Takes the Cake (3 page)

Odd. Why had her companion left so suddenly? Unless it wasn’t the groom. Liz glanced over her shoulder to Keegan. He stared in the direction the other man had taken. A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. Maybe he knew who the man was.

“Miss Murphy.”

“Liz, is something wrong? Did you need Martha to call the temp agency for more servers? I know the menu change was rather sudden, and I do apologize for that. My fiancé didn’t inform me until just before I told you.”

Liz couldn’t help but like this socialite. Caroline Murphy was not the typical rich bride. She always had a kind word. Liz shook her head. “No. Your brother…”

Humor lit her eyes. “Is he bothering you with that cake nonsense? Don’t give it another thought. David and I love the design, and it’s exactly what we want.”

“He fired me, and I wanted to let you know before I walked off the grounds with the rest of my staff.”

Caroline’s mouth fell open as she looked from Liz to a point beyond her shoulder. “He did what?”

“What nonsense is she spouting, Caro?” Keegan asked smoothly.

“Don’t play coy with me,” Caroline snapped. “Are you trying to ruin my wedding?”

“Of course not. I want this to be the happiest day of your life.” Keegan shot Liz a glare, and she almost laughed.

“Then why did you fire my caterer? A caterer I had to book a year in advance. A caterer who everybody wants to do their wedding. A caterer who did not have to drive three hours to cook for this week’s event.”

“But I—”

“You will apologize to her, and then I’m going to Mom and Dad and telling them you’re trying to ruin my wedding.” Caroline’s voice wobbled on the last word, and Liz almost felt sorry for Keegan.

He stepped close. Liz almost moved back. He was too close. She held her ground and met his heated gaze. Her pulse leaped. Lust and something else she couldn’t quite define flickered in his irises. She really needed to put some distance between them before she did something stupid—like pull him down for another kiss.

“Accept my sincerest apologies. I acted rather hastily in my decision to terminate your employment.”

She nodded and backed away. “Fine. I’ll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me.”

“Fantastic. So we’re back on track for this evening?” This was from Caroline. Liz nodded. “Good. And Keegan, leave the caterer alone. She’s worth her weight in gold.” Caroline strolled down the hall, the staccato tap of her heels fading on the polished granite.

Liz spun on her heel and hurried in the opposite direction toward the kitchen.

“Liz?” The soft way he spoke her name caressed nerve endings she didn’t know she had. She paused, half turning to face him. He closed the distance between them. “Just so you know. This means war.”

She flashed a smirk before sauntering into the kitchen. What would he do in retaliation? In the past, he would leave sexy notes on her pillows, send a risqué picture of himself to her phone, or even a dirty limerick or two, but they weren’t together anymore. Still… A giggle burst from her throat as a list of naughty tidbits ran through her mind. She could definitely prepare for that.

Chapter Two

Had Keegan known how his sister, parents, friends, and the rest of the bridal party would react, maybe he’d have kept his mouth shut and not attempted to fire Liz. It didn’t help that Caro turned on the waterworks.

“I guess your ploy at getting the caterer’s attention backfired,” his future brother-in-law, David, said, handing him a glass of amber liquid on the rocks.

Keegan stared at the glass and then at the man behind the wet bar. David was the perfect man for his sister. Intelligent, rich, good-looking, well-connected, yet there seemed to be something missing from the man. Keegan sipped the Scotch, relishing the burn and slightly fruity aftertaste.

“Dad broke out the good stuff?”

“This is what we asked the caterer to stock. We had to special order it from a shop in New York.” David sampled his own glass. “Worth every penny, don’t you think?”

“Indeed.”

“And they found a great
Premier Cru Supérieur
to go with tonight’s meal. Do you know if the caterer was able to accommodate the food request?”

“Of course they were.” Caroline smiled brightly as she threaded her hand through the crook of David’s arm. “I think they’re preparing a duck breast to go along with the meal.”

“Sounds like the evening is saved,” Keegan said.

His sister glared at him. “No thanks to you.”

Keegan inclined his head. “Well, that’s my cue to leave.” There had to be somewhere in the house he could go where he wouldn’t get in any trouble. He glanced at his watch. The rehearsal would start in about twenty minutes. The kitchen would be alive with activity, and Liz would be there.

