smiled warmly at his assistant. “Thanks. The food smells wonderful.”
“It came from Miss Lilly’s.”
He grinned. “Cube steak, gravy and mashed potatoes?”
Jasmine laughed. “Your favorites are what I always order from Miss Lily’s. Hot applesauce and a salad are there, too, along with thick wedges of cornbread and sweet potato pie. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“I will,” he said. “Thanks again.”
Darius stood and moved over to the table, inviting Courtney to join him. Once she was seated, he sat down and said a humble blessing over his meal. Picking up his fork, he took the first bite of cube steak, closing his eyes to savor the delicious taste. The meat was tender and the thick, dark gravy was seasoned perfectly.
Scooping up a forkful of mashed potatoes and another piece of steak, he held it up to Courtney’s mouth, shocking her silly. He noticed the reluctance in her eyes. “You just have to taste this wonderful dish. Please indulge me. You won’t be sorry.”
Despite her surprise, Courtney took the proffered food. She wasn’t keen on eating off his fork, but she did so rather than making a fuss over it. It was the closest she’d come to sharing a kiss with him. She decided not to deny her desire to taste the full, sensuous-looking lips that had wrapped around the fork first. She suppressed a satisfied moan. “It is delicious! Where’s this restaurant located? I’ll have to give it a try.”
“Perhaps we can go to dinner there together. I’d love to take you to Miss Lilly’s.”
Not sure of an appropriate response to such an inappropriate comment, Courtney said nothing. It was wrong of him to ask her out to dinner. Maybe Candice didn’t have a man who loved her. Or perhaps his suggestion was perfectly innocent. It was possible she’d read too much into his remark. She quickly convinced herself that had to be it.
As he picked up one of the sketches, he drew in a deep breath. “Did you say you sketched these designs?”
“I did. I love art. There was a time when I thought I might pursue it as a career, but learning all I could about catering kept me too busy to take on anything else.”
“There’s no reason why you can’t do both. These sketches are exquisite. You have quite a creative eye.”
“You think so?”
“I know so. I’ve taken a few art courses in my day. It dovetails with my desire for filmmaking. They’re both artistic talents. I love sketching. Sculpting, too.”
Courtney nodded. “That’s great! Which sketch of mine do you like best?”
He pointed at the drawing with the angel’s wings fully extended. “It’s beautiful. I love the soft shades of lavender you chose. The wingspan suggests a flight to me, a journey into paradise, which is where I hope Candice will always live.”
You can make sure of that by sharing paradise with your precious Candice.
“Where is paradise for you, Courtney?”
Courtney lowered her lashes momentarily. “I haven’t given it any thought.”
Darius looked totally surprised. “You’ve never thought of paradise, of what it might be like or what you’d want it to be like?”
Courtney did everything she could do not to grit her teeth. Why did Darius care about her paradise? Why was he pushing her on the issue? She hadn’t given up on living an idyllic lifestyle. She just tried very hard not to think about it. Her illusions about heaven and love on earth had been shattered a long time ago. Love and happiness would come as a complete surprise if either found her, since she simply wasn’t searching for them.
He looked closely at Courtney. “I seemed to have hit a nerve. Who hurt you?”
Getting up from the table, Courtney walked across the room and stood at the window. As she looked out at what many would happily refer to as paradise, she fought to keep her emotions in check. As she glanced toward the Hollywood Hills, she saw the sun playing hide-and-seek with the jagged mountain range. The colors in the sky were the same soft ones she’d used to sketch one of the angels amid a lovely floral arrangement.
Courtney suddenly stiffened. Darius was right behind her, close enough for her to hear and feel his breathing. As his hands came down gently onto her shoulders, she balled her fists tightly. What did he think he was doing? Why was he touching her so tenderly?
He felt her go rigid and backed off. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have gotten so personal. I promise not to do it again. Think we can get back to work?”
“I’d like that very much. I came here to work, Darius.”
“I understand. Can we sit back down now?”
Instead of a verbal response to Darius’s question, certain that her voice would quiver, Courtney claimed a seat on the sofa, hoping she could get back to the business at hand. He had unnerved her and her wild attraction to him only made things worse. Under different circumstances, she might have answered his personal questions with a daring remark or a passionate kiss. But he was a man about to be married and they shouldn’t be getting personal, period.
End of story.
Darius looked over the catering catalogues once again. “Candice loves seafood, but I’m afraid of it spoiling, not to mention the smell. What do you think?”
“All foods can only be kept out for certain periods. Seafood is kept on ice when it’s out. My staff and I will see to it that nothing is left out past the recommended time. Cooked seafood doesn’t smell bad. What types are you interested in?”
“Shrimp, cracked crab and lobster are her favorites. If I decide not to go with seafood, what other suggestions do you have?”
Courtney handed Darius a few menus she’d already put together, boldly typed on parchment paper. “Give yourself time to look these over before making a final decision. We have time. Maybe you’d like to get other opinions or even consult Jasmine.”
Darius smiled. “You’re very thorough. I feel I can trust your judgment. Too many opinions can sometimes cloud a vision. I’ll stick with your suggestions, but there’s one thing I’d like to say. I don’t want to order any alcoholic beverages. You may think it’s an unusual request, but Candice doesn’t drink.”
His request wasn’t such an odd one. She’d catered plenty of events where no alcohol was served. “I understand your request better than you think. You’re in charge of whatever we order. Once my staff knows our clients’ likes, we’re known for making the right choices.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it going on.” He loosened his tie and popped open the top button on his silk shirt.
Courtney wished she wasn’t thinking of what was under that shirt. She knew his chest was broad. Was it covered with hair? She’d like nothing better than to suckle his nipples and lick them like Popsicles. The idea of his areolas hardening beneath her tongue caused moisture to form at the core of her femininity. By the color of his skin, she imagined his nipples to be either a medium shade of brown or slightly darker.
“Hello,
