Secret Tastes (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 4) (11 page)

"Well, I'll just have to take you out to dinner then."

"When?"

"Anytime you want."

"Okay. I can't wait. I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye, Sam."

Adam scrunched his face. What a shame that Sam wouldn't be moving to her place immediately when she arrived. They wouldn't be able to spend the night together until she'd moved out of Kris and Trey's. As far as he knew, she was still set on not letting anyone know they were hooking up.

The way he was missing her was more than how he'd felt for any woman. It befuddled him and he wondered if it was just lust or if it was something deeper. He wanted to identify his feelings first before he spouted anything deep and meaningful. The repercussions were serious if it was just a fleeting thing and he let her believe it was more. They were friends and he didn't want that ruined from hasty declarations.

One thing he knew for sure, though. His body was hankering for Sam. Badly.

Sam looked around her, soaking in the sights and smells of a commercial kitchen. In just a few minutes, Rowena's Kitchen would be buzzing with activity. Even though this gig—her very first in the food industry—was only part-time and temporary, and she was on a salary that wouldn't even support the rent for the apartment she just had to have because of its big kitchen, she'd never been more excited about starting a new job than at that moment.

She considered this her learning phase, so the low pay compared to what she was used to wasn't a huge issue. She was happy to dip into her savings for a short while. She'd observe and absorb all she could, then start her business as soon as possible.

Rowena, her new boss, knew of her dreams. But while Rowena's Kitchen specialised in servicing large events, Sam planned to start small. Intimate parties of less than twelve people looking for exquisite gourmet meals would be ideal.

"Sam," Rowena called, walking toward her with a good-looking, copper-haired man by her side. "I'd like to introduce you to Brian Cox. He's our Client Manager. It's his job to make sure the customers are happy with our service from the first phone call until the end of the event when we pack up our gear and leave the venue tidy."

"Hello, Sam. It's great to meet you," Brian said with a warm smile, extending his right hand to her.

"Hi, Brian. Pleased to meet you," she responded, shaking hands with him.

"I have to warn you that Brian is also our resident slave-driver," Rowena teased. "I might be the owner of Rowena's Kitchen, but he's the one who pulls out the whip when someone slacks around."
 

"Hey, I'm the person who gets my head bitten off when the orders don't get to the venues on time," Brian said with a laugh. "I have to make sure everyone's chop-chopping as fast as they can."

"So for today, Sam, you'll be working at the mains station with me," Rowena said. "It'll be very intense today as we are down one person. I just sent home one of my employees who's sick. She shouldn't even have come in," Rowena added with a
tsk
.

"I better grab my megaphone so I can get everybody starting," Brian joked.

"I'm ready," Sam said with an excited smile.

*******

"Hey, Sammy! How was your day?" Kris asked as Sam walked through the door.

"My feet are killing me. But other than that, I had an excellent time." Sam sat down next to Kris on the sofa and recounted her first day at work like an excited kid coming home from her first day at school.

Kris laughed. "Look at you! And to think that at one point, you were resigned to being an accountant forever."

"I know! I'm so glad you came up with the idea of telling Mum and Dad I was leaving the practice for a man."

"You know I was just kidding then, right? I'm glad you took it seriously," Kris said. "Anyway, speaking of
the
man, you'd need to call on his acting abilities again."

"Why?"

"Dad called me earlier. He's in town tomorrow for a meeting in place of his boss who can't attend. He's staying here tomorrow night so we can have more time together. Naturally, he wants to meet his niece's boyfriend."

"Oh, sure," Sam answered. "I'll let Adam know."

"Also, you won't want Dad to find out you're currently staying here, too. Your mum's already told him you're living with Adam."

"Oh, drats. You're right. Maybe I can ask Ari and Dylan if I can stay at their place for the night. They're only down the road."

"Or you can stay with Adam like you did the last time," Kris said, her eyes twinkling.

Sam felt her face burn. Did Kris know something?

"You're hiding something!" Kris exclaimed, her eyes wide. "What's happening between the two of you?"

