joking with you.” He smiled and watched as she turned and looked up into his eyes, lips slowly parting. His body tightened. A flood of burning desire cut through his center and pooled in his loins. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. They just stared at each other a few seconds. Neither moved an inch. He began to think about all the things he could do right now. Kissing her topped the list. He didn’t know about her, but it was getting hot and his body was about to combust.

  Nikita swallowed hard. Suddenly, the simple act of cleaning a cut became an intimate interaction. She stood in front of the sink and he stood right behind her with his hand nearly around her waist. Her body was right there. They were almost connected.

  Heavenly. Darcy was right. His eyes were heavenly. Green with specks of gold, they seemed to look right though her into her soul, touching her inner core of desires. She wasn’t the kind of woman that waited patiently for things to happen. She made them happen. If she wanted something, she went out and got it. So for her to feel the least bit timid about wanting this man was out of character. But something inside of her warned her off. She heeded that.

  She took a deep breath and looked away. “I need to… There’s a…” she began, and then paused. “There’s a first-aid kit under the sink. I’ll get something for this.” She knelt down in front of him and opened the cabinet door. In the guise of searching for the very obvious first-aid kit, she took a moment to calm her nerves, inhaling slowly and releasing a long, cleansing breath. She grabbed the plastic case. When she stood up she looked into his eyes again. Big mistake. She saw something she knew would take this in another direction. She quickly looked away and focused on his cut.

  She washed and rinsed his cut again, then dried it. She squeezed antiseptic on his finger, then wrapped an appropriate-size Band-Aid snugly around his finger. “All right, I’m done.”

  “So, do you think I’ll live?” he said.

  “Yeah, you’ll live,” she said, knowing he was joking.

  He looked at his finger. “It looks pretty good. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Umm, can I ask you a question?” she asked.

  “Sure, you can ask.”

  “Why are you here?”

  “Here, as in on planet Earth, or as in Key West?”

  “In Key West,” she specified.

  He smiled. “I’m not in the habit of discussing Titan business with those other than the Buchanan family. Being a major energy company, any information can be construed and used for ill-gotten gains such as insider trading.”

&
nbsp; “Oh, of course, I understand. Company secrets. Okay, it’s late and I’ve gotta get out of here.”

  “Are you sure? It’s still raining pretty hard out there.”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’ll be fine. I need to go,” she said tightly. “I have a date with a—”

  “A date?” he asked quickly, apparently taken off guard. “I didn’t realize you were…”

  She half smiled. “Yes, I have a date with my alarm clock. It goes off at three in the morning. I have pastries to make and a café to open by six o’clock.”

  “Ah, that’s right, Nikita’s Café.”

  “You should stop by sometime,” she said, grabbing her jacket and backpack on her way to the back door.

  “I will,” he promised.

  “It was interesting meeting you,” she said.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Chase followed her to the mudroom and opened the back door for her. The rain poured down in steady sheets. Nikita stood beside him looking out. Even seeing across the driveway to the wooded area was nearly impossible. There was no way she could drive home safely in this.

  As if he read her thoughts, he turned back to her. “There’s no way I can let you leave here in this.”

  She nodded. “It’ll pass in a few minutes,” she said, hoping she was right. Being here with him, this close, was starting to test her resolve. Darcy was right. It was about the sex.

  “So, Ms. Coles, what does one cook for a chef?”

  She looked at him. “What?”

  “For dinner, for breakfast, for lunch, what does someone cook for a chef?”

  “Simple is always best.”

  “Cinnamon toast with bananas and chocolate,” he suggested.

  She looked at him questioningly. Few people outside of her family knew that she loved cinnamon toast with bananas and chocolate. “I think you know a lot more about me than you let on,” she said suspiciously.

  “I confess,” he said, glancing out at the pouring rain, “I do.”

  “Why is that?” she asked, knowing this was no innocent joke.