Seducing the Wolf (5 page)

“I think I’ll go with our cabdriver’s recommendation and get the crab and mushroom stuffed salmon,” Taylor decided.

“Excellent choice,” the waiter told her. “Would you like an appetizer?”

“Not this time. I want to make sure I save room for dessert.”

The waiter smiled. “Sounds good. And you, sir?”

Aidan ordered the braised lamb shanks, along with the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu.

After the waiter left, Aidan reached across the table and took Taylor’s hand. He smiled at her as warm candlelight glinted off the lenses of his glasses. He was a handsome man with curly dark hair, gray eyes and fair skin.

He and Taylor had met through her best friend, Gabby, who’d brought Aidan to one of Taylor’s concerts hoping the two would hit it off. They had, and three years later, they were still going strong. Well…relatively strong.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave tomorrow,” Aidan lamented.

“So do I.” Taylor smiled. “But I know duty calls.”

Aidan sighed. “Unfortunately.”

While Taylor would spend the next three weeks in Atlanta, Aidan would be in Washington, D.C. attending an international leadership summit and conducting interviews for his latest book on U.S. foreign policy.

This wouldn’t be the first time the couple had to be apart from each other. As a concert violinist, Taylor spent many months of the year on tour. Though she enjoyed traveling around the world and performing to packed houses, her grueling concert schedule took a serious toll on her personal life. It was hard to maintain relationships when she was away from home so often.

Her relationship with Aidan worked because he seemed to understand how much her career meant to her. Though he missed her when she was traveling, he rarely ever put guilt trips on her. He seemed genuinely proud of her accomplishments, and he respected her passion for playing the violin.

Just then the waiter returned to deliver a basket of hot rolls and pour their wine. After he departed, Aidan picked up his glass and raised it to Taylor.

“To July sixteenth,” he toasted.

Taylor gave him a blank look. “July sixteenth?”

“The date we both return home to Paris,” he elaborated.

“Oh.” Taylor nodded. “I’ll drink to that.”

Smiling at each other, they clinked glasses and sipped their Chardonnay.

The background music was soft and beautiful, enhancing the romantic ambience rather than intruding.

Slowly setting down his glass, Aidan murmured, “I’ve been thinking…”

When he trailed off, Taylor prompted curiously, “Thinking what?”

His eyes met hers. “We’ve been together for three years.”

“Yes, we have.”

“And we’ve been pretty happy for those three years.”

Taylor hesitated, then smiled. “Yes, we have.”

Aidan leaned forward, his gaze intent on her face. “So I was thinking…maybe it’s time—”

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe it’s you!”

Every head in the restaurant swiveled toward the source of the excited feminine squeal. It had come from an attractive young woman seated at a nearby table with a group of her girlfriends. The object of the woman’s excitement was none other than Michael Wolf, who’d stopped by her table as he made his rounds.

The sight of Michael sent memories rushing through Taylor’s mind. He was sixteen years old when she’d met him for the first time, and even then she’d been struck by how much he and Manning resembled each other.

As snow fell lightly from the sky that long-ago afternoon, Michael had driven Taylor home while she and Manning sat in the backseat of his father’s truck holding hands and sharing the infatuated smiles of new lovebirds. Because of that ride, Taylor would always associate Michael Wolf with the sweet innocence of her childhood romance with Manning.

She watched now as Michael’s boisterous fan sprang from her chair and rushed around the table to hug him. His smile was warm and dazzling, eliciting a chorus of fawning sighs and giggles from the other women seated at the table.

It was no mystery why millions of female viewers tuned in to Michael’s cooking show every day. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, possessing a raw sex appeal that was potent enough to be felt through the television. His charming personality and culinary prowess were the icing on the cake.

As the group of friends fumbled cell phones out of designer handbags and began snapping photos of Michael, the one who’d started all the commotion looked around the dining room and proclaimed, “I am
so
sorry for disturbing y’all, but it’s
Michael Wolf!
”

As laughter rippled through the restaurant, Michael casually glanced around. When his amused gaze landed on Taylor, she smiled shyly.

He smiled back before going completely still.

She watched as his dark eyes narrowed, then widened with stunned recognition.

Taylor?
he mouthed.

She nodded, her smile deepening.

After posing for a few more photos with his gushing fans, Michael excused himself and quickly made his way over to Taylor’s table. As she rose from her chair, he grabbed her in a big bear hug that lifted her feet off the floor and made her giggle.

Setting her back down, he gave her an appreciative once-over and grinned broadly. “I’ll be damned. Taylor Chastain.”

She grinned. “Hello, Michael.”

“Hello to you too. Damn, girl. You look good.”

“So do you, Mr. Celebrity Chef,” Taylor teased, playfully tweaking the top button on his white chef’s jacket. “I’d ask how you’ve been,” she added, gesturing around the packed restaurant, “but I think I can take an educated guess.”

Michael smiled affectionately. “How long have you been in town?”

“Just two days.”

“You here for business or pleasure?”

“Both. I’m doing a music residency at Emory. It ends with a concert on July fifteenth.”

“Hey, that’s great. So you’ll be sticking around.”

Taylor smiled. “Just for a little while.”

Michael’s expression softened, his eyes probing hers. “Have you seen Manning?”

Before Taylor could respond, Aidan deliberately cleared his throat and rose from the table.

Taylor flushed. “I’m sorry. Where are my manners? Michael, this is my boyfriend Aidan.”

She watched uncomfortably as the two men shook hands and exchanged cordial greetings.

“Nice restaurant you have here,” Aidan remarked.

“Thanks,” Michael said smoothly. “I’m glad you and Taylor could join us tonight.”

