Page 63 of While You Were Spying
Isabelle inhales deeply.“Please tell me we get to eat whatever they’ve been cooking in here. It smells sooo good.”
She’s right; it does smell incredible.
Gabrielle is already in the room, with a man in a chef hat who I can only assume is our teacher. “I’m excited to introduce the resort’s esteemed chef, Michael Marchant.” She tells the group about his training and accomplishments.
“I always enjoy teaching this class.” He chuckles for what seems to be no reason. “And I hope you find it equally as enlightening. I’m going to teach you how to createflamiche, which is a French leek pie that is absolutely delicious.”
He spends the next thirty minutes showing us step-by-step how to make the perfect pastry and the filling, detailing what to do and what not to do. We follow along with the recipe Gabrielle handed out beforehand.
“He makes it look so easy,” Isabelle murmurs under her breath.
Blake leans down to whisper something in Virginia’s ear. She swats his arm like he’s an annoying bug.
He grins broadly at her, lust darkening his eyes.
“We’ll bake it for forty minutes, until it’s golden brown,” Michael says once he’s finished with the demonstration. “Then we let it cool for ten minutes and remove it from the pie plate. You’ll want to serve it warm.”
He walks to the oven and places it inside. He returns with another pie from a different oven. “Fortunately, you don’t have to wait that long before you get to sample a piece. I made one earlier for you to try.” He cuts it into thin slices, and Gabrielle passes us each a plate and a fork.
Isabelle takes a bite of her slice. “Oh, God. This tastes even better than it smells…which is hard to believe. It already smelled like heaven.”
I sample mine and have to agree with her there. “Don’t tell Landon that. I’m sure he would rather eat this than be unplugging toilets.”
She laughs. “You’re right about that. I definitely think I got the better end of the deal.” Her gaze lazily trails down my body, her eyes dark.
I have to agree with her there, too.
“Because this class is hands-on and not just about you sampling the food,” Michael says, “you and your partner will prepare your own pie to eat. And while it’s baking, I’ll show you how to whip up a simple dessert that will wow your friends and guests.”
“But before he does that,” Gabrielle says, “I want Jayden, Anthony, Virginia, Davis”—she lists a few other partners in the group—“to come with me for a minute.”
Those of us who were listed exchange curious glances and follow her into the hallway.
21
Isabelle
After a few minutes,Jayden and the others return to the classroom.
“What was that all about?” I ask him. While he and the others were away, I claimed a kitchen space that gives us a good view of the rest of the group, and I skimmed over the recipe.
He loops his arm around my waist and leans in close. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
His husky voice and warm breath against the shell of my ear causes a delicious tremor to skip along my skin.
If his injured arm weren’t still in a sling, I’d lean into him and absorb the feel of his strong body.
But since it is, I just kiss him.
It’s that, or reveal my frustration that Jayden, Landon, and I could be yanked from this mission, so they can deal with Vadik Orlov and his fellow crime-family assholes.
Even though I’m more than happy to have that criminal element removed from the streets, I’d rather it didn’t happen at the expense of my plans to prove to Liam I’m worthy of the job promotion.
The kiss I give Jayden is nothing like the kisses from before lunch, when we experienced each other in a way I never thought would ever happen.
Neither is it a sweet kiss.
It’s somewhere in between.
