The Marriage Recipe (16 page)

“Until then,” he agreed as he drew her into his arms and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head, rubbing his cheek into her hair. He made no attempt to do anything but provide comfort.

About ten minutes later, Rachel lifted her head, bringing her lips to his. “I'm not ready to explore the rest of your house, but I want you to kiss me before I have to leave.”

He obliged for a good long time, before finally he drew back and asked, “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“If you're brave enough to help bake,” she said, nuzzling his mouth and attempting to get him to kiss her again.

“Something tells me I should stay out of that fray,” he said, nipping her lips.

“Probably a wise choice. My grandmother and my mom are both planning to help, and I can probably rope Heather into assisting, as well. You'd only be in the way. We've already sifted the flour.”

“So now I'm useless?” he teased.

“You're being useless. Kiss me,” she demanded, turning so that she could press him back against the couch. “I say yes to a relationship with you and you deny me.”

“We're dating?” he asked.

“I don't care what you call it as long as Morrisville doesn't try to marry us off. Just keep our relationship on the down low,” she said, planting another kiss on him. “Oh, I'm about to get up and leave if you don't give me incentive to stay for a little while longer.”

“Then we'll negotiate our dating terms later. I'm a lawyer, remember? We like our contracts up front.”

“Contract this,” she said, and this time when she kissed him, Colin gave himself to her. She possessed him, and then the line between who was doing what to whom blurred.

She pulled back much later, before they did more than explore each other's mouths. “I need to go,” she breathed, her chest heaving.

“If you must,” he told her, not yet releasing his hold.

Regret conflicted with determination to make the correct choice. “I must. I'd like this, but part of me isn't ready for more. Not tonight. Soon. We don't have to hurry, do we?”

It was important to her that they have more time, that whatever was happening between them wasn't rushed into a few frantic, fleeting nights of bliss.

“We have time,” Colin replied as she climbed out of his lap. She gathered up her things, and once he'd composed herself, he stood.

“I'm going to hate closing that door behind you. I don't think I've ever felt like this,” he said.

Neither had she, and his words thrilled yet petrified her. “Try to get some sleep,” she told him as she edged toward the front door.

“Only if you do the same. I don't want you to get sick again. We'll talk soon.”

“I guess we can't flash code to each other anymore. I could text you,” she offered as the awkwardness of a goodbye intensified.

“Relax,” he said. “I'm not going anywhere. Go get some sleep. You have cakes to make.”

“I'll see you before Sunday, I'm sure.”

His tone had never been more serious. “Count on it.”

 

H
E'D WALKED HER OUT
, kissed her again, then stood in his front doorway until the taillights of her car disappeared from view. He still couldn't believe it. She'd agreed to date him. Not even winning his first jury trial had been this elating.

Colin closed the front door and immediately sobered.

Not that this was a victory. To say that sounded mercenary. Then again, perhaps that was how he needed to approach winning over Rachel. He cared for her deeply, always had.

He hoped they'd work out the long-distance issue. But even though he feared their relationship might be over before anything began, he decided not to back down. He'd lost her in high school, and he'd been around the block enough to know he wasn't deluding himself when he said he believed she was the woman for him, for eternity.

That prospect should frighten him, but somehow it didn't. That he knew his heart reassured him even more. As for convincing her, well, he was a fighter. He meant everything he'd told her. When she left…No, he'd worry about that later. Besides, he believed in that old saying, Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. In Rachel's case, though, Colin didn't plan to lose.

Rachel's phone rang Saturday at two. She answered her cell, recognizing with delight the number that popped up. “Glynnis! What's up?”

“Checking on you, that's what,” Glynnis replied. “How's small-town life?”

“Not as bad as I thought,” Rachel admitted. She was in the diner's kitchen, boxing up the last of the cakes. Already most of the orders had been picked up and she juggled her cell phone against her ear as she taped the box.

“Well, I heard of an interesting opportunity and wanted to pass it along your way. You know Bitsy's Bakery?”

“Yeah, that landmark place in Times Square?”

“That's the one. Well, they're searching for a chef. They want to expand into Internet orders and ship everywhere in the continental United States.”

“Really?” Bitsy's Bakery had evolved into quite the destination. With more patrons than a crowded Starbucks, Bitsy's opened at 5:00 a.m., closed at 10:00 p.m. and baked twenty-four hours a day to meet both sitdown and carryout demand.

“That's what I heard and I got it straight from someone who works there. I thought it might be perfect for you.”

“I want to own my own bakery,” Rachel said. Then again, maybe this could be the next best thing. “Would Bitsy's let that person do some recipe development?”

“I don't know. I could ask and get back to you.”

Rachel shook her head and moved the cake to the side. “It's not possible, anyway. I'm still under my noncompete with Alessandro's. My lawyer is still talking to Marco's lawyers.”

“Marco is dating already,” Glynnis blurted out.

