Read McDonald_TWT_GENVers_Feb2014 Online

Authors: Donna McDonald

Tags: #Contemporary Romance, Humor, Holidays

McDonald_TWT_GENVers_Feb2014 (10 page)

BOOK: McDonald_TWT_GENVers_Feb2014
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Sabine sighed and wondered if he seduced all his women with his pleading commands.

“Okay. I’ll wear the dress,” she said, inwardly shaking her head at her weak-kneed answer.

Koka eased away from her and nodded. His tension was both increased and eased by Sabine’s invitation to come to her house. “Why don’t you squeeze around me and leave? I need a few moments.”

Sabine nodded at the unrepentant, and very masculine, look on his face. “I don’t cook like you, so you may regret saying yes.”

“Never,” Koka said firmly. “Now go while your panties are still in place.”

Sabine snorted at his intimate comment, but didn’t argue as she traded places with him in the small room. She whispered a soft good-bye before she walked out the door.

It took all her willpower to ignore the people in the hallway gaping open-mouthed at her exit.

Chapter 9

Male laughter was just plain annoying sometimes and tonight was definitely one of those. She had better things to do than deal with it.

“Joe, you have to leave right now. He’ll be here any minute.”

“Don’t you own a better apron than that?
Never Trust A Skinny Chef
is not sending the right message when your weight makes you so self-conscious,” Joe said, grinning at her glare. “And I can’t leave yet. I owe you for saving my excellent—most excellent Todd. What kind of friend would I be to abandon you in your time of need?”

“Go away, Joe. I’m too busy to verbally play with you,” Sabine ordered, tasting the sauce simmering around her chicken before adding a little more wine.

“Well okay, but I thought you might want me here to diffuse things when Martin shows up to collect his weights from the garage.” Joe shrugged and grinned at the wide-eyed stare he got in response to his statement. “Oh—I see you finally heard me that time. I’ve been trying to tell you for the last thirty minutes that Martin was coming by to check out your story.”


Joooooe

damn it. Nooooo
,” Sabine said, stomping both her bare feet as she danced back and forth in irritation. “Martin can’t come tonight. I told him that earlier. Why would he come anyway?”

“Yeah . . . well . . . you shouldn’t have confessed that a date was the reason he couldn’t come by this evening. Good thing I happened to be at Martin’s house when he called you. The shocked look on his face when he heard what you were doing was kind of alarming actually. My brother will be bringing his possessive ass by here tonight. Trust me,” Joe said.


Damn. Damn. Double Damn
,” Sabine chanted.

“Yeah, baby. I hear you. You are having some run of bad luck lately,” Joe agreed, rubbing her back lightly.

Sabine rolled her eyes just as the doorbell rang. “
Oh shit.

“Maybe you need to think of something more eloquent to say outside of swearing this evening. Your Todd didn’t seem like the swearing type to me. He seemed like he used language very sparingly and with great import to the meaning of things.”

“Thank you, Mr.
Not-Helpful
,” Sabine hissed, untying her apron from her waist and whipping it over her head.

She brushed back her newly fluffed hair with her fingers and smoothed the front of her dress as she left the kitchen. She was at the door when she realized she still had no shoes on. Too late to go dashing to her bedroom for heels. She had kept him waiting too long already. Her bare feet couldn’t be helped.

Sabine opened the door with a smiling flourish, which faded as she stared up into the most beautiful, freshly shaven masculine face she had ever laid eyes on.

“Hi,” she said breathlessly, feeling like a dizzy teenager when Koka smiled down at her.

At first sight of her flushing face and welcoming eyes, Koka held out the flowers he brought.


Aloha
,” he said, the greeting emerging roughly.


Aloha
,” Sabine said back, accepting the massive bouquet that filled her arms. “Thank you. I’m not sure I have a vase big enough for all these.”

Koka smiled and waited.


Oh . . . sorry
. Come in. Please,” Sabine said.

He walked across the threshold and sniffed. “Chicken Marsala?”

“Hopefully,” she replied, not surprised Koka had so accurately identified dinner. “It’s been a while since I fixed it for anyone, but I think it will be okay.”

Koka smiled. “Can I see your kitchen?”

“Of course,” Sabine said graciously, swallowing hard. “It’s not anywhere near as nice as yours, but I fed a family out of it for years.”

