A Tablespoon of Temptation (A Recipe for Love Novel Book 1) Read online

  “Note to self, never let Danielle cook for me.”

  She gave him a soft slug in the arm. “Hey, I’m a mean microwaver.”

  He rose and went to the dessert table to slice a piece of her cake and then came back. “Let’s see here.” He forked a piece. “Can you put 911 on speed dial before I gobble this up?”

  “Tell you what. I’ll steal the first bite. That way, you know I’m not trying to kill the whole team.” She leaned forward and took it from his fork. “Amazing,” she said after she swallowed and took a drink of coffee to wash it down.

  “Really?”

  She shook her head. “No, but if you tasted the ones who came before, you’d think this was Michelin Star worthy.” She laughed. “My best friend Trish said it tasted like monkey ass.”

  “And how does she know?”

  “She doesn’t.” Danielle put her hand on her chin. “Then again, she did do a summer work program at the Denver Zoo.”

  “You said you could make a mean cake?”

  She laughed. “What I meant was that I’m a mean cake maker. It’s not a pleasant experience and it makes me crabby.”

  “Good to know.”

  He forked another bite and shoved it into his mouth before he changed his mind. It was dry when it hit his tongue, but the flavor was there.

  It stuck in his throat, so he washed it down with coffee. “Chocolaty.”

  “That’s a whole story on its own. Did you know that when you make a chocolate cake, you have to use a brick of unsweetened cocoa? It’s awful, and I refuse to use it. The first two times I used a bag of chocolate chips.”

  “How did that turn out?” They were only talking about cake. Bad cake at that, but seeing her grow more animated with each story, made him want to eat the whole miserable mess if it kept her there beside him.

  She smiled. “Trish was right. It was primate bottom for sure.”

  They both busted out in laughter.

  They grabbed a plate of food, and stood at the back, watching everyone while they ate. It was a comfortable silence. He loved that they could be together and not have to fill every moment with noise. Sometimes the best times were the quiet times.

  Allie broke their peaceful moment with an air splitting whistle to get everyone’s attention. His sister could quiet a concert hall with that sound.

  “Looks like you all had some time to chat and enjoy lunch. Thanks for bringing the desserts they were … interesting.”

  Chris piped in. “Bagels were good. The cake had the texture of sand.”

  “What did you bring, Mr. Putnam?” Allie asked.

  He pointed to himself. “The sweetest treat in here. Me.”

  Allie shook her head. “I asked everyone to make something because what comes from your kitchen often comes from your heart. That says a lot about a person.” She pulled Julian to her side and gave James a brief glance. “We’ve been paying a lot of attention to the upper management, and we’ve decided on who will get the general manager position.”

  Willetta raised her hand. “What criteria did you use?”

  “Lots,” Allie answered. “We gathered data from past profit-and-loss reports. We interviewed your employees. We filtered through guest comments. We watched.”

  “Sounds like a popularity contest,” Paul grumbled.

  Chris stood up. “If that’s the case, then I win.” He began to walk forward like he was accepting a trophy.

  “Take a seat, Mr. Putnam,” Julian said. He turned to Allie. “You want to make the announcement, or do you want me to?”

  She elbowed him. “I want to do it. You’re a numbers guy, and I’m a people person,” she teased.

  “Our new general manager is none other than our chocolate cake maker, Danielle Morgan.”

  James expected a round of applause, but the first thing that happened was Chris stood up and yelled. “I’m not working for her.”

  Allie smiled. “That’s up to you, Mr. Putnam. Bring me your resignation letter when you decide.”

  He stormed out, and Flynn stood up and clapped. “That was a good decision. Danielle is perfect for the job.”

  James watched the man and wondered if Flynn had a crush on Danielle. The fist of jealousy squeezed his gut.

  He looked to see her reaction. Her face paled. Maybe the cake was bad, after all.

  “You okay?”

  She forced a smile on her face. “Yep.”

