PENNY FULLY INTENDED to protest, right up until his lips touched hers. But the second she felt the warm heat, the soft pressure, wanting exploded inside of her. Powerful sexual need blocked anything close to common sense. She gave herself up to the kiss and knew she would have to deal with the consequences later.
Instinctively, she tilted her head, parting her mouth even before he asked her to. But instead of responding as he should, and plunging inside, he continued to kiss her chastely, nibbling on her lower lip before flicking his tongue against her upper lip without actually doing anything more.
Okay, he was being a gentleman. Under most circumstances, that was a good thing. She decided to give him a few more hints. She wrapped both arms around him and pressed her body against his. Her stomach made it hard for her to rub her breasts against his chest, but she rounded her shoulders and kind of leaned in so that he would get the message.
Or not, she thought several seconds later when he’d done little more than kiss her like a brother and rest his hands on her shoulders.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked as she drew back. “Why are you here?”
He reached up and tucked her hair behind her right ear. “I’m seducing you.”
Seducing? With those chaste little bird kisses? “I don’t think so. If this is about what Edouard said, you can forget it. I don’t need mercy sex.”
He had the nerve to grin at her. “Actually, you do, but I’m interested in more than that.”
She wasn’t sure what to do. On the one hand, she longed for physical intimacy, to touch and be touched. That part of her relationship with Cal had always worked extremely well. But there were complications. Not only the fact that she worked with him and that they had once been married, but also how she looked.
“This is dumb,” she said and started for the garage.
He followed her up to the entrance to the house and pushed the button to close the garage door. “No, it’s not,” he said. “I want you, Penny, and I think you want me. What’s dumb about that?”
His words made her knees go weak, even as she glanced down at her stomach and panicked.
“There’s the whole baby thing,” she said.
“We’ll be careful.” He opened the door of the house and pushed her inside. “You can tell me what to do. You like doing that.”
“There’s not a safety issue, if that’s what you mean,” she said as she dropped her purse onto the table in the hallway and turned to face him. “But there are other things.”
He stepped forward and rested his hands on her stomach. “You mean the fact that you’re so beautiful, you practically glow? Or maybe you’re talking about your breasts, which are much bigger than I remember.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “You’ve noticed?”
“I’ve obsessed.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Especially before I knew you were pregnant. I couldn’t figure out what you’d done to make them bigger.”
She liked knowing that.
He rubbed her stomach in slow, sensual circles. “Your body is different and that’s okay.” He leaned over and lightly kissed her. “Or are you going to make me beg?”
“Begging would be good. I would encourage-”
And then she couldn’t talk because he’d pushed his tongue inside her mouth.
He kissed her deeply, claiming her with a mastery that left her breathless. Sensations washed over her as he ran his hands up and down her arms, then did the same on her back. It was as if he had to reacquaint himself with every inch of her.
She wrapped both her arms around him. He angled his head, then circled her tongue with his.
There was heat between them. A melting warmth that made her want to be naked and on her back with him filling her. The combination of kissing and thinking caused her body to swell. Her breasts tightened and her nipples got so sensitive she could barely stand the pressure of her bra. Between her legs, everything dampened in anticipation.
He broke the kiss so he could nibble along her jaw to her ear. He sucked on the lobe, then licked the skin right below her ear. Goose bumps broke out all over.
“Bedroom,” he whispered in her ear.
Oh. Right. That would make things easier.
She began backing up down the hallway. At one point, she managed to flick on a light so they wouldn’t bump into anything.
As they continued to move, Cal reached for the hem of her sweater and tugged it up and over her head. He waited until they entered her bedroom to toss it on a chair.
She didn’t bother turning on a lamp. Enough light spilled in the open door. He moved close and then stepped behind her where he moved her hair to the side and bent down to nibble on the back of her neck.
“I remember your breasts were really sensitive the last time,” he murmured against her skin. “Is that still true?”
She was surprised he remembered anything from her previous pregnancy.
“I think so,” she said. “They haven’t seen a lot of action.”
He chuckled. “I’ll be gentle.”
Part of her wanted him to be fast. Seduction was all fine and good, but she ached for her release. Still, when he kissed his way across her shoulders even as he unfastened her bra, she decided to put up with his attentions for just a few more minutes.
