Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands Read Free Book Online

said as one, both of them shifting to hide the fish from her view.
    Alex frowned slightly, but then turned reluctantly back to Sue, who, Cale was guessing, was in charge of the waitstaff.
    “Here.”
    Cale turned to see that Bricker had found a fork somewhere and was sliding it under the fish, trying to mash the butter, presumably so it would melt faster. The action scraped away a good portion of flour from the fish, however, and judging by the man’s curse, that wasn’t a good thing. Frowning, Cale glanced around, spotted a plate with a powdery white substance on it he thought was what Bricker had used to coat the fish, and picked up a handful. Turning back to the pan, he dumped it on the fish, bringing a squawk from Bricker.
    “What are you doing?” the man cried with alarm.
    “Cooking,” Cale said with irritation.
    “That’s not—""Is there something wrong?” Alex asked, and Cale glanced around to see she was coming toward them.
    “No,” he said quickly.
    “Everything’s fine,” Bricker assured her in strained tones. “You go on and take care of … whatever.”
    Alex hesitated, but then her expression went briefly blank before she nodded and moved back to Sue.
    Eyes narrowing, Cale glanced to Bricker, not at all surprised to see that his expression was concentrated. He’d given Alex a mental nudge to make her return to her conversation. The younger immortal was controlling his woman.
    “Stop glaring at me,” Bricker muttered, turning his attention back to the frying pan and starting to scrape off most of the flour Cale had just put on the fish.
    “Stop controlling my woman,” Cale countered.
    “I’m just trying to help,” Bricker said grimly, and then cursed.
    “What’s wrong?” Cale asked, glancing worriedly at the pan. The butter was melted now. It was also turning brown and bubbling angrily around the fish.
    “I put the fire on too high,” Bricker admitted on a sigh.
    Cale pursed his lips. He suspected there was more wrong than that the heat was too high. The butter had become a thick, flour-filled soup. He didn’t think it was supposed to be. And, while he was no cook, he was pretty sure the fish was burning. Clearing his throat, he suggested, “Perhaps I should turn the fish now.”
    “Yeah,” Bricker agreed, his mouth twisting with dissatisfaction. “Go ahead.”
    Cale took the spatula he handed him, quickly slidit under the strips of fish, and turned them. He and Bricker then both sighed unhappily at the result. The fish was covered with blackened flour in places and bald in others, half of the flour coating left behind and stuck to the pan.
    “Maybe we should start the almonds,” Bricker suggested on a sigh.
    “Hmm,” Cale murmured.
    “I’ll find them.”
    The man was off at once, and Cale immediately glanced toward Alex again, only she wasn’t where she’d been when last he’d looked. Sue was now gone, and Alex had moved into her office. He could see her through the open door, talking on the phone. No doubt trying to find a replacement for the missing waitress, he thought.
    “Here we go.”
    Cale glanced around as Bricker returned and dumped a handful of sliced almonds into a fresh pan.
    “Just brown them over this flame,” he instructed, twisting the knob to get the flame going. “And I’ll get the lemon to squeeze over the fish.”
    “Right,” Cale murmured, thinking that sounded easy enough. A moment later, staring down at a pan full of half-burned and half-raw almond slices, he revised his opinion.
    “This cooking business isn’t as easy as it looks,” Bricker commented with disappointment moments later as they peered at the charred trout speckled with parsley and blackened almond slices they had just set on a plate. “Eating is easier.”
    “Hmm,” Cale said, shaking his head with disgust.
    “How are we doing?”
    Both men jerked upright and shifted to hide their efforts as Alex suddenly appeared beside them.
    “Good, good,” Bricker assured her