Perfectly Shattered (14 page)

“Perfect,” Brittany pronounced, and Jeremy nodded.

With a final flourish, Cami added the garnish and carefully carried the plate to a place of honor at the dining table, where it would be photographed.

“You win money for this, right?” Brittany eyed the presentation critically.

“That’s the idea. The grand prize is $1000 and it goes down from there. Even third prize is $100.” Cami set the bottle of wine on the table with a glass, next to the plate.

“Okay, move aside, ladies.” Jeremy moved in for the best vantage point. A lot could depend on how the dish looked in the photograph.

After a bunch of tries, Cami was finally happy with the photo. “Upload those to my computer before you leave, and I’ll choose the best one.”

With the submission out of the way, nobody was going to let gourmet food go to waste. The group shared the dish, along with a side of olives and crispy bread. Jeremy confirmed that the Sauvignon Blanc with its herbal and citrus flavors was a good choice with the fish. Cami agreed.

*****

Since it was a local contest, the winners were notified within a week. Striding into Pilates, Cami waved a sheet of paper in the air with a grin, and Brittany jogged over to see what was up.

Grabbing the paper, Brittany spoke before she read it. “You won?”

Cami shook her head. “No. I didn’t think I would. That was my first try.”

Her friend’s expression showed excitement. “It says
honorable mention
.”

“Yep, and I’m stoked. It means that The Intimate Gourmet is going to offer my dish Friday night at their restaurant. They prepare straight from my recipe, and serve the wine I chose. The wine label is sponsoring the event.”

“That’s kinda cool.” Brittany frowned. “But no money?”

“Naw, but that’s fine. I like this better. I didn’t even know they would do something like an honorable mention. I guess I didn’t make the first three places, but they liked my recipe too much to pass me by entirely. The restaurant will be serving my dish. And…I get to be there and meet the chef. It will be a real experience.”

Brittany grinned. “You’re a celebrity. I’ll tell Jeremy. I’m sure he will want to come by. We already know we love the halibut, as long as the restaurant makes it as good as you do.”

Cami laughed. “Probably better.”

Cami was counting the days to the event. She wasn’t even nervous or concerned about what to wear. After all, professionals would be making and serving. All she had to do was enjoy. Plus, Jeremy and Brittany would be there. Upon hearing the news, even Malena said she’d come.

*****

The kitchen was industrial size, with rows of pots hanging overhead and long counters. There was an extension to the chopping block that became a long seating area where the chef prepared special menus for guests at his weekly chef’s table.

Cami dressed casually in a beaded sweater and long skirt. She felt honored to be meeting and talking with the chef and his staff. Someday she might have her own restaurant, though she thought catering might be more to her liking.

If she did well, maybe Malena would take her on as a partner. Or, if that didn’t happen, Cami could start her own company. For now, getting experience and learning the subtleties of gourmet food was enough.

The restaurant was quiet until the dinner crowd began to filter in. After watching the preparations in the kitchen for a while, Cami went back to the main room to find every table full. Pairing the meal with a specific wine was a promotion. The label would sell wine and win over new customers.

Jeremy and Brittany had arrived early. They were halfway through their meal when Cami went over to check on them. Their rave comments made her feel good, but then, they were friends. They’d say they liked it whether they did or not.

What made Cami feel even better was hearing other diners compliment the chef on the halibut. She took some time to roam with the manager. It was part of his job to stop at tables and see if everything was okay. They were delighted with the meal, and to meet the creator of the recipe as well.

Malena came in later with a date, and enjoyed the meal. She beamed like a proud mother, saying how good it was. The whole evening was a success, though Cami didn’t plan to stay much longer. Now that she’d spent time in the kitchen, and all her friends had eaten and left, there was no reason to stay.

The restaurant was trendy, with high ceilings and polished floors. A white painted-brick wall lined the back of the bar, and windows looked out to the street. It had a spacious feel, though it wasn’t large. It was well past dark, and March temperatures weren’t noticeably warmer than the month before.