“Well, everyone knows you can’t come to Atlanta without visiting Wolf’s Soul.” Aidan smiled at Taylor. “Perhaps we should make this our last pit stop before we fly back to Paris.”

Taylor smiled too brightly. “Sure.”

Michael nodded to Aidan. “You a musician too?”

“Oh, no,” Aidan guffawed with a chuckle. “I don’t have a musical bone in my body. That’s probably why Taylor and I are so perfect for each other—opposites attract.”

“Right.” Michael’s dark eyes glinted with humor.

After an awkward silence, Taylor explained, “Aidan was kind enough to escort me to Atlanta and keep me company for a couple days before he leaves for Washington—”

“And I’ll probably come back next weekend,” Aidan added.

“Really?” Taylor shot him a surprised look. This was the first she was hearing about his plans.

He smiled at her. “Of course I’m coming back. I can’t have you feeling lonely when I’m only a short plane ride away.”

Taylor stared at him. She knew why he wanted to return next weekend, and it had more to do with him keeping tabs on her than keeping her company.

She’d never known him to be so insecure and possessive. It was disconcerting.

Suppressing a frown, Taylor turned back to Michael and asked cheerfully, “How’s Marcus doing?”

Michael smiled. “He’s doing great. He and his new wife are on their honeymoon.”

“Oh my goodness! Marcus got married?”

“Sure did.”

“That’s wonderful,” Taylor exclaimed warmly. “Please tell him I said congratulations.”

“Will do. Hey, listen, I wanna take a picture with you to hang on the wall.”

“
Me?
”

Michael chuckled. “Yeah, you. It’s not every day that a famous violinist visits my restaurant—”

Taylor laughed. “I wouldn’t say I’m famous.”

“You’re kidding, right? You’ve performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall and Buckingham Palace. Trust me—you’re famous.” Michael grinned at Aidan. “You don’t mind if I borrow her for a minute, do you?”

Aidan looked like he minded very much, but he pressed his lips together and reluctantly nodded his consent.

“Good man. Darien will take care of you,” Michael promised, signaling to their waiter. “You want some appetizers? Order anything you want off the menu—everything’s on the house. I’ll have your meals brought out the second Taylor returns.”

Before Aidan could change his mind, Michael grabbed Taylor’s hand and began leading her from the table.

“We’ll get our picture taken in the foyer and outside under the restaurant sign,” he told her.

“All right.”

As they moved through the dining room, Taylor didn’t miss the blatantly envious looks other women were giving her. “You must be trying to get me killed,” she whispered jokingly to Michael.

He slanted her a grin. “Aidan won’t kill you.”

“I wasn’t talking about him, but now that you mention it…”

Michael laughed, turning down a corridor near the back of the restaurant. “We’ll take the pictures in a minute. But first…I’ve got a surprise for you.”

5

Fifteen
minutes earlier

R
aucous male laughter greeted Manning as he reached the entrance to the private room he’d reserved for tonight’s dinner meeting with his brothers. They were already gathered around the table swigging beers and stuffing their faces with appetizers.

As Manning strode into the room, he encountered four pairs of eyes set in faces that were strikingly similar to his own.

“Well, well, well,” Montana Wolf drawled. “Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence.”

“Twenty minutes late,” Magnum pointed out.

Mason snorted. “And he had the nerve to threaten me if
I
was late. Guess I’ll be kicking
his
ass this— Ouch!” he protested as Manning slapped the back of his cornrowed head.

“Didn’t your mama teach you to respect your elders?” Manning quipped as the others burst out laughing.

“
Elder
my ass,” Mason grumbled with a surly grin.

Chuckling, Manning dropped into the empty chair next to Maddox, the only one who hadn’t given him a hard time. Grabbing the cold beer that had been left for him, he offered, “Sorry I’m late. My last meeting ran over.”

Magnum grunted. “Yeah, well, we went ahead and ordered without you. I’m starving.”

“When
aren’t
you starving?” Manning retorted, taking a swig of beer.

“Hey, don’t blame me. I work hard for a living.”

“What you tryna say?” Mason interjected from across the table. “The rest of us don’t work hard?”

“Not as hard as I do,” Magnum countered, leaning back in his chair with one long leg stretched out in a posture of lazy insolence. He wore dark Timbs, baggy cargo pants and a white Atlanta Fire Department T-shirt that revealed muscular biceps decorated with tattoos.

“No offense, fellas,” Magnum drawled, “but fighting fires and rescuing people from burning buildings is more labor-intensive than playing the sax at smoky jazz clubs filled with pretty women—”

Montana frowned at the slight.

“—or writing horror novels that give your poor mama nightmares—”

Maddox’s eyes narrowed menacingly.

“—or racing up and down a field catching footballs—”

Mason scowled in disbelief.

“—or running a Fortune 500 company.” Magnum smiled at Manning, then cast a languid glance around the table. “No offense.”

The four affronted brothers glared at him, then erupted with loud exclamations of, “Get the fuck outta here!”

Magnum laughed, ducking as Mason tossed a chicken wing bone at his head and challenged, “Yo, we can go outside and run this forty anytime you’re ready, Smokey.”

“
Oooh!
” the others roared laughingly as Magnum scowled.

The rivalry between Magnum and Mason was a long running joke in the family. Four years apart, the two brothers had played football when they were growing up. Both had been dominant players on their respective teams, often competing to see who could score the most points or rack up the best stats during every game. Ultimately it was Mason who’d possessed the passion and drive to pursue a professional football career, while Magnum followed his heart and became a firefighter like their father.

Although Magnum was in top shape, no one would lay odds on him beating Mason in a forty-yard dash. Not even Magnum was cocky enough to believe he could outrun the NFL’s fastest wide receiver.

“Hmm. I just thought of something.”