The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée Page 2

  “Oh, you know Ivan,” Jaden replied. “I’m sure he has something special planned, but he had to take care of some business first.”

  “He’s just full of surprises, isn’t he?” Stacey said, shaking her head as she returned the rose to the vase. “Well, what the hell are you still doing here? Get your ass home!”

  “That’s the plan,” Jaden replied, standing up. Then she realized Stacey must’ve come in to discuss something other than Ivan. “Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Stacey said with a laugh. “I wanted to be sure you were planning on coming to the dinner party Kevin’s hosting for Damian. Sunday, six p.m. sharp!”

  How the hell could I forget about that? “Don’t worry. We’ll be there,” Jaden responded in the most enthusiastic tone she could muster. The corner of her mouth twitched as she forced a fake smile to her face. It hadn’t seemed possible, but she was now looking forward to this party even less than before. Not only was the whole thing annoying, it would take her away from private time with Ivan. The only thing she wanted to do this weekend was Ivan. Literally.

  “You know,” Stacey said, pausing in the doorway. A lusty look spread over her face, brightening her features and making her look five years younger. “Kevin did well when he chose Damian. That boy is stunning. I wonder if he gives private cooking lessons.”

  Jaden laughed out loud. She could hear the roar of the cougar from across the room. Leave it to Stacey to set her sights on some blond-haired playboy. Not just a cougar, Stacey was an Alpha Cougar. Jaden, on the other hand, had no desire to even meet the guy. One Hot Kitchen was still kicking ass just like it had been, thank you very much, and as long as she had Ivan, she had everything she needed—and then some.

  Once Stacey disappeared, Jaden turned to find Kat holding her dress. She slipped out of her kitchen whites and luxuriated in the satiny softness of the dress as she smoothed it over her shoulders and down the length of her body. After applying a fresh coat of pineapple lip gloss and a touch of perfume, she gathered her belongings and left the studio. The town car was parked in its usual spot in front of the building, but Adam, her personal driver, was standing beside a food cart with a hotdog in one hand and a soda on the other.

  At the sound of her heels clacking against the pavement, Adam looked up. “Are you ready to go, Ms. Thorne?”

  “Let’s do it! And for the last time, Adam, it’s Jaden, not Ms. Thorne.”

  “Yes, ma’am. It won’t happen again.”

  Of course it would happen again. It happened every time. Adam was always professional, and no matter how many times she’d asked him to call her Jaden, he refused.

  She often brought him a container full of whatever they’d cooked on the show, but in her haste this evening it had completely slipped her mind. She silently cursed herself—and Ivan’s ability to scramble her brain. Over the past few months she and Adam had come to be good friends. He was as much protective older brother as studio-appointed driver.

  As Adam finished off the last bites of his hotdog, she slipped into the backseat of the car and pulled the small, white envelope from her purse. She reread the card several times, grinning from ear to ear as she looked at BoBo and tried to piece together what sort of surprise Ivan had up his sleeve this time.

  After a few moments Adam slid into the driver’s seat. He lowered the glass partition. “Ms. Thorne, would you mind if we stopped at Chateau Marmot? I have to drop off a package for my sister, and she’s already been waiting over half an hour.”

  Ivan had to have finished his errands by now and was probably waiting at her place, but Adam always went above and beyond. How could she say no? With a slight nod, Jaden replied, “Sure, as long as we can make it quick. I have plans tonight. Ivan’s in town!”

  “Oh,” Adam replied, raising his eyebrows. “Of course, Ms. Thorne. It will just take a moment. Thank you.”

  Jaden sat back in the seat and watched as Sunset Boulevard passed by in a blur, and then it occurred to her: Why on earth would Adam’s sister be at Chateau Marmot? As far as she could recall, his sister was an administrative assistant for some home renovation company. Chateau Marmot was more a luxurious playground for the Who’s Who of Hollywood. Celebrities, not office workers, indulged in scandalous and secretive behavior deep within the walls of the hotel. Now Jaden was intrigued. She picked up her phone to text Ivan about this latest development.

  Hey, baby! We have to make a quick stop

  at Chateau Marmot. Be home soon.