He shouldn’t have gone in that direction, but he couldn’t resist. He wandered down the hallway, pushed through one of the swinging doors, and leaned against one wall out of the way.

Keegan hadn’t stopped thinking about Liz since she walked out of his life all those months ago. That was the biggest mistake he’d made, not going after her. No matter how often he was on the road, she had always been there when he came home. A month before the last season ended, she wasn’t.

The pain of her absence only intensified when a knee injury sidelined his career for good. With all the glam and glitz that had surrounded his life, none of his so-called friends had remained while he recovered. Liz would’ve been there if he hadn’t been such an ass. He had the perfect woman in his life, and he let her walk away because of his own arrogance and stupidity. He wouldn’t make that same mistake twice.

He searched among the steam and noise for a pink bandanna. With so many people bustling through the kitchen, it was hard to find one caramel-skinned woman. If he walked further into the room, he was sure to find her, but he would also run the risk of her wrath. The thought of provoking her again had possibilities. Anything just to watch her eyes snap with fire and her pretty mouth twist into a pout. Now he just wanted her to know he was waiting for another opportunity to catch her alone.

A heavy sigh on his left grabbed his attention. Sudden mirth twitched at the corners of his mouth. He turned to stare into light-brown eyes and grinned. How he would love to kiss those luscious, frowning lips again.

“What do you want now?”

Her face was a little flushed. Annoyance flickered over her features, but she was still quite beautiful. Did she still look the same without the head covering? Was her hair as soft as he remembered? He yearned to yank the material from her hair and free the riot of curls tucked beneath the fabric.

“Doesn’t matter. Just stay out the way.” She moved past him and he grabbed her wrist.

“When will you be free?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Don’t you have horny bridesmaids to hit on?”

He shrugged. “I find the caterer much more of a challenge.”

“If you applied as much effort into wooing one of those bridesmaids as you do me, you might actually get one.” She shook off his hand and stalked away.

Keegan swung his head from side to side with a half smile. She was a piece of work. He glanced at his watch. It wouldn’t do to incur his sister’s wrath a second time. He needed to get outdoors to the rehearsal.

* * * *

Every time Liz turned around, Keegan was hovering, not saying a word. He perused her as she made her way throughout the kitchen. Assessing, calculating, seducing. She wanted to forget the man even existed. How could she do that when each time he entered the room her body went on point? His gaze was a physical caress, reminding her of their all-too-brief kiss in the pantry. Or the way he cupped her buttocks. By the time she was focused on work, he would show up again.

Just two more days and she would be done with this crazy wedding nonsense. Or rather Keegan and his nonsense. Maybe when things were over with she would ask him why he kissed her. Even now she could still feel the firmness of his lips pressed to hers, the heat of his hand as it cupped her derriere, and the hardness of his erection as it pulsed against her core. She bit back a moan, hating that she wanted to feel those tingles and shivers again.

Heat touched her cheeks, and she was glad for her slightly darker skin tone. No one would see her blushing. She moved the rumaki to a waiting tray and signaled one of the servers to take it out. They would be serving hors d’oeuvres until dinner, and the first course was a spicy gazpacho followed by a sorbet. Then the stuffed crab and duck breast for the main course, another sorbet, a light salad, and finally, a sampling of desserts.

And once the last bit of food was put away and tomorrow’s prep done, she’d go to sleep, wake up early, and do it all over again. For now, she had to push on and set up the rest of the evening. She veered left, skirting a couple of warming stations, and pushed through a singular wooden swinging door that led into the dining room. She peered around the room.

Three long tables were arranged in a U-shape. The bride and groom would be placed at the center with their respective families on either side. Pristine white linens adorned the tables, while expensive china and crystal waited for the evening festivities. Satisfied the room was ready, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the first course.

* * * *

Liz couldn’t have been more pleased. Wine was flowing, conversation was buzzing, and the occasional slurp indicated the food was delicious. She was placing several small containers on silver trays when the first ripple of unease tiptoed down her spine. Conversation was tapering off.

