Chapter 19 The Imperial March
The Imperial March
Seth wanted to strut like a damn rooster. Sex with Mara was incredible. Watching her slide over the edge into an orgasm was fascinating. Each time was different.
He hoped he could spend decades finding new ways for her to orgasm. Maybe even get her to sing his name as she crested the wave.
Yeah, he was cocky as a rooster.
Making love with Mara had thrown off his schedule, and he didn’t give a single damn. Those hours were the best he’d spent in years. Maybe ever.
He’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Except they both had responsibilities, and he’d promised his guests, and the others who lived on the farm, a good New England-style lobster boil. He’d had the lobsters and other seafood flown in for the night.
The bodyguards would appreciate the meal and help him gauge whether it was worth doing for a full inn. It was expensive, but it could be a draw for the inn if they did it a few times over the summer.
Amber had been on board with him trying it, and he wouldn’t let her down.
Especially when Mara had suggested he return to her room that evening.
It was turning out to be a damn good day.
He hoped he wasn’t inviting the universe to mess with him. He focused on pulling every bit of silk from the ears of corn while considering what they might do to keep the chickens safe if a predator attacked. Then he turned his thoughts to how to use the chicken shit for compost.
That ought to keep the universe from kicking his heels out from under him.
He prepped his seasonings and gathered them in a bowl, then chopped up the onions, garlic, and kielbasa. Prepped the potatoes, clams, and the rest. Set the butter in the pot.
Still, his brain kept churning through the images of Mara shivering under his touch, watching her eyes go blind with pleasure, hearing her gasps and cries.
Ford broke the mood when he entered the kitchen with Jolie. Seth worked to wipe his brain clean and focus on the food.
Jolie smiled. “Amber said there are enough tables for us all to eat at once, seeing as the bodyguards will only take up a few. That way, you only have to time the lobster boil once. We came to see if we could help.”
Ford’s eyes tracked the kitchen, probably looking for his sister. If they’d been in high school, it might have been awkward, but they were all adults over thirty. Ford might want to play big brother, but Mara was a woman who knew her own mind.
Man, did she know her mind.
He shut off that line of thought. They might all be adults, but Seth wasn’t throwing his deepening relationship with Mara in Ford’s face.
He replied to Jolie. “Good plan. I’m close to being ready, but Mara was planning on apple and strawberry shortcakes. Maybe you could wash up the berries for her.”
Jolie moved to the fridge, and Ford checked the items on the island. “Looks good.”
Mara swung into the kitchen, and her gaze locked with Seth’s. His hands stilled, and he couldn’t stop the goofy grin from materializing on his face.
Mara flushed, and her smile matched his.
In his periphery, he saw Ford’s head swivel between the two of them.
Mara squeezed her brother’s arm on the way by and then reached up to kiss Seth. Not a simple light peck, but a real kiss. Quick, but real.
Ford sighed dramatically. “Need any help, sis?”
She laughed. “I’ve got it.” Then she reached up to kiss Seth again.
Man, he loved this woman.
Loved?
Hell, yeah. Loved.
Forget the bullshit and the waffling. He was in love with Chaos Machine.
Ford’s scowl lessened when Mara moved to hug him. She whispered something in his ear that had his body language softening, too.
Then, she pulled out her phone. “A lobster boil calls for Acadian music.” Fiddles, guitars, and drums filled the kitchen with a good, strong beat.
Charlie bounced into the kitchen with the rest of his family just behind him. “Are we using live lobsters? Are they here? Can I see them? How do we cook them?”
Seth chuckled. “That’s a lot of questions. Are you going to be my sous-chef for the day?”
“What’s a sous-chef?”
“An assistant. Follows the chef’s orders. Prepares all the stuff.”
“Awesome. Can I, Dad?”
Nash ruffled his son’s hair. “Of course. Make sure you listen. We’re going to set up the tables in the dining room.”
“Bye, Lee.”
Charlie waved at little Ella Mae. “Bye, Ella Mae. Save me a seat.”
Mara passed Charlie an apron. “Sous-chefs need aprons to keep their clothes clean.”
Charlie tied it up. The boy was nearly as tall as Mara, so it didn’t drag on the floor, but hung past his knees.
Jolie and Ford helped Mara prep the fruit for the shortcakes and fruit parfaits she’d planned.
After a lobster boil, people mostly wanted something light that would cleanse the palate.
Fruit was a good choice. She also made chocolate mousse along with apple chips and fritters. No one was going hungry.
