Page 8 of Get Lost

Kelsey breathed deeply, then plastered a bright smile to her face—one she hoped would not convey her fascinating attraction to this stranger. What was it about him that had her so flustered? You know, aside from the fact that Kelsey loved handsome men. They were one of her weaknesses.

Kitchen skills.

Handsome men.

These first two could be combined into one item:sexy chef.

Bottomless mimosas.Obviously.

And New York Super Fudge Chunk from Ben & Jerry’s.

Kelsey’s gaze fell to Jean-Luc’s apron, now decorated with little food smudges from whatever he’d been working on, and the age-old question ofWhat’s Behind Door Number Onepopped into her head. Kelsey giggled at the thought, quickly covering her mouth with her hand and faking a cough as she forced her gaze back up to his face. His hair was a bit messier than earlier, and there was a smudge of flour on his strong cheek, which made him even sexier.

Dammit. She averted her gaze, but instead of being obedient, her eyes dragged down his body leisurely before finally finding their focus on the grass at his feet.

“Nous nous rencontrons à nouveau, mon belle Américaine.” He extended his hand out, so Kelsey placed her hand in his. “Je t’ai observé toute la journée, bourdonnant comme une abeille à chaque fleur. Tellement concentré.”

Kelsey smiled and nodded, even though she had no idea what he’d said. “Are you ready for the rehearsal dinner, Chef Dumonde?”

“S’il vous plaît, appelez-moi Jean-Luc.” He placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles, then released her hand, and she dropped it to her side, the softest tickle of sensation from his kiss still dancing on her skin. “Puisque je sais à quel point tu t’intéresses à ma baguette, j’aimerais que tu en essaies une. Venir.”

Kelsey pursed her lips as she tried to figure out if she recognized any of the words he’d just said. Maybe if she could decipher one or two of them, she could make sense of the rest, but her brain kept getting stuck onbaguette.

Her gaze fell to his groin again.

Baguette.

Baguette.

Baguette.

She frowned, bringing her eyes up to his. “I’m sorry, Jean-Luc, I can’t understand. Je no comprende… pas.” She remembered at least that much, but it was not nearly enough. And as she replayed the words in her mind, she realized it was possible she’d mixed a bit of Spanglish in there too. Because that’s what happens when you grow up in Southern California, bits and pieces of the languages around you mix into a melting pot of words and phrases in your mind. She sighed, shrugging.

Jean-Luc flashed a smile and Kelsey’s cheeks warmed, then he reached out his hand. “Oui. Venir.”

She slid her hand into his, allowing him to lead her out of the shade of the Palo Verde tree and into the hot sun, which was a pretty good metaphor for letting this man lead her anywhere, because she’d be in boiling water, figuratively speaking, if she let something happen and got caught. Which, truthfully, was part of the allure. Kelsey had always loved living life just slightly on the edge, and she very rarely told herself no. Because where was the fun in that?

Kelsey followed Jean-Luc toward the main house and, she assumed, the kitchen. As they reached the door, she began to worry. What if something was wrong with the meal? They only had a few hours until the rehearsal dinner, so whatever it was, she prayed he could salvage it.

Jean-Luc released her hand and opened the door to the kitchen. The fresh, delicious, buttery, doughy scent of fresh bread hit her and she breathed in deeply, practically moaning at how wonderful it smelled. She looked at the chef and her eyes widened. “That smells amazing.”

He grinned. “Merci.” Extending his arm toward the kitchen, he motioned for her to enter.

Kelsey had always thought that Subway restaurants should come out with a room spray, and if they’d actually followed her sage advice and created one, this is what their signature scent would smell like. Freshly baked baguettes lined the kitchen counter, and Kelsey’s stomach growled loudly. She laughed self-consciously, then followed Jean-Luc to the center of the room. He smiled, then placed his hand on her lower back while he guided her closer, releasing her to grab a baguette.

“S'il vous plaît. Essayez ceci.” He sliced a piece off and spread butter over the bread, then handed it to Kelsey.

She took a bite and her eyes nearly rolled back into her head. Totalmouthgasm. “Oh my god,” she said, her words muffled by the warm bread in her mouth. She mentally addedfreshly baked baguettesto her list of weaknesses.

“Bon?”

“Oui.” Kelsey nodded. “So good.”

He smiled, then nodded, bringing his hand up to her face. “Tu as un peu de beurre sur la lèvre.” He slid his thumb gently across her bottom lip.

Kelsey froze, careful not to move as he brushed his thumb against her so gingerly.

Then he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked the butter off, holding Kelsey’s gaze.

---