Cook's Choice

Leroy's gut burned at the mention of heading back to Atlanta. Rae didn?t work at Thelma?s anymore. But every time he went into the kitchen, her ghost was resurrected and haunted him. Ghostly images of her hot ass saddled across his waist as she rode him on the kitchen floor assaulted him. He couldn?t breathe without inhaling her scent, and he?d never eat chocolate pudding again.

Leroy found himself more than a little bored by the lack of engaging recipes or entrees on Maze?s menu. The hot action occurred on the dinner shift. Fish dishes and seafood from the bay made excellent opportunities for experimentation and the creation of innovative dishes. That was one thing this place had over Thelma?s.



The opportunity to learn seafood-worthy recipes, to meet interesting people, and to immerse himself in the stress-free days of being away from the hustle of big city life were all reasons why he?d come to the bay. He?d exhausted most of his time and talents at Thelma?s?he wanted something else in his life.



A woman.



A cold smirk etched itself across his face, and his heart tightened in anger.



Hell no. A change of locale, yes, but a woman. No.



He thought Rae would be the one, but her untamable heart and wild behavior doomed them from the start. Blinded by his lust and chained by his reasoning, he?d allowed her to use him like a human-sized dildo. She?d sashay her fine ass into the kitchen, shaking her tail feathers and throwing off hormones like a teenager, and damn, down went his defenses. She had cracked him down into many small insignificant pieces. He didn?t know if he could pick them up, let alone put them back together into some semblance of a heart.



?How?s it going, newbie?? came a husky voice from the rear door of the restaurant. ?Maze said he was bringing you in today to start the big-time Saturday crowd.?



Leroy looked from the grill to the direction of the voice. He may be new, but he wasn?t a soft rug to be walked on by anyone. And her tone told him he?d have to set her straight?and that he wanted her sassy mouth covering his cock.



But first things first.



He spun around to put her on point, but his saucy words died on his lips as his eyes rested on the owner of the rather rude questioning and throaty voice. His eyes traveled over her sneaker-clad feet, shapely calves, and full thighs, and to the slacks-covered triangle. Without waiting, his gaze continued upward, past a trim waist and generous apple-sized breasts, before locking on her face. His cock grew heavier with each eyeful of the woman.



A curvaceous woman in an apple-red apron and scarlet slacks with thick brunette hair that rippled down to her shoulders had her hands on her hips. She wore a nice, pleasant smile, despite the frosty tone. Beneath the fall of luscious hair were two green eyes as sharp as emeralds. They bore into him, unrelenting and unabashed at their frankness.



?Yeah, and you are?? Leroy managed to say, clearing the dryness in his throat by swallowing hard?and loud. The knot dropped directly into his phallus, forcing it to stretch from its dormant state.



Baby, who are you?



?Sienna Smalls,? she said, her hand out and available. Nude fingernails topped lean fingers, long and ready to rake shivers down his back. ?I?m the head cook. We haven?t met earlier because I?ve been covering night shift since Santiago had a death in the family.?



Seems this job ain?t so bad after all. At least the view is good.



Leroy shook her hand, feeling her cool, pale one in his. The rough patches from grease burns had singed certain oval patches of her flesh. Her nails weren?t even or polished for that matter.



A true cook.



?Nice to meet you, Sienna.? And he meant every word.



?Nice to meet you, newbie,? she replied, pulling her hand free and wiping it on her slacks.



Great. His sweat wouldn?t even make it to her apron.



Come on, baby. Give me a shot. Wait. She might be married or have a lover already.



His eyes swept over her again and he nodded to himself. No way is this beautiful woman unattached. Someone must have staked a claim on her. Hell, if she were mine, I would?ve marked her ass good and proper.



A flash of hot rage rushed through him, but was hastily put out by his logic. The very possibility that someone would touch her, kiss those pouty lips, and suck the lower one between his teeth made him temporarily furious.



Slow, slow your roll here. She?s taken and she off limits. End of discussion.



Leroy went back to the grill and awaited orders from newly arriving customers. Maze?s spot was a popular place for people who ate breakfast?the best in town. As soon as the clock flipped to seven, people rolled in. Leroy could hear them getting settled in booths, tables and along the u-shaped counter around the bar. Wasn?t a bar now, but once happy hour arrived, the bartender, Sal, would start serving it up. Maze would transform into a booming, happening spot.



Silence gave way to chatter and conversations in the restaurant.



Sienna sashayed on by him, her hips bumping him in the process, and causing his arousal to escalate.

He fought down the urge to grab those shapely buttocks and press them against his cock. Instead he clutched one of the kitchen towels in his hands, twisting it as the yearning receded.



Once her apron was tied, Sienna pulled her hair into a ponytail while she walked around the kitchen, checking things with her eyes and nodding to herself.



?Get the egg skillets, newbie,? she ordered, with the right mix of authority and sensual prowess?and she didn?t even know it. ?Lower cabinet, yeah that one, the right door.?



Leroy did as he was told and over the next four hours, he obeyed every command shouted from



Sienna and the stream of waitresses and waiters flowing through the kitchen.



During the occasional lulls in traffic, he got a chance to spy the head chef and he enjoyed what he saw. He enjoyed it very much. The apron highlighted every curve, and the heat in the kitchen gave her olive skin a rosy flush he wanted to kiss, and to rub his hands across. The way her ponytail bounced, the way her eyes?wide and sharp with intelligence?were on everything with deadly accuracy. She caught nearly every mistake he made and those of the waitresses.


No one escaped her temper or her tongue.