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. Your brother? How did David  I traced a crack on theplaster ceiling as if I could trace a direct line between TonyGervase s loose lips and Claire Cooke s eager ear.Icounted to ten, slowly. You freaking townies.Doeseveryone know? You re a townie, too. She shut the door behind her. Obviously Tony told Mark, probably just pillow talkbecause men are way worse gossips than women.Mark toldhis sister Sarah, and she  Told their mother. Mark and Sarah Meehan s motherhad run the Smithfield post office for twenty years, managingthe gossip hub of the known universe.Worse, Tony andSarah had been best friends in high school.There were nosecrets in Smithfield. We did not fuck. Whatever.Call it what you will.Tony said Aaron spants were off.I take back ever calling you dull. I wantedto fall through the floor as Claire added in awe,  You re afreak.You just better hope he s not your long-lost uncle.I put my head on the desk when she left.Just for a minute.Then, I pulled myself together.I had a business to run andguests were checking in tomorrow, so I set all the bullshitaside and opened my mail.Chapter TenAt five fifty-five, I shoved the bills aside.I should havetaken ten minutes to shower and shave, but unbelievably, I dforgotten the cooking class until the moment I stumbled onthe small group of apron-clad dating enthusiasts gathered inour beautifully turned-out kitchen.Same boring khaki.Same plaid shirt.Not that anyonenoticed me except for Wynne, who tossed me a relievedlook. Sam.I was worried. Her chef s coat was buttoned,and my lack of appropriate attire barely registered on herfeatures. Can you help with the wine? Sure thing. I donned a floral apron and popped the corkon our first bottle before taking a deep breath and finding myplace beside my cooking partner.He d saved space for me,or no one had thought to join him assuming I would be hisdate and his perplexed expression had me offering a lameexplanation. Work got the better of me. I can see that.Quit frowning.You re making the ladiesuncomfortable. But not you, right? Aaron shook his head and I gracedhim with my best innkeeper smile. Better? Not really.You look like a Viking serial killer. Hey. I laughed. I practiced that smile in the mirror.It smy friendly smile. You need to keep practicing, Sam. Aaron helpedhimself to a cheese cube from a plate of hors d oeuvres andI couldn t stop myself from comparing him to Wynne.Bothof them could cut through tension with an easy smile,although Aaron s gaze appreciated me in an entirelydifferent way.He admired my stubble. Nice scruff.It suitsyou.I rubbed a palm over my jaw. Thanks.It s unintentional. Then I like it even more.Keep it. Impulsive.Impractical.Impressive.Orgasmic.But nothing to beashamed of, he d said only a few hours ago.I swear.So many questions to ask, but I didn t know how to beginwith Ms.Strauss, the dual elderly Sarahs, and Cole andClaire close by, so I did what came naturally.I countedheads. Weren t there more people signed up this week?Aaron passed the cheese plate. Flu.Tough break forWynne, but they said they d be here next week.My sister didn t appear heartbroken she looked smug asshe tapped her index cards on the butcher block. She s upto something.Aaron agreed. I gathered as much.She played the Prettyin Pink soundtrack all afternoon. I apologize.We were interrupted by my sister reading from the firstindex card,  Welcome to Date Night Cooking Class, PartTwo.This evening we explore ingredients best known fortheir stimulating qualities, while we enjoy a diverse tastingof wines from France, Spain and Italy. I helped myself to asplash of the aforementioned Italian wine. Our menu ismeant to entice, to tempt and to satisfy, for tonight we cook aphrodisiacs.With a sweep of her hand, she introduced ourgrandmother s heirloom domed silver food servers, forwhich Aaron had obviously climbed to the attic.Fourmystery ingredients lay under the lids.Really, my sis shouldhave her own show on the Food Network, or at least achannel on YouTube. Now. Wynne s face glowed withexcitement. Let s talk about sex.I blushed redder than the Chianti.Christ, I wished I dpaid a-fucking-ttention to what my sister had planned for thisevening.By now everyone in the room must know I d hadsex with Aaron in the church, except, I hoped to God,Wynne.I shot Claire a look.She d had prior knowledge oftonight s theme, but she refused to meet my eye. Sex? Aaron s savoir faire held.He waved his glass inmy direction, winking. I think you should buy me a drinkfirst. Even so, a splash of hot color crept up his collar. Not that there s anything wrong with sex on an emptystomach or an empty glass but since the room is full, Irequire a dash of social lubrication.The ladies tittered and I filled his glass.If we drankenough, I could forget everything and offer him the best kindof lubrication later tonight.I had plenty hidden in mybedside table.Cole tentatively raised his hand.After a day in Claire scompany, his chestnut locks stuck wildly toward the ceiling,as though he d run his fingers through a few too many times.My hair had to be in worse shape.Our new friend hadselected a cherry-themed apron, which he d tied high on hiswaist, and his navy polo shirt featured a tiny pink pony.Wynne put down her card. Yes, Cole? What do you mean by aphrodisiac? Like when people dothings with whipped cream or something? His gaze slid tothe elderly women and his color deepened [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]