Consume Me (Master Chefs #3) Read online

  “I thought we had an audience,” she remarked as she looked over her shoulder at Errol.

  “Are you disappointed?” he said with an amused grin. “If that’s your scene, I could make arrangements next time.”

  She chuckled. “Now that blood is flowing freely to my brain again, I have to say no.”

  “But in the moment, you were thrilled by it, weren’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t say…”

  “Weren’t you?” he insisted as he pulled out of her and turned her completely around. “You little vixen. I knew you were wild, but…”

  “Don’t get any ideas in that head of yours.”

  “You thought the doors could open up on any floor and expose us to strangers innocently waiting to take the elevator.”

  “Maybe…” she hinted. “Didn’t you?”

  “No,” he said with a bold laugh. “I happen to know this elevator is private and only opens onto the penthouse.”

  Now that the erotic fog had been lifted, she remembered, rather sheepishly, that very fact. “Oh, yeah. I forgot.”

  Biting his lower lip, he looked at her with new awe and interest. “I never would have thought you had it in you to be so bold and abandoned…”

  “Stop looking at me like that Errol. I wasn’t turned on by the imaginary crowd at the elevator doors.”

  “A crowd, huh?” he said with increased interest.

  She playfully slapped his arm and walked out of the elevator. “Cut it out. I was just caught up in the moment.”

  “If anything, I’d say that imaginary crowd is what had you so particularly hot and sweaty.” He looked down at his aroused crotch. “Look at me. I am hard for you again just thinking about it.”

  Tar laughed. “You're just plain horny… no matter what you think about.”

  He followed her into the living room, his hands outstretched to grab her butt.

  “Stop it, Errol. You’ve had your fun. Now I need to go wash up and get rested.”

  Taking a firm hold of her wrist, he pulled her back to him, her breasts colliding with his chest. “I’ll give you a reason to wash up,” he said, the full intent of his words clearly written across his face.

  With her shirt open and her breasts barely concealed, she was alluring and enticing… and horny.

  “Errol, I’m already a mess as it is.”

  He pushed her back onto the sofa. “Pull open your shirt,” he ordered.

  She slowly, ever so slowly, pulled the fabric back just to the edge of each nipple.

  “More,” he commanded.

  Instead of opening her shirt wider, she ran her fingers along the edge of the fabric, reveling in the sensation of her firm round breasts.

  “You like your tits just as much as I do,” he noted. He grabbed a hold of his hard erection and aimed it at her.

  “Just as much as you like your cock.” Tar pulled back her shirt and grabbed both breasts, filling her tiny hands with the firm and eager flesh.

  “Perk up your nipples.”

  She pinched and tweaked her nipples and as a shot of arousal quickly made its way to her thighs, she set both feet on the coffee table behind Errol, on either side of him.

  “Sweet siren,” he said as he gazed down at her exposed crotch. His fist tightened around his shaft.

  While one hand remained on her breast, her other hand traveled down her belly between her legs. Running her fingers along the titillated smooth skin, she parted her lips, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

  Errol edged closer, pumping harder and faster.

  Knowing it would drive him to the edge, Tar brought both hands to her crotch and pulled the tender, moistened folds of skin apart, showing Errol just how aroused she was.

  “Damn it, Tar,” he hissed as his eyes narrowed.

  For several moments she simply ran her fingers around and around the soft skin, her eyes never leaving his. His gaze riveted to the motions of her fingers, it was as if nothing else existed.

  “Go in,” he whispered hoarsely.

  “I’m not ready yet.”

  He inhaled with difficulty and let the air slowly seep between his lips. His jaw was slack in concentration and his gaze never wavered from her fingers.

  “Please,” he said. “Go in, now. I can’t…”

  Eager to please him and herself, she nudged her finger deep inside the warmth and moisture. “Like this?”

  “Ah, shit.”

  Pulling out to dive back in, she mimicked the motions of intercourse.

  “Ah, shit!”