She said goodbye to the chef and slipped into her wool coat before leaving. Outside, the sidewalk was illuminated by a dim glow from many other restaurants and shops along the street. With her morale boosted, Cami felt better than she had for weeks. It didn’t make her forget, just distracted her.

She saw Bradan walking toward her. It was as though they’d never been apart, just like nothing had happened. Cami had long since stopped being mad and hurt.

She just missed him. Bradan looked as handsome as ever with his broad shoulders, square jaw, and brilliant eyes. Even in the semi-darkness, his eyes gleamed—or maybe it was just the way he had of looking at her.

Cami hadn’t moved; she still stood in front of the restaurant. For once, the wind wasn’t blowing and the chill air was almost tolerable.

Stopping just inches away, Bradan looked at her. Cami tried to read his expression, but just wasn’t sure. Was he glad to see her, or had he run into her unexpectedly? She didn’t have to wonder for long.

“Hi, Cami.” His eyes looked soft. “I’ve missed you.”

Her heart pounded and hope surged. All her convictions that he was wrong for her seemed like distant memories. “It’s good to see you, Bradan.” She struggled for the right thing to say, or something clever, but nothing came to mind.

“I came to see you.” He looked so touchable, so sincere.

“You knew I was here?”

Bradan smiled. “Social media. I heard about the event, and when I saw that it featured recipes by Cami Joubert, I figured you won the contest.”

She shook her head. “Not really. I got an honorable mention. But I’m not complaining.”

“You did great.”

The simple statement warmed her heart. She could tell he meant it.

“Can we talk?” His look was earnest, and it would have been impossible to refuse him.

Cami nodded, and they started walking down the street together.

“So will you enter another contest? It looks like you have real talent.”

“I plan to. This one was local, small prizes and all. I didn’t expect much, so I’m pleased that I got the mention.”

“Are there bigger ones?”

“Plenty. Even a national one, and the grand prize is a trip to Italy.”

“You want to go to Italy?”

“Someday.”

They walked and talked without need to bring up what had torn them apart. That could wait. Both were where they wanted to be. Together. It was enough for now. More than enough. The pain they’d experienced being apart had taught them that despite the fact that they could get angry as hell at each other—or at least Cami could get that mad at Bradan—the attraction was too strong for them to stay apart.

Without asking, Bradan guided her to a restaurant by the water and got a table for them. By then, Cami had no desire for halibut, either making it or eating it, because it had consumed her life for too many hours. She was pleased to see the menu had some popular choices, and halibut wasn’t on the list.

And she was even more pleased to see Bradan, sitting across from her, leaning back in his chair. His presence filled a void that no one else could. It might be rocky, and it was likely she’d get angry plenty of times in their relationship. But she knew one thing: Bradan was the man for her.

Chapter 16

The candlelight on the table flickered, and Cami rubbed her hand over her linen napkin. A rose leaned to the side of a tiny vase, and the warmth of the room settled around her like a glove. She realized Bradan must have planned to bring her there.

He took a swig of the water with lemon that he’d ordered for them without even asking her, remembering it was her usual choice. “I didn’t know if you’d want me to be there. So I didn’t come earlier.”

She fingered the edge of the tablecloth. “You were nearly too late. You almost missed me.”

He nodded. “Can I tell you something?”

They’d ordered king salmon tartar as an appetizer. Cami had yet to take a bite. She wasn’t sure if she had much appetite, despite the extensive menu choices.

“What?”

“I didn’t kiss her.”

“But you would have. If I hadn’t walked in.”

Bradan shook his head. “No. She was about to kiss me, and you don’t know how I would have reacted.”

“That’s true. Do you?”

His blue eyes were soft. “I think so.”

“So, you’re claiming innocence?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“What, then?”

Bradan looked right at her. “The day of the food tour, when you first saw Tanya…I did go home with her. That was before we were together,” he said. “But I don’t know if we did anything or not. Or I didn’t know before I talked to her at the party.”

“But you were there, with her that night.”

A hint of a smile showed on his face. “You would think. Actually, I was drunk out of my mind by the time we got to her place. And the next morning I woke up with my underwear still on. It bugged me, you know. I couldn’t remember.”

