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“Hmm, on the contrary, Ms. Stone... I believe you are clean.” His wicked smile sent a fresh wave of heat rushing into her loins. His voice lowered as he leaned closer, holding her eyes captive. “When the time is right, my little one, I won’t stop... even if you beg me to.”
Clarissa was enthralled by the sudden roughness in his tone. His arousal was apparent in the flexing of his muscled frame. He might be denying her at this moment, but it soothed her mind that he was just as filled with lust as she was.
She clamped her lips together to keep back the words threatening to tumble out. She’d be damned if she begged him to have sex with her. It was unsettling that he was the one who used common sense and slammed the brakes on a potentially disastrous alliance.
“I... ahem... you’re right.” She sat upright and pushed him back in one move. She buried her face in the loofah. Her voice croaked from behind it, “It’s time for you to leave.”
“Of course, but only because if I don’t, I’ll be fucking you into kingdom come, and this moment isn’t our time… not just yet.” He brushed a feathery kiss against her temple. His voice darkened. “I’ll go, but I’ll be back at six-thirty. Don’t make me wait.”
She sputtered angrily behind the loofah, but he was already walking out of the door. A silly smile curved her lips. It was enlightening how powerful it made her feel to hear such a forceful man admit he was as intoxicated by her as she was by him.
“Get a grip, Clarissa. You’re looking for trouble with a man like Rick Butler.”
Sex with him would be explosive, yes, but there was no doubt in her mind it would destroy her ability to keep her heart intact. He was more than gorgeous. He was beautiful, inside and out—the kind of man who could easily fill the emptiness inside her heart.
“Forget about it, Clarissa. Falling in love isn’t in your long-term career plan.”
She pressed her thighs together, suddenly desperate to keep her sexual excitement contained. Never had she felt such a charged chemical attraction and impetuous passion for any other man.
It was frightening, but it excited the hell out of her.
Chapter Six
King Ricardo III Decadence Restaurant, Grand Lake, Colorado…
Clarissa stepped through the heavy wooden doors into the warm, bustling interior of the restaurant and was immediately enveloped in the cozy, intimate atmosphere. The dining room was all rich mahogany and flickering candlelight, with large windows along one wall overlooking the frozen lake, twinkling with Christmas lights.
Servers in crisp white shirts and black vests whisked entrees to occupied tables while chatter and laughter filled the air. As Rick led Clarissa past the maître d’ stand, patrons looked up from their meals to smile and wave in greeting.
“Good evening, Chef Butler!” an elderly man called out from a corner booth. Rick paused to exchange a few friendly words before continuing on. It was clear he was not just respected here—he was beloved.
“Yoo-hoo! Clarissa, Rick, over here!” Cathy’s musical voice floated toward them from a booth beside the grand stone fireplace.
“This is a magical place,” Clarissa said as she settled in her seat and gazed around at the mix of locals and tourists. Breathing in the wonderful smells wafting from the kitchen, she felt herself drawn into the palpable camaraderie and joy. This was not just Rick’s restaurant—it was the warm, beating heart of the community.
“I can’t recall that Grand Lake has ever bustled with so many tourists before. What’s different this year?”
“Rick moved here at the beginning of December last year and started a new Christmas tradition. A gingerbread cookie feast, with a competition added to the mix. The prizes he offers and the proceeds of the feast that’s used for children in need are what creates the bustle.”
“A gingerbread cookie competition?” Clarissa pulled her mouth. “Are you serious? I can’t imagine there are that many people who love the taste of those atrocious cookies.”
“Hmm, I forgot you apparently hate the taste of ginger,” Rick said with a tight grin, remembering that it was the very same attitude that had caused him to be caught in the trap he was in.
“It seems you forgot the generosity of the community here, sis,” Cathy said around a bite of fresh bread. “Whenever there’s an opportunity to give to the needy, everyone jumps on the band wagon. The prizes Rick offers bring the outsiders here, eager to add to the fun and, more importantly, win.”
“What prizes?” She looked at Rick enquiringly.
“There are three prizes,” he responded with a smile. “The first is a prize for a professional pastry chef in the form of a brand new kitted and staffed bakery in a sought-after area in his or her town of choice. Second is a prize for a home chef who will have the opportunity to work as a line chef at any of my bakeries or restaurants across the U.S. Third is a prize for a local baker with the required skills to manage the bakery I plan to open here in Grand Lake next year.”
“Not to mention there are ten additional cash prizes and a study bursary, including lodging and living expenses for an internship at the Culinary Institute of America.”
“Wow, those prizes are amazing.” Clarissa stared at Rick, realizing there was more to the man than attractiveness and magnetism.
“I believe in paying it forward. I’ve had many successes in my life because others helped me along the way. It’s the only way I can honor them for believing in me… and my story.”
“Your story?” Cathy tilted her head, her eyes glimmering excitedly as she winked at Clarissa. “Do tell.”
Rick hesitated just long enough for the sous chef to arrive and call him to the kitchen. Clarissa didn’t miss the flash of relief crossing his face as he excused himself.