He threw the bra on top of the sweater, then reached around her to cup her breasts. Even as he kissed his way down her neck, he cupped her curves.
It was five kinds of heaven, she thought as her eyes fluttered closed. He held her gently, barely touching and yet touching just enough. He rubbed his fingers against her sensitized skin, moving in slow circles that brought him closer and closer to her nipples. Then, as he lightly kissed the side of her neck, he brushed his forefingers against her nipples.
The contact was exquisite. She arched back, wanting more. Needing more.
“Again,” she breathed and he obliged her. Over and over he touched the tight tips, pressing a tiny bit harder each time. Fire shot through her and made her burn from the inside out. Between her legs, her muscles clenched in anticipation.
It felt too good, she thought hazily.
He released her and turned her so she faced him. Then he claimed her with a kiss that stirred her soul even as he found her breasts again and squeezed her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers.
Her body shuddered as pure liquid pleasure poured through her. She clung to him, caught up in an unexpected moment of release.
This couldn’t be happening. She’d never come that way. But there it was. And as he continued to touch her, she continued to come.
But it wasn’t enough. The minireleases only made her want more. She pulled back and reached for his shirt. “Take this off,” she demanded.
He grinned. “You’re my kind of woman.”
While he took care of his clothes, she removed the rest of her own. She had a brief thought that her stomach seemed huge, then she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed.
Cal was beside her in a heartbeat. She wondered if this could get awkward, but then he reached for her. Even as he kissed her, he slipped his hand between her thighs. The second his fingers moved into her swollen heat, she forgot everything except the potential for pleasure. Her legs fell open, her hips began to pulse and she couldn’t catch her breath.
“You’re already close,” he said against her mouth.
Close didn’t describe it, she thought as she dug her heels into the mattress. Tension filled her. Need grew until it swallowed her whole.
He found that single spot of pleasure and began to rub. His fingers moved over slick, swollen flesh, bringing her closer, higher, tighter with each quick circle.
He shifted so that he could continue to touch her there with his thumb, then he slipped two fingers inside. It was good, she thought desperately. Then he lowered his head and took her nipple in his mouth. The gentle sucking pushed her over the edge.
Her orgasm claimed her with the subtlety of an explosion. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed into her, taking her breath away and making it impossible to do anything but absorb the wonder he created in her.
On and on, her body released months of abstinence until she thought she might never stop.
Still feeling the rippling contractions, she forced her eyes open and stared into his face.
“Now,” she whispered.
Cal wasn’t about to refuse an invitation like that. He kept his fingers inside of her as he shifted between her legs, then he quickly replaced them with his erection.
The second he pushed into her hot, wet, swollen body, he felt her orgasm contract around him. Talk about a sensual massage. Just being inside of Penny had always been enough to send him over the edge, but thrusting into her while she was still coming was indescribable.
The rest of the blood in his body rushed into his arousal, making the already sensitive hardness even more aware of the feel of her body clutching his.
He swore as she came again. “You’re going to have to stop that or I won’t be able to hold back,” he ground out.
He opened his eyes to find her smiling up at him.
“You’re complaining because I’m coming too much?” she gasped. “Poor guy.”
He laughed, then groaned as she came again and his control slipped.
Inventory, he told himself. He would think about inventory. Even as he put his hands on her raised knees and buried himself inside of her, he thought of the stockroom. How much…
Oh, God. Too late. His body took over. Faster and faster, he pushed deeper and deeper. He opened his eyes and found her watching him. Another contraction, then another and then he was coming.
They stared at each other, pleasure filling them. Even as he emptied himself into her, he felt her body squeezing his again and he was lost.
CAL WATCHED LIGHT creep across the bedroom wall. The space was unfamiliar, as was the bed, but he knew exactly where he was and what he’d done. Beside him, Penny slept, her body warm and feminine as she curled up against him.
He was tired-they’d stayed awake long into the night making love-but content.
He waited for the need to bolt that usually followed spending the night, but his only pressing emotion was one of confusion.
Technically he and Penny were both single, consenting adults. They liked each other, obviously found each other attractive. So they’d taken things to the next level. It happened all the time.
