Seducing His Heart (5 page)

She turned on the television and lounged on
the couch. After wolfing down her dinner in a few gulps, Dumpling
settled in next to Bess, rested her head on Bess’s leg, and fell
asleep.

Chapter Three

Bess turned down the heat
on her special spaghetti sauce. The water for the pasta was almost
at a boil when the buzzer from the lobby sounded.
The girls are here!
She
grinned as she gave Crash the okay to let them up.

“
Your friends are here,
Dumpling. Are you going to greet them?” She opened the door, and
the pug raced into the hall, her tongue lolling, looking around.
The little dog trotted over to Whit’s door. She sniffed and barked.
He opened it and bent down to pet the tiny animal.

“
Dumpling, come to say
hello, eh?” He straightened his tie and closed the door behind him.
When he looked up, his gaze collided with Bess’s.

“
Hot date?” She cocked an
eyebrow and watched him blush.

The elevator interrupted them. The doors
opened, and Rory unhooked Baxter as Miranda unleashed her pugs,
Romeo and Juliet. The dogs barked, sniffed, and raced around each
other in the hall. Whit hugged the wall to avoid being trampled.
Dumpling led the crowd away from him as she took off into her
apartment. The others followed. Rory and Miranda glanced at Whit as
he passed them.

He pressed the button for the lobby. “Good
night, ladies,” he murmured. Bess waved the women in.

“
Who the hell was that?”
Rory asked. Miranda simply gave a low whistle.

“
My new neighbor,” Bess
said, closing the door.

The sound of the buzzer alerted her to
Brooke’s arrival with her pugs, Freddie and Ginger. Once the women
were assembled, Miranda opened a bottle of pinot noir she had
brought.

“
Did you see that gorgeous
hunk coming out of the building, Brooke?” Rory asked.

“
Hunk? There was a guy
walking in the other direction. Couldn’t see his face.”

“
He looked familiar,”
Miranda said.

“
Whitfield Bass, the news
guy,” Bess said, sipping the wine.

“
He lives
here?”

“
Yeah. Just moved in.”
Bess shook her head.

“
What’s wrong with that?”
Miranda asked, refilling everyone’s glasses.

“
Hell, a hunk across the
hall? How…how…convenient,” Brooke snickered.

“
Terry didn’t think
so.”

The women glanced at each other. Rory spoke
up. “Terry?”

“
Let’s eat, and I’ll tell
you what happened.” Bess added the fresh pasta to the water then
handed plates to Miranda, silverware to Brooke, and napkins to
Rory.

“
Yum, spaghetti and
meatballs,” Miranda said, peeking into the pot of tomato
sauce.

“
And green salad with
fennel and hearts of palm.”

“
I love this club. I’m
starved,” Rory said.

Bess served steaming dishes of her special
meatballs and sauce. Brooke tossed the salad. Miranda manned the
wine. While they ate, Bess explained what had happened during her
tasting. She hesitated to reveal her mixed feelings.

“
So, who do you like best,
Terry or Whit?” Rory asked.

“
I…I thought, Terry. But
Whit is…something about him is so…so appealing. Something beyond
his being such a hunk. There’s something in him reaching out to
me.”

“
Uh oh,” Miranda said. “Be
careful that something is safely covered.”

Brooke burst out laughing. “Shame on you.
She’s serious.”

“
Oops, sorry.” Miranda
blushed.

“
It’s confusing.” Bess put
down her fork, tears blinding her eyes.

Brooke reached over and rubbed her back.
“Why are you so upset? If you prefer Whit, then Terry’ll have to
accept that.”

“
Whit’s not interested in
me. He dates supermodels. That’s where he was headed tonight.
Flavor of the week, the night, whatever. I’m definitely not his
type.”

“
But what you said about
the tasting…” Rory asked.

“
That was attraction. Sex.
Nothing more. I was there, near, you know. I doubt he’d ever
consider me for more than a roll in the hay. That’s not enough for
me.”