“I get it. So, you had to find out.”

He nodded. “I saw her at the party, and she wanted to talk to me for a minute. I saw you talking with some other guy.”

Cami frowned. “I didn’t even know him. He just blocked my path.”

“Whatever.” Bradan twirled his fork in his fingers. “So I asked her.”

She raised her brows.

Bradan shook his head. “No, we didn’t do anything. I had passed out that night, which pissed her off. But it hadn’t cooled her down any. She had hoped to get a replay.”

“And she leaned up to kiss you just as I looked into the room.”

He nodded.

“Well, you should know that Jeremy is not my boyfriend. He’s dating Brittany. We never had a thing at all. He took me to the Ferris wheel but we are just friends.” Cami hesitated. “Unlike you and me…that’s
all
we are.”

Bradan grinned.

“But I have another bone to pick with you.”

She had his attention.

“Go on. What is it?”

She smiled. “You didn’t tell me how awesome it would be.”

“What would be?”

Cami leaned forward as if needing privacy. In a low voice, she said, “Sex with you.” She watched his eyes flare with lust. “You should have told me.”

“What? You mean like a warning label or something?”

“Yeah. It’s only fair.”

“Fair?”

“Yes, a woman should know what she’s getting into.”

Bradan stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips. “I thought you said I wouldn’t get to you.”

Looking into his eyes, she replied, “I lied.”

The salmon remained untouched, as well as Cami’s water. Sitting up, Bradan said, “You want to get out of here?”

She nodded. Being with Bradan made life livable—no, better than that, it made life wonderful. There were so many reasons to walk away, but Cami had no intention of doing that. Sex with Bradan may not come with a warning label, but once she’d experienced it, nothing else could compare.

It was more than just physical. Cami knew she was feeling more for him than she’d expected to. But there was nothing she could do about it, nor did she want to. Even if it didn’t last forever, and even if it tore her apart, she couldn’t turn away.

*****

Cami had come back to the penthouse with him, and Bradan didn’t take that lightly. She’d given him another chance, and he didn’t intend to blow it this time. For weeks, he had tried to hold back from calling her.

It was better for her. He tried to convince himself of that, but it was useless. If he just didn’t screw up, they could
be together
. Whatever that meant. Right then, it meant he could talk to her, be close to her, and hold her.

That would nearly have been enough, but his cock was pressing against his pants with an ache only
she
could satisfy. City light sifted through the windows, casting a pale glow in the room. He put on some music, starting with
Lulu
because there was nothing sexier than Lou Reed singing “Iced Honey.”

The sound system would play the loop of music he’d set up, which would continue long into the night. Bradan planned on needing it that long, as once he got Cami in his arms he didn’t think he could let go.

They stripped off their coats, their shoes, and anything else that was easy to remove. She followed him to the bedroom, and Bradan threw off the top cover and pulled back the sheet. He was going to do it right this time, slow and hard. Cami’s subdued sexuality spurred his need to please her.

Turning, he saw her standing a foot away, the muted light putting her in a soft shadow. Her pale skin and big eyes wooed him, pulling him closer. He took a step and stopped. Her lips parted and his cock throbbed.

“I was going to stay away from you,” he whispered.

Without blinking, Cami whispered back, “You should have.”

But her eyes betrayed her real feelings. She didn’t want that at all. Cami wanted him, and he witnessed her passion blossoming, evidenced by the flush of her cheeks. Her green eyes glistened with need. Taking another step, Bradan pulled her into his arms.

She felt weightless against his body, yet the tiniest brush of her breasts against him sent heat coursing through every vein. His heart pounded and Bradan feared he might take it too fast in his urgent need for her.

Without effort, she seduced him completely. Just the sweet scent of her body mingled with the delicate aroma of flowers. He touched her cheek, and it was so soft. Cami looked vulnerable standing there, waiting and wanting him.

But knowing she was potent, that her desire would explode under his touch, excited him. He held back just a moment, to tease and arouse her with delay. But he couldn’t resist her. Like a man dying of thirst, Bradan covered her mouth with his.