by C. Morgan
He was staring at me with a funny look. Then his eyes widened and he burst out into a full belly laugh. “Holy shit!” he practically shouted.
“What?”
“You’re hot for this woman! You got a thing for the client.”
“I am not hot for anyone.” I walked back to grab the second chest.
He helped hoist it up and load the truck. “Who is this lady? I want to meet her.”
“No.”
“What does she look like?”
I grabbed my keys from my pocket. “I’m leaving. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Come on, a little hint,” he cajoled. “Is she old? Young?”
“Bye, Stanley.” I got in the truck while he was still talking. I wished I had time to clean up a little before I made the delivery, but I wanted to get her the lobster. I wanted to show her I was dependable. And I couldn’t bring myself to go through a big hassle of showering and changing. I was tired and ready for my couch and a cold beer.
I parked my truck in back and rang the bell. I felt a bit like a servant heading in the back stairs. It was what it was.
The door opened, a young man looking at me with a question on his face. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“I’m delivering the lobster. Is Amara here?”
“She is. Come in.”
“Can you give me a hand with the coolers?”
“Sure,” he said and followed me out.
“Hi,” Amara said, walking out the back door.
I turned to look at her and was once again blown away by what I felt for her. It was intense. I couldn’t explain it. Her hair was loose, hanging around her shoulders. She was wearing another pair of jeans and a loose shirt with a floral print. She was beautiful.
“Hello,” I answered. “Your delivery as promised.”
“I see that.”
The kid helped me get them inside before scurrying away and leaving me with Amara. “Would you like to inspect them?”
She shrugged. “Am I supposed to?”
“Generally, yes.”
“Oh, uh, I can do it later.”
“I’d like my ice chests back.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry. I am really a fish out of water here. I suppose that much is obvious. My mind is a little scattered. I promise I’m not normally like this.”
“Not so obvious.”
“What?”
“It isn’t that obvious that you’ve never done this before.”
“Oh. Uh, thanks.”
I opened one lid and waited for her to inspect them. “Good?”
“Yes, good. I should have them transferred to our storage.”
I nodded. “Yes, that would be good.”
“Harley!” she called without moving away.
The kid returned. “Yes, ma’am?”
I saw her grit her teeth. Someone should educate the boy that young women did not appreciate being called ma’am. “Get Damien to help you transfer these into the walk-in please.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
I winced when I saw her face. “I’ll get you paid. Follow me.”
I had no problem following her anywhere. I stared at her ass while she walked, completely unashamed with who might see me looking. As far as I was concerned, it was my ass to stare at. It would be soon enough.
I had no doubt in my mind she would willingly go to bed with me when I got my chance. I could be smooth when I wanted to be. I saw her looking at me. I knew she was attracted. Every good girl wanted a turn with a bad boy. They wanted to rebel and walk on the wild side. I was happy to oblige. The stuffy, uptight girls were the wild ones in bed.
“Looks like things are moving along,” I commented, noticing the shelves were stocked and the hum of activity happening in the kitchen and the prep area.
“They are. Maybe too fast.”
“Why too fast?” I asked, taking the seat she offered me.
“I just feel like things are moving fast. I mean, it’s a good thing but scary at the same time. Most people take months to get a restaurant up and running. I’ve taken a month. I’ve been planning it for years, but the actual doing is going quick.”
I slowly nodded. I knew a little about what she was feeling. I was a little younger than her when I set out on my own. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Do you have help?” I asked. “Besides Kerri.”
“Kerri has proven to be a big help.”
“I have one guy to help me and we seem to get things done,” I told her. It was meant as encouragement. I was not a great cheerleader.
She offered a small smile. “I guess this next week will tell.”
“Have you always wanted to open a restaurant?”
“I knew I wanted to own a business, but I didn’t decide on a restaurant until a few years ago.”
I nodded. I wasn’t sure where to go with the conversation. “It’ll be okay.”
“Thanks,” she said with a smile. “Do you have an invoice?”
I reached into my pocket and handed her the paper that was folded up. It was probably a little unprofessional, but I wasn’t a professional guy. “Check is fine.”
She took it, checked it, and then did something on her computer. A minute later, she was handing me a check. “Here you go. Thank you for being on time. After this first week, I will have a better idea about what we’ll need.”
“I’m always on time.”
“That’s good to know.”
I stared at her, looking into those honeyed eyes. I wanted her. I wondered what it would be like to take her right on the desk. I wanted to bury myself inside her. I just knew she would be hot and tight. I imagined her thighs squeezing mine as I slammed my body inside her. She’d whimper and claw my back while I brought her to orgasm over and over.
“I should go,” I said in a raspy voice. I needed to get away from her before I followed through on my fantasy.
“Can I show you something?” she blurted out.
I gave her a heated look. “You can show me anything.”