  “Don’t make a mess, Errol,” she said with matron authority.

  “Yes.”

  “Errol, don’t!” she commanded with a secret smile.

  “Yes!” He set one hand on the sofa’s armrest and groaned his release.

  “Errol!” she shouted with mock anger.

  Gently squeezing out the last drops of his arousal, he grinned at her. “You continue to surprise me, my lovely Taryn.”

  “As do you, Errol. As do you.”

  He cupped her chin and pulled her mouth to his where he savagely kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. “I hunger for you,” he said. “Go, take your shower, but we’re not through yet.”

  She couldn’t take her eyes off his lips and his burning eyes. They’ve just had the most passionate raw sex, yet she couldn’t get enough of him. Errol King was sex incarnate. Everything about him radiated it. He was insatiable.

  “You can literally have whatever you want now.” He took her hand and helped her up. “Come on. Let’s get you washed up.”

  In the bathroom, he turned on the shower and they hopped into the stall.

  “Sure feels good,” Errol said as he dunked under the flow of water.

  Tar took her time washing, reveling in the warm water. When she stepped out the phone rang.

  “You want me to get that?” Tar offered as Errol remained under the flow of water.

  “Naw. I’m not expecting anything important. It’ll go to voicemail.”

  Tar grabbed a towel just as the caller got to the voicemail.

  “Errol. Errol are you there?” a female voice asked.

  Tar almost doubled over as the wind was knocked out of her at the sound of that seductive and husky tone.

  “Errol, pick up. I absolutely have to talk to you,” she insisted with a guttural laugh.

  After a long pause she went on. “Well, I heard you were home in New York, that’d you’d taken a flight in from Paris. Look, if rumors are true and you are in New York, I would really, really like to see you. Thing is, I’ve just had my place remodeled and I think it looks just fabulous. I’d really like to have you take a look at it, tell me what you think. You know how I appreciate your opinion.”

  Frozen to the spot, Tar listened with growing nausea.

  “Of course, my apartment isn’t the only thing I want you to take a look at. It just so happens that I spent the better part of the afternoon at this new little lingerie boutique and I have a few adorable little outfits I’d like to show you. I know how you love violet and I think you’ll love the stunning lace bra and garters I got.”

  Tar gagged as Errol pulled away from the flow of water, wiped the water from his face and heard the ongoing message.

  “And if you don’t like that one,” she went on, “I also bought this kinky little number that is sure to get you excited.”

  “I think I’ll have to go get that.” Errol shut the water off and moved to step out of the shower, but Tar blocked his path.

  “I want to hear it.” Stone-faced, Tar stood her ground.

  “It’s been over a month since I’ve seen you,” the cool female voice said. “and I’m really starting to miss you. You know our last night together was so hot, I mean, honey, you were on fire, and you left me steaming for weeks, but now I’m ready to steam it up again. Give me a call and let your sugar baby share her warmth with you, sweetie. You have my number. Call any time. I’m up until late.”

 
“Tar,” Errol said as he pushed past her.

  “What? Are you going to tell me that was a wrong number?” she spat.

  Tight-lipped, he shook his head.

  “Who was that, Errol?”

  “That’s not important.”

  “No, you're right. It’s not important. What is important is that you were with some fucking girl… a month ago? You fucked some other girl a month ago? Did she really do it for you, Errol? Huh? Did she steam it up for you?

  “Tar, stop it.”

  “Stop it? Honey, I’m just getting started. You told me running around and womanizing was a part of your past. You said it was far behind you. Sorry, Errol, but a month ago is not far behind you. That’s while you knew me. That’s while we were together… and that makes you a lying, cheating scumbag.”

  “Tar, we weren’t together. Technically, we weren’t. You’d left, remember? It happened when you left me high and dry in Paris to return home to America.”

