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“Oh, right. She worked at Piri, didn’t she?”
“Yeah. She was our pastry chef.” Until Heath’s business partner had talked her into quitting.
Selfish SOB. Cam had strung her along and cost Piri an award-winning pastry chef just because the jerk had thought it would be too awkward to work with her after they broke up. When Cam had dumped her, Heath had battled back an uncharacteristic urge to take a swing at his partner for breaking her heart. Tonight, his feelings were more conflicted. He didn’t like the idea of Phoebe hurting, yet some part of him—a dark, disloyal part—delighted in her freedom.
Heath turned his attention back to Matt. “You have vermouth and green olives back there?” A moment later, he headed outside with his own drink and a vodka martini for Phoebe.
She stood alone, or as alone as one could be on a balcony with four other people, staring at the city skyline while the breeze toyed with the ends of her hair. She had gorgeous strawberry blonde hair that fell past her shoulder blades. When she worked in the kitchen, she secured it in a tight, low bun; Heath always savored these rare occasions when it tumbled free in riotous waves.
He joined her at the railing. June in Atlanta was steamy, enveloping him in heat, but even if it had been snowing outside, Phoebe in that dress would have raised his temperature. “I don’t suppose you’d consider chugging whatever’s left in that wineglass so I can look gallant by bringing you a fresh drink?”
“Heath!” Her full lips curved in a welcoming smile.
He only had a moment to admire the cleavage displayed by the plunging neckline before she threw her arms around him in an unexpectedly fierce hug. Her lush curves pressed against his body, and, damn, she smelled delicious. Was the scent perfume or just the by-product of working each day with cinnamon and vanilla and other tantalizing ingredients? He had the fleeting impulse to drop the glasses in his hands so he could hold her close, capture her mouth with his own and find out if she tasted equally delicious.
She pulled away, her smile sheepish. “Sorry. I almost knocked you over, didn’t I?”
“You don’t hear me complaining.” He’d happily allow her to knock him flat on his back if he could convince her to join him.
“I was excited to see a friendly face.”
He raised an eyebrow. She was hardly among strangers. When Bobbi had interviewed her as part of a dessert series last year, they’d become instant friends. Phoebe probably knew half the people here.
“A single friendly face,” she added. “It’s nice not to be the only one without a date. Or are you here with someone?” She gazed past him into the condo, her whiskey-gold eyes searching.
“Nope, I’m alone.” He thanked his lucky stars that the flight attendant he’d originally asked to come with him was somewhere over the Midwest right now. “I have it on good authority that the Kemp sisters are also solo—and on the prowl. Protect me from them?”
“Oh, please. You haven’t needed anyone’s help handling women a day in your life.”
Not since college anyway. Regardless, it wasn’t either of the Kemp sisters he wanted to handle.
Phoebe set her wineglass on the patio table. “I’m not finishing that. The floral notes are overpowering, and life’s too short to drink mediocre wine. What did you bring me?”
“Vodka martini, two olives, splash of brine.” He winked at her. “I know you like it dirty.”
Color tinged her cheeks, but she grinned back at him. “Yum.” Phoebe was an interesting contrast. Although she blushed at his habitual teasing, she’d often been the first to laugh if someone made a ribald joke in the kitchen. Muffled laughter, but Heath heard it just the same.
As she took the martini glass, her fingers brushed his. A rush of desire went through him, surprising him with its intensity. When she’d worked at Piri, they’d bumped and jostled each other plenty of times in a crowded kitchen.
But she hadn’t been single then.
“You look amazing tonight.” His gaze dropped to the creamy swells of her breasts for a moment before he made himself meet her eyes again. “Different, but amazing.”
“I can’t take credit for that. It’s easy to look amazing when your roommate’s professionally trained to make people look good. Gwen is responsible for my wardrobe, my cosmetics and my hair—not to mention making me attend the party.”
“She talked you into rearranging your schedule?” He and Gwen didn’t particularly get along, not since a disastrous double date Phoebe had engineered, but he appreciated that the woman had convinced Phoebe to be here.
“More like she rearranged my schedule for me. She called James, who is the nicest boss ever. No offense.”
He grinned. “None taken.” Nice wasn’t one of the adjectives that described him.
“I’m glad they persuaded me. I would have hated to miss Bobbi’s birthday. I was just clinging to the excuse of work because—” Her eyes widened, locking on a point behind Heath. Her fair complexion paled beyond its normal ivory.