“Really?” For a moment Rachel felt as though she'd been stabbed. Then, the sensation faded. She realized she simply didn't care about her ex or his new life. She'd moved on. She'd found Colin and had feelings for him, real ones that were deeper than those she'd ever shared with Marco.

“I hope he finally finds what he's looking for,” Rachel said. “Maybe he'll come to his senses and be reasonable.”

“Oh, I've got to go. Break's over. Keep in touch and don't be a stranger.”

“I promise I won't,” Rachel said. She closed her phone at the same moment Kim stuck her head in the kitchen.

“Is that ready?” she asked. “Katherine Kennedy's here.”

“It is,” Rachel replied, and putting Bitsy's and the future out of her head, she concentrated on today.

 

R
ACHEL'S COCONUT CAKE
was a big hit at Easter brunch. She'd made two of them, one a traditional, multiple-layer cake and the other shaped like a rabbit and decorated with paper ears, licorice whiskers and jelly bean eyes. She'd put the rabbit cake on a silver tray and surrounded the cake with green-colored shredded coconut for grass, then placed jelly bean eggs all around. The kids had loved it.

The day had gone much better than Colin had expected. Although he'd only seen Rachel briefly when popping into the diner during the week, he'd given her space during the brunch. He hadn't wanted to crowd her.

The thought struck him that long ago, in high school, he'd have been full of resentment that Rachel wasn't paying attention to him. Now he knew the art of trust and patience. She'd committed to dating him, and she wasn't leaving Morrisville yet. He had time.

“So, did you get some cake?” Colin asked Bruce as both men made their way out of the dining room, past the remnants of the buffet brunch. The Morris house was full from third floor to basement, with the majority of men congregating in the family room, as was tradition.

“I did,” Bruce said, taking a seat in an overstuffed recliner and kicking up his feet. “Great stuff. I had two helpings.”

Colin figured now was as good as ever to reveal his news. “I heard back from Marco's lawyers. Friday. Didn't expect to get a response so soon, but they must have wanted the file off their desks for the holiday weekend.”

Bruce lifted a coffee mug to his lips. “Probably realized Marco's not going to pay them anything for the issue beyond his retainer. There's no contract aside from the noncompete agreement Rachel signed when they hired her. The situation is similar to when a hairstylist moves to another salon, only in this situation, Rachel really doesn't have any clients who would follow to another restaurant,” Bruce said.

“Alessandro's did sell their desserts to other establishments,” Colin pointed out.

“Yes, but neither that nor her output was mentioned in her contract. This case has a lot of gray areas. Sorting them out will be like handling a divorce with no prenup. Legal fees will get very expensive on their part to prove that her recipes were works for hire.”

Colin agreed. “I believe Marco's bullying her, acting in the heat of the moment. I agree that he's not going to want to pay much more.”

Bruce nodded. “Probably not. It's amazing how the trivial legal issues go away when a bill's presented. You have to really want to fight for something. Legal fees aren't cheap. So what do you plan to do?”

“I picked up the phone Friday afternoon and, amazingly, got a hold of one of the attorneys handling Marco's affairs. I'm flying up to New York next Tuesday, April first, for a meeting. How's that for irony? April Fool's Day I'll fly my new plane and use the flight to acclimate to my aircraft. The plane manufacturer is buying the gas as part of our purchase contract. I got a kick out of the fact that Marco's lawyers seemed surprised I would come to them.”

Bruce chuckled. “They don't know you have your own plane. They're calculating the cost, adding up the billable hours.”

Colin grinned. “Yep. I figured this would give them an impression of how serious Rachel is about pursuing this. Let Marco stew a bit that she really has found the money to fight him.”

“Have you told Rachel about your meeting?”

Colin shook his head. His blond hair was getting long. He'd get it trimmed before his trip to New York. “No. Not yet. I don't want her hopes up if nothing happens at the meeting. This could all be for show and for naught. We could simply be like a bunch of peacocks strutting our stuff.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Yeah,” Colin said as Rachel entered the room. He hadn't been by her side, but they'd made plans to go to his place for movie night after the brunch ended. They left a short while later.

“So when shall we see each other again?” he asked as he kissed her goodbye long after the last movie ended. “I don't want to crowd you, but I'd like to see you often.”

She placed her hand gently on the side of his face. “You're not crowding me. You're being perfect.” She sighed.

“What's wrong?”

“Oh, I heard of a job opportunity yesterday. I'm a little bummed out about it.” She filled him in about Bitsy's.

“We should hear something soon,” Colin promised.

“You think?” She gazed at him, her eyes so full of hope.

“Yeah,” he promised. “I'm in contact with them. Nothing's new, but the moment I know something you'll know.”

“Thank you,” she said.

Colin drew her into his arms and held her close, inhaling the floral scent of her hair. It would kill him to let her go, and as she kissed him, he let himself savor the sweetness of her lips. Then she was gone, out into the night, driving back to her house.

