Devour Me (Master Chefs Series #1) (3 page)

Taryn
gulped down a strange combination of arousal and fear.  What was he doing?

“I
couldn’t wait to meet you, Taryn.” He wrapped one arm around her waist and
delicately fingered her cheek with his free hand.

Her
eyes narrowed with suspicion while her body screamed out its desire to be fully
satisfied.  The strong, warm fingers that played on the small of her back
nearly drove her wild, and having his so close…

This
can’t be, she thought.  I’m dreaming.  Or is this some freakish nightmare. 
“How…?”  Unable to form any semblance of a question, she simply looked into the
deep pools of his blue eyes.

“Your
application.”  He let his answer sink in before going on.  “From the very
moment I saw your photo, I was intrigued.  And when I read your personal
essay…” He chuckled, a sound that rumbled with eroticism. “It made me all the
more eager to meet you.”

Baffled,
Taryn stared at him.  This man, this sex god who’d starred in more than one
erotic dream of hers… he was intrigued… by her?  It couldn’t be.

“We
come from similar backgrounds, Taryn.”

Her
name had never sounded so sensual and she longed to hear him say it while in
the throes of passion. 

“I
know the area of New York you’re from. Just looking at your photo and reading
about you, I knew I had to…”  He swallowed and narrowed his eyes as his gaze
dipped into the opening of her shirt.  Licking his lips, he brought his gaze
back to her eyes.

Her
mouth filled with the need to have him, to taste him.  She wanted to lose
herself in the depths of his blue eyes and never come up for breath.

“I
have to admit, though.  The photo didn’t do you justice.” He reached for a lock
of blond hair.  “You’re even more beautiful in person.”

While
the girly girl in her was flattered – after all, it wasn’t every day she got
noticed by a celebrity chef, not to mention one who was so undeniably hot – the
strong-willed woman who worked hard to build a promising career was a little
miffed.

“Are
you telling me you accepted my application based on my looks?”

He
cocked a surprised brow.  “No, not at all.  I was equally impressed by your
qualifications.  Besides, it’s a committee that has the final say, and they are
the ones who accepted you… much to my pleasure.”

The
hand at the small of her back played over her skin, exciting her more than she
would have thought possible.  When he brought his hand to her waist and gently
stroked his thumb just under her breast, she let out a startled gasp.

“You’re
my teacher,” she muttered in mild protest.

“Yes,”
he said in a deep voice. The hand that had stroked her cheek trailed its way to
her lips.  “Such beautiful lips,” he grumbled. “You can drop my class, you
know.”

He
passed his thumbs over her lower lip and slowly worked his way into the warmth
of her mouth.

Without
questioning her actions, she sucked on the digit and closed her eyes. She
didn’t want to drop his class. He was the reason she wanted to go to the
Institute. She wanted to learn everything she could from him. She wanted to
know him, get closer to him…sucking on his finger only made her want to explore
more of him. “No, I want you…” she barely whispered. Shocked by her own
admission she was going to stop sucking on his finger when he pulled out and
begin tracing her lips with it so softly and sensuously, it felt like a kiss.

“I
knew I’d find pleasure behind the innocent pout to these sultry lips.”  He
leaned in to kiss her and his tongue received the same treatment his thumb had.
Her mouth latched on, devouring his tongue with the passion she had harbored
for him, after all those years of having a celebrity crush on him.

He
kissed her back passionately, his tongue entwining in hers, stroking her mouth
until she shuddered against him. “What I’d questioned was the response of your
body.” That said, he passed the thumb that’d stroked beneath her breast over
her nipple.

The
response was swift.

“Yes,”
he whispered into her ear as his thumb worked around the erect nipple. “You
liked being touched, don’t you, Taryn.”

Her
answer came in the way of a sensually charged groan. Though the thin fabric of
her bra allowed for a wonderful sensation, she longed to feel his fingers
against her skin.

