Ravenous (novella)

by Eden Summers

  “I’m moving to Sydney.”

  She waited for Karen’s expression to sadden, for her posture to loosen and her shoulders to slump. Instead she rolled her eyes.

  “About bloody time!”

  Erin blinked, then blinked again and vaguely heard Jesse chuckling from beside her. “You don’t mind?”

  Karen raised an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? Why do you think we came to Sydney? I didn’t plan on leaving until you guys worked your shit out.”

  “But the catering busi–”

  “The catering business will sort itself out. Who knows, I might even follow you up here.”

  Erin dropped Jesse’s hand and moved to Karen. “Are you serious? You aren’t upset?”

  Karen gripped her upper arms and smiled at her. “Your happiness means the world to me and I drove you here hoping you would make the decision to stay. I love our business, and Holbrook, but I’ve never been as eager to stay as you.” She jerked her head toward the kitchen and waggled her eyebrows. “And with all the incentives to move here I really do think I’ll join you.”

  Erin’s legs began to shake. Finally her life was falling into place. After years of drifting, unable to find happiness, she was going to have everything she wanted. The thought of leaving Holbrook didn’t even bring a dull throb to her chest.

  Jesse settled in beside her. “Does that mean I can take her home and tie her to the bed now?”

  Karen stepped back with her hands up in surrender. “Wow. Way too much information there, Sport.”

  A laugh bubbled from Erin’s throat which she couldn’t stop. She felt free. Alive. Jesse gripped her around the waist and pulled her into his hip. “Let’s get you home.”

  Her cheeks ached with a smile she had no plan on containing and her mind started flashing images of how perfect her future would be.

  “Go have fun.” Karen chuckled.

  As much as Erin wanted to go have lots of hot and sticky fun with Jesse, she couldn’t. “No, not tonight. I can’t leave you alone in the city.”

  Antonio swung open the kitchen door, wiping his hands on his checkered pants. “It’s alright.”

  Now Erin understood her sister’s interest in the man. He had an accent to die for.

  Karen discreetly nodded her head with wide-eyed excitement. “Oh, yeah,” she mouthed.

  “I will make sure she gets back to your hotel.”

  The man was confident, his shoulders straight, his chin high–one hundred percent arrogant, for lack of a better description.

  “Umm, I think it would be best if–”

  “I’ll be fine.” Karen cut her off. “Antonio promised to take me dancing as soon as he finishes work.”

  Erin glanced between them both, the self-assured Spaniard and her randy-as-a-sailor sister.

  Jesse squeezed her hip. “Let her have some fun,” he whispered in her ear. “You can swap sex stories tomorrow.”

  Epilogue

  Four weeks later

  Erin clutched a pile of paperwork in her arms as she unlocked the front door to Jesse’s city apartment. Her new home.

  “Do you need a hand with all those files?” Karen asked from behind her, following her inside.

  “No, I’m fine.” In a few more steps she’d be able to drop all the information down on the dining room table, make herself a coffee and put her feet up. Or maybe she’d grab something stronger, like straight vodka.

  They’d spent the entire day, and every other day that week, searching for a suitable location for their catering business. So far everything was either too expensive, or too far away from where they both now lived. Erin was determined not to let the misfortune tear away her happiness, but each day became harder to smile through.

  “We’ll find something,” Karen patted her on the back as they made their way to the dining room table.

  Erin placed the mass of papers down on the glass tabletop and continued to the kitchen. “I know we will, I just don’t think it will be what we envisaged. We will either have to get a bigger bank loan to pay the rent on one of the better suited properties, or start working in the ghetto until the business has a steady income.”

  “It wasn’t the ghetto.” Karen sighed and began spreading out the files on the table. “It was just…less…pretty.”

  Erin snorted. “By the time we reached the property you’d wound up your window and locked your car door.”

  “True.”

  Erin made coffee and shuffled back to where Karen now sat, reading over different files. As she placed the mugs down on one of the useless pieces of paper, the front door slammed.

  Jesse was home.

  “Hey, gorgeous.” He walked passed with his usual sexy grin and kissed her on the cheek, his arms full with a large cardboard box. “Any luck today?”

  Erin wrinkled her nose. “Nope. But we’ll find something soon.”

  His smile wavered as he nodded. “I have something for you. Just let me put this box in the spare room.”

  She watched him leave. He’d been bringing home boxes every day, filling his–their spare room from wall to wall. When he returned, he held a manila folder in his hand, his lips set in a firm line.

  “This is for both of you.”

  Erin frowned and reached for the file.

  “Is everything okay?” She studied him. They had lived together for a week and this was the first time she’d seen him with a serious expression.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine,” He nodded, but didn’t smile.

  She pulled out the chair next to Karen and Jess took the seat beside her at the head of the table.

