“Fine by me.” Quinn boarded the yacht and was happy to let Barin direct him where to go.
Since it was a cool evening, with a persistent breeze, Barin had opted for having the meal indoors, but they sat beside a window and could look out as the yacht sailed out.
While the waiter brought water, Quinn studied the menu. To begin, there were canapés of truffle and mushroom arancini, salmon blini with lemon crème fraiche, and barbequed pork sliders with slaw and pickles.
For his main course, Quinn selected the salmon served with a potato salad, and to his surprise, Barin opted for lamb shepherd’s pie.
“Don’t knock the simple stuff.” Barin smiled and took a sip of water. “Sometimes a good, homey meal and someone to share it with you is the best thing in this world.”
When the food came, Quinn had to admit that the pie was quite delicious, since Barin insisted on Quinn trying it. Dessert was also shared. Quinn picked the chocolate brownie and Barin the pavlova with salted caramel cream.
When the desserts came, Quinn found himself trying to wriggle unnoticed as he watched the way Barin’s long, sinuous tongue lapped up the cream. His cock pressed insistently against his zipper, desperate to feel the slick organ slide against its length.
“This tastes good. Wanna have a … lick?”
“Huh?” Quinn blinked, wondering how Barin had read his mind, but then he saw the dessert dish pushed toward him. “Yeah. Sure.” The pavlova tasted good enough, but now that the idea was planted in his mind, Quinn wanted to taste an entirely different cream. “I would have thought you’d want dinner in a Michelin star restaurant.” Quinn needed to get his mind off its X-rated thoughts about Barin.
“We’ll have that tomorrow. You might not have a star, but you’re good enough. Tonight, I just wanted us to relax. Enjoy one another’s company. You have to admit, being out here is better than being stuck in a restaurant.”
That Barin thought him good enough for a coveted star almost took Quinn’s breath away. For a moment, he couldn’t think of anything to say, and Barin’s mischievous smirk was back in full force.
“Speechless, eh? Shame it was so easy, I had far more … entertaining ideas of how to arrange that.” Barin stretched and his chest expanded, his nipples hard beneath the thin shirt he wore, and Quinn had to bite back a whine of want.
“You really think I’m that good?” Quinn asked, steering the conversation to less dangerous waters.
Barin leaned forward across the table. “If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have risked my reputation on your skills at completing that degustation. But I know you can. You will, and I’m looking forward to tasting you.”
“Huh?” Quinn blinked. He wasn’t sure he’d just heard right.
“Your food. What did you think I said?” The smile was back, and Quinn shook his head quickly.
“Nuh-nothing. Totally missed it. You’re right. This is nicer than being cooped inside. And I promise your reputation is safe.” Quinn sat straight, looking Barin directly in the eye.
Barin nodded slowly. “I know. Let’s get a bottle of bubbles, a couple of glasses, and relax. Tomorrow is going to be a big day.”
The cruise came to an end, and Quinn was almost sad to have to return to the hotel. Out on the water, it had been easy to pretend he and Barin were enjoying a date together. But now it was back to real life.
When they got back to their hotel room, Barin sat heavily on his bed and kicked off his shoes. “You can use the bathroom first. I’ll read while you’re getting ready.”
“Oh, sure.” Quinn went to the chair closest to his bed where his case sat open. He picked out a pair of clean boxer briefs, and his shower bag, and left Barin apparently engrossed in a magazine he’d picked up at the airport.
Ten minutes later, Quinn returned to the bedroom to see that in his absence Barin had stripped to his briefs. His very snug, pale-blue briefs. A thick covering of almost white chest hair covered his pecs as well as down and across his abdomen. He looked every bit as solid and powerful as his build had implied.
“Ah, good. Hope you saved some hot water for me.” Barin swung his legs off the bed and stood up, stretching and arching his back as if to work out the kinks from having sat on the bed. The movement not only showcased his chest, as on the yacht earlier, but also the package the briefs barely contained.
This time Quinn couldn’t stop the whine of want escaping but tried to smother it with a cough.
“Back soon. Best make yourself a drink. Nasty cough you have there.” Barin didn’t even break his stride, and Quinn stared after the toned buns the briefs showcased.