In reality, though, things weren’t that simple. He and Penny weren’t dating. They worked together, and he’d always done his best to keep his personal life very separate from his work environment. And even if they’d once loved each other enough to commit to forever, he didn’t believe in do-overs, so why was he here?
Penny stirred, then opened her eyes. “Morning,” she said. “What time is it?”
“Nearly six.”
She groaned. “It’s my day to check in the order. I’m going to be late.” She sat up, then smiled. “I’ll be tired all day and it’s your fault.”
“Sorry.”
Her smile widened. “No, no. Don’t apologize. It was so worth it.”
She stood and stretched, her naked body his to admire. The proof of her pregnancy jutted out toward him, making her seem more lush. Her breasts were definitely bigger. He’d already touched every inch of them and wouldn’t mind doing it again. Then he glanced at the clock and groaned. He was running late, too.
Five minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom in a robe. Her face was washed, her hair tied back in a braid. “I’ll have to sneak back at some point so I can shower,” she said, pausing to give him a kiss. “Take your time. Just lock the door behind you, okay?”
“I will.”
She stepped into the closet, reappearing minutes later fully dressed. “See you at the restaurant,” she called as she hurried down the hall.
He watched her go, then sat up. As easy as that, he thought.
He stood in his ex-wife’s bedroom, after making love with her most of the night and wondered what on earth he’d been thinking.
PENNY ARRIVED thirty seconds before the delivery truck. She checked everything in, then stored what needed immediate refrigeration. The sky was bright, the birds were singing and the new cat had left two dead rats by the back door. It was a very good day.
She walked through the quiet kitchen and felt at one with the world. It was as if every cell in her body had just taken a big breath and relaxed. Sex was a very fine thing and something she should do more of. Especially if it could be as good as it had been last night.
She supposed that made Cal the perfect lover. Not only did he know what pleased her, he knew without being told. They’d already worked out the kinks in their physical relationship and they didn’t have an emotional one.
Oh, sure, she liked him. He was a decent guy. But not for her. They’d already tried that once. Him not wanting kids was too big a hurdle to overcome.
But he sure could make her toes curl.
She went to work on her menu for specials that evening. Sometime around eight-thirty, Edouard showed up. The unnamed cat appeared shortly after, looking fat and sleek and wanting plenty of scratches and petting.
“I don’t want to know what you’ve been doing,” Penny told him. “But I haven’t seen a single rodent since your arrival.”
The cat purred louder.
Naomi strolled in around ten. “Morning all,” she said. “How is everyone do-” She stared at Penny. “Oh. My. God.”
Penny half turned in her seat at the counter, fully expecting to see a large alien hovering behind her.
“What?” Penny asked.
“What happened?” Naomi demanded as she walked toward her. “There’s something. I can tell.” Her friend started to laugh. “You did it. You had sex!”
Penny glanced around and was grateful when she didn’t see Edouard. None of their cooks were due in until later, which meant there was time to do damage control.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Penny told her, not sure it worked, what with her inability to stop smiling.
“Oh, please. You’re glowing, and not in a pregnant way. This is far more earthy. I can’t believe it. And after all this time. But who? You-”
Naomi froze. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open. “Holy shit. You had sex with Cal.”
“Because I needed to know that?” Reid asked as he stepped into the kitchen. He walked over and leaned against the counter. “Say it isn’t so.”
Penny returned her attention to her menu. “I have no idea what either of you are talking about but if you’re not going to do work, then get out of my way because I’m busy.”
“It’s true,” Naomi said. “Look at her. The half smile. The fact that she hasn’t showered.”
Reid leaned on the counter next to his former lover. “What do you bet Cal spent the night at her house?”
“You think they did it there? They could have done it at his house.”
“I don’t know if Penny could. You haven’t seen his kitchen, but it’s bright red and she’d really hate that.”
Penny slammed down her pen. “Would you two please stop it? I’m right here.”
“We know that,” Naomi said. “Having this conversation when you weren’t here wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.”
Penny stood. “My private life is just that. Private. So I’m not going to talk about it.”
Naomi raised her eyebrows. “Did you see that? She’s not denying the sex thing.”
“I know. You think they’re getting back together?” Reid asked.