  She huffed. “Really, Errol. You want to call this on a technicality. This isn’t some freakin’ game, you pig. This is a relationship. No. Scratch that. This was a relationship, because as far as I’m concerned, this is it… over. I’ve had enough. I’ve seen enough. And don’t you dare try to sweet talk your way out of it this time, Errol, because the proof of the man you really are is right there in that voicemail. If ever you start to wonder why we didn’t work out, just listen to it again and remind yourself of the pig you really are.”

  “You're not being fair. You’d left, Tar. You left me with no way of reaching you, of finding you.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him with hateful venom. She quickly patted herself dry and grabbed her clothes.

  “You know what, Errol? I don’t really care what you do. I don’t care what you did when we broke up then, and I don’t care what you do after we break up now. I just want to get dressed and I’ll be out of your place and out of your life.” She jerked her skirt on and struggled to get her still damp arms into her buttonless blouse. She didn’t want to waste any time going through her luggage to find something more suitable and simply knotted the blouse beneath her breasts.

  Errol reached for her arm. “Tar, you're making it sound like I have no feelings in all this. Do you know what it did to me to have you leave like that? I was heart-broken. And believe me, I did spend many nights wondering and worrying about you, but forgive me if I’m not the type of man who’ll just roll up into a ball and cry endlessly over a break up. I got out and tried to erase the pain… yes, in another woman’s bed, but only because you pushed me away. It was a mistake that I wished never happened, but I’ve never felt so devastated like that before. I didn’t know what to do. All I knew was I wanted to erase you from my heart, to drown all my pain into something…and she was there.”

  “And how long did it take you to find that other woman’s bed, Errol? Two days, three? Did you give it a week?”

  He stared dumbly at her.

  Tearing away from him, she shouted, “I thought you loved me.”

  “I did. I do. That’s what made being without you so difficult. Damn it, Tar. I was trying to get over you; trying to move on.”

  “Who is it? Huh? Who’s the girl? A student? A fan? A patron of your restaurant?”

  His eyes veiled with guilt and the blow hit her in the gut as painfully as if he’d struck her. Swallowing her disgust, she reached for the counter to steady herself.

  “It’s Suzanne, isn’t it?”

  He remained silent and dropped his gaze to the floor.

  “I can’t believe it.”

  “Tar,” he murmured.

  “Of all people, you went and screwed that witch Suzanne? Damn it, Errol. Damn you!” She pounded her fists into his chest as tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. “Damn you!”

  “Honey, that was a mistake. You left me. We weren’t together any longer. It meant nothing to me.”

  “I heard her, Errol. It didn’t seem to matter little to her.” Clenching her teeth, she glanced at the ceiling, wishing there was a way to erase everything that had just happened. “Why her, Errol? Damn it, of all people, why her?”

  “I didn’t go out looking to be with someone, Tar. She was just there.”

  Leaning back against the counter, the main thrust of anger dissipated and Tar was simply left with the emptiness and pain of his betrayal.

  “You work with her, Errol. Even if I had a hope of ever forgiving you, how could I ever trust you, knowing that you're working with her day in and day out? What am I supposed to really think you're doing when you stay late at the restaurant night after night… all alone with her?” She shook her head with disgust. “Never. I’d never be able to trust you again…let alone marry you.”

  “You're not giving me much credit.”

  She sullenly stared straight ahead.

  “Tar,” he whispered as he grasped her shoulders. “You heard the message. It was over ever since I saw you at Sam’s that first night I ate there. The moment I found you, the moment you allowed me into your life again, I cut ties with her. She knew that.”

  “Then why is she calling you. That message wasn’t that of a woman who’s been ditched. It’s the message of a woman who expects to easily reconnect with a lover.”

  “That’s her take on the situation, not mine. She’s persistent. I told her when I was here with you in New York, that you and I are together.”