“I’m so fucked,” Quinn moaned softly as he sat on the bed. He’s an Alpha, they can’t be trusted. Quinn scrambled into bed but couldn’t bring himself to try to pretend he was sleeping. He wasn’t going to lie. That wasn’t his style, even if he wasn’t already certain that an Alpha like Barin would know straightaway he wasn’t sleeping.
Instead, Quinn picked up his book and tried to read. But when Barin came back into the room, a waft of steam swirling around him like an attentive lover, Quinn’s gaze followed the bigger man as if it had a life of its own. Barin was drying the hair on his head, and the mat on his chest was plastered to his damp body. All he wore was a small towel wrapped around his waist. Quinn fought an internal battle with himself not to snatch it away.
“Glad you didn’t take all the hot water. Nothing like a hot shower before bed. Ah, I suppose I should mention that I sleep naked. Just in case the covers slip, or I need to visit the bathroom in the night. I wouldn’t want to give you a … big surprise.” Barin tossed the towel through the open door to the bathroom with unerring accuracy.
“Yeah.” Quinn coughed again and chugged some of the water he had on his bedside table. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“I’m sure you would.” Barin turned and whipped off the towel, tossed it to join the first, and slid into bed almost before Quinn had time to truly covet the view of Barin’s naked ass.
“Wha—?” Quinn’s brain tried to play catch-up, having been temporarily distracted, but Barin was already buried under his duvet, the light over his bed switched off.
“I’ve set the alarm for four-thirty and ordered room service for breakfast. Hope you didn’t mind, but I wanted us to eat well before we leave, because knowing Jason, there’ll be little opportunity through the day. He takes his degustations seriously. Although I hope he’ll let us grab something for lunch. My stomach will protest, loudly, if he doesn’t. Sleep well, Quinn.”
“You too.” For long seconds, Quinn sat still, the memory of Barin’s body whirling in his mind. After flicking off the light, Quinn slid down under the duvet. His hard-on remained as rigid as it had been since a hot, damp, steamy Barin had walked into the room. So fucked. Quinn closed his eyes, hoping he could ignore his erection long enough to fall asleep.
Chapter Six
Breakfast was fast and efficient. Barin had selected bacon and scrambled eggs with toast, but not just a plate each. Bacon, eggs, and tomatoes were each in serving dishes, and the toast must have been half a loaf. There were condiments aplenty, along with a jug of orange juice and a large pot of coffee.
“Just help yourself.” Barin waved his fork as he snatched up more bacon. “Don’t forget, Jason is a hard taskmaster, and you’ll bear the brunt.”
“Thanks.” Quinn made sure to get a good serving of bacon on his plate, then added eggs and tomato. “I thought the slow-roast would be the first thing to tackle. If that’s cooking by six this morning, it has almost fourteen hours if we need it.”
“Twelve should be enough.” Barin made short work of the food on his plate and piled it high again. “Jason will have the best. You don’t want it overdone or drying out. Not that I think you need advice from me.”
“I-I appreciate your advice.” Quinn hoped he didn’t look as awkward as he felt. “You have a lot of skills and knowledge. I’d be a fool to ignore you.”
“Thank yo
u.” This time, Barin’s smile was different from all the others. Not mischievous, not sly, not the flash of teeth that looked more of a snarl, but a smile of genuine … affection?
Quinn wasn’t quite sure how to define it, but it gave him a good feeling, and he offered a full-watt smile of his own.
“I like it when you smile.” Barin spoke softly, his own smile staying in place. “I wish I saw it more often.”
“Well, maybe.” Quinn looked quickly back at his plate, unsure if he was relieved or disappointed when Barin didn’t speak again.
****
When Barin had called Jason a hard taskmaster, he hadn’t been kidding. Quinn wiped the sweat away from his face with his forearm as he moved from one set of ovens to another. Not that he’d had time to say so to the other man. Even taking a nature break had been at a run. Quinn was convinced Jason had a stopwatch to time him.
At the same time, Quinn also felt elated. As demanding and exacting as Jason was, it was all intended to produce the highest quality food possible, and Quinn relished the opportunity to prove his worth.