Fate had to be laughing at him, Colin decided. Maybe this was payback for all those women he'd dated. He'd wanted Rachel to stay. But some things couldn't be caged, and Rachel was one of them. If he loved her—and he did—he'd set her free when the time came.

 

S
HE CALLED HIM
on Tuesday, leaving him a message not to make plans and saying she was coming over. They saw each other Thursday, as well. This time he made spaghetti, the one dish he could do with ease. She'd loved it, and so had Colin. He fell more and more in love with her daily. Part of him dreaded the weekend and his meeting the following Tuesday. If he got what he wanted from Alessandro's lawyers, for sure Rachel would leave him. As they snuggled and watched a movie, Colin wasn't ready for that.

Sunday arrived. He'd bought a bottle of wine, which was chilling in the refrigerator. He surveyed the great room as he waited for Rachel. No one would ever confuse him with Suzy Homemaker. Still, his attempt would have to do.

He could hear her car turning into his driveway, and he met her at the front door. He opened it before she could ring the bell.

“Hi,” she said.

Could she be more beautiful? He could picture her arriving home like this every day, and deep in his heart he knew he'd never tire of her. If only she wasn't so determined to return to New York.

“Hey.”

He stepped out of the way and reached for her coat, which she was taking off.

She smiled and he was lost. “So did you just miss me?”

She would never realize how much. He'd played golf with his father this afternoon while Rachel had cooked. But his thoughts had been on her all day.

Before he could answer, she withdrew a small two-inch box from her purse. “I brought you a treat. I made snickerdoodles and I have three cookies in here for you.”

She was already removing the treats, and he groaned. “You know snickerdoodles are my favorite.”

Her eyes darkened as she waved one under his nose so he could inhale the cinnamon scent. “Mmm-hmm. I remembered from high school. I didn't forget what you liked. You used to try everything I cooked, even the stuff that didn't look very appetizing.”

“It was all delicious.”

“Liar,” she teased, lifting one of the bite-size morsels to his lips. Colin couldn't resist, and he wrapped his mouth around her fingertips and sucked hard, drawing in the cookie. The pastry melted on his tongue, the sweet cinnamon creating a delicious aftertaste. He immediately wanted more.

“You closed your eyes. They're that good?” Rachel asked.

“Didn't you sample them?”

“I had a few earlier,” she admitted.

Colin hauled her to him and pressed her close. “So you should know the answer.” Then he brought his mouth down to hers.

“Good, aren't they?” he asked between kisses.

“Oh, yes,” she replied, running her fingers into his hair. “Kiss me again.”

“I thought we were going to eat,” he said. “I've got steaks ready to barbecue and—”

“I'm feasting,” Rachel replied. He drew back so he could gaze into her brown eyes. “No. Don't stop,” she breathed. “Not now.”

She was pure temptation. He'd waited forever, and despite himself could wait a little more. “I need to tell you something,” Colin began. He couldn't let either of them begin making love without him explaining about his trip to New York or how he felt about her.

She tugged at his shirt, getting it loose. Her hands were immediately on his chest. “Whatever it is, it can wait. I can't.”

“It really can't…” he protested, stepping back, the lawyer in him wanting to do the right thing.

“It can,” she insisted, moving closer and sliding her fingers down to his belly button.

“If you're sure,” Colin said, ready to lose this particular battle when she'd removed her hands from his chest, took his fingertip and traced it over her lips. Then she drew the end of his finger to her mouth. Colin groaned and succumbed.

He pulled his hand free and replaced it with his mouth. He sucked her tongue and his lower body quickened. Realizing his eyes were closed, he opened them. He slid his hands underneath Rachel's sweater and found the lacy texture of her bra. He could deny himself no longer. He kissed her neck, the skin revealed at the V-neckline, and then he simply yanked the shirt up and kissed her through the lace.

She wore pink. Somehow he'd known that she really was a girlie girl, given to feminine tastes. She kept up such a tough exterior, but beneath hid someone fragile. He would never hurt her as others had.

He scooped her up and carried her into his bedroom. He set her on the bed, losing himself as his teeth nibbled, his mouth suckled and her body went wild.

“That's right, let go,” he whispered as he moved his kisses to her other breast. Then with deft fingers he began undoing the buttons of her jeans. He wanted her wearing nothing but her skin, so he moved himself between her legs and slid the denim material down. He felt her inner thigh clench as he placed a wet kiss there, and then he simply placed his whole mouth over the pink lace she wore and kissed her through.

 

A
S HER CLIMAX
began, Rachel turned her head to the left. She could think of nothing but what Colin was doing to her, and the pleasure he'd cajoled out of her very willing body.

She fisted the bedsheet in a weak attempt to get a grip, but found herself denied as Colin's lips bit the pink material of her lace panties and tugged them down. She then was naked, her green polished toes the subject of his interrogation as he tickled the soles of her feet. “Cute,” he said before sliding forward to bring his head back to taste her sweetness one more time.