Her lips parted and then shut. She didn’t miss my meaning. “Out here,” she whispered, her pink tongue darting out to lick her lips.
I smirked, letting her know I knew I got to her. Her cheeks were a little flushed, confirming my suspicions. I followed her out of the office once again. My eyes on her ass. Images of my hands in her hair while I fucked her from behind flashed through my mind. I pulled it together. My dick was growing harder by the second.
We stepped into the dining room.
“Wow,” I said.
She turned to look at me, a worried expression on her face. “Is that a good wow or a bad wow?” she asked, worrying her lower lip.
“It’s a good wow.”
“Is it too pretentious?”
“Why are you asking me that?” I questioned.
“Because I want an outsider’s opinion.”
“An outsider?” I asked, folding my arms over my chest.
Her eyes dropped to the tattoo that was on the underside of my forearm. I waited for her to answer. “Outsider, like you don’t work for me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Well?” she asked. “What do you think?”
“It’s nice,” I told her. “It isn’t pretentious.”
“Good. I want people to feel comfortable here. I don’t want it to be too stuffy.”
“It’s going to be great. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
I knew that was probably not the most reassuring thing to say, but I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. I knew what pretentious meant but I wasn’t sure I knew what it looked like.
“Thanks.”
“What time are you opening tomorrow?” I asked.
She smiled. “Are you going to come?”
I was absolutely going to come but I was pretty sure that wasn’t what she was asking. “I might. I may have some free time tomorrow.”
“I’d love for you to come by if you can.”
“I’ll try. I need to get going.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
I knew the way, but I was hoping she would walk in front of me one more time. She didn’t. “Good luck,” I told her before walking out the door.
I was going to do my best to be back in time to stop by for her opening. Not because I wanted the food or gave two shits about the restaurant. I wanted to see her again. I needed her to get used to seeing me. I planned on being around her a lot more. I’d ease her into seeing me regularly. Then I’d make my move.
I suspected she was one of those good girls. She wasn’t used to guys like me. I saw the way she looked at the tattoo. I intimidated her. I was used to having that reaction on people. She’d get over it. She would enjoy a little ride on the wild side and I would enjoy doing one of those uptight rich girls.
Chapter 8
Amara
“Oh my gosh,” I exclaimed when the door opened and another couple came in.
“This is wild,” Kerri exclaimed. “How did so many people know about our opening? I thought this was a soft open.”
“It was supposed to be.”
“I can’t imagine what it’s going to look like when you actually advertise,” she said with a laugh. “We need to hire more staff. We might need to do reservation only.”
“That would defeat the casual dining experience.”
“I better go help bus tables,” she murmured. “Remind me to hire another busboy.”
“Thank you for all of your hard work,” I told her. “I seriously could not get through this without you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said before rushing away.
The steady stream of customers had been a surprise. I wasn’t quite prepared for the customers. It was supposed to be a small opening. A way for my staff to get their feet wet. A way for me to ease into the business. That was not the case. I loved it but I hoped we weren’t completely screwing things up.
The door opened again, and it was a familiar face. I walked over to my father and gave him a hug. “Hi, Dad.”
“Wow,” he said as looked around.
“I know! This is crazy.”
“You’ve got a lot of people in here. I’m impressed.”
“I’m not sure what is going on,” I told him, moving him out of the way of the waitstaff rushing around. “We didn’t advertise at all.”
He was smiling. “I might have mentioned the restaurant in a few of our company’s social media accounts.”
“What?” I asked with surprised.
He shrugged. “I wanted to give you a hand without doing anything.”
“Dad! This is crazy!”
He grinned, clearly proud of himself. “I am thrilled to see things going so well.”
“I hope they continue to go well. We were not expecting to be this busy. We only get one chance to make a first impression. I’m going to have to do something extra special for my employees.”
He nodded, his eyes scanning the room. “Yes, you will. Did you put your grandma’s lobster cake recipe to use?”
“I did. Along with some of her other recipes.”
“Good girl. She would have been very happy to see this. She always thought about opening a restaurant.”
My grandma was an excellent cook. I was an average cook with excellent recipes. She inspired me. “Which is why I named it after her.”
“I know, sweetie. I know. Thank you for that. Her legacy lives on.”
“Did you want to eat?” I asked him, looking around for an available table.
“No, no. I’ll eat here another time. I don’t want to take up a precious table. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were going.”
“I can put you at the table in the kitchen,” I told him. “You have to try some of the food.”
“It’s fine. I’d love to come back another time when we can sit and enjoy a meal together. Your mother as well.”
It was a better option. “I would like that. I don’t think it will be like this all the time. It’s just the newness of the place and your little sneaky advertising trick.”
He winked. “I had to help, even if you wouldn’t accept it.”
“Thank you.”
