A Convenient Scandal. Kimberley Troutte

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу A Convenient Scandal - Kimberley Troutte страница 11

A Convenient Scandal - Kimberley Troutte Mills & Boon Desire

Скачать книгу

one, seemed to have twice as much garlic as the first. Inconsistency was a bad sign.

      “I know.” She looked at the food on her plate and her dimples disappeared. “Good. Not magic.”

      She felt it, too. Something was missing. “I enjoyed it. Why didn’t you make your signature dish?”

      “My chicken cacciatore?”

      “Hell, yes. I had it in New York. It was seriously one of the best dishes I’ve ever tasted.” If she’d made it for him, she would’ve been a shoo-in for the job and yet she went with seafood? She didn’t know how risky that was.

      “I created that dish for Alfieri’s. I won’t make it anymore.”

      “Why not? It was fantastic.”

      “I’m sorry... I just...can’t.” Her voice choked and she gulped the rest of her wine.

      Was it his imagination, or had her cheeks gone pale? Wait. Were those tears in her eyes?

      What the hell had he said?

      “Miss Cox, is there something wrong?”

      She put her glass down and looked him in the eye. “It’s nothing. Thank you for being so kind. I’m not used to it.”

      No one had ever called him kind before. “I’m honest.”

      She waved her hand over the table. “The candles? Sharing your food? Your wine? It’s a sweet thing to do when we both know I’m not getting the job.”

      That gave him pause. Why was she trying to talk herself out of the position? “Have you changed your mind?”

      “No! I desperately need...” She pressed her lips together, cutting off her thoughts. “I want to work for Harper Industries. I really do. I’m just...this is embarrassing. I didn’t cook an award-winner tonight. I’m not sure I know how to anymore.”

      He couldn’t fathom why, but his senses told him that whatever she was hiding scared her. Was she in trouble? “You’re selling yourself short.”

      “No, I’m not.” She bit her lip. Was it quivering?

      Was she that sensitive about her food? Chefs needed to be creative and strong, bold and thick-skinned. Tears in the kitchen wouldn’t work.

      “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll clean up the dishes for the next contestant.” She reached for his plate.

      He stopped her by putting his hand on hers. “Miss Cox? What do you desperately need?”

      She froze. Her expression seemed serious and troubled as if the answer was the key to everything. “To find what I lost so I can take care of my sister.”

      What the hell did that mean?

      As he tried to decipher her words, she pulled her hand back and reoffered it as a handshake, “Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Harper. I wish you luck in finding the perfect chef. I’m sorry I wasted your time.”

      Shaking her soft, delicate hand produced a stab of disappointment. He said nothing. He couldn’t. She had the right to walk away from the job; people walked away all the time.

      So why did it feel like she’d just quit him?

      He watched her leave and drank his wine. Alone.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQNaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo1ZGY0 ZTFlMC0zNmYzLTRkMGUtOWMxNC1hMjM4NTEyM2Y5YWIiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5k aWQ6MTVFQUIwNTJBQTAzMTFFOEE5QURBNzlGNjUzRTlFQzUiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9Inht cC5paWQ6MTVFQUIwNTFBQTAzMTFFOEE5QURBNzlGNjUzRTlFQzUiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0i QWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJl ZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjE3QTY2NzA1NUUyMjY4MTE5MTA5OTlERDE1NDBDRTkyIiBz dFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuaWQ6ZmZiNjViNjQtZmQ2OC00NzZiLWIzMDItYTg0ODM0NzJj YmM1Ii8+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+ RGVzaXJlX0ZlYnJ1YXJ5MTkuaW5kZDwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3JkZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0bGU+IDwv cmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5kPSJy Ij8+/+0ASFBob3Rvc2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFaAAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhCSU0EJQAA AAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4LzRiNAdYd+v/4gxYSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAxITGlubwIQAABtbnRyUkdC IFhZWiAHzgACAAkABgAxAABhY3NwTVNGVAAAAABJRUMgc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA9tYAAQAA AADTLUhQICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABFj cHJ0AAABUAAAADNkZXNjAAABhAAAAGx3dHB0AAAB8AAAABRia3B0AAACBAAAABRyWFlaAAACGAAA ABRnWFlaAAACLAAAABRiWFlaAAACQAAAABRkbW5kAAACVAAAAHBkbWRkAAACxAAAAIh2dWVkAAAD TAAAAIZ2aWV3AAAD1AAAACRsdW1pAAAD+AAAABRtZWFzAAAEDAAAACR0ZWNoAAAEMAAAAAxyVFJD AAAEPAAACAxnVFJDAAAEPAAACAxiVFJDAAAEPAAACAx0ZXh0AAAAAENvcHlyaWdodCAoYykgMTk5 OCBIZXdsZXR0LVBhY2thcmQgQ29tcGFueQAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAASc1JHQiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEA AAAAAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAPNRAAEAAAABFsxYWVogAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAFhZWiAAAAAAAABvogAAOPUAAAOQWFlaIAAAAAAAAGKZAAC3hQAAGNpYWVogAAAAAAAAJKAA AA+EAAC2z2Rlc2MAAAAAAAAAFklFQyBodHRwOi8vd3d3LmllYy5jaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFklFQyBo dHRwOi8vd3d3LmllYy5jaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Скачать книгу