Damn. Heath didn’t need to turn around to know Cam was inside. Probably with a date, judging from Phoebe’s pained expression. It had been too much to hope that her attending the party looking like fantasy made flesh was a sign she’d moved past her feelings for the hotshot chef. They’d been together for years. She wasn’t shallow enough to put that behind her in a matter of days.
“Phoebe?” He took her drink and set both their glasses on the nearby railing. “Do you trust me?”
Her gaze snapped back to his. “Sure.”
That makes one of us. Heath knew better than to trust his own motives as he cupped the side of her face. Helping her salvage her dignity provided an excellent excuse to touch her, and being successful in business had taught him a thing or two about seizing opportunities. Tendrils of her fiery hair tickled his arm as he leaned closer. “I have a plan.”
Then he pulled her tight against him and kissed her.
2 (#ubf27d9e0-08e2-5cb6-82bb-055259d9af6c)
THE WORLD SPUN wildly around Phoebe as her brain tried to process what was happening. Her body, meanwhile, just wanted to revel in Heath’s kiss. He traced her lips, and then his tongue met hers, the hint of bourbon a sweet burn that spread through her. His hands were at the small of her back, holding her against him in a way that gave her a whole new appreciation for his body. She’d always considered him a sharp dresser, but suddenly she wondered what he’d look like without the well-tailored suits.
He kissed with assertive confidence, like a man who knew exactly what she wanted and was happy to give it to her.
For the past ten days, she’d been like a sleepwalker, cocooned in dull numbness. She hadn’t even realized how detached she’d been until now, with sensation rushing through her. Her skin tingled with pleasure. She angled her head, encouraging Heath to deepen the kiss. He did, and a shock wave of desire hit her. When was the last time she’d felt this damn good?
She curled her fingers in his dark hair. It was thick and soft, free of the stiff styling products that Cam—
Oh, God. Cam.
The memory of her ex’s presence jolted her from the sensual daze, and she staggered back, glad for the support of the iron-and-concrete railing behind her. “What the hell was that?” she asked, her voice little more than a breathless whisper.
Unreadable emotion flashed in Heath’s green eyes. Regret? Before he could answer, a guy from the far end of the balcony whistled at them. “We were debating whether we’d have to throw a bucket of water on you guys. Guess you two don’t need a party to have a good time.”
Cheeks stinging with embarrassment, Phoebe retreated inside...but drew up short when she found herself face-to-face with a scowling Cam. Heath was instantly at her side, his hand pressed lightly to her spine. She couldn’t tell if the gesture was meant to be comforting or possessive. But after the way every nerve in her body had just responded to him, the touch was like a brand through her beaded dress, as if her entire universe had contracted to his palm and fingers. For a second, she couldn’t even register what Cam was saying. She simply held her breath, waiting to see how Heath touched her next.
“—you two would be here together.” Cam’s words, at first just a meaningless buzz, slowly took shape. He’d pasted a smile on his face, the polite one he forced himself to use with important food critics he didn’t like, but anger edged his tone.
“Phoebe isn’t technically my date,” Heath said. “I’m just grateful I ran into her. You never know where a chance encounter might lead.” He looked at her when he said it, his tone meaningful.
Her breath hitched before sanity caught up to her. Heath was deliberately baiting his own business partner, making Cam think there was something between them. Why would he do that? The two men were planning to open a second restaurant together, and that process would run a lot smoother without any manufactured tension between them.
Cam looked startled by Heath’s insinuation. “I, ah...” His gaze went to Phoebe, searching, and she tried to look cheerful, not at all like she’d rather be home in yoga pants than facing her ex. Then his date cleared her throat. “Oh! Allow me to introduce you to Donna Moore.”
“Dana,” the blonde snapped, her eyes narrowing in displeasure.
“Dana. Of course. That’s what I meant to say. Dana, this is Heath and Phoebe.”
“Charmed.” If her tone was any icier, they could use it to make frozen drinks.
“How about we, uh, go wish Bobbi a happy birthday?” Cam suggested, steering his date away. As they merged into the crowd, he cast one final glance over his shoulder.
At me. Phoebe fought a grin at the surprising knowledge that he was jealous. As the executive chef of a noted restaurant, Cam was often in the spotlight, giving interviews and emerging from the kitchen to greet special customers. She’d been so proud of him, content to bake her desserts and watch him soak up the accolades. But it was a refreshing change to be the one getting a little attention.
