Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett Read Free Book Online Page A

left moments before they’d arrived.
    Alongside the bucket, she’d placed a plate of delicate shortbread cookies. Beside the cookies were two candles. Suspended above each candle on a metal rack sat a ceramic bowl. Each bowl was filled with something that looked like ice cream topping. Gabe assumed she intended them to light the candles and dip the cookies into the bowls or maybe spread the warm stuff on… Gabe stuck his little finger into one of the bowls and brought it to his mouth. He tasted maple, caramel, maybe a little balsamic vinegar, and the barest hint of salt. The second bowl contained a deep, dark, delightfully bittersweet chocolate mixture. He recognized the flavor of his own Cabernet. Gabe took another taste of each. He felt himself grow very erect very quickly. He knew exactly who he wanted to spread the stuff on and it wasn’t Stephanie Lindstrom.
    “Gabriel?” Stephanie called to him from the foot of the stairs. “Gabriel, are you up there?”
    He heard her begin to ascend. He quickly adjusted his jeans and hurried downstairs to meet her.
    “Sorry,” he said, meeting her eyes, “Just picking up a message.” He quickly steered her toward the kitchen. Gabe’s initial impulse was to distract her by suggesting that they select a wine together, but he realized that wouldn’t be fair. To her. Gabe wondered if he’d lost interest because he’d been so busy lately, but he dismissed the thought. Business had never before interfered with pleasure of this type. He’d lost interest because his interest lay elsewhere.
    Gabe took Stephanie’s arm. He turned her toward him and he studied her face. She returned his gaze, confident, poised, eager. For a moment he faltered. She expected him to take her to bed.
    Why on earth , he asked himself, can’t I do that? She’s beautiful, intelligent , successful . And it doesn’t have to mean all that much .
    “Stephanie,” Gabe said, “I’m taking you home.”
    “Wha…what?” she stuttered.
    “I’m sorry. I’m taking you back to the city.”
    “Why? What’s happened?”
    Gabe ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t explain,” he said. “Look, I feel terrible about this, but tonight just isn’t going to work out.”
    “Are you seeing someone else, Gabriel? That message you picked up… was it from a woman?”
    “No,” replied Gabe quickly. “It’s nothing like that. I’m not seeing anyone else.”
    “I don’t understand.” Gabe heard the anger and the hurt in Stephanie’s voice.
    “Look, Stephanie, I can’t explain. Something’s come up. There’s something I have to take care of. I’m sorry. I’ll try to make it up to you.” Who knows? Maybe I will , he thought. Just not tonight .
    They drove back to San Francisco in silence. Uncomfortable silence. He grabbed the small bag Stephanie had brought and escorted her to the door of her apartment. When he leaned over to kiss her cheek in apology, he caught the resentment in her eyes. He fully expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. She turned her mouth to his and kissed him with all the passion she could muster. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his. Gabe felt nothing but embarrassment as he gently disengaged himself. He wasn’t quite sure who he was more embarrassed for, Stephanie for kissing him so wantonly, or himself for his inability to respond to a beautiful woman. He wondered what in the hell was wrong with him. He squeezed her hand.
    “Goodnight. I promise I will call you as soon as I get this figured out.”
    Stephanie looked for an instant as if she’d tasted something nasty, but she quickly flashed him a smile. “I’ll look forward to it. I’m sorry things didn’t work out tonight, Gabriel.”
    Gabe drove home and parked his car in the parking garage. He stopped in his apartment only long enough to grab his helmet, a leather jacket and the keys to his motorcycle. He headed back to Napa , driving his bike as fast as he dared.
     
    Gabe sat in