Free Delicious by Shayla Black

“Luc—”
    “See who it is,” he barked.
    She sighed and made her way out of the kitchen to intercept the new
    arrival. Luc stood behind a counter, panting, willing his cock to stand down.
    He couldn‟t be meeting his brigade for the week with an erection like this.
    Why did Alyssa drive him to reckless acts he knew weren‟t good for
    him? Why did he let her?

    Moments later, she returned with one of the sous chefs, Misa. He
    remembered her résumé, and she seemed both competent and excited for
    the job. A little starstruck, which always made Luc shake his head. Despite
    having a lot of bestselling cookbooks and a solid reputation in the culinary
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    world, he found the whole “fame” thing odd. Thankfully, the petite Hispanic
    woman got over it quickly and took direction well.
    The rest of the staff appeared in the next few minutes, and Luc talked
    them through the process. He assigned duties, and they cooked a few of
    the specials as a team to ensure that everyone knew what to do and they
    worked out any kinks before opening their doors. Tomorrow would be their
    mock service night, so they‟d be open only to people Alyssa had invited,
    who had agreed to provide feedback.
    She excused herself a moment later to confer with the waitstaff
    gathered in the dining room. As the smells of the kitchen wafted around
    Luc, and he looked around at the smart, proficient team of chefs Alyssa
    had assembled—without his help—he was impressed all over again. She
    was a damn smart woman.
    And admiring her was only going to screw with his head more.
    Already, he wanted her so badly he could barely concentrate. Liking more
    than her body would only be a double dose of stupid. But he feared it was
    already too late. What would happen after her evening at the club, when
    they went to her little house—and they were alone?
    MEETINGS concluded, Alyssa climbed into the SUV beside Luc in
    Bonheur‟s parking lot. The heavy silence between them jangled her nerves.
    He‟d definitely put off the vibe that he didn‟t want to continue what Misa had
    interrupted. But his erection had risen again the minute they were alone,
    unmistakable and unflagging.
    She tapped her toe, thinking. Everything inside her wanted to throw
    her arms around him and entice him again. The other half . . . Well, the offputting vibe was strong, and she wasn‟t dumb. He was close to the
    breaking point. After she got him into bed, she hoped he‟d relax and
    conversation would follow. Until then, all she could do was continue to
    tease him and deny her own needs.
    She reached out, touched his shoulder. “The meetings went well. The
    staff seems very excited. Thank you for staying this week.”
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    Luc jolted at her touch, then relaxed. “I needed to live up to our
    bargain. You had every right to call me on it.”
    “Actually, I‟m sorry about that. I feel strongly about not forcing people
    to be where they don‟t want to.” The truth, but it made her wince. Pray to
    God he didn‟t ask her why. “If I hadn‟t advertised the fact you‟d be here
    opening week and had so much of my savings into the place, I would have
    let you walk.”
    He turned to her with a puzzled scowl. “After the way I—After that
    night, I don‟t deserve your compassion. I know I was hard on you.”
    “Luc, I‟m not a hothouse flower.”
    “No,” he agreed immediately. “You‟re far stronger than I suspected.
    But that doesn‟t erase the fact I wasn‟t gentle with you. I‟m not proud of that
    night. I‟m . . . sorry.”
    “I liked it. I‟m not sorry at all.” Her words came out in a passionate
    rush. “Don‟t you dare be sorry, either.”
    He didn‟t comment. Instead, he seemed to mull her answer over.
    “What if Deke had stayed that night? Would you have regretted that?”
    Where was that question coming from? Luc was fishing for something.
    How much should she reveal?
    Finally, she shook her head. “I still would have been with