“Say, have you spoken with Nick? I talked to him the other day and he said he was still trying to catch up with you.”
I frowned, only then understanding his ulterior motive for stopping by. “No, I have not.” I waved my arms around the restaurant. “I’ve been a little busy.”
He laughed, nodding. “Yes, I suppose you are right. He said he was going to stop by and check the place out.”
“You told him?”
“Yes, of course. He asks about you. I do hope you will give him a chance.”
“I did,” I muttered.
“A real chance,” he said in a soft but stern way. “He’s a good man and you two have a lot in common.”
He was dull as cardboard. I hoped my father didn’t think I was that dull. “We’ll see.”
“I’ll go. Good luck, and hopefully, I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow. You can tell me all about your grand opening.”
“Thanks, Dad,” I said and gave him a quick hug before diving in to help clear tables.
I spent the next hour on my feet rushing around and doing whatever I could to help my staff. The idea of me leisurely strolling around the dining room and chatting with customers while refilling wine glasses or sampling food in the kitchen was a joke. I wasn’t sure if this kind of business would keep up, but I was going to need to hire more staff if so.
The rush began to fade with the majority of the diners already gone. A few more came in but it was a much more manageable flow. It was the kind of business I had been predicting for the night. After making sure every one of the crew got a short break, I was ready to take one myself.
When I saw the door open, I looked up, ready to count the number of guests and get them seated right away. It was just one guest. I felt my heart do a little skip when I saw Fulton walk through the door. He was so fucking hot. He looked a little different tonight than he had when I saw him yesterday. He was wearing a dark pair of jeans with a dark T-shirt. The shirt was tight around his biceps and his broad chest.
His dark hair was still damp from what I suspected was a recent shower. The usual beard stubble was present. It was something I found myself drawn to. I wanted to run my hand over that hard jaw and feel the prickly stubble against my palm.
His blue eyes found mine. Again, my heart skipped a beat. Damn, he was gorgeous in an untraditional way. He was handsome but I suspected some women would find him a little too rough for their liking. I couldn’t understand my own attraction to him. I had always dated the polo-shirt-and-golf type that wore suits to work and never dared have stubble on their jaw.
“Hi,” I said as I walked toward him. “You showed.”
He gave a slow nod. “I did.”
“I was just about to take a break. Would you like to join me?”
“Sure.”
I led him to a table in the back of the place. One that we were using for employees or as a last resort for guests. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Are you serving beer?”
I smiled. “We are. I’ll be right back.”
I walked behind the counter and grabbed a cold beer for him and filled a diet soda for myself. A cold beer sounded great just then, but I was still on the job. I carried the drinks back to the table, snagging a menu as I moved.
“Thanks.”
There was a bit of an awkward silence, which I promptly filled with chatter. “The opening was a lot busier than we anticipated.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” he asked, his blue eyes staring right into my soul.
“It is. I’m almost out of lobster. I’ll need to make another order tomorrow.”
“I can accommodate.”
He was a man of few words. I didn’t miss the fact he only answered the question asked without providing any kind of extra inf
ormation. “Did you go out today?”
“Fishing?”
“Yes.”
He nodded before taking a drink of his beer. I watched as his lips touched the bottle, the way his Adam’s apple worked. Damn, I wondered what it would be like to have his lips on mine. I brushed the thought away. He was not my type and I doubted I was his type.
He was tall, in excellent shape, and had that look about him that said he preferred his women leggy and leather clad. Maybe I was being stereotypical, but it was the vibe I got.
“How long have you been in Portland?” I asked him.
“Most of my life. You?”
I smiled, happy he was actually conversing with me. “I was born and raised here. Falmouth, actually. I’ve been in New York at school the last four years.”
He slowly nodded. “You’re what, twenty-two, twenty-three?”
“Twenty-two. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Have you always worked on a lobster boat? Is it the family business?”
His eyes briefly darkened. “No family to speak of. I wasn’t born on a boat or into a fishing family. I got a job on a boat at fourteen. I bought my own boat at eighteen.”
It was both sad and impressive. I had a million more questions, but I didn’t get the chance to ask any of them. Nick was suddenly standing next to the table. I looked up at him, trying to hide my irritation.
“Nick,” I said his name.
Fulton was glaring up at him. I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t like Nick on principle. Nick was wearing one of his fitted suits and looking very GQ. “This is your restaurant?” he asked as if he wasn’t sure.
“It is.”
“It’s a lot smaller than I thought. And very homey.”
I felt the air crackling. Fulton’s irritation was clear. I quickly acted to diffuse the situation. “Thank you,” I said with a smile. “Go ahead and have a seat. A waiter will get you set up with a complimentary appetizer.”
Nick didn’t move. “Amara, I came all the way from Boston to see your new restaurant.”
“She said take a seat,” Fulton said in a low voice.
