Spicy (Palate #1)

Spicy (Palate #1) Read Free Page A

Book: Spicy (Palate #1) Read Free
Author: Octavia Wildwood
Ads: Link
labeled Staff Only.  When Gavin opened it, I saw that behind it was a winding hallway with a number of closed doors on either side.
    Like a man on a mission, Gavin purposefully ushered me inside the second door on the left. 
    He flipped on a light and I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.  It was an elegantly furnished lounge, complete with a waterfall feature on one wall and a gas fireplace opposite of it.  Black leather furniture and a gorgeous rug tied it all together.  It looked like something out of a magazine.
    We both seemed to notice at the same time that Gavin’s hand was still encircling my wrist.  He let go of me abruptly, cleared his throat and took a step back, all while averting his eyes.  I toyed with my hair just so I’d have something to do with my hands.  At the same time, I sternly ordered my heart to stop pounding so hard but infuriatingly, it just ignored me.
    Hearts can be stubborn that way sometimes, you know.
    “This place is gorgeous,” I said as I tugged self-consciously at the hem of my shirt.  I hated how I never seemed to know what to do with my hands.  I wished I’d worn something with pockets.
    The look on Gavin’s handsome, masculine face was one I knew well.  My former boss often had that same gleam in his eye whenever someone complimented his establishment.  It was plain to see Gavin was proud of the business he’d created. 
    “Some of my VIP guests prefer to enjoy drinks in here, away from the prying eyes of the public…not to mention the paparazzi,” he explained.  “In fact, I have a group coming in later this evening.  But for now, we have the room to ourselves.” 
    I stared at him incredulously.  I’d gotten the impression he’d been flirting with me the previous night but I’d never imagined he’d be so brash as to do this.  A tiny part of me was admittedly excited – God, it had been a long time since I’d had sex – but mostly I was just outraged. 
    “Look,” I finally said, my voice trembling ever so slightly, “I don’t know what you’ve heard about me or what you think you know, but I’m not that kind of girl.”
    The corners of Gavin’s mouth turned up slightly at that.  He regarded me with a detached curiosity that only caused my temper to rage even more.  He had a way of acting like he was privy to a private joke and it got under my skin.  “And what kind of girl might that be?” he inquired innocently.
    “I know what kind of repu tation you have,” I shot back, balling my hands up into fists and planting them firmly on my hips.
    “Enlighten me, please.”
    Frustration was boiling up inside me.  Maybe I didn’t have time to read gossip magazines anymore but I still saw their covers when I was standing in line at the grocery store.  Gavin was a celebrity chef but that wasn’t what he was known best for.  He was a Hollywood playboy, a love them and leave them type who went through money and women at an astounding rate. 
    “I’m not an idiot.”
    “No, you’re not,” Gavin agreed.  “But it seems I must be, because I have to admit I’m stumped.  What kind of girl aren’t you?”  His tone was as expressionless as his face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.  In fact, I couldn’t even be sure he was playing with me. 
    I hated that I couldn’t read him…but that was probably what he was striving for, right?  I knew men like Gavin.  They always had to have the upper hand.  It was so maddening.
    My eyes narrowed.  Trust Gavin to play games, acting innocent when he and I both knew why he’d brought me back to a secluded room at his restaurant.  Talk about nerve!  Crossing my arms, I matter-of-factly informed him, “I wouldn’t sleep with you in a million years.”
    Surprise and then amusement played over his obnoxiously handsome features.  “A million years, huh?” he replied, his tone giving no indication of how he felt or what he was thinking.  He unlocked a closet

Similar Books

The South Lawn Plot

Ray O'Hanlon

Ask the Dust

John Fante

Skyland

Aelius Blythe

A Coven of Vampires

Brian Lumley

Under and Alone

William Queen

Marry or Burn

Valerie Trueblood

Money for Nothing

P. G. Wodehouse