"Nothing's
happening
, Kris," she responded. That much was true. Something
did
happen, but ever since she left for Melbourne three and a half weeks ago, nothing had been happening. Technically, she hadn't lied.

"But you like Adam, don't you?" Kris asked with squinted eyes, gauging her reaction.

"Come on, Kris. Who wouldn't like Adam?" she contended. "But nothing's
happening
between us," she repeated.

"Would you like something to happen?"

"Ask me that in about a month or so," she dodged, not wanting the conversation to go anywhere. "Anyway, I'm going to have a quick shower before dinner. I smell like food."

"Okay. I'm cooking, by the way," Kris said. "And don't complain. I already have pre-made lasagne heating up in the oven. I'll make some salad to go with it. You're getting the night off."

"Okay then," she agreed, walking toward her bedroom.

She was glad Kris had dropped the topic of her and Adam. She felt like she was in limbo where he was concerned. She'd been waiting for him to give her a sign that he'd want to continue what they'd started a few weeks ago. Frustratingly, he hadn't given her any indication.

They did have dinner together on her first night back, but it was with the rest of the gang. And while he was his usual friendly self, there was no added sweetness in the way he'd treated her. It disappointed her more than she cared to admit.

"Well, what are you gonna do about it, Samantha?" she muttered with disdain. "Here you are complaining again that what you want to happen isn't happening. So what are you doing to make it happen, huh?"

She stripped her clothes off brusquely, annoyed with herself. What was there to analyse? Wasn't Adam worth the risk of rejection and embarrassment?

A voice inside her head answered loudly and clearly.

Yes.

*******

Sam caught Kris and Trey canoodling in the kitchen. "Hey, none of that while you're preparing food. I'm starving," she joked.

Trey grinned at her. "Can't help it, Sam. I haven't seen your cousin all day."

Sam rolled her eyes at the couple, envious of their closeness and jealous that they were getting some sex. Rephrase that—they were getting
a lot
of sex. Those two obviously felt comfortable enough around her that they didn't care how loud they got at nights. Fortunately, her bedroom wasn't next to theirs. But that just proved how much fun they were having that she could still hear them from a couple of doors down.

Geez. Not too long ago, she'd made a comment to Kris and Ari that she didn't know what the fuss was about when it came to sex. Now here she was, wondering what she could do to get some bedroom action. Problem was, she only wanted it with one particular man.

Trey's phone rang and he frowned as he checked the screen. "Now what the hell does she want?" he muttered.

"Who is it?" Kris asked.

"Sandy."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. Yes, what the hell did Sandy want?

"Hello?" Trey said. "Hi, Sandy. What's up?… Really?… Oh, right… I'll have to check and get back to you… I will. Thanks."

"What was that about?" Kris asked as she tossed the salad.

"Remember John? Adam's cousin who just got married? We're invited to his surprise birthday party in three weeks."

"Why are we invited? Are you good friends with him?" Kris asked.

"I've known John for a long time because of Adam."

"Why did Sandy do the inviting?" Sam couldn't help asking.

Trey shrugged. "She's one of Bella's closest friends. Maybe she's helping Bella organise it."

"Oh, I didn't know that," she responded. "Did Adam meet Sandy through Bella?"

"Yes. She introduced them to each other," Trey confirmed. "You know what, Sam? You should go with Adam as his date."

Sam stared at Trey, finding herself silently agreeing with him.

"You think Sandy hasn't given up yet?" Kris asked.

Trey snorted. "Not by a long shot."

"Why do you think Adam kept taking her back before?" Sam asked, trying to sound casual.

Trey sighed. "Well, I think if you're a single guy, and a hot woman keeps on throwing herself at you, you're bound to feel flattered and give in. Sandy is the most persistent girl I know when it comes to chasing after a man. I guess there's something about her persistence that keeps Adam from totally cutting ties. Unfortunately, she's also immature, materialistic and shallow."

Sam felt a tightening in her chest. Maybe Sandy had been right when she'd called her a cold fish. Compared to Sandy, she was far too timid—always waiting for the guy to act first. She didn't even initiate a call to Adam when she was in Melbourne, even though she'd pined for him badly. She just wasn't used to being obvious about her feelings—and not at all experienced in chasing men.