  Allie and Julian walked over. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” She took in two deep breaths. “Can you excuse me for a second?” She rushed out of the room.

  “Is she okay?” Allie asked.

  “No idea. Let me find out.” He raced after her and caught up just as she was ducking under the plastic sheeting to her cubicle. “Wrong office.” He gently took her arm and led her to the general manager’s space. He bypassed the desk and continued through to the studio.

  “I can’t be the general manager.” She collapsed on the couch and buried her face in her hands.

  He sat beside her. “Why not? You’re perfect for the position.”

  “I’m not. There are reasons I shouldn’t be in charge. Hell, I can’t even bake a cake?”

  “You and I both know this had nothing to do with that cake, which would have never gotten you the job.”

  She looked up. Her eyes were jeweled and ready to spill tears. “Bad, right?”

  He shook his head. “No, what it lacked in moisture, it had in grit.”

  “Grit’s a good way to describe it. Chris was right; the texture was like sand.”

  “Maybe, but the flavor was like heaven.” He leaned in and cupped her cheek. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “Chris is my ex.”

  “Ex what?” He thumbed away the tear that ran down her face.

  “Ex-husband.”

  Her confession was like a right hook to his chin. “You’re kidding?” He wasn’t expecting that. If Chris was the caliber of man she preferred, he had no chance. Chris was egotistical, maniacal, and a classic narcissist. He’d never been or would become any of those things.

  “I wish I was. He was the biggest mistake of my life.”

  His hand slipped from her cheek to her shoulder. “We’re all entitled to one. I had a mistake, too. But your past shouldn’t dictate your future. If you turn down the position because of him, he comes out the victor. Do you really want to let him win?”

  “No. I’d rather give him a case of the clap or a bout with food poisoning.”

  He laughed. “He did eat your cake.”

  James lifted her chin so he could see her eyes. Because of the tears they were the color of clover or the finest emerald.

  “He pretends to be a team player, so he took a bite. He doesn’t usually eat sugar. He loves himself too much to do that to his body.”

  “Sounds like he didn’t love you enough.” He pulled her into his arms and held her. All he wanted to do was kiss her, but this moment wasn’t about him. It was about her.

  She snuggled into his embrace and laid her head on his chest. This was exactly where she belonged. He was in heaven.

  Several moments later, she moved away, sat up, and rubbed her face. “I’m not normally such a mess.” She drew in a few deep breaths. “Thank you for being with me.”

  “There’s no one I’d rather be with.”

  His response came naturally. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. If he’d been thinking, he would have pulled her into his lap and devoured her lips.

  “I’m okay now. I know what I need to do. You’re right. I’m not giving him a win. He’s taken enough from me already.” She pulled her shoulders back and put on a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “You ready to face the world?”

  “I am.” As they walked back to the lounge, she seemed to grow taller with each step. Everyone was still there, eating their second round of dessert. She took her place at the front of the room. “Sorry for my abrupt departure, that announcement came as a
shock, and I needed a minute to process everything.” She glanced toward him with a silent thank you in her eyes. “We’re already a good team, but we’ll become better with the support of our new management.”

  Flynn raised his hand and asked, “Any advice or wisdom to share?”

  She let out a burst of laughter. “Yes, don’t touch that chocolate cake if you want to live.”

  Chapter 11

  Danielle

  How silly was it to be nervous about her first day at her new position? It’s not like she hadn’t been doing the job forever, anyway. The only difference was now others were accountable to her, including Chris.

  Allie and Julian had convinced her to take a couple of days off so she could start fresh. That only gave her more time to worry.

  She paced back and forth in front of her bed. There were four blazers on her comforter. All of them said something different. The pink meant she was approachable. The white said she was trustworthy. In her mind, the gray was impartial, and the black meant she was all business. Since today would be the tone-setter, she slipped on the black jacket and headed out the door.

  Trish was running up the sidewalk with a paper lunch bag in her hand just as she stepped onto the porch.

