Free Meagan by Shona Husk Page A

wedding ring glinted in the soft lighting. She swallowed, but couldn’t take her gaze off his hand. His fingers were beautiful and unmarked. She put her own hands behind her back. They were covered in fine scars from too many years working her way up through the kitchens of too many restaurants.
    It was because of Fraser this place was hers.
    Fraser pulled the paper toward him. He read through the numbers, his gaze flicking between the meals and the paper. She knew the moment he reached dessert. His dark eyebrows drew a fraction closer.
    â€œTaste it before you complain.” She straightened her shoulders and sucked her stomach in, but there was nothing she could do about the way the extra post-baby kilos had added to her bust and butt. He was here for the food, not the view, she reminded herself. This was business. But she knew that was a lie.
    â€œWhat is the point in tasting something that breaks the profit margin?”
    â€œBy fifty cents.” It was nothing…okay, that wasn’t true. “We can put the price of dessert up to cover it.”
    â€œThen people will baulk at the price.”
    â€œThen we take the hit and collect the good gossip.” She’d prepared all the arguments, but expected to lose anyway. She’d never gotten a meal that didn’t meet his requirements through, but that didn’t stop her from trying occasionally. And this dessert was gorgeous.
    He looked up at her. His eyes as blue as his suit. “Use cheaper chocolate or cognac.”
    That was a trap. She laughed. “You don’t cook with what you wouldn’t eat or drink. You should’ve been here when I made it originally. I’ve already cut the price.” Her first attempt had been with the end of a four hundred dollar bottle from the bar. She’d known that would never get off the ground, but the taste combination had been a winner. She’d already compromised, now it was his turn. “Taste the dishes before they get cold.”
    â€œSit and join me, Meagan.”
    He used her first name, not Chef. But then, these meetings were never formal. They’d known each other too long for that.
    The setting suddenly seemed too intimate for what should be a business meeting. The soft lighting gleamed on the dark wood of the empty tables around them before fading into shadows. The silence of a restaurant that was usually bubbling with conversation reminded her that they were completely alone and no one was expecting either of them to be anywhere but here. The candle flame flickered on the table set for two. It was never just business between them and never had been. She had money now, she should just buy him out, but she hadn’t.
    â€œI already know what everything tastes like.” She’d sampled the meals many times as she’d experimented with different things, adjusting the recipe and making sure it could be replicated.
    â€œI like company while eat.” He smiled and her stomach flipped over. It wasn’t right that one man could be so smart and good looking.
    She sat opposite him, feeling just a little plain compared to his elegance. His watch flashed in the light. Simple yet expensive. Nothing said he was worth millions, or that he had a fancy house in Bellevue Hill, at first glance.
    He had the kind of wealth that as a kid growing up in Bendigo she could only dream about. Her parents could never have afforded to eat in a place like Edesia. When they’d come to visit she’d invited them, given them a great table, yet they’d been so out of place. Exactly how she’d been less than a decade ago.
    â€œSo, everything else going well?” He took a few bites of the entrée.
    â€œI want to include another local winery. I’ve already spoken to the owner and made the arrangements.”
    Fraser lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. That small move conveyed everything.
    â€œOh come on, I don’t have