The women ate without conversation.

“
This is the best
spaghetti and meatballs I’ve ever eaten,” Rory said, breaking the
uncomfortable silence.

“
Thanks. I have a great
treat for you.”

Miranda’s eyes lit up. “What?”

“
Mocha Magic. Three
desserts.”

“
The stuff you made for
Whit?” Brooke asked.

“
I didn’t actually make it
for him…but, yeah, I guess.”

“
Does this have some magic
in it? Is it an aphrodisiac? Should I call Hack and tell him to be
naked and ready when I get home?”

Bess giggled. “Maybe that’s it. The
chocolate and coffee together.”

“
I’ll let you know if your
magic works on me.”

“
You and Hack? From what
you’ve said, no aphrodisiac needed,” snickered Brooke.

Rory blushed as her friends laughed. When
the women finished, they cleared the dishes.

“
Let’s take a break before
the sweet stuff.” Bess plopped down on the sofa and was immediately
joined by Dumpling, who snuggled into her.

“
I think you ought to get
to know this Whit guy better before you label him a player,”
Miranda said, dipping a dirty dish into soapy water. The ladies
never let Bess clean up. Rory finished clearing, and Brooke picked
up a clean towel. Miranda placed the plate in the dishwasher then
tackled the pot.

“
What’s with Terry,
anyway? How come he let this guy move in on you?” Rory
asked.

“
Terry’s only available on
Friday nights.”

Brooke raised her eyebrows. “How come?”

“
He’s undercover on
Saturdays and some other days, too.”

“
That sucks,” Brooke
muttered.

“
I feel like I’m treading
water. Not moving forward.” Bess set the three desserts out plus
small plates, forks, and spoons.

The pugs came racing through the living
room. This time, Baxter was in the lead. They ran in a circle two
or three times then headed back to the bedroom. Dumpling trotted
along in last place.

Miranda put a forkful of cake in her mouth.
“Oh my God! This is incredible!”

The other women dug in and raved about each
one.

“
I don’t know how Whit
resisted ripping off your clothes and making love to you on the
counter after eating this,” Brooke said, licking her
lips.

“
Hack is definitely going
to benefit from this. A true aphrodisiac.”

“
You think so?” Bess
asked. The women nodded. “Hmm. I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I
should mention it on the show.”

“
You’ll boost chocolate
sales all over the city,” Rory said.

“
All over the country,”
Miranda said.

“
I’ll check with my
producer.”

The women finished cleaning up. Bess called
to Dumpling. The dogs raced into the living room, knowing what was
coming. Each received a treat from one of the women then scouted
out his or her special spot on the sofa, curling up to snooze. A
few cuddled up on top of each other into one huge mound of pug and
began snoring.

“
What should I do?” Bess
asked.

“
Go with your heart. Many
a player has reformed. Get what you want,” Miranda said, giving her
hostess a hug.

“
Make some demands on
Terry. Pin him down. Make him commit,” Brooke said.

“
Or focus on your career
and keep it light. Don’t commit yourself,” Rory advised.

Bess blew out a breath. The camaraderie and
support of the Dinner Club made her smile. “Thanks, guys. I feel
better. I’ve got plenty to think about.”

Rory pushed to her feet and stretched. “Time
to go, Baxter.”

Bess and Dumpling walked
their guests to the elevator. After her friends were gone, Bess
cradled her dog and stood by the window, watching the New York City
lights come on as night fell.
Terry
O’Neill, you have some explaining to do. Be prepared to be on the
witness stand when you show up on Friday.

* * * *

Friday at six a text
arrived for Bess.
Terry’s on his way.
Good.
Dinner was ready. She was trying out
a new recipe for lamb stew. The aroma made her mouth water. She
refreshed her wine and sat back on the sofa.
Let the third degree begin, mister.