It appeared Adam was used to being pursued. Was he waiting for her to make the move? Had he thought she was no longer interested and therefore kept his distance? Or—hell—did he find her boring?

*******

"You can go back to work. We'll clean up here," Kris said to Trey after they finished dinner.

"Thanks, babe. I'll only be another hour and I'll be done," Trey said and gave Kris a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing into his home office.

"Um, Kris," Sam said as she loaded the dishwasher. "Do you think Adam's still hung up on Sandy?"

Kris glanced at her. "I don't think so from what I've seen and heard from the boys. Why?"

"I was just wondering. I find it unbelievable that Sandy's still hanging on even after Adam has told her many times they were over. It makes me think that Sandy knows Adam's weakness when it comes to her. Something's making her confident that she could always get him back."

Kris shrugged. "I don't know. I think Sandy's just too attached to the lifestyle Adam was able to give her. I do believe Sandy has feelings for him, but gosh, Adam can do better. A lot better. Sandy's an absolute stunner but that's about it."

"So what do you think he saw in her then, apart from her looks?"

Kris laughed. "Adam's a man, Sam. With a bombshell like Sandy chasing after him, I'm sure his dick made his decision for him more than a few times."

Sam couldn't help the frustrated sigh that escaped her. Side by side, she was sure Sandy would win a beauty contest between the two of them. Sandy was glamorous and Sam was… practical. What was even more worrying was that someone as shameless as Sandy would no doubt be completely uninhibited in bed. How could she compete with that?

"Ahem."

Startled, she glanced at her cousin and her cheeks pinked. Kris was staring at her with arms folded across her chest. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she was just standing there, holding used cutlery in her hand.

"I do believe there's something going on that you're not telling me," Kris said quietly. Too quietly. Her cousin meant business.

Sam filled her lungs before exhaling with a whoosh. "I've got a crush on Adam," she blurted out.

Kris gasped. "Really?"

"Yup."

"Since when?"

"Since I saw how hot he was that first time we met him at Kane and Jazzie's."

"Oh my God, Sam. That was ages ago! And you've been keeping this to yourself?"

"It wasn't too bad in the past. It was only lately that it's gotten stronger."

"Wow." Kris' eyes were round as saucers. "Knowing you, you haven't even let him know, have you?"

"Oh, he knows I'm attracted to him."

"How?"

She blushed deep red. "I… um… We… um…"

Kris' eyes bulged out. "You've slept with him?" she whispered.

Her expression answered for her.

"Oh my God. When?"

"When I stayed over at his place when my parents were here."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And what have you two decided? What have you discussed?"

"We just said we were happy to see where it could lead. We didn't want to tell any of you guys until we were sure ourselves what we wanted. It just happened so unexpectedly."

"Wow. I've never known you to jump into bed without some certainty that the relationship was a committed one, Sammy."

"I know."

"What's going on now?"

She breathed deeply. "Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?" Kris demanded.

"I mean, nothing. Adam hasn't asked me to stay with him again. He hasn't even asked me out since I came back."

"It's only been five days since you came back. Give him time. Anyway, have you let him know you're still interested?"

"Not exactly," she said in a small voice. "I'm not used to being forward, Kris."

"I know."

"So what do I do?"

"What do you want to do?"

Sam chewed her lip. "I want us to continue seeing each other."

"Then let him know that."

"I don't know if I could compete with Sandy," she murmured.

"Sam! You are much better than Sandy! If you really want Adam, you've got to fight for him. Will you just let Sandy win again?"

"No," she answered with conviction. "Okay then. I guess I'll have to muster some courage and show Adam I'm still keen."

"Good! It's about time you burst out of your shell," Kris said.

"But please don't tell Trey," Sam begged. "I'm not ready for everyone knowing yet. You know me. I hate being the centre of attention. And I'd prefer for Adam and me to figure out what we have together quietly."

"Can't we tell Jaz and Ari?"