What's Cooking? by Sherryl Woods Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
Tags: United States, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, series, Contemporary Fiction, Harlequin Special Edition
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asked defensively.
"Added up a few comments," he said. "Am I right?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," she admitted with obvious reluctance. "I seem to have this part down really, really well. The rest is usually a disaster. I'm not even sure I can carry on an intelligent, stimulating conversation with a man anymore."
Rick laughed until he realized that she was serious. He sobered at once. 'Trust me, sweetheart, you can. In fact, that was one of the first things that attracted me to you. You came into that photo shoot knowing exactly what you wanted, and you didn't hesitate to tell me."
"Well, of course, I did," she said, dismissing it as if it were noming. "That's my job."
He grinned at her confidence. 'True, but a lot of people tend to be intimidated when they deal with me for the first time. Some expect me to be temperamental, so they tiptoe around me. Others simply let me call the shots, because they figure that's why they're paying me the big bucks."
"Because you're the internationally famous photographer?" she asked, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, I can see how that might intimidate some people."
"More than a few."
"But they're die client," she protested. "Besides, you
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WHAT'S COOKING?
mostly do fashion work. I knew we got you at the last second to do this food layout only because you owed a favor to a friend. I figured you'd welcome some pointers."
He laughed. "You gave more than a few pointers, Maggie," he said, his expression wry. "You never shut up. Most clients don't have a clue what they're talking about. You did. I liked that. You challenged me every step of the way, and I liked that, too. We made a good team. The proof of that is in those pictures."
"I was fairly certain at the time that you thought I was being a pain in the butt," she admitted.
"I did, but a fascinating pain, just the same. Why did you think we wound up in bed that night?"
"Chemistry," she said simply. "That and the fact that it's what you do. You meet a woman you're attracted to, and you get involved for a bit."
"That's fairly insulting," he pointed out, then sighed. "But unfortunately, true. This time is different."
She looked doubtful. "How?"
"I don't know, but I can tell you that you are the first woman I've chased to the middle of nowhere."
'This is not the middle of nowhere," she retorted, even though that was hardly the point. "You found a cafe that serves lattes, didn't you? Isn't that civilized enough for you?"
"The only thing that kept me here, I assure you," he said, enjoying the quick flags of color that burned in her cheeks. "Well...and you, of course."
"Of course."
He met her gaze. "Do I get to stay?"
She looked surprised by the question. "Is it actually up to me?"
65 65
He made up his mind that this would never work if she was having second thoughts. He met her gaze and took a chance. "I want to stay, but if you still want me to go, then I will. So. yes, it's up to you."
She hesitated for what seemed like an eternity, then said firmly, "You can't stay here. That would pretty much destroy the whole starting over slowly thing."
"Deal," he said, relieved. He could play by those rules, for a while at least.
"And when you're bored out of your mind in the middle of nowhere and with me, you'll just say so, right? You won't feel compelled to stay or take off without a word?"
"Not going to happen, but okay."
"Then you can stay." she relented.
Something told him, though, that she wasn't entirely happy about it. He had a hunch it was the sex thing, that she didn't trust herself?or him?not to fall back into that old, apparently self-destructive pattern of hers. Maybe a week would give him enough time to convince her that what they had was unique.. .in bed and out.
Even though Rick had agreed to her ground rules, even though he was staying out of her path as they cleared up the dinner dishes, there wasn't an instant when Maggie wasn't fully aware that he was close by. The hairs on her arms all but stood up and did
"Added up a few comments," he said. "Am I right?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," she admitted with obvious reluctance. "I seem to have this part down really, really well. The rest is usually a disaster. I'm not even sure I can carry on an intelligent, stimulating conversation with a man anymore."
Rick laughed until he realized that she was serious. He sobered at once. 'Trust me, sweetheart, you can. In fact, that was one of the first things that attracted me to you. You came into that photo shoot knowing exactly what you wanted, and you didn't hesitate to tell me."
"Well, of course, I did," she said, dismissing it as if it were noming. "That's my job."
He grinned at her confidence. 'True, but a lot of people tend to be intimidated when they deal with me for the first time. Some expect me to be temperamental, so they tiptoe around me. Others simply let me call the shots, because they figure that's why they're paying me the big bucks."
"Because you're the internationally famous photographer?" she asked, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, I can see how that might intimidate some people."
"More than a few."
"But they're die client," she protested. "Besides, you
64
WHAT'S COOKING?
mostly do fashion work. I knew we got you at the last second to do this food layout only because you owed a favor to a friend. I figured you'd welcome some pointers."
He laughed. "You gave more than a few pointers, Maggie," he said, his expression wry. "You never shut up. Most clients don't have a clue what they're talking about. You did. I liked that. You challenged me every step of the way, and I liked that, too. We made a good team. The proof of that is in those pictures."
"I was fairly certain at the time that you thought I was being a pain in the butt," she admitted.
"I did, but a fascinating pain, just the same. Why did you think we wound up in bed that night?"
"Chemistry," she said simply. "That and the fact that it's what you do. You meet a woman you're attracted to, and you get involved for a bit."
"That's fairly insulting," he pointed out, then sighed. "But unfortunately, true. This time is different."
She looked doubtful. "How?"
"I don't know, but I can tell you that you are the first woman I've chased to the middle of nowhere."
'This is not the middle of nowhere," she retorted, even though that was hardly the point. "You found a cafe that serves lattes, didn't you? Isn't that civilized enough for you?"
"The only thing that kept me here, I assure you," he said, enjoying the quick flags of color that burned in her cheeks. "Well...and you, of course."
"Of course."
He met her gaze. "Do I get to stay?"
She looked surprised by the question. "Is it actually up to me?"
65 65
He made up his mind that this would never work if she was having second thoughts. He met her gaze and took a chance. "I want to stay, but if you still want me to go, then I will. So. yes, it's up to you."
She hesitated for what seemed like an eternity, then said firmly, "You can't stay here. That would pretty much destroy the whole starting over slowly thing."
"Deal," he said, relieved. He could play by those rules, for a while at least.
"And when you're bored out of your mind in the middle of nowhere and with me, you'll just say so, right? You won't feel compelled to stay or take off without a word?"
"Not going to happen, but okay."
"Then you can stay." she relented.
Something told him, though, that she wasn't entirely happy about it. He had a hunch it was the sex thing, that she didn't trust herself?or him?not to fall back into that old, apparently self-destructive pattern of hers. Maybe a week would give him enough time to convince her that what they had was unique.. .in bed and out.
Even though Rick had agreed to her ground rules, even though he was staying out of her path as they cleared up the dinner dishes, there wasn't an instant when Maggie wasn't fully aware that he was close by. The hairs on her arms all but stood up and did
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