Seth showed Charlie how to cut the lemons into wedges and wrap the scallops in bacon. He’d cook those separately.
Charlie was full of questions, so he pulled out the seafood he’d brought in and explained how to know what was fresh and various ways to prepare it.
“That’s so much food.”
“Sure is. And I’m betting most of it will be gone in short order. Do you know what any of these are?”
Charlie pointed. “These look like shrimp, but they’re not the right color. And they’re huge.”
Seth grinned. “You’re right. Shrimp, like lobsters, change color when you cook them. You’ll be able to see it happen. And for a boil, you want the biggest shrimp you can get.”
The kid was fun, and he soaked up the information on the Dungeness crab legs, mussels, clams, swordfish, and lobsters.
While the water boiled, Mara sliced up the bread she’d baked earlier. Charlie helped him mix up dressings and toss the salads. Then the kid filled baskets with selections of Mara’s breads and rolls.
When it was time, Charlie poured the spice mix into the water. “This smells great. What kind of cider would go with this? Manuel says lime and lemon flavors go well with Mexican food. Do you think they go with seafood, too? We should try an apple-lime cider.”
The family vibe hit Seth hard. He wanted this. He and Mara sharing a kitchen, prepping meals together.
Add in a kid or two, and it was a pretty picture.
He let Charlie set a countdown timer and showed him how to slide the seafood, sausage, and corn chunks into the boil without causing dangerous splashes.
“With everything needing different cooking times, I’ll have to tell my dad I did extra math today. If I’d been earlier, I could have done fractions with the spices. Cooking is fun.”
Seth nodded. “It is. And if you want to do fractions, Mara’s the one to ask. Baking is all about fractions and ratios.”
Charlie batted his puppy-dog eyes at Mara, who laughed. “You’re welcome anytime, Charlie. Baker’s hours are early, though, because most of my food is used at breakfast.”
Of course, that didn’t deter the kid in the least. Seth figured he’d concoct a plan to sleep at the farmhouse or the inn one night so he could be closer than his house at the back of the orchard.
The kid could use Seth’s room because Seth hoped to spend his nights here at the inn with Mara. Starting tonight.
He couldn’t wait.
Mara held the door open for Charlie and Seth as they toted in enormous platters of the seafood boil for supper.
The people who lived at the farm broke into spontaneous applause for the two, making Charlie grin, especially when the bodyguards joined in.
It took a few runs to get platters on every table.
Amber and Gray helped her carry the bread and salads.
She and Seth sat at the table nearest the kitchen with Gray and Amber. That way, any of them could do whatever needed to be done.
It took only moments for people to start moaning and calling out compliments to the chef.
Seth nodded at the comments, then called out. “Kudos to my sous-chef, Charlie.”
Charlie stood up and took a bow, bringing on applause and laughter. That took the attention neatly off Seth, which she figured was what he’d planned.
Throughout the meal, she watched and listened to people’s reactions to the food. She was rarely in the dining room, so it was fun to watch how everyone enjoyed Seth’s creations.
While most of the bodyguards were effusive in their praise, one man remained stone-faced. He didn’t interact much with the other men, mostly just with a nod or a few words she couldn’t hear.
She wondered if he was allergic to seafood, but Amber had guests fill out that information. Maybe he didn’t like it, although there was enough variety for anyone. Maybe he was just an ass.
Seth’s hand squeezed her thigh under the table. “Let it go, Chaos Machine.” The words were quiet.
She leaned in and whispered. “He’s being rude.”
Seth grinned. “Not even a little. There’s always someone who doesn’t like a meal.”
“But it’s delicious, and perfectly cooked.”
He laughed. “Even still. Maybe he’s never had the chance to try it before, but maybe now lobster will grow on him.”
Mara huffed out a breath. A peek showed the man watching them. His face was neutral, but his eyes were angry. Angry at seafood? Jerk.
Mara pulled her attention away from him and looked at the others, who were obviously enjoying the meal. She supposed one man without taste in a group this size was to be expected.
When people were finishing their meals, Mara disappeared into the kitchen, with Seth on her heels. They put together the parfaits and shortcakes, then set everything on the table where she displayed her pastries and desserts.
Stone Face didn’t get any happier when he saw the treats. The other bodyguards dove at the table like a flock of vultures.
She stood back to gauge reactions to her food. It was good to get unsolicited opinions, especially on new recipes. A person’s response to the first taste was usually unguarded.
Anson had always watched from the kitchen door when he’d added new menu items. It had annoyed him when reactions to her new concoctions were better than his.