  “What are you doing here?” Danielle turned around and locked her door.

  Trish leaned over and caught her breath. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t support my bestie on her first day of her new job?”

  “Thanks. You’re the best friend a girl could have.” She eyed the bag and saw her name written on it. The e at the end swirled into a heart. “Did you bring me a bagel?”

  “Yep, cinnamon and raisin with double cream cheese. Just the way you like it.” Trish thrust the bag forward. “Ask your hunky monkey to get the coffee. Do you think he can train Rob on coffee delivery?”

  “Oh please, your husband cleans, cooks, and does dishes.”

  Trish laughed, “And he’s got a good bagel.”

  Danielle walked toward her car. “Stop bragging.”

  “Yeah, but James probably has a hammer and wields it like a pro.”

  “I’m not talking about James’ hammer; and, before you ask, I haven’t seen it. You know how I feel about getting involved with someone at work. It’s bad news all the way around.” She opened the door and put the bagel bag on the passenger seat. When she spun around, she pulled Trish in for a hug. “Wish me luck.”

  Trish squeezed her a little more tightly than normal. “You don’t need luck. You’ll be great.” She let go and stepped back. “You better get to work, or you’ll be late.”

  Once Danielle climbed inside her SUV, she rolled down the window. “What if they don’t respect me as a boss?” It was her biggest fear. She had no worries about the job; it was the people that frightened the hell out of her.

  “You can fire them and start all over.” Trish waved. “I’d start with Chris. If he continues to sleep with guests, that will be a huge problem for the company.”

  “I’ll consider the counsel. Have a great day.” Trish skipped to her car and took off.

  Danielle contemplated her suggestion. Firing Chris wasn’t really an option because he’d claim it was personal. Then again, his sleeping with guests wasn’t the biggest problem. She’d been going over the inventories for each department while she was “off”, and his data didn’t add up. She’d need to keep a close eye on him. All the talk about Chris gave her a bellyache, or maybe it was because she hadn’t eaten.

  Before she backed out of her driveway, she opened the bag and found the bagel and a juice box. She’d start with half the bagel on the way there.

  When she saw her designated parking spot in the garage, her chest swelled with pride. It didn’t have her name on it, but it said general manager, and that was enough. She pulled into the spot, grabbed her purse, the paper sack, and headed inside. Like Avis, she could have used the private elevator and avoided everyone, but how was that good for business?

  “Good morning, Ms. Morgan,” Beverly called from the front desk. She started working at the resort just before the takeover and had the most welcoming smile.

  Danielle stood taller and walked with purpose to greet her. “Good morning. You can call me Danielle, we’re part of the Luxe family. How are things today?”

  “Can’t complain.” She looked skyward. “There’s not much activity with the tower closed, but I cleaned and stocked everything. Mr. Patterson complained about the towels again, so I sent him some from the suites since those rooms aren’t being used right now.”

  “Great job. I have to agree with Mr. Patterson. Sandpaper towels are not a luxury, and this is Luxe. I’ll talk to Allie about it. Let’s see if we can provide quality linens to everyone.” She moved toward the elevator and pressed the button for the corporate offices. It was still number thirteen, but now it was a lucky number.

  Gone was the blue confetti carpet. Marble tiles replaced it. Where the cubicles once sat, was a large conference room with a twenty-foot table and a wall of computers. It was amazing how much could happen when the construction crews worked around the clock. She'd been gone two days and a week’s worth of work was finished. Her heels clicked across the flooring until she reached the lounge.

  Inside stood James with his back to her. She’d recognize his behind anywhere. The way those jeans hugged his backside and thighs was almost pornographic. At least it was with her. She’d had many a sleepless night thinking about the power of those thighs since she met him. With a full cup of coffee on the counter next to him and another brewing in the machine, he pulled out the jar of sugar packets and opened a dozen of them.

  “Figured it out?”

  He spun around to face her. “What? The sugar or you?”

