Authors: Cheris Hodges

Recipe for Desire (19 page)

BOOK: Recipe for Desire

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Devon opened the jar of chocolate sauce and dipped his index finger in it. Then he traced her full lips with his finger, and Marie licked the chocolate from his finger as he made a second pass over her mouth. When Devon felt the heat of her breath on his finger, every nerve in his body tingled and his erection nearly burst through the zipper of his slacks. She circled her tongue around the tip of his finger, and Devon felt his erection throb with want. Sensing a shift in power, Marie decided that she wanted to lavish Devon with the sweet torture he’d been inflicting on her. She sat up and swung her legs down from the counter and wrapped them around his waist.

Pulling him against her body, she tugged at his shirt and pulled it over his head. Then she reached for the jar of chocolate and dipped two fingers inside of it. She spread it across his chest, paying extra attention to his nipples. “My turn for dessert,” she said, then licked the chocolate from his body, making Devon’s legs feel like rubber. He unzipped his slacks, and Marie skillfully used her thighs to inch his pants down his waist. She reached for more chocolate, drawing a line down his abs to where his pants started. Casting her eyes upward, she said, “Those have to come off.”

Unclamping her thighs from his waist, she watched as he made quick work of removing his pants and gray boxer briefs. His erection stood up like a magic wand ready to put her deeper under his spell. Getting more chocolate from the jar, Marie slinked off the counter’s edge, dropping to her knees in front of Devon. She slathered the chocolate down the length of his erection, licking her lips in anticipation of tasting him. Devon stroked her hair as she inched closer and closer to him. The wet heat from her mouth sent his body into overdrive, as she closed her lips around him. Sucking, licking, moaning, and sucking some more, Marie took him to the brink of climax. One thing was for sure, playtime was over. He had to bury himself inside her and feel her walls closing in on his hardness. He wanted to be one with her.
Now and forever,
a voice in the back of his head clearly said. Marie was his, and he was beginning to think about forever with her. Was it too soon for that kind of thinking? Had he lost his damned mind?

Marie pulled back, noting the silence and pensive look on Devon’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, nothing at all,” he said as he kneeled down and scooped her into his arms. “Time for the main course.”

Dashing up the stairs, Devon took a left turn at the bathroom. He sat Marie on the edge of the tub and then turned the water on. “Though I love you sweet and sticky,” he said, “I want you in the shower.”

Marie smiled and tested the water with her hand. It was warm, but from the looks she and Devon exchanged, it wouldn’t take long to bring it to a boil. Devon reached over on the sink and grabbed a bar of soap, then he and Marie stepped into the shower. He backed her against the marble wall and lifted her leg. Then he rubbed her thighs down with the soap, an exotic scent called dragon’s blood. She trembled as his hands snaked up her thigh and came to a rest around her waist. As the water beat down on them, Devon captured her lips in a thirsty and sensual kiss that nearly knocked her off balance. She wrapped her soapy leg around his waist and drew him into her needy body. They meshed together. Devon pumping into her with power, making her call out his name as she dug her nails into his shoulder. “Yes!” Marie exclaimed as she felt his raw passion. “Devon, love me.”

“Aww, baby, you feel so good. So damned good.” He ground against her, gripping her waist tightly as she met him stroke for stroke. He felt her first orgasm and then her second. Just as he was about to reach his own climax, reluctantly, he pulled out. “Damn,” he groaned. “I didn’t protect us.”

Still shuddering from the aftershocks of her multiple orgasms, Marie tried to wrap her mind around what they’d just done. Unprotected sex. She knew that she was disease free, as she’d had a battery of tests just two weeks ago.

But she also realized there were other issues to consider. Namely, an unexpected pregnancy. She’d promised herself time and time again that she was not popping out kids for a man who was not responsible enough to marry her. Looking up at Devon, she wondered if he’d neglected to tell her something. “Should I be worried?”

“Physically, I’m fine. No STDs or anything like that. But what if we created something neither of us is ready for?”

“I am on the pill, though I haven’t been taking it regularly. But seriously, that’s how you feel about children?”