  “So what’s this?” She opened the file and slid it between her and Karen.

  “It’s my offer,” Jesse’s tone was light, with no emotion.

  “What?” Karen asked.

  “Offer?” Erin glanced over the first page. There was a plan of a kitchen in the middle of the paper with paragraphs of writing underneath.

  “Before you start reading, let me explain.”

  Erin turned her attention to the man she loved and watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed. Something was making him nervous, which in return made her nervous.

  “When you mentioned reopening your catering business, I got to thinking. Bellerin is already a well-known part of Sydney, with an exceptional reputation and I’m always looking for new ways to expand and improve the business…”

  Erin’s heart began to gallop, thumping hard under her rib cage and Karen nudged her leg under the table, announcing her own anticipation.

  “Over the past few weeks I’ve spoken to my financial advisors and some of the managerial staff at Bellerin. They all agree that broadening our services into catering would be a great idea.”

  Erin turned to her sister with wide eyes.

  “Let me finish,” Jesse continued. “In that folder is an outline of the current storage room at Bellerin. It isn’t as roomy as what you had back in Holbrook, but I’ve spoken to a few tradesmen and they assure me it can be turned into a working kitchen. There are also financial statements and what benefits you would gain from going into partnership with me.”

  Karen sucked in a breath while Erin blinked in shock.

  “Silent partner,” he amended. “Both Bellerin and Bellerin Catering would be run separately, but under the one roof.”

  Erin focused back on the file, flicking through the pages as silence thickened the air. A location on the harbour would be amazing. An already established business to back them up? Wow.

  “And if we decide against it, does that mean you’ll expand into catering anyway?” Karen grasped the file and slid it towards herself. Erin was thankful that someone’s brain was working, because hers ceased to function over the excitement.

  “Not at all. I have no desire to go into competition with you.” Jesse grasped Erin’s hand that rested on the tabletop and squeezed. “I know we can make it into a profitable business, my offer also comes out of love for Erin. I want to help you in any way I can and I’m lucky
enough to not only be experienced, but financially viable.”

  Her heart melted. She didn’t need to look at his business plan to know his offer was more than generous.

  “You don’t have to decide now. Take as much time as you like. I won’t be offended if you reject the offer either. It’s a big decision and I will stand by you both, no matter what the outcome.”

  Moments passed, then Karen cleared her throat. “From my brief skim over the documentation, your numbers appear a hell of a lot healthier than ours do.”

  Jesse nodded. “There is less risk this way. Rent costs will be minimal and you won’t have to sign a contract like you would with another building.”

  Erin pictured the empty storeroom at Bellerin and imagined what they could do with the space. Jesse was right, the area wasn’t as big as their old place in Holbrook, but it was large enough for what they needed.

  Karen clicked her fingers in front of Erin’s face, bringing her back to reality. “I don’t even need to ask, do I?”

  Erin smiled. Obviously they would have to go over the numbers, call their bank manager, and check the kitchen space, yadda yadda yadda. But yes, Erin had already made up her mind. She wanted to work with Jesse. She wanted to build a future for them both at Bellerin. She’d daydreamed about doing exactly that since deciding to move to Sydney.

  Karen chuckled. “It does sound perfect, doesn’t it?”

  Erin’s heart galloped as she swallowed over and over again, trying to dislodge the golf ball in her throat. She felt lightheaded, the gift of true happiness too much for her body to bear.

  Jesse squeezed her hand tighter. “Say something.” His gaze studied her in uncertainty. “I don’t want either of you to feel pressured. I just want you to be happy.”

  Erin turned to Karen. She couldn’t form words, so she raised an eyebrow at her sister, who laughed with a nod.

  “We’ll work out the details later,” Karen whispered.

  Glancing back at Jesse, Erin opened her mouth, then closed it again. Delirium consumed her and she didn’t know how to voice her gratitude.

  “Is that an ‘I’m happy’ facial expression or ‘I’m going to vomit on my boyfriend’s brand new shoes’?” Jesse asked with a frown.

  Erin gave a final swallow and leaned in to cup his cheek with her free hand. She stared at him, hoping her love and admiration shone through in her gaze. “That’s an ‘I’m too grateful for words’ expression.”

  His eyes brightened and a smile curved his lips. He inclined his head and placed a kiss on her mouth, deepening it with a swipe of his tongue before breaking the connection. “I’m going to give you everything your heart desires, Erin.”

  Karen cleared her throat. “Well, Erin might not vomit on your new shoes, but if you two don’t quit it, I think I will.”

  Tears stung Erin’s eyes. “Jesse, you’re all I ever wanted.”

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  ISBN: 9780857990686

  Title: Ravenous

  Copyright © 2013 by Eden Summers

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises (Australia) Limited, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. NSW, Australia, 2067.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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