He stopped mid-stride. “Sabine—why are you so nervous? I’m not going to judge your kitchen. I’m happy to see where you live.”

Sabine snickered. “Maybe the state of my kitchen is the least of what concerns me this evening.”

He lifted her chin with a finger and leaned down to brush her lips gently. “You look stunning in that dress, but relax for now. I promise to warn you before I attack next time. I am in control—for the moment.”

Sabine swallowed again and nodded. “Well good, that makes one of us at least,” she teased, spinning Edwina’s warning to fit her current situation.

Koka laughed softly and then heard a noise. “You have other guests?”

Sabine sighed and nodded again, resigned to playing nice even if it killed her. “Yes, but not on purpose,” she said firmly. “Come on. I’ll officially introduce you to Joe.”

They walked into her kitchen and found her friend staring wistfully into her bubbling skillet. Sabine walked to the stove and smacked Joe on the arm. “Quit staring. You’re not staying for dinner. I’m having a real date tonight whether anyone likes it or not.”

Joe laughed and turned to the man standing quietly in Sabine’s kitchen. His eyes widened at the freshly shaved, incredibly well-dressed man staring longingly at Sabine’s ass as she leaned over the stove. His affection for the superb male was instantaneous. He walked over and extended his hand.

“Hi. I’m Joe. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lake.”

Koka pulled his gaze from Sabine to offer his hand to the male who looked very much at home in her kitchen. “You’re the friend who went to bid on the right Todd. How is that working out for you?”

“So far—so good,” Joe reported. “As to whether or not he’s the right Todd, I think that depends on who we’re talking about. I’m starting to think there might just be two right ones.”

“Call me Koka. That’s my island name. I prefer friends to use it,” Koka said, returning Joe’s firm handshake. Then his gaze went back to Sabine’s frown over the sizzling pan. “Do you have an apron I could borrow? Maybe I could help with dinner. Please—I would really like to cook with you.”

Sabine turned and looked at his imploring gaze. Should she let him have control here too? She chewed her lip and then the doorbell rang again.
Shit—
Martin.

“Joe, go out the utility room into the garage and let Martin in to get his weights,” Sabine ordered, her tone defying any argument.

As Joe grinned and left, Sabine went to her pantry shelf and sifted through a pile of aprons. She wasn’t about to give him one of Martin’s stupid barbecue ones. Those were going to a charity first chance she got. Sighing, she pulled down the least feminine one she owned and took it to him. It had been a gag gift from her children. Not bothering to even look at it, Koka threw it over his head and deftly fastened the ties behind his back.

“Turn around and let me see,” Sabine ordered. Smiling at her demand, Koka obeyed and did as she asked, holding his hands in the air as he turned. “Unbelievable. Seriously, how do you do that? They’re perfectly even.”

Glancing up at his laughing eyes, she could tell he was not going to dignify her fascination with a response.

She walked back to her own apron and picked it up just as Martin burst through the utility room doorway into the kitchen. Glaring, the apron ended up in a fisted hand on her hip.

“The weights are in the garage, not in the kitchen,” Sabine said sternly, glaring at her former husband who was staring at Koka in complete shock. Behind him, Joe was laughing uncontrollably. “This is no time for laughing, Joe.”

Joe pointed at Koka’s chest. “Why did you pick that apron for him, sweetie?”

Confused about Joe’s comment, Koka looked down, read his apron, and laughed hard. “
Food Porn Star
—I like it. I need to get one of these for the show. I get tired of wearing
Kiss The Sexy Chef
.”

Sabine felt almost faint when a laughing Koka turned a radiantly white smile in her direction. It was a killer combination paired with the wicked intentions blazing from his eyes.

“You look like a completely different man when you smile like that. You should do it more often. And for your information, I thought that apron was more appropriate than the one that said
Cookie Goddess
. But as much you love drama, maybe
Kitchen Diva
would have been a better choice for you.”

“Promise to stay in my life forever and I will laugh and smile until my last breath,” Koka promised, ignoring the other two men for a moment. He held Sabine’s startled gaze, pleased that he’d silenced her teasing again with his honesty. Finally though, he had to look at them. It was only polite.

He walked to where Joe and his near twin were standing and put out a hand.

“Hello. I’m Todd Lake,” Koka said, unwilling to give the man he suspected was Sabine’s ex his real name.