Bess moved toward the door
when she heard the bell from the elevator ding. Terry had spruced
up. His hair was combed, and he’d shaved. He looked more handsome
than ever as he removed his pistol and carefully placed it on the
table.
I hate having a gun in my house.
Sitting out like that.
He had a bottle of
Cabernet under his arm and a bunch of red roses in his hand. Bess
put the flowers in water and handed him a corkscrew.

When he finished opening the bottle, Terry
took her in his arms for an amazing kiss. He cupped her cheek and
brushed it with his lips. “Something smells good. Besides you, I
mean.” He settled on the couch while Bess retrieved a beer from the
fridge and handed it to him.

“
Lamb stew. It’s chilly
today. Good stew day.”

“
How did you know that’s
my favorite?” His blue eyes lit up as he grinned. Pushing to his
feet, he joined Bess in the spacious kitchen. She peeked in the
pot, scooping up a little bit on a spoon. She blew on the morsel
before feeding it to Terry. He snapped it up like a dog being
spoiled by his master.

A bark from the floor grabbed Bess’s
attention. Dumpling sat attentively.

“
Someone else wants a
taste, too.” Bess spooned up another little bit of the meaty dish,
blew on it to cool it, and then placed the tidbit in the dog’s
bowl.

Terry chuckled, watching the small creature
clean the dish quickly. “Looks like her favorite too.” He turned
his attention to Bess. “Like to get a taste of you, too,” he said,
wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. She
turned toward him to accept his kiss. He held her to him. “You’re
cuddly,” he whispered.

“
So are you.” She closed
her eyes, drinking in his scent mixed with a touch of lime
aftershave and a little sweat after a day of work.
He’s all man.

“
Can I have you for
dessert?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and shooting her a lustful
stare.

The blue-eyed blonde sensed the heat rising
to her cheeks as she directed her gaze to the floor. “Maybe.”

“
But you’re my
girl.”

She raised her head. “Am I? Am I your
girl?”

“
Of course.”

“
Then why do I only see
you on Fridays?” Bess stared into his eyes.

“
I thought I’d explained
this. Saturday nights I go undercover.”

“
Undercover or under the
covers? And with who?”

“
I can’t tell you. Too
dangerous.”

“
For you or me?” She
cocked an eyebrow and rested her hand on her ample hip.

“
Both of us. You have to
trust me, babe.”

“
You don’t make it
easy.”

He sidled up to her and raised his hand to
stroke her hair. “You’re beautiful.”

A timer went off. Bess moved away from him.
“Dinner’s ready.”

She was full after only a few bites.
Unanswered questions about her relationship with Terry made her
appetite go south. While she toyed with her food, she watched Terry
chow down. He ate two large portions of stew, noodles, and steamed
asparagus.

She smiled at his obvious
enjoyment.
That’s why I cook. To make
people happy.

“
I don’t know what you did
different in this stew, but it’s amazing.”

“
It’s a secret. I had to
sign a paper saying I wouldn’t reveal any of my new recipes. The
station has first claim to them.”

“
Wow, you’re something.”
He grinned and shook his head.

“
Are you making fun of
me?” She raised her brow.

“
Not at all. Never. You’re
the most incredible woman. Commere.” He took her into his embrace.
“You’re an original, Bess. Never known a chick like
you.”

“
You’re an original too,”
she said, burying her face in his chest.

Before Bess could serve dessert, Terry’s
phone dinged. He opened it, clearly reading a text.

“
Gotta go,
babe.”

“
Already?”

“
That’s my life. You know
the drill.”

“
I suppose. Don’t have to
like it, though.” She stared at the floor.

“
You don’t. It’s hard to
love a cop.” He headed for the door. Dumpling jumped up off her bed
and ran to him, barking.

“
I’m not the only one who
wants you to stay.”

He laughed. “You two are a great pair.” He
stepped into the hall. Bess joined him. He kissed her
passionately.