Penny groaned. “Fine. Talk about me. I’m going to my office where I will-”
She froze, barely daring to breathe. Naomi was at her side in a heartbeat.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“Shhh.”
Penny waved her hands and waited. Seconds later, she felt it again. A fluttering on the inside of her stomach, followed by a definite jab.
The menu and pen fell from her fingers. She grabbed Naomi’s arms. “I felt the baby!” she cried. “I felt the baby move.”
The two women jumped around together. Reid got pulled into the group hug. Penny pressed both hands against her stomach.
“Do it again,” she said. “I want to feel it again.”
The baby obliged with a slight stirring.
“Good job,” Reid said with a grin.
“Thanks. I’m excited. Wow. Movement. I’ll have to get out my baby book, but I think I’m right on schedule.” Penny laughed. “It’s really a baby.”
“Did you think it was gas?” Naomi asked.
Penny grinned. “No.” She bent down and picked up her paper and pen. “Okay. Now I have to do the menu.” Even though she wasn’t in the mood. “Maybe I’ll call my mom first,” she said. “She’ll want to hear.”
Penny walked into her office and reached for the phone. Oddly enough, the person who came to mind wasn’t her mother. Instead she found herself wanting to call Cal and tell him the good news.
“Bad idea,” she told herself. Cal didn’t want children and three years ago, he’d made it clear he didn’t want her. So expecting him to share in this was foolish.
So why was that the first place her mind went?
PENNY CHECKED the bandage on her hand. The bleeding had stopped, proving her theory that she didn’t need stitches. It was Friday night and the kitchen was moving at top speed. Nothing less than a severed limb was going to get her out of the restaurant until the orders were through.
“The table for eight has been seated,” she yelled. “You know they’re going to want the special so brace yourself.”
Edouard glared at her. “Did you have to offer two different reductions? On a Friday?”
Penny shrugged. “I thought you were up to it.”
She offered bravado to her staff because it was expected, but on the inside, she winced. She hadn’t been thinking when she’d planned the specials for that evening. Unfortunately, they required too many burners. Which meant if several came in at the same time, there was a delicate dance to be performed, along with a strong-armed game of “who gets the open burner.”
She wanted to make a general announcement that the baby had moved and that had distracted her, but she doubted anyone would care. So she put up with the complaints and vowed not to screw up again.
Naomi blew into the kitchen looking like she was ready to choke someone.
“The wine inventory is wrong,” she announced. “I can’t believe it. On the tasting dinner, they’re out of the pinot. Just like that. Randy just announced it in hushed tones, as if by whispering no one would notice.” She stood in the middle of the kitchen and raised both her fists. “Where the hell is Cal? I want him dead. I mean that. Seriously, not breathing, dead.”
Penny stared at her. “What do you mean, we’re out of pinot? We can’t be out of pinot. Next to my fish and chips, the tasting menu is the most popular item. Dammit all to hell, I told Cal we needed to double-check the wine inventory. Did he have Randy do it?”
“That’s what I’m guessing.”
“And Cal’s not here?”
Naomi shook her head. “I haven’t seen him in about an hour.”
Great. It was a Friday night. The restaurant was packed, they were out of wine and Cal was missing.
“Nobody screws with my tasting menu,” Penny muttered as she headed for her office.
The tasting menu-a five-course prix fixe meal that offered everything from appetizers to dessert-came either with or without wine. The “with wine” selection offered a different glass of wine with each course, including a very nice Pinot Noir with the salmon.
Penny had been very specific about the pairing. Some pinots were sweeter than others and she’d wanted the exact balance of sugar with her salmon.
She jerked off her jacket and stepped out of her clogs. If she was going to have to walk through the dining room, she didn’t want everyone noticing that she was the chef.
After slipping into loafers and tugging on a black blazer she kept hanging on the back of her door for just such occasions, she pulled off her head scarf and raced toward the dining room.
Once there, she moved slowly, acting as if she were simply one of the staff. She smiled at various diners as she walked toward the wine room that was clearly visible from the front of the restaurant.
The cold hit her at once. The room was kept at a constant fifty-five degrees. She ignored the momentary discomfort and quickly walked to the pinots. Sure enough, the bin in question was empty. The wine room door opened.