Time passed in a blur, and it was only when Barin appeared with a sandwich that Quinn realized it was late afternoon.
“I need to watch the bone broth.” Quinn indicated a pan bubbling away.
“I’ll watch. You eat. I can manage not to spoil the broth. You and I are not too many cooks.” Barin winked and handed Quinn the plate.
The aroma of rare steak made Quinn’s mouth water and he realized just how hungry he was. Backing into a corner out of the way, Quinn devoured half the sandwich almost without taking a breath.
The meat was cooked to perfection and offset with caramelized onions and a hint of mustard. Quinn watched Barin, who seemed unaware of his scrutiny. Quinn wondered if Barin had cooked the meal especially for him.
“How are things going?” Jason came into view and Barin jerked a thumb unerringly in Quinn’s direction.
“I decided to feed the chef, so he didn’t pitch face first into the stock.”
“My bad.” Jason chuckled warmly. “I forget such civilities. You all right, Quinn?”
“Yep. Almost finished. Everything’s under control. We’re still on time.” Quinn picked up the water bottle Barin had brought with the food and chugged back half the bottle in one go.
“Drink more as you work, Quinn.” Jason wagged a finger. “Your attention and timekeeping are admirable, but I need a healthy chef too.”
“Yes, Chef.” Quinn nodded. Becoming over-focused on the food being cooked to the detriment of their own well-being was a trait in many chefs. Quinn took a deep breath and finished off the sandwich with a little more decorum.
“Right.” Jason clapped his hands. “If the main is under control, I’d like to turn attention to the amuse-bouches. I want them elegant and pristine on the tray alongside the champagne. Barin, please take charge of getting the starter plated. Quinn, with me. We have goat liver pâté on brioche to create.”
“Yes, Chef.” Quinn hurried to assist Jason.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of perfect amuse-bouches, expertly presented appetizers, a faultless main course, and immaculate desserts. At the end of which, Quinn felt like his legs had turned to jelly and he’d lost several pounds in weight through sweat. But Jason wasn’t finished with him yet.
“Good job. Now it’s time to go out there and meet your diners.” Jason stood, hands on hips, a wide grin on his face.
Quinn shook his head. “But it was your degustation.”
“True, but how can people know where you work unless you go out there and make yourself known? It’s a rare opportunity for such publicity.”
Quinn’s hackles rose. “So, that’s what it was about. Publicity for Barin’s restaurant.”
“It was not.”
The change in Jason was as good as dropping a bucket of ice water over Quinn, and anything else he may have said froze in the icy glare of Jason’s fury.
“This was about showcasing your talent. Barin knew it was a risk, after all, you may be offered work here or Wellington, but Barin went ahead anyway. Outside of New Zealand, Barin is well-known and well-respected, but he doesn’t want another restaurant like this.”
“He-he doesn’t? Then what?” Confusion replaced Quinn’s anger.
“His dream? To find his mate, to buy a vineyard and produce wine, and have a restaurant where good food can be paired with good wine. He doesn’t want to be a major wine producer, but there are many boutique wineries that produce enough to cater for local restaurants, as well as their own on site.”
“And today?” Quinn asked.
“He wanted you to meet me, to learn a few tricks, to get you as a chef, and therefore the restaurant where you cook, on the map. I think he’s succeeded in those respects. Now, if you please, come and meet your public who are naturally raving about the food tonight. And remember, Barin did this for you.”
“Yeah, okay.” Quinn followed Jason, his head still spinning. Then he was in the spotlight. A restaurant full of people stood and applauded as he came through and was introduced by Jason.
Even as he was smiling and nodding at people, Quinn sought out Barin. The man stood at a table on the periphery. His smile was different from normal, almost … vulnerable, and then he nodded and indicated for Quinn to focus on the crowd.
When the end of the evening came, Quinn even got to eat some of the food he’d made while he, Jason, Barin, and Dominic talked about food and wine. By the time they got back to their hotel room, Quinn was barely able to put one foot in front of the other.
