Designed for Love by Yvette Hines Page B

was raised in.
          Chelsi’s
eyes and mouth were both wide as she stared at his house. “Oh, my God…” her
words drifted away. Then she looked from the house to him then back at the
house. “I thought we were going to a restaurant.”
          “Nope,
I’m cooking.” He unsnapped his seat belt and got out. Moving around to her
side, he opened the door and offered his hand to her. Still in a daze, she
clutched his hand. “When I travel, I have to eat out so much that I just want a
home-cooked meal when I get home.”
          “And
you cook it?” Her eyes squinted, giving him a suspicious look.
          “Most
of the time. Unless I go to Zeth’s house and his wife Tamara feeds me.”
          Enjoying
the feel of her soft hand in his own, he walked with her to the door and didn’t
let go. Once inside, he asked, “Are hungry, or would you prefer the tour first?”
          The
desire to take her up the marble staircase to his bedroom and make love to her
assailed him. For a moment he considered that bringing her to his home may not
have been the best idea. A restaurant would have been safer without the
constant reminder that just above them was a room with a California king mattress available.
          Her
stomach answered before her mouth with a growl, breaking the tension. Laughing,
she rubbed her mid-section. “I guess food first is the request.”
          “Right
this way.” Still holding her hand, he led her into his kitchen area. He liked
the fact that she hadn’t attempted to remove her hand from his. Maybe she was
becoming comfortable around him again.
          “You’re
home is truly beautiful. How long have you owned it?” she asked, looking around
as they passed through the living room with a wide glass door giving a view of
his yard.
          “A
few years, it took me a while to find the right place. You can sit here while I
get dinner going.” He pulled out a chair at the table in the nook of the
kitchen. He removed his suit jacket and draped it over the back of another
chair and rolled up his shirt sleeves.
          Once
she was settled, he moved to the refrigerator. He’d called his housekeeper,
Linda, before he’d left Chicago with a list of items, in hopes that Chelsi would agree to go out with him. Taking
out the paper-wrapped chicken cutlets he placed them on the counter. Next he
grabbed a bunch of green grapes and pepper jack cheese and made her a small
platter. Taking the dish to her, he said, “This should stave off the hunger
long enough for me to get dinner ready.”
          “I’m
not going to pass out or anything, Vincent.” She smiled as she stole a grape
and popped it into her mouth.
          Hearing
the sound of his name and seeing that beautiful smile sent heat throughout his
body. “I just wanted to make sure.” He moved away quickly.
          “So
tell me about how Vincent Poindexter became the boss man of Point Corporation.”
She continued to nibble on her appetizer, alternating from cheese to grapes.
          “After
college I got a job working in the acquisitions department in Chicago at
Johnson and Peterson Corporation, a mid-level firm.” He cleaned, seasoned, and
marinated the meat as he talked then placed it back in the refrigerator in a
covered dish. Small red potatoes were next.
          He
dropped them into a pot of water to boil while he continued, “After a few years
being there, I left and started a few small business ventures of my own. Most
of them didn’t pan out, I must admit. Not because they weren’t good ideas, but
some problems were due to backing and others lack of experience on my part. Not
knowing what to look for.”
          “I
bet that was frustrating.” She was no longer eating, just sitting at the table
with her long striking legs crossed, giving him her full attention.
          At
that moment, his entire life and everything he’d accomplished felt like nothing.
To