Belatedly, she recalled Heath’s words before his mouth claimed hers. I have a plan. Understanding dawned. “You kissed me to make him jealous.”
“Hope you don’t think that’s too petty or juvenile.”
“Actually...” She recalled the times Cam had praised her as his muse and led her to believe marriage was in their distant future, contrasting those moments with the brutal shock of his announcement that they were “stifling” each other. He hadn’t even had the balls to make a clean break. Instead, he’d suggested they still go out occasionally—which she’d translated as code for wanting a backup sexual partner on the nights nothing better came along. Hell, no. “That was awesome.”
She just wished she’d realized sooner that Heath’s kiss was only playacting. As she recalled the greedy way she’d clutched at him and how her toes had curled inside Gwen’s borrowed stilettos, embarrassment rippled through her. Way to come on like a sex-starved hussy. She deeply regretted the loss of the martini she’d left behind.
“Thank you,” she told him. “But you didn’t have to do that.”
“Kissing a beautiful woman is no hardship.”
Heath thinks I’m beautiful. There was a momentary flush of giddiness before she reminded herself that he was a connoisseur of women. He appreciated many forms and shapes, the way she could savor dozens of desserts from around the world without ever picking a favorite. How many countless women had she heard him call “sweetheart” or “gorgeous”? His compliment, though flattering, wasn’t personal.
“Besides,” he added, frowning in Cam’s direction, “the big jerk had it coming. You were the best thing that ever happened to him.”
“That’s what Gwen said, too.” She was blessed to have such loyal friends, even ones who inexplicably disliked each other. The day Cam had broken up with her, Gwen had partially blamed Heath.
“That business partner makes single life look so glamorous, with his endless parade of women,” her friend had said. “Cam got so distracted by what he can’t have that he took you for granted.” Phoebe didn’t fault Heath, but the “grass is greener” explanation made as much sense as anything else. She’d thought they were happy.
“He is going to regret losing you,” Heath said. “If he thinks you’ve found someone, it might speed up his epiphany.”
Found someone? As in, an actual relationship and not just a quick kiss at a party? “You aren’t suggesting we make him think that you and I are dating?”
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
She laughed nervously. “No offense, but who would buy that? You’re never seen with the same woman twice.” Oddly, few of his ex-lovers seemed bitter. Most continued to smile and sigh when they saw him. He must be really good in bed. She felt wicked, secretly speculating on his sexual performance while he stood there giving her relationship advice.
The corner of Heath’s mouth curled in a half grin that made her immediately reevaluate her last thought. This man could teach a master’s class in wickedness. Next to him, she was a total novice.
“Why stop at making him think we’re ‘dating’?” he asked. “You want to really get under his skin, let him think we’re having a scorching affair hotter than an Atlanta heat wave. As for no one believing us...” His gaze arrested hers, and he shifted closer. She could almost feel the hard planes of his body through the fabric of her dress. “You’d be surprised at how convincing I can be.”
Oh, Lord, did she need a drink. Not her martini—ice water. Her throat had gone dry, and the crowded room was stifling. “I don’t know.”
Though she didn’t doubt Heath’s persuasive skills, she herself was a terrible liar. And she was still sorting through the aftermath of her breakup. Did she want to win back Cam’s affection? She was furious with him, but there were good memories and years of emotional investment. Either way, her feminine pride had taken a hit when he’d dumped her. Having Heath look at her as if he wanted to lick dark chocolate ganache off her bare skin was heady, yet confusing.
He rocked back on his heels, symbolically restoring the platonic distance between them. “Completely up to you,” he said. “Think about it, and we’ll talk soon. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should flee. There’s a Kemp sister heading this way.”
She chuckled, but he raised an interesting point about other women. “Heath, if people think you and I are a couple, won’t it hinder your love life?”
“Sacrifice I’m willing to make.” He grinned. “Temporarily. I’ve actually been swamped with work stuff recently and had to reschedule my last two attempted dates. So contrary to my suave reputation, I can go a couple of weeks without a woman on my arm.”
“Still, it seems pretty one-sided, me using you to make Cam jealous.”
“I’m at your disposal. Use me any way you want.”
It was the kind of outrageously flirtatious comment he routinely made. She knew better than to read anything serious into it. He’s a buddy, she reminded herself. He’s not genuinely propositioning you.
