Lost Her (Lost #1) (18 page)

I look up at her smiling, “Sure, it is better to start now. Then the sauce will be perfect and I can make trays tomorrow of baked ziti just to reheat on Sunday, perfect!”

Parker looks at me with a strange face, “Well, aren’t you just the Suzy Q homemaker.”

I look at him in the eye, “What do you make to contribute Parker?”

He laughs, “I make coffee.”

I can’t believe I am trying to encourage him to make a dish. “Parker there has to be something you make that is good.”

He thinks for a moment, “I can make really good smoked pulled pork.”

Rosalie steps up to the bar, “Parker, I have to pork if you want to try to make it and I think Señor Marquis has that meat smoker device that he made.”

Parker looks from Rosalie to me, “Yeah, I guess I can give it a go.” I do not know why I am happy for Parker to trying to cook. Maybe it will keep him occupied so that he stays away from Livi and her band mates. I really do not want Parker sniffing around to find out about Livi’s secret life. The band is planning for their tour and trying to figure out stage setups. I head off into the kitchen to start making the sauce for my Friday night activities while Livi is on the yacht with Chris.

Sunday morning came too quick. Spending our entire day with Chris and Heidi in Limón on Saturday shopping and exploring just wiped me out. Once we got back to the Cantina last night, I felt bad for Rosalie and helped her with making tamales since we were late coming back. I liked working in the kitchen with Rosalie. She would tell me stories about her life and mistakes. She is an absolutely fascinating woman; I wish my mother was more like her. It was late when we finished
. I told her I would be by first thing in the morning to make the two trays of baked ziti with the meat sauce.

I get up careful not to wake Livi. I shower quickly and walk down to the Cantina. Rosalie is not there yet, so I sit quietly on the stairs thinking about how much fun Chris and Heidi had yesterday. I like Heidi, she and I have much in common with the love of food, cooking and coming from restaurant families. Heidi has much more worldly experience than I. She can cook many different cultures of cuisine. I am excited for today’s family day feast. Livi invited the guys and the entire yacht crew. The Captain declined since someone has to stay with the boat. Heidi was going make and bring pad thai today; I love pad thai. Heidi was trying to talk me into working on the tour with the catering staff. I told her no, but I think I may reconsider since I will have a lot of time on my hands. I would love to learn to make some of the dishes that Heidi does on the yacht.

Rosalie pulls up in her Jeep looking over at me smiling, “Wow boy, you are up early and ready to work.”

I smile. “As soon I make some coffee, yes. I did not want to wake Livi with the noise this morning.” Rosalie unlocks the door and we enter into the kitchen. I run to her Lacas machine brew
ing up some coffee. I find myself doing the Livi stare waiting for the machine to complete. Rosalie likes to pick my brain about the proper ways of cleaning the machine. I remember laughing when I saw it and telling Rosalie that the manufacturer is in New Jersey. My family had a few that I used to make espresso regularly. Rosalie pinched me that day when I told her she was under utilizing the machine. Then I began to teach her some of the other functions it had. I could never understand why Rosalie opened this place with no prior experience. Now is the time to ask her, “Rosalie, why did you open this Cantina?”

She looks at me, “I had money to blow so I wanted to open a place where people could gather and have fun. I can do the short order cooking and bartending, but sometimes with the tourists it becomes overwhelming.
Señor Marquis helps me greatly with running this place.”

I pour us both coffees and I start to working. Rosalie is watching me like a hawk. She is trying to learn everything she can from me. I place the new gauge in her oven. I turn it on waiting for the oven to be evenly hot. While I wait, Parker rolls into the kitchen pulling the marinating pork from the refrigerator. I watch him quietly not speaking a word to him. He looks over at Rosalie and she throws her Jeep keys over to him. He leaves through the back door carrying the meat. I watch Rosalie’s expression as Parker leaves. She looks angry with him.

“Rosalie, what is up with Parker?” I question her. She smirks over at me with a look of not wanting to discuss it. Then she looks into the oven to see if the gauge is working taking a sip of her coffee.

