The Angel Tasted Temptation (33 page)

He released her hands and she slid them between their bodies, undoing the buttons of his Levi's and sliding them off his hips. He wore silky red boxers, something that surprised and delighted her. For a moment, she simply rubbed her hands against them, enjoying the fabric slipping against her grip while their mouths continued to dance.

Then she slid her hands into the back of his waistband, feeling the taut, warm skin of his buttocks and nearly died with want for him.

He pulled back, his hands holding her face and his dark, smoldering gaze connecting with hers. "Are you sure, Meredith?"

"I've never been more certain of anything in my life. I want my first time to be with you." She wanted every time to be with him, but dared not voice that. Not yet. She didn't want to spoil anything with thinking about tomorrow.

"It's my first time too," he said.

"Oh, don't lie to me." She shook her head and looked away.

He tipped her head, bringing her gaze back to meet his. "I'm serious. It's the first time I've ever been in love. And for me, this is a sweet, sweet first."

Tears welled up in her eyes at his admission. She blinked them back and brought a smile to her lips. She would not cry. Absolutely would not cry during her first time. Even tears of happiness. "Well then, I'm glad your first time is here, with me."

He grinned. "Me, too."

And with that, Travis Campbell swept Meredith off her feet and into the bed.

When Meredith awoke a few hours later, Travis was gone. The house was empty with Rebecca still in the hospital, Jeremy likely spending the night there with his wife and new baby, and Emily asleep next door. Meredith pulled on a robe and padded downstairs.

And realized with a sinking feeling that Travis had done exactly what she'd asked him to do: loved her and left her.

She had what she wanted. And it sucked.

Meredith opened the refrigerator, hungry for something that would fill this empty feeling. When she'd been with him in bed, it had been wonderful.

Perfect. She'd never imagined that making love with someone could be so fulfilling.

And yet, all of those feelings had disappeared the moment she realized he was gone. She shut the door. There was nothing in the Frigidaire that would take care of this. What she wanted was to wake up with Travis. Today, tomorrow, and every day.

She'd been lying to herself, and to him.

Meredith Shordon, who had convinced herself she didn't need or want love, had gone and fallen in love anyway.

She'd been so afraid that love would be constricting and controlling. That she couldn't be herself, or try her wings at new things, and still be with a man who loved her. That it would be like her family, always surrounding her with advice and good intentions that seemed to go in the complete opposite direction Meredith wanted to travel.

She'd been wrong. As she thought back over the days since she'd met Travis, she realized he had given her the one thing she wanted—freedom. And the second thing she hadn't even known she wanted—

A love that didn't ask for anything in return.

Oh, how stupid she had been. She'd been too busy worrying about the trees to see the forest. Why couldn't she have seen all this before ... before Travis had left?

"You're up. I was hoping to surprise you."

She pivoted at the sound of Travis's voice, happiness bubbling up inside her so fast and so hard, she thought she'd explode.

He'd come back.

He stood in the entryway to the kitchen, holding a paper bag from a local seafood restaurant. A whisper of steam escaped from the top, bringing with it the scent of the luscious meat inside. "I made you a promise."

She crossed to him. "What promise?"

"A lobster dinner. It may be late, but in Boston there's always someplace that's open in the middle of the night."

She smiled at the thoughtfulness and sweetness of what he'd done, going out in the middle of the night to track down a lobster, just for her. "Thank you. I'm famished."

"Me too." He grinned. "For more than just seafood." He pressed a kiss to her neck and she nearly lost her resolve and the pretty little speech she'd been composing in her head before he got here.

"Before we eat," Meredith said, taking the bag from Travis's hands and laying it on the counter, "I want to take back what I said earlier."

"Take it back?"

"Yeah. I don't want to do this with you anymore."

His face dropped. "You don't?"

"No. No more of this sex-only thing. The rules have changed. I want more now."

He blinked, clearly confused. "More?"