  Taryn couldn’t get Suzanne’s message to Errol out of her head. She closed her eyes, seeing pitch black darkness and felt her heart rate go up as the beat of her heart became louder and louder. How could she trust Errol? How could she trust Suzanne won’t try to seduce him every chance she got while they “worked” together. First Madame X, the pretty girls in his class, and now Suzanne. Would it always be like this? Could she handle it? She didn’t want to marry someone like her father. She didn’t want to make the same mistake as her mother, marrying someone who didn’t value marriage or family. She grew up watching how her mother struggled raising two kids and trying to make ends meet. She grew up without a father. As much as she loved Errol, she was frightened that he would end up like her father, having affairs and being a deadbeat. Before she could stop herself, she said, “well, here’s my take on the situation, Errol. This is over.”

  Chapter 16

  Tar rushed to Errol’s private elevator and repeatedly punched the button. The doors quickly slid open. Her head down in anger and pain, Tar marched into the elevator only to stop dead in her tracks as she spotted the bright red spike heels. Blinded with rage, her gaze followed up the trim line of calves and thighs, the tight black skirt that hugged dangerous curves and the unbelievably low cut shimmering yellow halter top. Just short of looking at the woman’s face, Tar stopped, not wanting to see, not wanting to know.

  Trying desperately to control her anger, she finally looked straight into Suzanne’s face. She couldn’t help but notice the pleased and victorious smile on the vile woman’s lips. The witch didn’t even seem surprised to see her there. And where had she called from? The lobby?

  The rage finally took over and Tar lunged at Suzanne, slapping the witch’s grin right off her face. But while Suzanne winced for a brief moment, a self-satisfied and devious grin quickly curved her lips as she walked out of the elevator and turned back to Tar just as the doors slid shut.

  Tar wanted to scream, wanted to throw herself against the elevator walls, wanted to crumble to the floor and cry. The witch! Trembling with rage, she watched the numbers count down the floors that passed. As the fourth floor was counted off, Tar realized she’d have to call a cab to get home. As the third floor was counted off, she reached for her purse to pull out her phone only to realize she’d left it at Errol’s. And as the second floor was counted off, she realized she didn’t have a dime on her, no credit cards, not identification… nothing. She’d left everything up in Errol’s apartment.

  “Damn!” she shouted into the empty elevator.

  As she reached
the ground floor and the doors slid open, she knew she had to go back up. It was the last thing she wanted to do… to face Suzanne again… to see her fawn over Errol… and worse still, to see Errol welcome her into his arms.

  For a long moment she stared out from the elevator. If she stepped out and the doors closed behind her, she wouldn’t be able to get back in without a key… and just as that thought struck her, she noted that Suzanne must have had a key in order to take the elevator up.

  “Ha!” she huffed. “The relationship is over… my ass.”

  She punched the “close door” button and prepared for the confrontation to come. Her heart pounded and her breath came fast and short.

  Just as the elevator reached Errol’s floor, Tar heard his hushed voice as he spoke to Suzanne. Unable to make out a word, she was nonetheless shocked by the soft and affectionate tone he used with her. She shouldn’t be surprised, after all they’d been lovers, but still, to hear him stung more than she could have imagined. Though she was well aware it would be torture, she held her breath and leaned into the “close door” button to keep the door from opening at his floor. Leaning into the wall as tears streamed down her face, she pressed her forehead to the mirror, willing herself to find the strength to push the “open door” button and get her things and get out of his life for good.

  Biting her lip, she brought her finger to the button, but it just hovered there, unable to press.

  “I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d drop by. It’s not as if I haven’t done it before,” Suzanne purred.

  “Things have changed, Suzanne,” Errol said. “I thought I’d made that clear. I’m serious about Taryn. We’re engaged and I take that very seriously.”

  “Really? Come on, Errol. I know you, remember? I know the kind of man you are… really are. This whole engagement thing is a real joke.”

  “I changed. I grew up. I fell in love. Need I go on?”

  “You’ve fallen into a slump. You’re feeling old and in need of security. You’re infatuated with a silly little girl. Need I go on?”

  “Stop it.”

  “Ah, come on. Loosen up.”

  “Suzanne,” he growled. “I said stop it.”