Her eyes meet mine, “Parker and I got a little heated yesterday. He always gets a little depressed when his friends leave. He was livid that Olivia was not here on Friday to say good bye to them when they left. Then he drank himself stupid as you saw when you got back after dropping Henry off. He was ranting about it yesterday when I dragged him into the kitchen to prepare the pork for the smoker. Parker, for a man thirty seven years old now, he sure whines a lot. I got into it with him that he does not own Olivia nor does he really know her at all. He swears she has feelings for him, but he does not see that it is only a friendship. I told him that he needs to back off and he declined. He thinks that he knows what is best for her.”

I feel the blood boil in my face, “Why every Sunday does he start drama for me? I am going to put the trays in the oven now and run home to see what Livi is up to. Now that Parker knows I am here cooking, I do not want him going anywhere near Livi alone.”

Rosalie nods, “Hurry back, I do not know how to cook those trays like you do.” I glance at her with a quick smile go
ing out the kitchen door.

I walk back up to the house kind of jogging to get there quickly. Once at the front door, I take a moment to control my scattered breathing. I slowly open the door walking into the house. Livi is still sleeping. I walk into the bedroom to sit on the corner of the bed trying my best not to disturb her. I watch her sleep so still and she is so beautiful. Her long blonde loose curls draped all around her pillow. I watch her chest slowly rise and fall while she breathes. This is a reminder to me of when I used to watch her sleep back in school. I loved her then but I love her much more now.

We were lost for a long time with our busy lives, but I feel lost no more. She stirs opening her eyes and slowly lifts her head to look up at me. Her lips rise to a gentle smile. I smile back at her playing with her hair bunching the locks together. “Hi,” she speaks softly.

“Hi,” I respond back to her. She stretches
raising her chin to expose her neck. I bend down slowly kissing her neck. She places her hands on my shoulders caressing me and nipping at my ear. She is wiggling underneath me, but I cannot get to her body since she has the blanket wrapped around her. I stand up undressing myself as she watches my every move. I pull the blankets from her to find that she was sleeping in a lacy camisole and panty. I think to myself for a second on how I could have missed seeing her last night in this sexy attire.

It didn’t matter right now; I remove her panty and leave the lacy top on her. I rejoin her in the bed to resume what I was doing. She is getting all grabby with her hands as she does when she gets overexcited. I clutch each of her wrists pulling her hands up over her head. I was able to use one hand to hold her there while my other hand went exploring to her breasts. I was massaging her breasts and deeply kissing her while she kept letting out little moans. I allow my fingers to move down to her navel feeling her soft skin beneath my fingertips. I continue further between her legs. She is hot and wet. I move my hand back up to where I have her wrists pinned in her pillow. I slowly climb on top of her pushing her knee open with my leg. She is wiggling in desire under me. I take her in a deep kiss not stopping as I enter her. She purrs a moan into my mouth while I slowly move into her. Livi wraps her one free leg around my waist. I push up on my elbows still holding her in place while I slowly roll my hips methodically. She is trying to move so she can control me but I stop her by applying more of my weight to her body. She finally stops fighting me and lying still feeling my movement. Her breathing and moans increase then I feel her muscles pulsating around me. She is peaking but I keep going. She moves her head to the side to break away from my kiss. Her moaned screams come deep within her chest with her climaxes. I just keep moving until she goes limp under me. Her legs fall to the side. I move a little faster and deeper. She screams out biting down on my shoulder. I am so excited and close when I feel her body tense up again around me in another orgasm. She is panting and her breath is so hot on my neck - then I lose myself into her. My body jerks several times while all my weight is on top of her. I lie there for a few minutes without moving.

My ears perk up to hear a knock at the front door. I release her wrists rolling myself up to get off the bed. I grab a towel wrapping it around my waist. Livi is motionless on the bed, so I cover her body over. I walk from the room to the front door opening it to see Parker standing there.

“What do you want, Parker?” I ask him in my most annoyed tone. He looks at me in a towel, then over my shoulder toward the bedroom. I know damn well he can see Livi on the bed.

His eyes are wide, “The wood chips that you purchased from the market for the smokers for me.” I look at him trying to process what he is saying since I am still coming down off my intimate high.