He
cupped her breast.  “I noticed it in your eyes the moment I saw you. You’re
spirited and independent, but you respect authority and are accustomed to doing
as you’re told.  That makes for a good student, but it also makes for a good…” 
He pressed the hardness of his erection against her.  After a brief, but
thrilling gasp from Taryn, he pulled back.

In
the back of her mind, she knew she had an argument to make, but her body
refused her that luxury.  It was fully enthralled by the working of his hand
over her breast, urging it to delve under the fabric of her bra with every
subtle arching of her back.

“You
enjoy pleasing people, don’t you, Taryn.”  His lips left her ear and travelled
down the length of her neck.  “And I enjoy being pleased.”

She
struggled to find her voice.  She had to say something, anything to make him
understand this wasn’t what she’d expected.  In her wildest dreams, yes, but in
reality…she had her scholarship to think of.  “What…?”  The question remained
lodged in her throat as he brought his lips into the valley between her
breasts.

“You
and I will get along quite well.”  He brushed his hardened erection against
her, making her shudder with need for him. She had never been touched so boldly
by a man.

“Wait.” 
Through her lustful daze, Taryn found the strength to stop him.  “I have no
intention of prostituting myself in order to have a nice place to live or to
get good grades.”

“That’s
not my intention either.”

“Really? 
Then why are your hands and lips all over me?”

A
pleased chuckled purred through his parted lips while his eyes danced with amusement. 
He took his hands off her and took a step back making her instantly regret her
words.  Her body now felt cold and alone without the warmth of his closeness.

“I’m
happy to see you find this all amusing,” she managed to say.  “But I have my
future at stake here.  What will people think when they learn I’m living with
my teacher.”

“What
I have in mind is completely legitimate and people will think you’re damned
lucky.”

Taryn
cocked an intrigued brow.  “Go on.”

“I
need a live-in assistant and have made no secret about it.  I’m in the process
of writing a new cookbook and I need someone to try out the recipes.  It’s a
lot of work, work I don’t have time to tend to.  I’m already swamped.  Between
teaching, taping my show and the publicity tours, I barely have time to take a
breath.  And I’m already behind my deadline.  Of course, I need someone with a
strong culinary background.  You’d have to write down every change, every
adjustment, edit everything, organize everything.”

A
little confused by the sexually charged reception and the now cool calculation
of his arrangement, Taryn shrugged off the vague disappointment that’d settled
on her shoulders and concentrated on the positive aspect of this plan.  Working
for someone as illustrious as Errol King was a definite plus in any résumé.

“I
think you’re the perfect candidate, Taryn.  Do you think it’s something you
could handle?  Something you’d enjoy?”

“I
do.”

“Then,
you accept?”

“Yes,
I accept.”

“Fantastic.
I know you’re going to do a great job.  Now let me show you to your room.”

She
followed him into the hall, gawking at her beautiful surroundings.  Living in such
an apartment was a dream. And when he pushed the door to her room open she knew
it was a dream she could easily get used to.

Elegantly
furnished and tastefully decorated, the room immediately embraced her. The
neutral colors were warm and inviting, as was the throw rug by the bed.  Large
throw cushions on the bed added the only splash of color in the room; a deeply
burnt orange and a blood red.

“Think
you’ll be comfortable here?”

“I
might never want to leave.”  She walked to the window, certain the view behind
the curtain would be better than the one she would have had were it not for his
generous invitation.  She wasn’t disappointed.  “And I get to wake up to the
Eiffel Tower every morning.”

“It’s
a major part of the reason I chose this location.  Isn’t it fabulous?”

It’s
more than fabulous, she thought, feeling more like a princess than in any of
her childhood dreams.  As she looked out at the city she would call home for
the next little while, she heard Errol come up behind her.  Her breath caught
in her throat when his strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back
to his chest.

“I’m
glad you decided to come stay here,” he said.  His lips brushed along her ear. 
“I was looking forward to seeing you in class, but I guess we were meant to
meet earlier. I hope everything will work out well…and if you are very good, in
time I might do more to you than touch you, Taryn. I might just bend you over,
tear off your panties, and fuck you until you’re raw and screaming from having
orgasms after orgasms.” He nibbled her lobe.  “Or devour your delicious puss all
day long. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”  His fingers snaked their way under
her shirt and lightly brushed her breast. “I know I’m already looking forward
to it.”