Yeah, she knew that. Intellectually. But the reminder would have been a lot more convincing without the memory of that scalding kiss still buzzing through her system.
* * *
“WHAT DO YOU mean Heath kissed you last night?” Gwen went from lazily lounging on the sofa to bolt upright and hyperalert—or as alert as one could look with bed head and flying toaster pajamas. She sounded scandalized, which was ironic considering the details of her own personal life.
Grinning at her friend’s reaction, Phoebe put her empty coffee cup in the sink. Then she made a beeline for her favorite armchair, the first piece of non–garage sale furniture she’d purchased after starting her side business of wedding cakes. Their apartment was modest, but the kitchen met her picky specifications.
“Which part of kissing don’t you understand?” she joked. “His lips, my lips. After the sordid tales of you and the hot stunt guy, I know you’re familiar with the concept.”
Gwen scowled, clearly not amused.
Wow, she really doesn’t approve of Heath. Not for the first time, Phoebe wished that two of her favorite people could get along better. She’d attempted to fix them up last year, thinking they had a lot in common, but the double date with her and Cam had been a massive failure. Even before Gwen’s blasphemous declaration that baseball was boring, Heath hadn’t been his usual charming self. He’d seemed oddly distracted. “Look, it wasn’t a real kiss. Heath wanted to help me make Cam jealous and offered to let me use him.”
A flutter of guilty pleasure went through her. What might a woman do with Heath Jensen entirely under her control?
Gwen shook her head firmly. “You don’t want any part of that. Making sure your ex sees you looking hot is one thing, but mind games are beneath you.”
“Maybe.” She recalled Cam’s stricken expression after he’d seen Heath kiss her and her vindictive delight. Maybe not. “But it’s not like you to judge. You’re the one always encouraging me to be reckless, have an adventure.”
“Yeah, but I figured you’d start small and work your way up. When a person goes skiing for the first time, she doesn’t head straight for the black diamond trails. She starts with the bunny slopes! Heath is no bunny.”
“I know the two of you didn’t exactly hit it off, but Heath would never hurt me.”
“Not intentionally,” Gwen agreed. “But you would be in way over your head trying to fake a red-hot fling with him. Next to that borderline man-whore, you’re a nun.”
“I went out last night in a dress cut down to my navel. I am not a nun.”
“Okay, wrong choice of word. But you have to admit you’re not...” Gwen peered at her with a combination of affection and sympathy. “Like when you talked about your love life with Cam? It sounded comfortable, maybe even a little routine.”
“Maybe I’ve never had a quickie with a ripped stuntman in a makeup trailer, but our sex life was plenty satisfactory!” Oh, there was a ringing endorsement. Hey, baby, wanna get satisfactory? Was that why Cam had left her—because the sex had been boring?
After growing up with a mother who’d done everything she could to impress on her that sex was evil, Phoebe had congratulated herself more than once on not turning out to be phobic. Still, her love life was pretty conventional. There’d been the boyfriend her freshman year in college who’d been as inexperienced as she was. He’d treated her like a princess, but the sex had not been earth-shaking. Then there’d been the bartender she’d dated during her year of working at a bakery. On the nights he worked, he didn’t get home until almost 3:00 a.m., and her predawn shift had started at four. Their sex life had been great...when they were both awake at the same time. Cam was by far the best lover she’d ever had, but now she realized she didn’t have much basis for comparison.
If she’d been more inventive in bed, would she have held his interest longer?
That was a depressing thought.
Phoebe sighed. “I guess instead of making fun of those Weird Ways to Bring Him to His Knees articles in your fashion magazines, I should be studying them for advice.” Then again, why read generic tips written by another woman? Why not get a guy’s opinion? She snapped her fingers. “Or Heath could help me.”
“What? Let’s not do anything hasty.”
“Heath offered to help.” Use me any way you want. “Why not take him up on it?” The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. “Best-case scenario, I win back the man I was planning to spend my life with, after an appropriate period of groveling. Worst case, Cam and I stay split up, but I salvage my pride by making sure he knows I’m not wasting away and I pick up tips on being more seductive. Where’s the bad?”
“In Heath Jensen’s arms,” Gwen said darkly.
There, her roommate was wrong. Because being kissed by Heath had been very, very good. And that had only been a brief preview of his expertise. Her pulse quickened.
How much more of Heath’s sensual skill would she experience firsthand? She glanced across the room to where her phone was charging.
Only one way to find out.