At Barin’s insistence, he took a shower, and then shuffled back into the bedroom, not even caring he was naked. Flopping into bed, Quinn curled up and was asleep in seconds.
Chapter Seven
The publicity brought new customers to the restaurant, but Quinn couldn’t settle. His mind kept going over Jason’s words, that this restaurant wasn’t what Barin wanted. He could leave. At any time. He can stay part-owner and move on.
Consequentially, Quinn’s temper simmered close to the surface, and Barin took the brunt of Quinn’s barbs, but never once took the bait. It even seemed to Quinn that Barin was a different man since they’d returned, which he assumed was due to him about to leave at any minute.
To Quinn’s shock, it was Lucas whose temper snapped first. He grabbed Quinn, dragging him into the corner where he worked his magic on desserts.
“What’s your problem?” Quinn folded his arms and glared at Lucas.
“You are. What’s wrong with you? You chewed out Barin for no good reason then.”
“He was interfering. He pushes me around like he owns me.”
“No, he wasn’t and most assuredly, no he does not.”
His cousin’s fury, so like Jason’s, was so unexpected that Quinn’s arms fell to his sides and he stared at Lucas.
“What?”
“Think about it, Quinn.” Lucas gripped his arms. “You and he went to Auckland. You shared a room. Two big beds. He didn’t try and share a bed with you, did he? No. Did Barin hit on you while you were there? No. He did something he knew you’d like. He took you to meet a top-class chef to learn knife skills with him. I don’t know if he called in a favor or paid for the chef’s time. Either way, it was an amazing gift. He didn’t try anything, other than flirt with you … and continue to court you.”
“He didn’t flirt or court—” Quinn stopped dead and Lucas’s smile turned triumphant.
“You were too busy seeing him as the big, bad Alpha. You and he have bickered and argued from the day he started, but he owns the place. His rules. He could have kicked both of us out at any time. You’ve challenged him, and he’s overruled you, but he’s not flown into a full-blooded rage or made you look small. Not once.”
“No.” Quinn spoke quietly, his mind racing. “He hasn’t.”
“He knows you like to butcher. He’s brought you the very best meats and encouraged you to both butcher and prepare them to suit yourself. W
hat Alpha would provide in such a way, unless he was courting? Proving his capability to give you what you wanted.”
Quinn closed his eyes. What Lucas said made sense. Barin wasn’t the problem; his own attitude was.
“Think about it,” Lucas urged, and Quinn closed his eyes.
“He took me where he could wine and dine me, but also give me an experience around cookery that was unrivaled.”
“Now translate that to Alpha speak. I can provide for you, in more ways than one.” Lucas pressed ahead. “What else?”
“He showcased himself.” Quinn’s voice softened as he remembered Barin in the hotel. He’d all but paraded before Quinn, the way any Alpha would try to impress a mate. Proving not only was he the best provider Quinn could want, but also how desirable he was. As a mate. Realization struck Quinn like a freight train “Fuck! He has been courting me.”
“He’s finally seen the light.” Lucas waved his hands in the air. “Barin isn’t a bad Alpha. He could have tried to take advantage. He didn’t. He’s been really patient and persistent. Now, you get in there, and you apologize.” Lucas folded his arms and glowered at Quinn.
The scowl would have been more ferocious if Lucas had been able to stop his lips from repeatedly twitching into a smile.
“Okay. I’m going.” With a deep breath, Quinn marched up to the door of Barin’s office, rapped loudly, and stomped in before even waiting for a reply.
Barin sat at his desk and raised a single eyebrow as Quinn shut the door and came halfway into the room.
“I’m a fucking idiot. I apologize.” Quinn sighed heavily, the fight draining from him. “I’m sorry, Barin.”
For a moment, Barin did nothing. No anger, no reply. Nothing, except for a minute twitch of his nose. Then he nodded slowly. “I believe you.”
“I had a bad experience once. I thought all Alphas wanted someone who’d just obey every whim and demand. Never treat them as an equal.”
“I don’t want a slave or a servant. I don’t want a fuck buddy either. I want more. Much more. I want a mate. I believed I’d found him when I met you. I hoped to make you see that too.”
Denying the Alpha: Manlove Edition Page 9
