Page 64 of One Sweet Match Up

“Can we afford to take the night off?” She tilted her head, giving his mouth total access. The shop’s bottom line was the last thing on her mind with Donovan’s warm lips traveling down her neck.

“I’ll work overtime tomorrow.” He scooped her up, taking her God knows where, but she was sure she’d thoroughly enjoy this inspection.

16

Donovan steppedout of the shower, reached for his white towel on the rack, and wrapped it around his waist. He ran a hand over the foggy mirror, staring at his reflection.

If anyone would have told him that he’d have hot kitchen sex with Zoe today, he would have said no way.

He grinned at his reflection. But it happened, and it was freakin’ awesome.

Afterward, while holding her close in his arms, he’d been about to suggest they go back to her place for the night, but both of their phones had buzzed at the same time from inside their discarded clothes.

They’d gotten a group text from Adam inviting them to the Lakeside Inn to celebrate that Bethany had said yes.

Lousy timing, but he was looking forward to spending the evening with Zoe. He lathered up his face, taking a razor to it. Hopefully, later tonight, he’d finally get to suggest going back to her place.

He finished shaving, thinking back to the afternoon. He wasn’t quite sure what had gotten into Zoe to make a move, but he was glad she did.

Their connection was strong, and he was eager to explore it. No more denying his feelings. If he didn’t prove to her this afternoon how much he wanted things between them to be more than professional, he planned to reiterate his interest tonight.

They just had to get through a couple of hours at the Lakeside Inn.

He moved down the hall back to his room, flipping on the TV for background noise while he got ready. They wouldn’t have to stay at the party forever. An hour. Two, tops. He retrieved his jeans from the dresser and slid them on. They’d hang out together, have a celebratory drink, and then he’d make up some excuse that he and Zoe had to be at work early in the morning.

For an inspection.He cracked a smile and sat on the bed’s edge, his gaze aligned with the television as he put on his socks. He recognized the Culinary Channel’s rerun episode immediately. “Oh, man. It’s my episode.” He grabbed the remote and turned it up.

He loved seeing the Rocky Top again.

And yeah, it was fun to see himself on television. That never got old.

He stopped getting dressed to watch the show. It was well into the hour episode, in which they’d finished interviewing him and Marc for fifteen minutes on their culinary backgrounds. He chuckled remembering how uncomfortable Marc had been having to wear a little makeup for the camera.

Right after the interview, the camera zoomed into the kitchen, where Donovan had taken his special knives to the prep table for a preplanned cooking demonstration. His steady hands, chopping the vegetables fast and furious.

Funny how being on national television didn’t give him the same exhilaration he’d experienced this week launching Heavenly Soups by D. Foster. Close, but his kitchen in the Rocky Top never had the one special ingredient.

Love.

And he was pretty sure he was feeling it with Zoe. He finished putting his socks on. Although, it was way too early to tell her. Yeah, much too soon. He wasn’t going to risk scaring her away.

The camera zoomed in on a dozen of his staff standing off to the right. He did miss having an audience when he cooked. He loved teaching in the kitchen, his prep area his horizontal chalkboard as he instructed hundreds of line cooks that came and went over the years.

Some went on to do great things, others couldn’t cut the long hours and hard work.

He studied the faces on the television, barely remembering a couple of names. Had he really been so caught up in his own success that he didn’t care to learn the names of all the team members who’d helped uphold his high standards night after night?

He’d do better. If Zoe and he were ever in a place to expand their business, he’d take budding chefs under his wing and really invest in their careers.

The camera zoomed in on a young woman with long brown hair, guilt immediately hitting him. He didn’t know her name, but he remembered firing her a day or two after the taping. She’d made a potentially life-threatening mistake, grazing the governor’s dish with peanut sauce.

Even after he’d heard the allergic governor was fine, Donovan had stormed into his kitchen and chewed her out in front of the entire kitchen staff before firing her on the spot.

And he never knew her name. Looking back, he could have handled that differently.

In retrospect, he really needn’t have fired her. It was a mistake, albeit a bad one. Still, no one died, and business went on as usual. He’d been so caught up in his reputation and notoriety he tossed away anyone who could have tainted it without thinking twice.

Crazy how the things that motivated him less than a year ago meant nothing to him now. He couldn’t care less about being a celebrity chef. Now, the only thing he cared about was helping a woman he was falling in love with save her business. “I hope your current boss treats you better,” he said to the television, his gaze resting for a second on her wide smile.

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