Sighing, he realized his words sounded harsh, but what kind of father would he really be? Devon had a habit of messing up his relationships, and he wondered if he’d mess up the greatest relationship a person could be blessed with—being a father. He certainly didn’t have a role model in that department.

“I wouldn’t even know how to be a father,” he said. “The last thing I want to do is bring a child into this world and not be man enough to take care of it. I never said I was perfect.”

“Wow,” she replied, not wanting to further mar the moment. Still she wondered, if they had made a baby in the shower—would he be responsible?

Chapter 18

The next morning, Devon woke up from a restless sleep, despite the fact that Marie spent the night sleeping like an angel beside him. When he’d started tossing and turning, he’d released her and watched her sleep before he’d gotten out of bed and went into the kitchen to clean up and work on a new recipe. After he had decided that his marinade had been too bland and didn’t go well with steak, he’d returned to bed. What had been bothering him had nothing to do with the fact that he could’ve gotten Marie pregnant, but the thoughts that he had about hoping that he did. Despite years of punishing himself for betraying Kandace and the self-imposed exile he’d been living in when it came to serious relationships, he did want a family. That had been clearer since Marie came into his life.

Sitting up in the bed, Devon tried in vain not to wake Marie. Feeling her hand on his shoulder, Devon turned around and kissed her cheek. “Good morning,” he said.

“Is it? Because you didn’t get much sleep, did you?” she asked, then yawned. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He pulled her down into his lap and stroked her cheek. “You’re too good to be true. I keep you up all night, wake you at six
A.M.
, and you want to talk about it.” Devon kissed her again, gently nibbling on her bottom lip.

She placed her hand on his chest and pulled back from him. “You know, since you kept a girl up all night, I think you owe me breakfast and lots of coffee.”

“It will be my pleasure. As a matter of fact, I’ve been neglecting my duties at the restaurant, so I’m going to go in and you’re coming with me, and you’re going to love what I have in store for you.”

Marie raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. “I really can’t go out in the clothes I got photographed going to jail in.”

Devon glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I can take you home and you can change into something spectacular.”

Marie snapped her fingers. “I don’t even have to go home. With everything that happened yesterday, I forgot about the shopping that Bria and I did. And I even managed to pick up a little red lacy number that I know you’re going to love. Wow me with breakfast and I’ll model it for you tonight.”

“Consider yourself about to be wowed,” he said, then leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Want to join me in the shower?”

She hopped off the bed and gave him a little shake. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

Devon followed her into the bathroom and joined her in the shower. It was quite a different scene from last night, even though Devon teased Marie’s nipples with his loofah sponge as they washed and prepared to head for the restaurant. As Marie dried off and tried to tame her hair, Devon pulled on a pair of cotton shorts and headed downstairs to his car. Marie told him to bring the Nordstrom bag in and not to peek in the others. He grabbed the bag and shook his head as he glanced at the others. He wouldn’t begrudge his wife a shopping spree every now and then.
Wait a damned minute,
he thought.
Marriage is the last thing I need to be thinking about. Like Marie is ready to settle down.

When he headed upstairs, Devon was greeted at the door by a naked Marie. “You know,” she said. “I’m more of a brunch girl.”

Devon closed the door, dropped the bag at his feet, and scooped her up in his arms. “I like the sound of that,” he said as he scaled the steps and headed to his bedroom. After a quick romp that left them both breathless and wanting more, Devon and Marie pulled themselves out of bed and headed to Hometown Delights. Sundays at the restaurant were a quiet time, and since the economic downturn, they’d moved from serving breakfast to lunch starting at one
P.M.
Things usually got busy around two thirty when most people left church. Many Sundays, Devon ended up cooking for his friends and their families. Especially during the NFL off season when Carolina Panthers superstar Maurice Goings and his wife, Kenya, joined the party. Those breakfasts were like scenes from
The Big Chill.
He wondered how Marie would fit in with the group, especially since she and Jade had previously had words. Walking downstairs to the car, Marie yawned and tugged at her crude ponytail. “I need coffee,” she said.

