The Devil Served Desire by Shirley Jump Read Free Book Online Page A

had left him for other men. One for another woman. Most stopped dating him because he worked too much or didn't spend enough money or didn't drive a Lamborghini. Those were reasons he could understand.
    But now, he'd been dumped because he tasted too good. What the hell had Mamma put in that soup?

Rebecca's Avoid-the-Subject Penne with Pancetta
     
     
    1 pound dried penne
    4 tablespoons butter
    1 onion, diced
    1/2 pound frozen peas, thawed
    1-1/2 cloves garlic, crushed
    6 ounces pancetta slices, rinds removed, cut into bite-size strips, truth-tempting size
    5 egg yolks
    3/4 cup heavy cream, the richer the better for eliciting all the details
    1-1/3 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
    Pepper
    1/2 teaspoon saffron pistils, the color of a friend trying too hard to bluff that she isn't happy about meeting someone new
    Salt and pepper to taste
     
    Cook the penne in salted boiling water until al dente (about ten minutes, just enough time to start pumping a good friend for details about a new man in her life). Meanwhile, melt the butter. Sauté onion and cook until softened. Add peas, garlic and pancetta, cooking until pancetta is done but not crisp. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
    Try again for more information. If she still won't talk, start in on the sauce. Put egg yolks in a bowl, add cream and Parmigiano Reggiano. Grind in plenty of black pepper. Beat well to mix, hoping the action will distract said friend and get her to do a little kiss and tell. After all, she needs a happy ending of her own and you can't help her if you don't have details. Right?
    This is a mercy mission, not just a meal.
    Drain penne, pour into pan and toss over medium heat until everything is evenly mixed. Add saffron, season with salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat, add cream sauce and toss well.
    Serve immediately. Makes a good dish for a friend who is trying to keep her mouth full so she can't talk about the sexy chef who has turned her world upside down.

Chapter Six
     
     
    It was Tuesday morning and Maria had been awake for one hour, ten minutes and twenty-five seconds. Not once had she cheated on her diet. A miracle, too, considering her dreams had been about a sexy chef wrapped in nothing but linguine.
    Her subconscious had better come up with a different image. Dante was off her list of acceptable men to date, whether he had good orgasm potential or not. Everything about the man was too tempting. From the way he smiled to the scent of his cologne—a mix of man and fresh tomato sauce—Dante was all wrong for her. Undoubtedly, he'd not just want to date her—he'd want to feed her, and next thing she knew, they'd be sharing lasagna in bed.
    While Mary Louise Zipparetto was being fed celery sticks by a naked Mr. America.
    Yesterday's kiss in her mother's backyard had been a momentary lapse of sensory judgment. Never again.
    She got ready, then walked the few blocks to work, dodging the commuters speedwalking along Atlantic Avenue and the tourists creating pedestrian traffic snarls every time they paused to gape at the Big Dig transformation or to note how lost they were.
    Finally, she walked into Gift Baskets to Die For. The little shop off of Atlantic Avenue had become a pretty successful venture, maintaining both the friendship of the three owners—herself, Candace Woodrow and Rebecca Hamilton—and a steady stream of work. Maria did sales and marketing, Candace kept the books and Rebecca was in charge of design. All of them had a hand in the cooking, though Rebecca was clearly the best at it. If there was one thing the trio had in common, it was a love for anything high in calories and fat.
    Friendships based on food tended to last. The only disagreements the three of them had sprung up when the cookie jar got low.
    "Something happened last night. I can tell," Rebecca said from her perch in the window as soon as Maria walked in the door. Rebecca had tape in one hand and spring decorations in the other, all designed to encourage