Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett Read Free Book Online

Eva almost expected him to spit it out.
    Finally he declared, “ Exquisita ,” and he finished the soup quickly.
    Eva grinned as she handed him the next course.

Chapter Five

     
    Saturday turned out to be sunny with just a slight crisp feel in the air, perfect, especially for the Bay Area in the late spring. Gabe was very tempted to ride his Harley, but instead, he drove his SUV Hybrid. He doubted Stephanie would be up for a bad case of helmet hair. Gabe knew she expected to spend the night with him. He hadn’t asked her, but neither had he disabused her of the notion. By the time he pulled up in front of her building and parked his car, he had decided to play the evening by ear. He might as well, he thought. He couldn’t get out of it anyway. Maybe he would regain some of the initial interest he’d had in fucking her. When she opened her door wearing a low-cut pale peach sundress and high-heeled sandals, Gabe assessed the woman appreciatively. Not bad. Not too bad at all. Things might just work out between the two of them, at least for the night. He decided that all options were back on the table, so to speak.
    Gabe kept up his end of the conversation on the drive to Napa , but as he usually did until he knew a woman well, he was careful not to disclose too much too soon. They chatted about business, family, plays she’d seen recently, clubs and restaurants she favored. Stephanie flirted, not shamelessly, but she made it clear she was interested. Gabe wondered how old she was. Thirty? He stole a sidelong glance at her face. Twenty-eight, maybe. It was hard to tell. She’d put on large sunglasses the minute they’d stepped outside her apartment building. He noticed that her dress had ridden up her thigh, exposing a great deal of skin. Gabe didn’t know if that had happened deliberately or by accident, but he suspected the former. She didn’t seem to be in any hurry to adjust it.
    Gabe found it odd that the closer they got to his
Napa
Valley
home, the less enthusiasm he felt for Stephanie’s company. He caught himself wishing he’d decided to spend the weekend by himself. It disturbed him. Usually a woman this attractive would kick his lust into overdrive. Damn , he thought, what the hell is my problem ?
    “Oh my God, your place is gorgeous,” Stephanie said, stepping inside the front door. “Who did you hire to decorate for you?”
    Gabe shrugged. “Most of the interior work had been completed when I bought it. I just added a few pieces and hired a gardener.”
    As Stephanie wandered from room to room, Gabe glanced around, curious, wondering if Eva had left any hint of herself, a stray hair, perhaps, a whiff of fragrance if she wore any. Something he could gauge her by. He was eager to check out his bedroom to see what she had planned for him. He escorted Stephanie onto the patio and pulled out a chair for her. After assuring her he’d give her a tour of his gardens, he excused himself for a moment. He took the stairs leading to the loft two at a time.
    She’d remade his bed. That was the first thing Gabe noticed. She’d plumped his pillows, turned down the quilts. He leaned over and inhaled… Gabe smiled. He caught her. She’d been there. She’d lain on his bed. His little chef had lain on the duvet. He could smell her. Curious, was she? Gabe inhaled again, running his palm across the soft cover. Amber. Cinnamon. Chilies. Mint. Chocolate. Coffee. Musk. Like a fine wine. God, Eva smelled fuckable. He looked around. She’d set up a table at his bedside. On it sat a galvanized tin bucket filled with ice and a bottle of what looked like French champagne. He grabbed the bottle by the neck and pulled it up to check out the label. She had good taste. It was of his favorites. He wondered how she knew. Sitting in the ice next to the bottle of champagne was a bowl of fresh strawberries. He popped one into his mouth. The sweet-tart flavor exploded on his tongue. Just picked from his garden. She’d probably