Applewood, 2
Can a sunny protégé get a grumpy chef to simmer down?
Aiden was a star chef on the cusp of greatness, but after an incident that gets him blackballed from the culinary community, he needs financial assistance from his old mentor to get back in the game. In exchange, Aiden must train the man’s beautiful daughter to be a chef, an endeavor that becomes even more inconvenient as his attraction to her grows.
Nicole is determined to become a chef and show her father once and for all that she’s capable of doing something he can be proud of, but studying under Aiden, a chef she’s crushed on since her teens proves to be more than she can handle.
As their relationship evolves from mentor and student into so much more, will Aiden and Nicole cook up something wonderful, or is their relationship nothing more than a flash in the pan?
Excerpt:
The private jet her father chartered was as glamorous as Nicole remembered from the last time she flew in it. Dark wood veneer and white leather covered the walls and large plush chairs sat surrounding a dark wood table on one side while a long, micro suede couch sat on the other. The door that led to the back cabin was open, giving her a peek at the large bed that took up most of the space.
Nicole’s mind started to race with some of the fantasies she’d been banishing since the moment she saw Aiden again, so she quickly plopped herself down in a chair facing the opposite direction, fidgeting with the lap belt to distract herself. The man flying with her looked as cool, calm, and collected as anyone she had ever seen. The only thing amiss about him was that his suit had gotten increasingly rumpled as the day went on, no doubt from the long day he’d been having followed by what would be an even longer night.
It would be nearly midnight by the time they arrived in Applewood, her new home for the next few months at least. Aiden had said he would train her, not hire her. Nicole was smart enough to know there was no way he would do the latter if he didn’t think she would be useful in his new restaurant. Staring across the table, she studied her new…teacher? Mentor? Boss?
Aiden wasn’t really her boss since he wasn’t technically paying her, but he was the one who would make or break her ability to transition from student to practitioner. Even so, Nicole found it difficult to think of him as anything other than someone who had shown her a tiny bit of kindness at a time when she’d felt fairly invisible all those years ago.
The pilot announced that the plane was cleared for takeoff, so Nicole settled back into her seat, the cool leather a lovely distraction from her heated skin. She peered across the way, surprised to see Aiden looking tenser than usual, something she hadn’t thought physically possible.
The man was more strained than a dinner between her and her dad. “Are you alright?” she asked.
Their ride to the airport had been silent, though Aiden had always been very mindful of her comfort, asking if the air conditioning was too cold, if her seat needed adjusting, or if she needed help with her luggage. It was touching, though it didn’t help matters as far as her crush was concerned. Now he was no longer this younger guy she’d gone gaga for as a teen, but a handsome and considerate man that she was trying not to lust over.
“Fine,” he bit out. Apparently, his kindness only extended so far.
Gone was the thoughtful gentleman from earlier and here was the Grumpy Gus she’d read so much about. Usually Nicole would leave someone to their stewing, but something about the tightness in his upper body, the way his fingers dug into the arms of his chair so deeply that she was almost sure he tore the leather that softened her a little.
Nicole scoffed lightly. “You don’t look fine. In fact, you look a little sick to your stomach.” She flicked her eyes to make sure there was an airsick bag nearby. Nicole was a little squeamish, so if Aiden lost his dinner, so would she.
Aiden shook his head tersely. “I’m fine. Just not a fan of flying.”
His voice was low and rough, something she would normally find delightful, but Nicole was too taken aback by his words to go there. His willingness to admit to what some might see as a weakness was refreshing for someone who seemed to project such a wholly confident aura, and even though she told herself she wouldn’t catch feelings, Nicole couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. The plane was just starting down the runway when she unbuckled herself and jumped to the seat directly next to Aiden.
One of his eyes flew open and zeroed in on her. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Nicole smiled brightly as she secured herself. “I won’t bite,” she promised. She definitely would if he asked her to, but that wasn’t something she was about to admit to out loud. Noticing his labored breathing, she tried to stay focused on making him more comfortable and not assaulting him with her mouth. “I’m just going to help you a little. Are you okay with that?”
His other eye opened and he studied her for a moment. The aqua shimmered like a pool of some otherworldly water she wanted to wade into, but as the plane kicked forward and the engine revved, the color dimmed. “Fine,” he finally agreed.
The gruffness of the concession nearly had her rolling her eyes, but she refrained. It was a bad habit she’d gotten into in response to her dad, teachers, other kids, or pretty much anyone who commented on her clueless nature. “Okay. I’m going to place your hand on my heart, and I’m going to place mine over yours,” she instructed.
Prying his grip from the armrest was difficult, but she managed to do it. The sight of deep grooves where his nails had damaged the leather gave her a little thrill as she imagined the same lines appearing on her hips, back, and shoulders. Wincing, Nicole expelled the sultry thoughts and tried to focus on helping Aiden.
“I’m not sure—” Aiden started, but he stopped the moment she touched his chest. It was firm beneath the cotton of his shirt. Nicole had gotten a brief glimpse earlier when he came to the house. The top two buttons of his shirt being undone gave her a peek at light skin and dark hair sprinkled beneath. While the desire to pop a few buttons and take a peek for confirmation was so very tempting, the feeling of his heart beating rapidly against his rib cage and her palm reminded her of why she was really there.
“Just breathe with me,” she instructed. Placing his hand slightly higher than her heart, she didn’t want to sexually harass her boss by placing his hand so close to her breast after all, at least not without his express permission, she recalled the exercise that had helped her in the past whenever missing her mom became unbearable. “When you feel my chest rise, breathe in slowly. When it falls, exhale at the same pace. Okay?”
Aiden nodded once again and as the plane picked up speed down the runway, the two of them breathed together, slowly inhaling and exhaling, the air between them smelling like mint and licorice. The sweet smell of candy was all her, so the mint must have come from him. Suddenly, she wanted to taste it directly. Shaking her head, Nicole tried to keep all of her focus on their mutual breathing, but as they lifted off into the air, she couldn’t help but find herself staring at Aiden’s profile.
Her stomach seemed to drop as she gazed at him. Her rational mind reminded her that it was the G-force creating the floaty feeling in her body, but Nicole couldn’t think rationally when she was gazing at such a man. Aiden’s nose was slightly larger up close, but it didn’t detract from the beauty of his face, and he was beautiful. There was no other way to describe someone who could double as an elf king with the smooth ivory skin of his face and the slightly pointed ears that were barely hidden under thick, nearly black hair.
Nicole moved her eyes down to his lips, and she allowed herself a moment to linger there. His lips were thin, but that made them no less kissable than if they had been plump or juicy. Instead of feeling like she was biting into a peach, Nicole would have to lick and suck her way into his mouth to get a taste of him. It was a challenge she would gladly accept, and the reward of tasting him would be that much sweeter for it. The idea of kissing Aiden had Nicole so turned on that she felt herself drifting closer to him.
Thankfully, before she could make an utter fool of herself as well as blow her best shot at becoming a chef, the steward came out and asked if they’d wanted any drinks. Nicole smiled politely at the man who looked to be about her age even as her neglected vagina shouted a string of curses at him.
- Series:
- /series-applewood/
