Free HEAT Vol. 3 (Master Chefs: HEAT Series #3) by Kailin Gow Page A

now bind us go back before the days of Napoleon, or
Charles or even Louis V… back to the days when France was a part of the Roman
Empire.    What your father did…”  He shook his head.
    “But
I’m the only one here.  I’m the only one who can right the wrong and mend the
fences that have been torn down, right?  I’m the only one who can give you your
dignity once again, dignity to your name… and to mine.”
    He
nodded.
    “Maybe
the whole reason behind our engagement was to keep our families together.  I’m
not sure I can guarantee that, but, Rial, I’m sure we could be friends, great
friends.”
    “Friends?”
He spat back at me.  “You want us to be friends?  That’s the most ridiculous
thing I’ve heard.  I’ve longed for you for years, finally find you, finally
taste the sweet juices that have been promised to only me and you want me to just…
what?  Shake your hand and wish you a good day?”
    “Rial,
it’s just that…”
    “No. 
I felt you, Lilly.  I felt the reaction of your body, the immediate response to
my caress.  You want me just as badly as I want you.  Your lips may try to deny
it, but your body can’t.  It can’t lie.  No, there will be no friendship
between us, but a veritable relationship between a man and his woman.”
    “Then,
tell me, Rial.  How can I right the wrongs of the past, of my father?”
    “Be
mine.”
    “Rial,
you know I can’t do that.  I’m with Bobby.”
    “Really? 
Are you two engaged?  Has he bought you a ring?”
    “No,
it’s far too soon for that, but… well…  He’s the first serious relationship
I’ve had.  I don’t want to rush into anything, and I’m sure he doesn’t’ want to
either.”
    “You
really think that’s the reason?  Really, Lilly.  The boy’s barely reached
puberty.  You think he has the maturity it takes to satisfy a woman like you?”
    I
didn’t want to admit just how close to the truth he was.  Bobby did have an
immature side to him, and he was only in the first year of culinary school
while I was working and had even taught at his school. In fact, he still relied
heavily on his sister, and on Errol. Our sex life had become a little routine
lately.  In fact, our entire relationship had become routine and there was no
hope of an engagement in sight, although he seemed serious about me.
    There
was also the matter of an entire ocean that would ultimately separate us.  My
life was in France and I wanted to stay there, while his was in New York and
he’d surely want to return once his studies were completed.
    As
I thought more about Bobby and me, I realized we were headed straight towards a
dead end, but were too blind to see it.
    “Do
you think he could take care of you like I would, that he would make hot,
passionate love to you every night and be a loving and devoted husband
everyday?   He hasn’t the capacity or the means to treat you like a queen, not
like I could.”
    He
gestured around the elegance and opulence that surrounded us.  “I can give you
back your childhood home.”
    I
looked at him as this reality sunk in.  “Now that you mention it, how is it
that you came to be in my home?  What are you doing here?”
    “I’ve
had enough of your questions for now, Lilly.  What I want to know is the
meaning of the conflict I see so clearly in your eyes.  I can see how tormented
you are by your loyalty to that boy and your attraction to me.”  He ground his
teeth and leaned in close to my ear.
    Just
the heat of his breath against my cheek was enough to drive me crazy, and my
entire body responded.
    “You’ve
always loved me. And in the year all that tragedy hit between our fathers, I
fell in love with you. You just don’t remember how much we cared for each other
so much so that you were willing to die for me once. You almost did, and that
is how you came to be the way you are now. How you lost your memories. Memories
or not, you're mine, Lilly. I hope you will remember how much you