Page 25 of Leo

He swallowed deliberately, his eyes never leaving hers, and placed his fork down with a measured grace. "It's perfect," he finally declared, and a slow smile spread across his lips. The tension that had been coiled within her unwound, replaced by a flourish of relief.

“Are you usually this impatient?”

“When it comes to my cooking, yes.” She took a bite and savored the meal, closing her eyes in delight. “I managed to muddle my way through a remarkably interesting time at the market when I stopped to pick up the ingredients. Oh,” she pointed her fork at him. “I made dessert.”

“I am looking forward to it.” He dug into the meal and admitted that she was quite the cook. “You should think of opening a restaurant as well as expanding the pastry shop. You are very good.” She looked pleased at his compliment and rewarded him with her dimpled smile.

“I prefer to stick to my strength.”

He frowned at her. “Are you saying cooking is not one of them?” He pointed to the almost empty plate. “I have been around the world and have eaten at several excellent restaurants, and this is unequivocally the best Coq au Vin, I ever had.”

She stared at him in wordless surprise and seem to be at a loss for words. It took a few minutes for her to gather her composure enough to respond.

“That means a lot coming from you.”

“I meant it. This is sensational.” He reiterated gruffly. “But you do not have to cook. We did not come so that you slave over a stove. Let Maria do the cooking, or we could go out to dinner.”

“I wanted to apologize.” She told him softly. “For last night. I offended you again.” She sighed deeply. “I seem to be constantly putting my foot into my mouth. I did not mean anything by that statement. It is just that, this is all weird to me. Here we are inthis beautiful and romantic city and there is nothing romantic going on.”

He wanted to ask her if she wanted it to happen and stopped himself just in time. He had a feeling she was not ready yet. As much as he wanted to feel her against him, wake up to her in the mornings, he had to bide his time.

“Apology accepted.” He inclined his head gracefully as he polished off the meal. “And this more than makes up for it.”

“Wait until you taste dessert.” She enthused, happy that they were in harmony again. His face was difficult to read and had her wondering if he really meant it. But she had never known him to lie or be dishonest. “I also made coffee.”

“Why don’t I take the tray into the living area. I noticed that a fire was lit.”

“Maria did that before she left. She really is not a bad person, but she talks nonstop. Like a fricking magpie.”

His chuckle warmed her heart and eased the tension between them.

While they sat at the table and ate the chocolate souffle she had spent hours making, she filled him in on what she had done the rest of the day.

“You bought supplies?” He asked her curiously, as he savored the delicate dessert. She really was quite good.

“Yes, I did. I know it can be shipped, but there are several new pastries I would like to experiment with.” She waved her spoon, before dipping it into her dessert and scooping up vanilla ice cream along with the chocolate. He could not help but notice her lips and the shape of them. Forcing his gaze away, he took a fortifying sip of his brew.

The week was going to be a trial and test to his endurance, he thought grimly as he listened to her plans.

“I am tired of listening to myself talk. What about you? How was the meeting?”

“Frustrating.” He admitted with a rueful laugh. “At one point, I was tempted to walk out and say to hell with everything. Acquiring that particular hotel was certainly not worth the damn headache.”

She eyed him closely. “Only, you don’t think so.”

He gave her a surprised look at her intuitiveness. “No, I do not. The place is elegant, the structure old and graceful and has withstood a number of hardships. It is like an aged duchess holding onto her grace with both hands.” A smile flitted across his lips, making her even more aware of him as a man, not just someone who had come to her rescue.

“It had been a chateau back in the days and has been around for several hundred years. There has been some considerable restructuring but not enough to take away from its elegance and grace. It is ideally located and with some fair amount of work, would turn out to be a stunning work of art.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“The bloody Barreau brothers are feuding and are having a grim time agreeing to the terms. They are not in the position to hold onto the place but are still causing a lot of distress and time by being as ornery as possible.”

“I have a feeling you’re not going to let that stop you.”

The admiration and faith in his ability gave him pause and had him staring at her for a minute. “Absolutely not.” He murmured. For a minute, they sat there staring at each other, the tension mounting, the air thick with it.

To her surprise, she felt her hands trembling and had to put the cup down. Clearing her throat, she passed her hands over her thighs and avoided his eyes.

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