Free Campaign for Love by Annabelle Stevens, Sorcha MacMurrough Page A

thought about a few ways that I use the Imperial food products."
    She
    put the recipes she had written out from memory in front of him.
     
     
He flicked through them and gave an approving nod. "Mmm, my mouth is
    watering already."
     
     
"Do you think they would go for it? They're not too exotic, are
    they?"
     
     
Quentin considered them carefully for several minutes and then
    glanced
    up. "I think they would be great. But we need to have a trial run.
    You
    know, give them a taste test before we try them on Cyrus."
     
     
"Trust me. They're good. I use them all the time. The French one is
    a
    marvelous summertime supper with some crusty French bread. The
    German,
    Himmel und Erte, means Heaven and Earth. The apple and potato are a
    great combo for winter fare, and can be served with a variety of
    wursts. The Irish potato cakes are a good mid-morning snack or a tea
    time treat."
     
     
"I have a feeling they'll want you to work out standard measurements
    for the recipes in their test kitchens with their staff. Do you
    think
    you could work it out?"
     
     
"Piece of cake," retorted Suzanna.
     
     
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?" he asked as he got to his feet and
    started toward her with a look of determination.
     
     
Suzanna looked up apprehensively. Her pupils dilated, her palms went
    damp, and her knees weak. She couldn't tell what he had in mind. She
    could only hope…. And if he did what she hoped he'd do, how should
    she
    handle it?
     
     
He swiveled her chair to face him and taking her hands pulled her to
    her feet, placing her arms around his waist. Then he took her in his
    arms, holding her so close that she was aware of every contour of
    his
    body.
     
     
"Suzanna," he declared gruffly, "you've said you wouldn't hold me to
    my
    promise. That's a 'come-on' if I ever heard one. I don't know what's
    happening to me, or what you're doing to me, but I can't keep my
    mind,
    my eyes or my hands off you. You ooze sex from every pore. How, I
    don't
    know. Yet despite it all, I think you're very innocent. So before
    this
    thing goes any further between us, I need the truth, Suzanna, Have
    you
    ever known a man--and I do mean in the Biblical sense?"
     
     
Suzanna lowered her eyes and shook her head in an embarrassed
    negative.
     
     
"Look at me, Suzanna," he commanded.
     
     
She did so. Immediately, his lips came down on hers. Her eyes closed
    in
    ecstasy as she felt his mouth open and his thrusting tongue part her
    lips to enter her eager mouth.
     
     
She couldn't control her reaction, nor did she want to. Her own
    tongue
    started to dart and thrust as avidly as his. Their mouths opened
    wider
    as if to devour one another. Her hands began caressing his back,
    then
    slid to his buttocks, where she held him in a desperate clasp as she
    pressed her body against his. She felt him grow hard, then pull his
    hips away from her as he fought for control.
     
     
With a muffled groan, he released her and gently removed her hands,
    holding her at arm's length.
     
     
"Why, Suzanna? Why me? And why now? I feel that I could take you
    right
    her and right now. That you'd let me. It isn't in you to tease. But
    after saving your virginity for how many years, why the sudden
    change?
    Forgive me, but even though you're no beauty, you try to make
    yourself
    plainer than you are. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
     
     
Tears came to her eyes as she nodded her head in affirmation.
     
     
"Yes. I didn't think you'd notice because I didn't think you'd
    really
    look at me."
     
     
He shook his head. "You underestimate yourself. Here and now, I want
    you more than I've ever wanted any woman in all my life. But I
    refuse
    to take you lightly, as if you were a one-night stand, or anything
    that
    you've prized so highly."
     
     
Suzanna sniffled. "I wasn't preserving anything, Quentin. It's just
    that until now the whole idea of sex frightened and disgusted me.
    You're the first man I've ever allowed to get close to me. I've