6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
C assie
I sipped the white wine, savoring the light, sweet flavors sliding down my throat.
It helped keep my confusion under wraps.
Marcus had cooked for me. This didn’t fit the picture I had of him as the wild bachelor who took a different woman to bed every night, and this wasn’t the way I thought the weekend would start out.
I glanced at the covered plates on the tray and wondered what other surprises he had for me. I wasn’t picky but I did have some dislikes. The heavenly scent wafting from the plates made my mouth water.
I dabbed my lips with the napkin. “You’re not eating.”
“I find I’m not hungry for food.”
I held my breath when he leaned forward, but all he did was remove my empty salad bowl and replace it with the covered plate. With a flourish, he lifted the lid.
Pasta with shrimp. My stomach grumbled as the delicious scent filled the air.
How did he know I loved shrimp? Without hesitation, I picked up my fork and dug in.
Marcus stared at me, but I ignored him. Besides, I was hungry.
The pasta melted on my tongue. I wasn’t a bad cook, but my pasta never tasted like this.
“You like?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Love it. You’re a great cook. My pasta always sticks together or is tough.”
“Add a little olive oil to the water when it boils—it helps stop the sticking. As for the toughness…” He leaned forward as I set my fork down. “You’re not cooking it long enough. Everything is better when it simmers for a while.”
By the heat in his gaze, he wasn’t just talking about cooking.
Was that why he wasn’t rushing me into bed, because he wanted our need for each other to simmer for a while?
I picked up my wine glass and sipped before sitting back in my chair.
What would he do if I suggested we head to the bedroom? “What was your major in college?”
Chicken, a small voice inside me whispered. I wasn’t chicken, but self-preservation was still an option.
A grin played around his lips, as if he knew what I was thinking. “Engineering.”
“No wonder you like R&D so much.”
His laughter caressed my every nerve, the rich husky sound warming my skin.
“The R&D job at Fantasies, Inc. was made for me.” He refilled our wine glasses before lounging back in his seat again. “Tell me how you came to work there.”
“I was bored in my last job and saw the online ad for a customer service manager. I applied and got the job.”
“And what did you do before that?”
I exhaled. I didn’t want to get into this, but I was the one who opened the door, so now I needed to shut it. I waved my hand in the air. “Too many jobs to go into. What about you?”
A smile crossed his lips, but it wasn’t one of those nice smiles. It was his wolfish I’ll get you, my pretty grin, as if he knew exactly what I was doing.
I forced myself to breathe normally, hoping he wouldn’t hear my racing heart. Stay calm. Stay in control.
His forefinger traced the rim of his wine glass. “I worked with several engineering firms after I graduated college. When Fantasies, Inc. started up, I saw the potential and came aboard right away.”
“So you’ve been with the company since the beginning?” The company was only five years old.
“Yes. John and I are old friends from our college days.”
What? I blinked. He was friends with the President/CEO of the company? If this weekend went sideways, he could get me fired without cause. My hand twitched, causing the wine to slosh near the rim.
Warm fingers closed over mine. “Easy. I don’t abuse the friendship. You have nothing to fear.”
“How…” A ping sounded, and I jumped. I needed to calm down.
“You have a very expressive face. Time for dessert.” Releasing my hand, he stood, picked up the plates, and strode into the kitchen.
Get a hold of yourself. I had no idea my face was expressive. I would need to be careful to school my features around him or he’d find out all my secrets.
When he returned, the scent of rich chocolate assaulted me. Damn, I’m in trouble now. He set the confection in front of me, and my stomach somersaulted. A chocolate soufflé. Perfectly cooked. A scoop of vanilla ice cream melted on top, and sliced strawberries decorated the edge.
“Are you trying to seduce me with food?” I glanced up at Marcus. His twinkling green eyes met my gaze.
“And if I am?”
“I’d say it’s working.” Now why did I blurt that out?
“Eat up before your ice cream completely melts.”
I picked up my spoon and dug in. My eyes closed in ecstasy on the first bite. Not just vanilla ice cream. French vanilla, along with chocolate heaven. I couldn’t suppress the moan that escaped my lips on the second bite.
“Where did you grow up?”
The rich dessert caught in my throat, and I started coughing. Marcus started to rise, but I waved him back into this seat. I picked up my water glass and took a deep drink. How the hell should I answer that question?