Kiss the Cook by Jacquie D'Alessandro

of their guest. "Wow, Mel, he's got great legs." She sniffed the air. "Do I smell doughnuts?"
    Chris nodded. "Boston cream. Freshly made ."
    Nana elbowed Melanie out of the way. "Well, come on in, honey, and bring your doughn uts. I'll pour the coffee." She hustled off toward the kitchen.
    Chris stepped into the terra cotta tiled foyer. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by like this,” he said as Melanie closed the door, “but I thought you might need some help with your car."
    Melanie's common sense kicked in. He'd brought breakfast and he wanted to fix her car? She narrowed her eyes and told her hormones to pipe down. Something was definitely fishy here. "Why would you want to fix my car?"
    A slow smile curv ed his lips. "I admit I have an ulterior motive."
    "Don't all men?"
    He laughed. "Actually, it’s more of a proposition."
    Uh-oh. This guy probably dated supermodels-- hell, be probably broke up with supermodels-- and he had a proposition for her? Holy smokes. What if it was one of those propositions like Robert Redford made in that movie Indecent Proposal -- a million dollars for one night of naked splendor and unbridled lust?
    Near panic set in. A million dollars? She'd never ra ise that kind of cash. But wait-- no, she'd get the money. And get to sleep with him, too. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Her hormones switched to the Cha-Cha.
    "So what do you think?"
    I think I've lost my marbles. Seriously. He showed up and all her brain cells liquefied and drained out of her body. She licked her dust-dry lips. "What do I think about what?"
    His dark blue gaze skimmed over her, lingering on her mouth. "My proposition," he said in a deep, velvety voice that reminded Melanie of candlelight, champagne, and bubble baths. "I think it would work out well for both of us."
    Sure as heck was working for her. Her hormones abandoned the Cha-Cha and started dancing the Peppermint Twist
    He stepped closer. Now less than an arm’s length separated them. Heat radiated from his body and she squelched the urge to fan herself with her hand. The air conditioner clearly had gone kaput because it was suddenly hot in here. He smelled like freshly showered man and doughnuts-- a potent combination that rendered her all but woozy. Indeed it felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the room.
    "You' re staring at me," he murmured, "in a very distracting way."
    Well, yeah, but really who could blame her? She’d be hard pressed to name anyone with ovaries who’d be able to tear their eyeballs away from his guy-- even without the added incentive of Boston cream doughnuts.
    His gaze dropped to her mouth and her heart stuttered. Ohmigod. Was he going to kiss her? Right here in the foyer? Surely not.  But, whoa-- the way he was looking at her-- like he was starving and she was the last Boston cream on earth-- and holy crap now he was leaning closer! She was going to push him away. No, she was going to yank him closer. No, she was going to faint. No, she was going to--
    "Coffee's ready!" Nana ’s voice exploded in the foyer like a sonic boom.
    Melanie jumped back with a gasp. Her hormones groaned in protest .
    "Coffee's ready," she repeated in a shaky voice.
    "Coffee. Right. That's exactly what I wanted. Coffee."
    Melanie led him into the kitchen, mentally berat ing herself the whole way. This guy was dan-ger-ous. Yikes. Another second and he would have kissed her. If not for Nana's announcement, Melanie knew she would, at this very moment be on the receiving end of what she had no doubt would have been a mind-blowing kiss. She could almost feel the warm caress of his sensuous mouth. Drat! Er, good. Yeah. Good. Definitely good that Nana had interrupted. Definitely. Probably her lips would stop tingling any second now.
    "Nice place," Chris said. He settled his tall frame into one of the chintz-patterned chairs around the table. "Very homey and cozy."
    “Thanks. It’s a work in progress,” Melanie said, arranging the doughnuts on a serving