Heat Vol. 5 (Heat: Master Chefs #5) (8 page)

“I
love you, Lilly.  Doesn’t that mean something?”

“I
love you, too, Bobby…”  My heart broke as I looked at him and realized just how
much I loved him.

“But…”

“But…
New York?  That’s a world away.”

He
pressed his lips tightly together and looked down at our clasped hands.  “I
guess that’s what I suspected you’d say.  That’s probably why it took me so
long to get around to asking you… I didn’t really want to hear the answer.”

“I
can’t imagine my life away from Paris, and I certainly can’t imagine a life in
New York.”

“It’s
a great city.”

“I
don’t doubt that, but it’s not my city, it’s yours.  I wouldn’t fit in there
any more than you would fit in here, despite all the months you spent studying
here, Paris is still a foreign city to you.”

“I’d
show you around, and… you’d adjust.”

“Bobby,
it’s not just that.  You know where our relationship was going… and that was
while we were both living here in Paris.  The sex was great, but we weren’t
really going anywhere.  We were stagnating.  If I go to New York with you, how
long do you think it would be before the novelty of it all wore off and we’d
find ourselves back to the status quo?  A month?  Maybe two?”

He
looked up at me and I was taken aback by the intensity in his eyes.  “I was
stupid and foolish then, but I’ve grown, Lilly.  I’m ready to go to the next
level, to take a step forward with you.  Lilly, I want you to come back to New
York with me, not just as my girlfriend, but as my girl.”

“Your
girl?” I said.  What did that even mean?  Nothing.  It meant absolutely
nothing.  He was far from being ready to take a step forward in our
relationship, and he didn’t even realize it.  And I wasn’t about to coax him
forward.  If he wasn’t willing to give me his name, to put a ring on my finger…
to make that ultimate commitment, then…

Looking
at him, his eyes so filled with deep emotion, his hair framing his face in a
way I simply adored, I felt a deep churning of sexual tension that grew despite
my reservations.  I didn’t know what more to say to him.

“Look…
can you just think about it?  I mean, take the time to consider all your
options… you know, the pros and cons.  Paris versus New York… Rial versus
Bobby,” he said with a wry grin.

I
smiled, knowing I wanted him, but for how long?  An hour? A night?  There had
to be more to our relationship than just that… and I had more, with Rial.

Chapter 10

“
H
ey, kids,” my dad said as we came into the
apartment.  He sat up and flicked the television off.  “Have a nice stroll?”

Bobby
headed over to sit beside him.  “It’s a beautiful night out.”

“Yeah,
Paris is quite a city.”

“Don’t
get me started…” Bobby said.

“You
know,” I said as I reached for my purse.  “I’ll let you guys debate the merits
of Paris and New York while I go to the market.  If we’re to have breakfast
tomorrow morning we’ll need eggs and milk and….  I’ll only be a few minutes. 
You men enjoy yourselves.”  I rushed out the door before they could argue.

Once
outside, I stopped and stood on the sidewalk a moment, simply breathing in the
cool night air.  I suddenly felt uncomfortable and suffocated around Bobby.  I
knew he was waiting for an answer, but I didn’t know what to say to him.

“First
thing first,” I told myself.  “Groceries.”

I
turned on my heel and headed to the all night market two blocks away.  As I
picked up some milk and eggs, I marveled once more at the great meal Bobby had
been able to serve us.  Not only was there little to work with in the way of
ingredients, but the majority of my best cooking utensils, and pots and pans
were at Rial’s.

Smiling
at the true talent he was becoming I turned to the freezer and just as I
reached in to grab the last pint of butter pecan ice cream, a dainty, well
manicured hand reached in for the very same pint.

“
Pardonnez-moi
,”
I said as I turned to the woman, only to be met by a familiar face.  “Taryn!”

“You
have no idea how I’ve been craving this.”  Her smile was a mile wide.

“Me,
too.”  I laughed as I pulled out the pint and held it up to her.  “Here.  I can
survive with Rocky Road.”

“I
owe you one.  I don’t know what it is about pecans, but these days, I just can’t
seem to get enough.”  She leaned in to give me a hug.  “How are you holding
up?  I hear you’ve had quite a day.”

“I’m
better than I would have thought.”

“And
Bobby?”

“He’s
doing fine.  He’s already back on his feet… cooking up a storm.”

“That’s
my kid brother for you.  You knock him down and he gets right back up again.” 
She pressed a tight and solemn smile, and seemed prepared to talk of my ordeal,
but her eyes brightened up and her smile widened.  “I’m happy everything turned
out well, and you're safe.”

“Thanks.” 
We walked through the aisles together, while I picked up a few more items.

“I
didn’t have a chance to thank you yet for bringing Bobby back to Paris.”

“I’m
hardly responsible for that.”

“Of
course you are.  He came back here for you.”

I
shrugged as I squeezed a loaf of bread and added it to my hand basket.

“Anyway,
I’m just glad you were able to tear him away from New York.”