“That’s all you need?” he asked, then wiggled his eyebrows.

“All right, Chef. You’re going to end up with a restaurant full of hungry people if I tell you what else I really need.” Marie reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. When she turned it on, she wasn’t surprised that she had several text messages, voice mail messages, and missed calls. Her phone beeped and chimed so much that she nearly regretted turning it on again.

“The whole city must have missed you last night,” Devon quipped.

“They should get used to missing me. I’ve come to a decision about my life,” she said succinctly.

“And what’s that?” he asked as they climbed in the car.

“I’m giving up this party-girl lifestyle,” she said. “Being with those women in the shelter and hearing Bria’s story has taught me the lesson that the judge wanted me to learn. If I’m going to make headlines, I want it to be because I did something to help someone else. Better yet, no more headlines. I want to learn to be selfless like this sexy guy I know.”

“Who’s that bum?” he joked. “I’m glad to hear that, because I don’t like to see reporters hounding my woman.”
My woman. What am I saying?

Marie smiled, but tried to temper it. Still, she liked being called Devon’s woman. Especially when everyone she usually dated fell into the role of Marie Charles’ arm candy. Glancing at Devon, she knew he was more than eye candy or a living accessory. He was the real thing—wasn’t he?

When they arrived at the restaurant, Devon wasn’t at all surprised to see the parking lot filled with cars—Alicia’s and Jade’s, and Antonio’s truck. “Looks like we’re going to have a full house for brunch. Are you ready for this?”

“Guess we’re going to find out, huh? You guys are a strange group.”

“We put the funk in dysfunctional,” he joked as he parked his car.

Marie opened her door and smoothed her peach romper, and for the first time ever, she felt flutters of nerves as she entered a location. This wasn’t normal for the showstopper. But Marie was actually worried about the impression she was about to make on Devon’s friends. He crossed over to her and took her hand in his and then kissed it. Before they took another step, a car pulled into the parking lot, barreling toward them. Devon positioned himself in front of Marie, then yelled, “It’s a parking lot, jackass, not Charlotte Motor Speedway!”

The door swung open and Solomon Crawford emerged from the car, then stalked over to Devon with a very pregnant Kandace waddling behind him, screaming for him to calm down.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Crawford?” Devon hissed as the men faced off. Marie watched with her mouth agape; they were like two raging bulls. It was obvious Solomon and Devon hadn’t accepted each other as brothers.

“Where is he?” Solomon bellowed.

Kandace placed her hand on Solomon’s arm. “Solomon, please,” she pleaded.

Ignoring Solomon’s rage, Devon turned to Kandace. “What is this all about?”

She sighed. “Your father.”

Devon’s shoulders sagged and he shook his head. “What now?”

Solomon glared at Devon, took a deep breath, then said, “Have you seen that stupid blog, Dark Charlotte or something?”

“
Queen City After Dark
,” Marie piped in. Solomon eyed her suspiciously and Kandace smiled at her once she recognized who she was.

“Whatever,” Solomon snapped. “Your father has disrespected my wife for the last damned time, and now he’s put that bullshit out for the world to see.”

“So what are you going to do about it? I’m sure Kandace has tried to tell you that my father and I don’t talk, don’t associate with each other, and I couldn’t really give a damn about him or where he is.”

“You may not, but I’m not going to let this shit slide.”

“Solomon,” Kandace said in an exasperated voice. “Will you just let this go?”

“No. I let it go in the restaurant, but this is too much. Putting those insults out for the world to read about my wife is unacceptable.”

“I’m afraid to ask, but what did he say?” Devon asked as he saw Solomon calming down. Marie had pulled the site up on her BlackBerry and read the article. If she had been Solomon, she’d be mad as hell, too. She handed her phone to Devon and his eyes grew to the size of quarters as he read: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH FAMED HOOPSTER DEVON HARRIS, SR.