She turned and saw Randy there. Cal’s assistant was young, tall and very blond. He rubbed his hands together in a signal of worry that reminded her of her grandmother.
“We’re out of the pinot,” he said, his voice shaky and weak. “I don’t know what to serve with the tasting menu. Naomi wouldn’t help. She just threatened to kill me.”
“I know. Right now I’m all that’s standing between you and certain death.”
Penny scanned the various pinots, then grabbed three and walked back to the kitchen. Randy followed.
“What are you going to do?” he asked in a whine.
“Taste them and figure out what works best with my salmon,” Penny said.
“But then we’ll have three open bottles. Plus, what about costs? We haven’t calculated if these wines will still allow us to meet our margins on the tasting dinners.”
Penny did a quick change of clothes again, this time emerging as chef. She found Naomi holding a very large chef’s knife to Randy’s throat-and Naomi looked more than capable of taking him down.
Ignoring the tableau, Penny collected three wineglasses, then quickly opened the bottles.
“Salmon,” she yelled.
Burt dropped a piece of salmon onto a plate. Edouard topped it with the reduction and slid it toward her. She poured, careful to line up each glass with its appropriate bottle.
“Taste,” she yelled.
“Do I have to let him go?” Naomi asked.
“Yes. This is more important. You can beat up the assistant manager later.”
Naomi released Randy, who squeaked, then raced from the kitchen.
Penny grabbed a fork and took a taste of the salmon. She let the flavors meld on her tongue.
“Damn, I’m good,” she muttered, then studied the wines. She picked up the middle one first and took a sip. “Not enough flavor.”
The first wine blended well. She took another sip, tried the third wine, then scrawled her initials on the first bottle’s label.
Naomi went next. She liked the first and third bottle equally. Edouard agreed with Naomi.
“Then I’ll break the tie,” Penny said. She grabbed the first bottle and handed it to Naomi. “Give this to Randy. Don’t hurt him until the shift is over. Understand?”
“Oh, be that way,” Naomi grumbled.
Within five minutes, the kitchen was back on track. Penny left the two open bottles of pinot in the kitchen for her staff to indulge in later. It would serve Cal right to lose the money. He shouldn’t have left such a green assistant in charge of something that important.
And where the hell was he, anyway?
He didn’t appear, but shortly after nine there was another visitor in the kitchen. Penny glanced up as Gloria entered. The older woman was well-dressed and looked very happy. The latter was never good news.
“Penny, I wanted to stop by and say how wonderful everything was tonight. I’m here with friends who are very impressed.”
“Thanks,” Penny said. “The special is doing well.”
“Yes. I noticed that. Although it seemed a little over-priced. Still, you and Cal are making the decisions these days.”
Penny forced herself to keep smiling. She’d felt her baby move for the first time that day and nothing the old bat was going to say could upset her.
“Speaking of Cal,” Gloria said, “I don’t know if you noticed he’s not here.”
“I had noticed. Did you want me to give him a message?”
“Oh, not at all. I know where he is.”
Uh-oh. Penny recognized potential trouble when she heard it. “Good. I’ll tell him you stopped by.”
“If you’d like, dear. But you’re the reason I’m here. I thought you’d want to know where Cal is tonight.”
Penny had been curious, right up until Gloria had offered to tell her. Now she felt a little queasy.
“I’m really busy,” she said. “Maybe another time.”
“This won’t take but a moment,” Gloria said, pulling a piece of colored paper out of her purse. She smoothed the paper on the metal counter. “It’s a flyer for a local high school play. They’re doing a musical-The King and I. Look at the girl playing Anna. Isn’t she pretty? Her name is Lindsey. She’s seventeen. Do you know about her?”
Penny couldn’t speak. She could only stare at the picture. There was something about the teenager-something familiar.
“Cal’s daughter,” Gloria said. “Didn’t he mention her to you? I would have thought he might have, seeing as you were married. Hmm, maybe not. She’s a lovely girl with a beautiful voice. So lovely. She was sick a few years ago. Cancer, I believe. But she’s fine now. She’ll be going to college in the fall. Cal adores her. He’s never missed a school production. He hated giving her up, but he was just a teenager himself. What choice did he have? Still, he’s been a wonderful, caring father. He always wanted children. Just not with you, dear. Just not with you.”