Free Taste of Lacey by Linden Hughes

appropriate responses. She felt like a damn fiend because she couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was so long and lean, and his tailored clothes caressed him like an anxious lover. The spot where his shirt opened into a V at his neck, where she’d licked this morning, mesmerized her. His fineness was throwing her equilibrium off.
    Their server left, and Lacey cleared her throat. “Is this the type of behavior I can expect from you the rest of the evening?”
    He sent a heated look over the rim of his glass. “I’m humoring you even by letting you stay here for this long,” he said, his gaze revealing with no uncertainty what he’d rather be doing.
    “So far, this place has been great,” she commented as she sipped the full-bodied house wine.
    “I thought you might enjoy it. When your woman is an executive chef, it’s a bit of a challenge to find an acceptable restaurant.”
    Shards of lightning ran down her spine. His woman . Was she his woman? What did he mean? She was losing her mind over two little words.
    Calm down.
    “As far as I’m concerned, not having to prepare the food gives it an automatic awesome vote in my book. I should bring the entire Thymes crew here to let someone else wait on them for a change. Can’t you see Monica barking orders to her minions?”
    Rye chuckled and nodded. “We’ll all suffer if you give that girl more power.”
    “I know, but if it makes her happy, so be it.”
    “She’s important to you, huh?”
    “Yes, she is. Without Monica, there would be no Seasoned Thymes. She didn’t call me crazy when I came up with the harebrained idea to open my own business. She rolled up her sleeves and put in as much sweat and tears as I have.”
    “I know what you mean. I feel the same about Paula. We were paired together right after I started with the company full-time, and she has never left my side.”
    She took another sip of wine. “Does Paula ask why she has to call me when you’re out of town?”
    “No.” He frowned. “Why would she?”
    “Well, she’s known me only as your best friend’s younger sister all these years, not as your lover. I wonder if she thinks it strange to contact me with updates on you.”
    He peered closely at her. “You’re embarrassed,” he said, his voice hard.
    “What? No! Not embarrassed. Just…private.”
    “You care too much about other people’s opinions. I don’t give a damn what anybody else thinks about us being together.” The muscles in his jaw jumped a mile a minute.
    “No. It’s just, she has to know things about us. About what we do.”
    “Oh. You don’t want her to know we fuck well and often.”
    “Rye!” She looked around to make sure no one had heard him, scowling when he laughed out loud.
    “What are you afraid of? Someone telling your daddy? Too late.”
    Her lids narrowed to slits, and her entire body stiffened. If it was possible, steam would be coming out of her ears. “Ryder Jackson McKay, explain right now.”
    “I talked to your dad today too.”
    Beads of sweat gathered at the small of her back as she considered Rye’s announcement. She hadn’t so much as mentioned a male friend to her parents since her ex-fiancé, and now Rye had taken it upon himself to invite her father into her business? Fury rushed through her until she was shaking. “Let me get this straight. Not only did you talk to my brother about us, but you also spoke to my father without discussing it with me first?”
    “I let him know you and I are together now. Is there a problem?”
    “Yes, there’s a problem. We aren’t even a real couple. What exactly did you tell him? That you and I screw sometimes? That we get naked and—”
    “Enough, Lacey,” Rye cut in, his steely voice startling her into silence. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to keep us a dirty little secret. Does the thought of our friends and family knowing not appeal to you?”
    Her heart raced so fast she thought it might jump out of her chest.