“You’re
Sabine’s date?” the man asked, his tone one of shock.

Koka raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Why?”

Sabine watched Martin shake his head in disbelief—
the bastard.
He couldn’t even take it in that someone like Koka found her attractive when he no longer did. Well, screw him. She was having enough trouble believing Koka herself. She didn’t need Martin’s doubts too.

“That’s enough of being nosy, Martin. I don’t go to your house and harass your new wife. Now get your weights and leave. Joe will help you,” Sabine said. “And I’m pretty sure that’s the last of your belongings. So don’t come back anymore.”

When Martin blinked in surprise at her firm order, Sabine saw Joe grab his stunned brother’s arm and steer him back to the garage. She turned to Koka and sighed again.

“Sorry about that. My ex is just being nosy. He didn’t really come by to get his weights. He just wanted to see if you were real. I told him I had a date tonight and I guess he didn’t believe me.”

Koka nodded and untied his apron. “I can see you are distressed about his presence. I think I will help with the weights so that his departure will happen more quickly.”

“You really don’t have to do that. In fact, I’d rather you not get involved at all. Joe will see Martin behaves,” Sabine said softly.

He tipped her chin up again with one finger. “I’m already involved. And I want your ex to know it. Do you have a problem with that?”

Sabine sighed and bit her lip. Finally, she shook her head faintly.

Koka tapped underneath her chin to keep her aware of him. “Can I go help if I promise not to beat my chest like an ape and scream at him?”

“That was a joke, right?” Sabine asked.

Koka chuckled and leaned down to drop a kiss on her mouth. Too tempted to be a complete gentleman, he ended up nipping the lip she had bitten, wishing he could do more.

“Mostly I was joking,” he said quietly. “But I want to carry his weights and see his understanding of the metaphor I mean it to be. I am sure it will cause him surprise again that he has truly lost the most beautiful woman he will ever know. This is his day for seeing the truth.”

The breath she had been holding escaped slowly. When she was empty of it, she nodded. “Fine. Go beat your chest, but make it fast. I hate to eat dry chicken.”

When Koka grinned and headed out the door, Sabine shook her head. “I truly have lost my mind.”

Less than three minutes later, Joe and Koka strolled back into the kitchen laughing and talking. She looked at Koka’s hands in horror and pointed to another door. “Bathroom is down the hall and on the right. There’s degreaser under the sink. You should have let Martin lift the ones from the garage floor, you big dummy. Get that grease off before it stains. I don’t need Edwina tracking me down for ruining your hands.”

Koka laughed as he headed in the direction of her pointing hand.

Sabine turned when he left to see Joe staring after him. “Stop drooling. He’s completely straight. Trust me.”

Joe turned his gaze to Sabine. “No, that’s not it. Martin and I picked up two forty-five pound weights each. Koka picked up the rest of the pile all at once and carried them to the trunk of Martin’s car. He was very polite and gracious about it the whole time. Martin was poleaxed with shock, but I think I was too. Did you have any idea the man was that strong?”

Sabine bit her lip and stared back at her entrée that was nearing the end of its edibility.

“Yes. I’m somewhat acquainted with Koka’s muscles,” she admitted, unwilling to admit to Joe that her hands had memorized his biceps.

Joe reached over and kissed her cheek. “Okay then. Since my heroic deed is now done, I’m leaving. Have a good date. I like him, Sabine.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “I like him too. That’s my problem.”

Chapter 10

In the process of making dessert, Sabine was spooning store-bought whipped topping onto glazed pears when Koka’s arms slipped around her from behind. Her hand froze mid-dollop as both his hands slid from her waist up to her breasts and back.

“I love this dress on you,” he whispered.

“Dessert is ready,” Sabine whispered back, the words sticking in her throat.

“I hope so,” Koka said. He turned her around and lifted her to her toes as he bent to her mouth for a mind-numbing kiss. Her groan had him gripping her tighter than he had intended.

“Sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I promised you a warning. I forgot.”

Beyond his unapologetic gaze, Sabine saw the spoon of whipped topping was still in the hand she had rested on his shoulder. Holding his stare, she brought the spoon to her mouth and licked it clean while he watched with hungry eyes.

“Bad Koka. Very bad for not keeping your promise,” she said. “I’m not sure you deserve dessert.”

BOOK: McDonald_TWT_GENVers_Feb2014
6.44Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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