On the hardwood of the NBA, they didn’t come tougher than Devon Harris, Sr. In the 1970s and 1980s, playing against Harris usually meant a couple of stitches. These days, the hoops legend has a softer touch, working with various charities in Atlanta, where he makes his home. But there is one battle that Harris knows he isn’t going to win. He’s been stricken with a deadly disease and he came to Charlotte to make peace with his son, famed chef Devon Harris, Jr. The senior said that he and his son have not spoken in nearly a decade.

“I love my son, but he allows outside influences to alter his decision making. My son could’ve been better than me on the court, but he started dating this fortune hunter in college, and he allowed her to talk him into this cooking thing.”

When asked who his son’s ex was, Harris revealed that she’s restaurant owner Kandace Crawford, wife of hotel mogul Solomon Crawford. He didn’t have kind words for Crawford.

“She’s the worst kind of woman. Though she claims to be a businesswoman, she is nothing but a common gold digger. She latched on to my son nearly a decade ago, used whatever connection they have to talk him into basically becoming her fry cook while she went after a bigger wallet,” he said.

Calls to Hometown Delights weren’t immediately returned.

Devon angrily shoved the BlackBerry back into Marie’s hands. “I’m sorry,” he said to her when he noticed the startled look on her face. “I ought to sue this blogger and push my father into a shallow ditch!”

“Devon!” Marie and Kandace called out in concert. Solomon smiled and stopped short of offering to drive Devon around to locate the senior Harris.

Throwing his hands up, Devon said, “That man has gone too far. I became a chef to honor my mother. Had he paid any attention to me, he’d know that. Working here has done nothing but bolster my career, and he doesn’t see that.”

“I’ve always hated your father,” Kandace said bitterly.

“Join the club,” Devon said. “The line starts behind me.”

“Do you have room for me?” Marie asked. Devon enveloped her in his arms and kissed her cheek.

“You don’t even have to ask,” he said. Devon caught a glimpse of Solomon, who had a smug smirk on his face.

“You know, Harris,” Solomon said. “I’ve been wrong about you.”

Kandace shook her head. “One day my hardheaded husband will start listening to me.”

“How were you wrong?” Devon ribbed.

Solomon threw his hands up and shook his head. “I can admit, I was wrong about you holding a torch for my wife. Your father’s rant didn’t help.”

“My father and I are nothing alike,” Devon asserted again.

“I used to like that dude, except when he played the Knicks. Now, I see what a bitter asshole he is, and I thought my brother was bad.” Kandace popped Solomon on the shoulder.

“Looks like I’m going to have to work extra hard to make sure we don’t become our parents,” Kandace said.

“Your mom isn’t that bad,” Devon said as they headed inside. “Sure, she cries a lot, but that’s just women.”

This time Solomon did slap Devon a high five. “Really?” Marie said with a giggle. “Not all women cry.”

“Girl,” Kandace said, “don’t even bother. I’ve seen them both cry. One during
The Color Purple
on Broadway.”

“Hey,” Solomon said. “That was supposed to remain between us.”

Kandace winked at her husband, but didn’t say another word as they walked into the dining room.

“Well, it’s about time,” Serena called out when she spotted Devon. “I didn’t think we were ever going to eat.” She glanced at Marie and then turned to Alicia. “I guess we’re supposed to be on our best behavior today.”

Antonio stroked his wife’s shoulder. “Baby, I don’t think you can spell ‘best behavior,’” he said, then kissed her hand.

She leaned in and whispered something naughty in his ear and then slipped her hand between his thighs. Antonio laughed heartily and said, “All you did was prove my point.”

Devon wrapped his arms around Marie’s shoulders. “Let me introduce you to these crazy folks.” He started with Serena and Antonio. Then he pointed out James and Jade. Marie smirked at Jade. “Oh, we’ve met,” Jade said as she crossed over to Marie and shook her hand. “We still haven’t had that cup of coffee.”

“I plan to be around,” Marie said. “We have time.”

Jade smiled. “I like the sound of that,” she said.

“You’re Richard Charles’ daughter, right?” James inquired.

BOOK: Recipe for Desire

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