“Why? 
He loves New York.”

“Maybe
a little too much.  Truth is, he needs to put Bobby Cummings, the street smart
kid from Brooklyn, behind and get started on his own life.  He has to become
his own man.”  She laughed.  “Mr. Robert Cummings sounds nice, doesn’t it?  I
mean, I admire him for having set aside his studies to go help my mom out, but…
I don’t know.  Setting you aside?  I don’t think that was such a good move. 
And to tell you the truth, I think my mother’s come to rely too heavily on
Bobby.  She just assumes he’ll stick around and run the restaurant, and he
probably will, if someone doesn’t give him a solid kick in the butt.  New York
isn’t where he really belongs, not anymore.”

“Where
does he belong?  Here?”

We
arrived at the cash register and I emptied my little basket and piled my things
on the counter.  “Here,” I said, reaching for her ice cream.  “Let me take care
of that.”

She
hesitated, but I insistently tugged on the pint and set it beside my things. 
We remained silent while I paid the cashier, and grabbed my bags of groceries.

Outside,
we faced one another.  “Why don’t you come by to see Bobby?”

“I
thought you’d never ask.”  Reaching for one of my bags, she added, “Let me make
myself a little useful on the way.”

I
was reluctant to resume our discussion about Bobby, but my curiosity got the
better of me.  “So you really think Bobby’s better off here?”

She
let out a contemplative huff.  “For now, I think so, yes.  I mean, he wanted to
go to the Culinary Institute more than anything, and he was a good student. 
Chucking it all away?  I’m sure that doesn’t sit right with him.  He’s just
convincing himself that he’s doing the right thing by staying in New York to
help Mom, but… I don’t know.  Maybe it’s just an excuse to run away.”

“He
does seem devoted to her, and how would she manage without him?”

“My
mother is a lot more industrious than Bobby lets on.  She’d find a way.”  She
turned to me.  “He used to be devoted to you, you know.  I know he still has a
lot of growing up to do – far from my mother’s possessive arms – but he’s
changed a lot since meeting you.  You bring out something special in him,
something I’ve never seen before.”

I
pressed a wan smile.

“But
something happened between you two, right?” she went on.  “I mean, it’s none of
my business, but Errol did mention something about you and his brother, Rial.”

She
could have been angry or upset that I’d set her brother aside to pursue a
relationship with her new found brother-in-law, but her smile was warm and her
eyes understanding.

“It’s
a bit awkward talking to you about this.  I mean, Bobby’s…”

“Yeah,
he’s my kid brother, but I know affairs of the heart aren’t that simple.  I
don’t begrudge you wanting to find out what Rial has to offer.  You're young
and talented and beautiful, and you're right to take the time you need to find
out what kind of man you really want in your life.”

“To
complicate things even more, I have a past with Rial.”

Taryn
nodded.  “Errol mentioned that.  You two were engaged?”

I
stopped walking and turned to face her.  “I hate that Bobby got caught in the
middle of all this.  Up until recently, I’d forgotten all about Rial and the
engagement.  I’d forgotten everything about my childhood.  If not, I never
would have started anything with Bobby.  I never wanted to hurt him.”

“I
know that.  Sometimes life throws you a curve ball.”  She chuckled.  “You gotta
figure out if you want to dodge it, or run out to catch it.”

I
laughed.  “Well, I think I got it smack in the face.”

“You
seem to be doing okay.  I mean, after all you went through in the past
forty-eight hours, I certainly didn’t expect to see you out and about… doing
your groceries no less.”

“I
lost it, when Rial and I were kids.”  I pointed to my head.  “I guess the love
I had for him was really something strong… that Romeo and Juliet type of thing…
and being separated almost destroyed both of us.”

“I
get you there.  Errol and I have that kind of love… where you think you’ll die
if you don’t see the other soon.”  She looked sidelong at me and winked.  “Like
now.  I’m already eager to have him back home.  I don’t know how I’m going to
manage with him in Hong Kong.”

“Let’s
have lunch together every day and commiserate.”

She
laughed.  “You're on.”

“I’m
glad you came,” I said as we arrived at my building and reached my door.  “I
think it’ll do him some good to see you.”

“Why’s
that?”

With
my keys in hand, I turned to her, tears stinging my eyes.  “As much as I love
Bobby, as much as I wanted to be with him… I have too much to lose by leaving
Paris for New York.”  I shook my head, not wanting to say what I had to say. 
“With Rial, I have so much to gain.  I have everything to gain, and I don’t
just mean the chateau and the beautiful car and things like that.  I mean,
every day with him, I’m recovering a part of my past, my childhood, and I know
I still have so much more to discover.  I really do think I was meant to be
with Rial for life.  I’m becoming the person I was destined to be, and Rial is
a part of that, while Bobby…”

She
looked past my shoulder and I immediately knew.  With my heart at my heels, I
turned to see Bobby, his face a mask of disappointment and loss.