Oh, she was going to enjoy teasing him. Every time he thought he knew what she wanted, Meredith went and turned the tables on Travis Campbell. "Yep. I want the whole enchilada now. The ring, the preacher, the house in the suburbs. Even the damned dog."

"A dog?" He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. "What are you saying?"

"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" She smiled. "I love you too, Travis. And I don't want a one-night stand anymore."

A wide grin broke across his face. "You love me, too?"

She nodded. The joy exploding in her heart surely showed on her face. "I tried to fight it, but you're one tough guy to resist."

"It's all that natural charm."

"Yeah, right." She gave him a jab in the arm. "You know what this means, though, don't you?"

"What?"

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the Evil Eye that Momma had taught her so well. "We're going to have to get married. Because as much as I tried, I couldn't quit being a traditional girl."

He took a step forward, hauling her into his arms and breaking her into a fit of laughter. "No, I disagree. You're not traditional at all."

"Really?"

"I think
you
just asked me to marry you." He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

She drew back and put a hand on her hip. "I did not!"

"Are you sure?" He arched a brow.

"Positive. I'd never do that." Though she knew she
technically
had done exactly that, she wouldn't admit it.

"Good." Travis dropped to one knee and took her left hand in his. "I didn't just go out for a lobster. I was hoping maybe you might have changed your mind." He reached into his back pocket withdrew a small velvet ring box and turned it around to face her. A round diamond, surrounded by a dozen smaller stones, blinked back at her from a platinum setting. "I bought this earlier today, hoping you might ah, want to break a family curse with me."

She laughed. "What kind of proposal is that?"

"After all this, you want me to be formal?" She nodded. "Okay, here goes." He cleared his throat, grinning up at her. "Meredith Shordon, will you marry me?"

"Only if you promise me one thing."

"Anything."

She took the ring, slid it onto her finger and hauled him up to kiss her. "I always get the last bite."

Then she brought her mouth to his and gave him a sweet taste of the future to come.

Ray Jr.'s Happy-Ending-for-Everyone Garlic Scallops and Shrimp

6 large scallops, halved

8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon basil, chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Before you make your great escape, you have time for one more meal. Everyone in your family is finally happy now, and it's up to you to bring that happy ending to a Holstein with a heart.

Rinse the scallops under cold water and pat them dry. Season all the seafood with a little salt and pepper, then dust with flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the oil in a pan large enough to give each scallop his own space. Then add them and their shrimp neighbors to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for two minutes, then flip. Add the garlic and basil, then finish cooking for another two minutes. Shower it all with lemon juice and you've created a non-beef masterpiece.

Serve to all your friends and show them there's an option out there besides just cows for dinner.

Then get the hell out of town before anyone looks to see what you're hiding in the back of your truck.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Ray Jr., "Vernon said as they hurried west on the toll road in Cecil's truck. They'd left in the middle of the night, barreling out of Massachusetts as fast as the old pickup could go.

Ray Jr. flicked the wipers on to brush away the light rain that had started. "Hush up, Vernon. We couldn't let her stay there. God only knows what that guy would have done to her."

"Yeah, but kidnapping her in the middle of the night? There are laws against that."

"Let 'em try and catch me. I'll just rebrand her and put her on our farm. Nobody will know the difference."

Vernon shook his head and let out a sigh. "You're an old softie, you know that, don't you?"

"I am not." Ray Jr. hesitated, then shrugged. Maybe Vernon was right. How many times had he gone out hunting and come back empty-handed because he couldn't bear to hurt an animal? 'Course, he had to pretend to miss, so his friends wouldn't think he was a complete weenie. "I just... Well, I couldn't see her get slaughtered like that."

Vernon raised his hands in frustration. "She's a
cow
, Ray! That's what happens to them."

"Not to my Bessie. She's coming home with us to Indiana."

"Momma's gonna be mad. She told you, no more pets."

"Bessie's a... souvenir."

Vernon waved his Patriots hat around. "
This
is a souvenir.
That
is a side of beef." He sent a thumb in the direction of the trailer they were hauling.

