“Not that we’re not thrilled to see you,” Kyle smoothly added, but then again, he didn’t have a hair out of place, whereas she was sure hers was sticking up in spikes after his hands were in it.
“Ah… We wanted to start the New Year with you guys,” Thea finally managed, doing her best to smile hersweet little sistersmile. “It’s only a short train ride from Lyon. We’re going back tomorrow. We would have been here a little earlier, but traffic was a nightmare.”
What would have happened if Paris traffic hadn’t messed things up? She supposed it didn’t matter. She and Kyle had kissed, and she couldn’t regret it. They’d had the just-friends talk more than once, but it hadn’t convinced either of them. They’d been skating on thin ice so long she’d been tempted to start wearing Gore-Tex in case she fell through.
Tonight they had.
What the hell came next?
Kyle’s hand suddenly rubbed the small of her back. She nearly jumped out of her skin she was so sensitive. Taking a slow breath, she reminded herself he was only trying to assure her. Whatever happened after this insane holiday blip, they were going to be okay.
The best friends they’d always been.
She sent him a tight smile. God, she needed to believe that. Losing him would be like losing her ability to cook for a living.
If only she believed they could be more than friends who occasionally crossed the line…
Every relationship she’d ever been in had been cursed with a shelf life. Only one man had gotten close enough to break her heart—her first love, the guy she’d first given herself to.
She was wiser now, or so she freaking hoped.
She was certainly wise enough to realize that losing Kyle would also mean losing Nanine’s, because if they tried to be together and it failed, she wouldn’t be able to work with him, right? That meant all her dreams could go up in the flames between them.
“Don’t you dare start putting up walls between us,” Kyle whispered as he leaned in toward her ear.
She jolted again, kicking the Dom Perignon over.
Kyle only leaned down and picked it up, giving her a look. Dammit! That was the problem with Kyle—they could basically read each other’s thoughts. Worse, they finished each other’s sentences like a couple who tookCosmocompatibility quizzes while having breakfast in bed all cuddled up in matching white robes after sharing the Sunday newspaper.
That was so not her. She was a tough girl with trust issues who planned to become a culinary legend. The sexist male chefs who’d scoffed at her for being in their hallowed kitchens would bow to her. Maybe not chefs as big as Chef Paul Bocuse, but…
Actually, why the hell not? Nanine had given her one of Bocuse’s knives as a gift. Holding it was like wielding Excalibur.
She worked her butt off to be the best, and by God, she was proud of herself for working hard to achieve her goals. She leaned forward to poke Kyle when she pulled up short.
Thea was still staring at them…
Paul Bocuse was still on Madison’s mind, and it struck her that the happy couple had intended to visit one of his restaurants during their honeymoon. Given that Thea was a professional baker, on the cusp of opening her own bakery in Paris in six weeks, she might be successfully distracted by the topic of Bocuse. “How was L’Auberge du Pont de Collonges?”
Jean Luc had to nudge Thea, who looked like someone had poured cold water on her. “Oh! It was marvelous. Bocuse’s famous black truffle soup was out of this world. I can see why the French president gave him that award after he was served it.”
Madison willed her now very sensitive mouth to smile.“The Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur.The Oscar for anyone French, basically.” She wouldn’t mind winning that too. “You’ll have to tell me more about the food. I’ve always wanted to check out Lyon.”
“You totally have to go!” Thea’s love for food finally eclipsed her shock, thankfully. “Being in the food industry, we appreciate the excellence even more.”
Yes, and they both knew such excellence came at a price. For Madison, it involved dedicating her entire life and focus to being a chef. She feared her feelings for Kyle could put that in jeopardy. “Everyone else is inside. They’ll be thrilled you’ve come.”
Jean Luc was doing his best to present a banal French expression. Or maybe he truly wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t like the others didn’t know she and Kyle had the hots for each other. All of them had caught on, and they’d mostly left them alone to work it out.
Madison opened the door for the happy couple and then closed it behind them, turning to face Kyle. He was watching her from the opposing wall with the Dom in his hand, his blue eyes narrowed.
“You okay?”
He gave a deep exhalation. “Yeah, but I could use a minute.”
Right.
She suddenly wanted to rub her sweaty palms together. Nanine had dubbed Kyle the dessert course, and until this moment, Madison had never realized how accurate that designation was. Hewasa delicious treat, one so decadent she’d plan the whole meal around it to make sure the experience built to its ultimate conclusion. Because dessert brought pleasure. Lots and lots ofgroaning at the tablekind of pleasure.