“I
felt like a shmuck for letting you do your groceries on your own.  I thought
I’d go out and help you bring your groceries back.”  He shrugged.  “It’s the
least I could do seeing how you’re letting me stay here.”

“Bobby,”
I whispered.

“I
thought you’d take
rue de la Faisanderie
back, but I see that you took
rue
Spontini
.”

“I’m
so sorry, Bobby.”

“Yeah. 
I guess I should’ve seen it coming.”

Taryn
wrapped her arm around him.  “Buck up, kid.  You’re a Cummings.  You won’t be
alone for long.”

He
forced a crooked smile.

“I
bet there’s someone waiting just around the corner to snatch you up.”

“I’m
in no rush.”

“Can
I give you a hug, too?” I said.

He
pulled me into his arms for a fierce hug.  “Don’t worry about me, Lilly.  I may
be down, but I’m not defeated.  I’ll bounce back.  It might take a while, but…”

“I
wish things could have turned out differently.”

“Don’t. 
Things turned out like this for a reason.  I may not know what that reason is
yet, but I’ll find out sure enough.”  He pulled back and looked down at me. 
“Rial is the better man for you.  I get that, but having known you is going to
make me a better man as well.  I’m not going to just sit back… I’m going to be
a master chef… like Errol.  The Cummings name is going to be synonymous with
gourmet.  You’ll see.”

“And
I’ll be the first one to toast your success.” I said.

“If
I might add,” Taryn said.  “You're also going to have your hands full taking
care of your little nephew or niece.”  She pointed to the barely visible bump
on her belly.

Bobby’s
jaw dropped and his eyes widened.  “I’m going to be an uncle?”

“That
you are.  In seven months or so.”

“That
means Mom is going to be a grandma.  Maybe now she’ll stop nagging me about
settling down and starting a family.”

I
smiled, reassured I’d made the right decision by choosing Rial.  Bobby was far
from a commitment to anyone. And I was far too eager to get settled down and
build a life around my career, my man and the family that was sure to come.

“Come
on,” I said, slipping the key in the lock.  “Let’s get this ice cream in the freezer
before we end up with some very sticky cream.”

While
they came in behind me, it was clear the tension in the air made everyone
uncomfortable.

“Ice
cream,” my dad said, oblivious of the tension.  “Perfect.”

“You
mind if I crash at your place?” Bobby said to Taryn.

My
lips parted to protest, but I knew he was right.  He couldn’t stay with me, not
under the circumstances.

“Sure. 
I’ll show you the baby clothes I bought.”

“Already?”

They
laughed, but I could tell Bobby’s heart wasn’t really in it.

“Well,”
Taryn said.  “I’ll snatch my little brother away and catch up with what’s
happening in New York, and we’ll leave you to catch up with your dad.”

I
handed her her pint of ice cream.

“Thanks.”

Bobby
was suddenly shy as he came to me and said goodnight.

By
the time they left, my father had already eaten his full of ice cream and was
rubbing his tummy.

“Why
don’t you settle into my bed, Dad?  I’m going to give Rial a call and maybe
head back to the chateau.”

“Sounds
good to me.”

“I
bought something to make breakfast tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t
you worry about me, honey.”  He gave me a kiss on the forehead and went to my
bedroom.

Feeling
like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, I pulled out my phone and
called Rial.  “What are you up to?” I said with a tired sigh.

“Thinking
of you.  I was just thinking of you in that apartment.  Almost all of your
stuff is at my place now.  I can't let you stay there.”

“I
don’t care about that, but I do miss you.”

“Not
for long.”

“How’s
that?”

The
answer came by way of a knock at the door.  I opened it to find him standing
there.

“You
were already on your way on your way over?” I said.

“Like
I said, I can’t leave you in this barren apartment.”

“It’s
not that bad.”  I shot him a sly gaze.  “What’s the real reason?”

“I
want you with me… tonight, and every night.”  He pulled me into his arms.  “I
couldn’t stand the thought of you here alone with me,” he finally admitted, his
eyes darting around the apartment.

“Well,
you needn’t have worried about that.  He left just a few minutes ago with
Taryn.  I’m surprised you didn’t bump into them.”

“Funny,
I guess he’ll always be a part of my life whether I like it or not.  He’s my
brother’s brother-in-law.”

“You
could do worse.  Bobby’s a good guy.”

“A
good guy who’s in love with my girl.”

“We
had a good long talk.  I think I’ve made it clear where my heart lies.”

He
kissed me, his mouth hot and passionate as it enveloped mine.  I kissed him
back, free of the guilt that had accompanied my every move since Bobby’s
arrival in Paris.  Now I knew where I belonged.

Guiding
me further into my apartment, he headed for my bedroom.

“Hey,
I almost forgot,” I whispered.  “My dad’s sleeping in there.”

“Hell,
I can’t wait until we get all the way back to the chateau.  I want you, damn
it.”

“I
want you, too.”

He
grabbed my coat and tossed it to me, then grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of
the apartment.  “There’s a little hotel down the street.”