“Janie, check the diners so we can begin serving the next course.” The young woman nodded and hurried from the kitchen. Liz readied a half-ounce ice cream scoop, grabbed a small, white cylindrical container from the freezer, and dished out the lemon sorbet. It would make a nice palate cleanser after the savory soup.

At hearing pounding footsteps, Liz glanced up to find a flushed and wide-eyed Janie. “What’s wrong?”

“They’re asleep.”

Liz wiped her hands on a damp towel. “What?”

“They’re nodding off in their chairs.”

That couldn’t be possible. She hastened to the dining area, pushed through the door, and gasped. Indeed, several of the guests’ heads bobbed down and then jerked back as if startled by the change of position. Some were already asleep. A couple of people—including the bride—were facedown in their soup bowls, and Liz rushed to free their faces before they could drown.

“Oh my goodness.” She ran from person to person checking pulses, relieved when she found them. “Call 911.”

There were still a few untouched bowls, so not everyone had eaten yet. Keegan, the groom, and the maid of honor were missing from the table, as well as one or two of the parents, but she couldn’t be sure which ones.

“Who else ate the soup?”

Janie hesitated. “I…uh…some of the servers, one or two of the cooks.”

“Stay here.” Liz hurried back to the kitchen. In the far corner, some of her staff were sprawled around the scarred wooden table, heads lolling from side to side or resting on their forearms. She grabbed a sous-chef named George as he struggled to keep his eyes open. “Hey. Stay with me.”

“I’m having such a hard time staying awake,” he said, stifling a wide yawn.

“Well, I need you not to sleep.” She grabbed the lapels of his coat and jerked him to his feet. “Walk around if you have to, but don’t fall asleep.”

“Coffee,” he murmured.

They had plenty of that on hand. She rushed past the counter holding the tureen of soup. A white plastic medicine bottle sat next to the dish. She skidded to a halt and picked up the bottle. Sleeping pills? She shook the container and it rattled. She opened it and looked inside. Only a couple of tablets remained. A quick glance at the soup showed a few half-dissolved capsules.

Relief rushed through her and then anger. On one hand, the guests would get a good night’s sleep, but someone had gone through a lot of trouble to make the dinner look bad. For a moment, Keegan crossed her mind, but it didn’t seem like something he would do. This would upset Caroline, and Liz didn’t believe he’d do that. Then who wanted to sabotage the wedding?

* * * *

Keegan sat in the wide porch swing nursing a cold beer. A chuckle rolled from his lips as he recalled his fellow groomsman’s chagrin at his prank backfiring and having to explain to emergency personnel and police why thirty-odd people were sleeping at the dinner table. The situation, though serious, was quite entertaining. His sister would not be pleased when she realized what had happened, but at least he was out of the hot seat.

Liz hadn’t seemed too pleased with the events that had transpired, and well, he couldn’t blame her. She had worked hard to execute the requested menu change, and she deserved to have her moment. He selected a bacon-wrapped chicken liver from the food piled on the plate at his elbow. He’d grabbed several leftovers before those catering staff members not affected by the soup could start cleaning.

If he listened really hard, he could hear movement and water running in the kitchen. Since this was partly his fault, he could at least offer a helping hand. He picked up his plate and bottle and padded into the house. When he arrived in the kitchen, he was surprised to find Liz completely alone.

She’d discarded the chef’s jacket and wore a pink tank top that bared her midriff along with her curve-hugging slacks. Lust beat a hasty rhythm to his groin, lengthening and thickening his rod. Such a beautiful body. Petite and lean. Tight, sculpted muscles in her arms flexed each time she reached for something. He’d love to run his hands over her body and feel those same muscles wrapped around him as he entered her.

Pink was a good color for her. It brought a rosy glow to her flesh. Her movements were quick and efficient as if she were used to cleaning up by herself. He leaned against the wall, admiring her. She’d abandoned the scarf too. Tousled curls spilled around her face and over her shoulders. The softness was tempting.

He moved quietly, placing his dish on the counter with equal care. Ever since she’d walked into this house with her confidence and simple cake design, he’d wanted to get her alone. The kiss in the pantry had been beyond expectation, and he longed to repeat it. Well, he yearned to do a lot more, and kissing was only one part of it.