  She walked inside and stood beside him. “The machine.”

  “I did.” He handed her a cup of sweet heaven. “For you.”

  “Why are you always bringing me coffee?”

  “You’re much more pleasant after your fifth cup.”

  He leaned against the counter like he belonged there. With one foot crossed over the other, he was the picture of calm. James held a certain air that was both attractive and dangerous for her. She liked men who were self-assured; it was how she ended up with Chris. It wasn’t until she was in too deep that she realized Chris’s boasting wasn’t confidence, but his need to stroke his own ego.

  James was different. He didn’t brag; he did. His actions spoke louder than any words he could say.

  “It’s my third.”

  His shoulders shook with his laugh. “I have to put two more into you before you grace me with your smile then.” He pointed to the counter that held several days old desserts from their meeting. “How about a piece of your cake to sweeten you up?” He kicked off the counter and moved to the desserts.

  She set her mug down and lunged forward to swipe the cake away before he could slice into it.

  “Don’t torture yourself.” She stared at the paper bag in her hand. There was still a half a bagel and a juice box. “If you’re hungry, have this. My best friend’s husband owns Abrams bagels.” She reached in and took out the half she hadn’t eaten and gave it to him.

  “You ate the good half.”

  She always started with the top half because it was fluffier and had more raisins. “I did. Are you saying you don’t want what I’m offering?”

  He raised a brow. “What would that be?” He closed the distance between them.

  “A bagel.” She stepped back. There was an inferno building between them, and she could hardly stand the heat.

  “Are you sure that’s it?” He moved another step toward her, trapping her against the counter. “Just this bagel?”

  She opened and closed her mouth several times.

  The clickety-clack of Allie’s heels saved her from saying anything else.

  “You ready?” Allie asked as she turned the corner into the lounge.

  “Yep,” Danielle said, sidestepping James. “Just tossing the cake a
way.” She dumped it in the trash can and placed the plate in the sink for washing later. She picked up her coffee and rushed out the door.

  “You made that cake, right?”

  “Will it affect my job if I say yes?”

  Allie moved ahead of her toward the conference room. “It will only affect you if your sense of humor is as dry as that cake. Next time look up high-altitude baking.”

  Danielle could have taken offense, but she didn’t. The cake was a work in progress. The Mona Lisa wasn’t painted in a day. The Parthenon didn’t get built in a week. All masterpieces took time. One day she’d make the perfect Forever Fudge Cake. She hoped that it would happen before anyone died from her cooking.

  “Questions before the staff arrives?” Allie asked.

  This would be Danielle’s first meeting as the general manager of the hotel.

  “No, let me put my stuff away and grab my notebook. I worked the last two days analyzing the numbers. I wanted to have my facts and figures straight.”

  “That’s why we gave you the job. You’re conscientious, but you should have taken the days to relax.” Allie looked like she was analyzing her. “Good choice for the meeting. Black means business.”

  Danielle rushed to her new office to put away her purse and juice box. She picked up the folder containing her notes and headed back to the conference room. On her way, she remembered Beverly’s comments about the linens.

  She walked in and looked at the table, wondering where her place was. It was as if Allie read her mind.

  “You are at the head of the table. I’ll sit next to you to be your wing woman.”

  Danielle placed her folder and her coffee in front of her seat. Her hands shook. Inside her chest, a herd of buffalo trampled her confidence.

  She cleared her throat. “What are we going to do about the linens? They’re substandard and guests have complained.”

  Allie sat down and took out her planner. “I’m in negotiations with the supplier, but the man is difficult. We always try to keep things local to support the community.” She slapped her hand on the wooden table. “You’d think he’d be more amenable considering the amount of money we’re spending to replace everything.” She scribbled something on the page and closed it up. “I’m on it.” She rolled back and looked at Danielle, “What’s wrong with these people. It’s not just the linen guy, but the produce people too. You ask for sweet potatoes, and they give you yams. They want to get paid a lot and do very little.”