Then it occurs to my mind what he is talking about, “Oh yes, on the counter in the kitchen.” I let him follow me into the house. I again want to rub in his face that my wife is all mine, so I do not care if he sees her all sprawled out on the bed barely covers by a sheet. I pick up the chips off the counter turning to hand it to him. I look at the coffee maker hitting the button knowing Livi is going to need some caffeine.

“Is that all?” I ask while Parker is reading over the packaging.

Just then Livi emerges from the bedroom wearing my t-shirt that barely covers her. Her hair is a wild mess and her eyes are still transfixed while she walks to the table
shakily. Parker turns watching her movements as well. Livi sits down at the table staring forward. I know that look on her face all too well.

I call over to her, “Your coffee is coming honey,” and I turn to Parker, “Anything else you need?” Parker looks away from his gaze on Livi.

He glances to me then I see a flush of red come over him, “No, this is good, thank you.” He turns to leave and I hear the door pull closed. I am not sure if that red on Parker’s face is from embarrassment arriving at the house when we just had made love or angry that it was not him that just turned her in to a sex ravished zombie. It really does not matter to me; he knew I had her today. So hopefully that ruins the rest of his day and stops his advances.

I pour Livi her coffee telling her that I need to get back to the Cantina to check on the food. “Livi, take a shower and get ready. I will be back for you in an hour. I am taking the truck.” I press a kiss to her forehead. She does not even look up at me just staring toward the wall.

She moves
looking up, “Gotcha, shower, I know.” Then she gives me thumbs up. I laugh giving her another kiss goodbye. While I get cleaned up and dressed, she turns on music cranking up the volume. She sits in my chair waving at me while I am leaving. I smile at her and just shake my head as I close the door behind me.

I help Rosalie back at the Cantina place the townspeople’s food in the refrigerator as they head off to church in the school building. Someone that runs the church comes into the kitchen. He had brought paper plate supplies and other items. Rosalie is talking with him in Spanish and I listen closely to see if I can figure out what they are saying. I can’t, so I occupy my time with washing pots in the sink.

I completely lose track of time. As I am scrubbing the one pot deep in thought, I feel an arm wrap around my waist. Taken by surprise I whip around seeing Livi. Oh no, I forgot about her and she walked here. I feel horrible, but seeing the smile on her face I know she is not upset with me. I hold her in my arms rocking her back and forth. She looks up kissing me. She pulls back to speak, “I needed the walk, so don’t be mad that I did not want to wait for you to come back to pick me up.”

I look at her confused. “No I am late. I told you an hour and I got wrapped up cleaning, so sorry.”

She kisses me again, “No worries, I am going out to the beach to wait for Chris and everyone.”

I look around the kitchen and say to her, “Hurry back.” She laughs and turns to leave.

People start to pour in after church. Rosalie has a kitchen full of people who are either heating up their food or taking food out to be set on the bar. I check my baked ziti which is cooked and bubbly. I place it on the bar head
ing to the beach to locate Livi. She is sitting on the sand waiting on the dinghy to leave the yacht. I walk toward her taking a seat next to her to wait on everyone else.

About twenty minutes later, the small dinghy loaded with people leaves the yacht. Everyone is slightly quiet then Wreck speaks out, “Olivia, we have to go back on Tuesday for a planning session for the tour on Wednesday in New York City. We wish you would come back with us, but we know you want to be in the background and only appear when needed.”

She looks at them. “Yes, I have to stay here. Sorry guys.”

Chris doesn’t look surprised. “No worries, we have it covered. Please check your e-mail for details or Skype me every few days.”

“Not a problem,” she says walking to the Cantina. I can feel the band’s tension. I think they really do want the front woman involved, but I know Livi and she trusts them completely to coordinate the tour.

We all eat together enjoy
ing our conversations. Parker is alone speaking with some local. He has not looked over at us at all. I am feeling more than confident that he will get his demented idea out of his head that he and Livi belong together.

It is getting late and the band and boat crew leave. I start cleaning up and Livi walks over to me. “Rye, Señor Marquis is going to take me home now. We have to leave at five in the morning and it is a long drive. I need to get to bed,” she says as she wraps her arms around me.

I embrace her back. “Go on ahead. I am going to wash pots and
cleanup for Rosalie.” She kisses me leaving down the stairs and climbs in Señor’s truck.