"Not anymore, she isn't. I have plans for that cow."

"Plans?"

"Yep. Since Meredith is a little busy in Boston—"

"With that city boy." Vernon scowled.

"He's not so bad, you know. Any man who can take care of Meredith and love her like that is worth a place at our dinner table."

Vernon gave a grudging shrug. "As long as he doesn't eat the last biscuit."

Ray Jr. rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I think I solved Meredith's last problem."

"What do you mean?" Vernon gave a little wave as they passed the "Thank You for Visiting Massachusetts" sign and headed across the state line.

Ray Jr. gestured toward the unsuspecting cow chewing her cud in the trailer behind them. "Meet Bessie, the
new
Miss Holstein. She's gonna look mighty good on the front of that tractor."

"How are you going to do that?"

Ray Jr. grinned. "We have the glue. We can do just about anything now."

Vernon's grin was just as devilish. "Oh the trouble we can get into ..."

"You can say that again," Ray Jr. said. Then before Vernon could open his mouth, Ray Jr. picked up the foam Patriots finger and flashed it at his brother. "But don't. It's a hell of a long ride home."

Book 1 in the Sweet and Savory Novel series

Chapter One

Candace Woodrow stared at the gooey, sunken mess inverting onto itself like there was a Hoover under the table. "This was supposed to be a groom's cake, not a pancake."

Rebecca poked at the chocolate failure. "Did you cook it long enough?"

"I thought I did," Candace said. "I lost track of time because Trifecta needed to go out."

"I've seen you with that dog." Maria wagged a finger at her. "Taking a three-legged dog for a walk is a comedy of errors." She gave an indulgent smile to Candace's shelter-rescued mutt, dozing in the front part of the shop, separated from the kitchen by a glass door. "We still love ya, Trifecta, even if you are a living tripod."

Candace laughed. The best thing about working with her friends every day was the laughter. Without them, she swore she'd have gone crazy planning her wedding.

Two years ago, the three of them had started Gift Baskets to Die For in the basement of Candace's Dorchester duplex. Within a year, their food-themed baskets had hit it big with the corporations in Boston, allowing them to open a storefront in a quaint building not far from Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Business had been brisk enough to pay both the rent and decent salaries for all of them.

Candace's life was settled, secure. On an even, planned keel. She was twenty-seven, three weeks from being married, and her life was chugging along on the path she'd laid out.

Everything was perfect—except the cake.

"Maybe the eggs were spoiled," Candace said. "I mean, look at this thing. It's an overgrown hockey puck."

"It's a sign." Maria nodded and her shoulder-length chestnut curls shook in emphasis. "Yep. Definitely a sign."

Rebecca shushed her. "Will you stop with that? This is Candace's wedding we're talking about. Don't make her more nervous than she already is." She took another look at the cake. "I think you just underbaked it. Besides, this was a trial run. We'll make another one before the wedding."

"What if it
is
a sign?" Candace threw up her hands. "Look at all that's gone wrong with my wedding. The DJ I booked had a heart attack—"

"He said the wheelchair won't stop him from spinning CDs," Rebecca pointed out.

"If he doesn't electrocute himself with the IV drip," Maria added.

"And then last week Father Kenny ran off with the church secretary."

"Who turned out to be a Daniel, not a Danielle like we all thought." Maria grabbed a raspberry thumbprint cookie from the Tupperware container on the counter and took a bite. Maria Pagliano's method of dieting involved buying the latest issues of
Cosmo, Glamour
and
Woman's World
, picking and choosing the parts she liked from their diets of the month, then chucking the whole thing on weekends.

"Don't forget the fire at the dress shop. I still can't believe the store burned to the ground, and with your dress inside." Rebecca twisted a scrunchie around her straight brown hair, creating a jaunty ponytail. On Rebecca Hamilton, almost any hairstyle looked good. She had one of those long, delicate faces made for Cover Girl. "It was kind of heroic, though, how that cute fireman kept you from going in after it. He saved your life"