For
a moment she thought she’d misheard him.  Surely she’d misheard…
misunderstood.  When his hard-on pressed into her backside she realized she’d
heard exactly what he’d said and knew exactly what he meant.

New
to the strange sensations he continued to bring her since their encounter, she
didn’t know whether to fight him off or lean into his embrace.  It felt good,
that much she couldn’t deny, but it didn’t feel right.

He
was a handsome and obscenely rich celebrity, and Taryn knew how many women
wished they could be in the very same spot she now found herself in.

And
this handsome and obscenely rich celebrity could be my first, she thought.  Her
first… What would he think when he learned she was a naïve, inexperienced
twenty-one year old virgin?  He who had probably known hundreds of women; women
who knew… who knew what? How to make love to a man?  How to touch a man?

How
hard could it be?

Biting
her lip she looked down at his hands.  How many breasts had they cupped?  And
as his lips continued to play along her neck she wondered how many lips had he
kissed.  How many women had pleased him?

Did
it matter? she thought as he gripped her hips and pulled her back into him,
pressing his hard-on more urgently into her backside. She let out an
involuntary moan. He was the man of her dreams…now she could have him, and he
wanted her, too…

She’d
come to Paris to get an education, to build a career and she had every
intention of proving herself…to Errol, to Paris, to the culinary world.  She
had no intention of simply being a man’s plaything. She had to do well at the
Institute, learn everything she could, and go back home to run her mother’s
restaurant. Her mother gave up her chance to date and get remarried for her and
her little brother. Now it was Taryn’s turn to give up her dreams to save the
family restaurant and take care of her family. Once she returned to New York,
once her time at the Institute was over, she’d go straight to work as hard as her
mother at the restaurant and probably never have time for herself.

Taryn’s
thoughts were interrupted by Errol, and she soon became lost in the pleasure he
was giving her. Oh God, his touch felt so good. He smelled good, and whatever
he was doing to her, it consumed her, made her whole body and mind respond to
him and chased away any other thoughts, except having more of him. He turned
her around and pressed his hard-on against her sensitive core and rubbed
against her, while his fingers played with her nipples, squeezing them and then
circling them. “Errol…” she began to say, but his mouth pressed into hers, his
tongue seeking out her tongue. Her head swam in pleasure, while her body took
over with desire for him.  
It’s time to put the little girl behind.  It’s
time to stop turning guys away.  It’s time to see what all the fuss is about.
Why couldn’t I enjoy this just one time before I give up my own dreams and a
chance for my own life?

“What
do you want, Taryn?” Errol mumbled between kisses.

“I
want,” she let out. “I want this arrangement, Errol,” she confessed. For the
first time in her life she was ready to jump into a meaningless and purely
physical relationship with a man… and who better than Errol King?

Chapter 2

J
ust as Taryn prepared to lean back and give
in, Errol backed away, released her and headed to the bedroom door.

“I
know you’ve had a big day, so I’ll let you get settled.  If you want to do some
shopping tomorrow – buy a few things you might have forgotten – I’d be happy to
take you to a few shops.  We can also stock the refrigerator with whatever you
like.”

Chilled
by his sudden turn toward the pragmatic, Taryn hugged herself, willing the
chill to leave her. She wanted his arms again and couldn’t understand how he
could be so hot and passionate one moment then turn around and treat her as
though she were a mere houseguest.

You
are a mere houseguest, she reminded herself.

“Thank
you,” was all she could say as she followed him out.

“I
have to get to the Institute.  I’ll see you later.”  Without so much as a peck
on the forehead, he left.

Though
dismayed, Taryn’s spirits soared as she reminded herself where she was… in the
heart of Paris.  Letting out a childish yelp, she spun around in the living
room, ran to the kitchen to check out the contents of each cupboard then ran to
Errol’s room to see what the room said about him.