  As the car snaked along Sunset, the hotel suddenly came into view. She drew in a quick breath. After all these months in LA, she’d never seen the hotel firsthand. Its main spire rose above the tree line, and the windows glowed orange in the setting sun. The Chateau reminded her of a medieval castle nestled on a hillside in some remote European countryside. As they drove toward the main entrance, her eyes widened. Is that…? Jaden thought. No, it couldn’t be…But it is! Celebrities were a dime a dozen in LA, but to see them up close still made her a little fangirl crazy. Jaden’s country bumpkin side was oozing out, but safe in the back of the Town Car, she didn’t mind one bit. She loved his movies.

  The car pulled to a stop at the entrance, and Adam stepped out and opened her door. “Do you want to take a look around while I take this to my sister?” he asked, holding up a brown envelope.

  “Yes, I’d love to,” Jaden replied. “Are you sure it’s okay?”

  “I don’t think they’ll mind.” Adam laughed and offered his hand, helping her from the car. As she stepped out, he pointed to a small garden off to one side of the hotel. “Supposedly that’s the garden where one of the Blues Brothers had a bungalow. Right before…you know…”

  Jaden couldn’t get there fast enough. She supposed she was considered a celebrity in her own right, but she was easily starstruck. It was next to impossible for her to stand in line at the grocery store without picking up the latest trashy tabloid.

  Forcing herself into a nonchalant walk, she strolled along the side of the building. Large Corinthian columns rose up beside her and archways loomed above her head. Looking through one of the windows, she saw rich mahogany trim and colonial furniture. She entered the garden and found it eerily familiar. This garden seemed similar to the garden in Sarasota where she’d first met Ivan, where they’d shared their first kiss…The flowers were different, but it somehow felt the same.

  Even though she knew cameras were a no-no in a place like this, Jaden took out her phone and snapped a quick picture of the garden for Ivan. She typed a short message and attached the photo.

  This place reminds me of our garden in Sarasota.

  All I need now is some Sinatra and you.

  She continued to reminisce as she wandered through the lilies and honeysuckle. Her phone buzzed, and when she opened the message, she was completely confused by what she saw. On the screen was a picture of her—standing in the very garden she was now touring.

  “How on earth—” she began, and a low, masculine voice began to serenade her from behind. “The Way You Look Tonight” had never sounded so good.

  That voice! It had been embedded in her very soul. Jaden’s mind did back flips as she tried to process what was happening. How could she not have seen what was going on? The flowers, Adam having to make a stop at Chateau Marmot—it was all part of Ivan’s romantic plan. She turned to face him, and without warning she jumped into his arms and crushed her mouth to his. Her lips parted, her tongue hungry for a taste as she took his bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled at it. Ivan returned her kiss, driving his tongue into her mouth and igniting a fire deep within that only he could extinguish. She smiled against Ivan’s soft lips as his erection pressed into her thigh for a second time that day.

  “What are you doing here?” she panted. “What’s going on? And more than that why aren’t you in Washington?”

  Ivan adjusted his grip and lowered her to the ground. “As for Washington, I decided not to g
o. This sounded better. And as for here, I thought we’d spend the night before heading out in the morning: a mini vacation. I thought you might like this place, and I wanted to be the first one to experience it with you.”

  “Heading out in the morning? Where exactly are we going?” She held Ivan tighter and buried her head in his shoulder, trying to mask her excitement, but the scent of him almost caused her to come apart at the seams. It was familiar and soothing and made her long for him even more.

  “You know, Ms. Thorne, sometimes you’re too nosy for your own good.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jaden slapped him on the shoulder.

  “It means,” he drawled, “that you’ll just have to wait until morning to find out.”

  Just then she remembered Adam was waiting for her at the car. “I have to let Adam know I don’t need a ride home.” She slid out of Ivan’s embrace.

  He tried to hold back a laugh, but failed. “Adam’s probably halfway home by now.”

  “Jesus, I really am slow.” She felt a hot blush rise to her cheeks.

  “Slow? No. Sexy? Most definitely.” Still laughing, Ivan cupped her face, his thumb tracing her cheekbone as he placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Maybe we should go to the room.”

  Jaden might have taken a moment to figure out more about his surprise, but she knew the look that had appeared on his face—it was one usually reserved for behind closed doors. Pure lust. There was only one thought, shared between them: Fuck. Me. Now.

  Chapter 3

  “S&M”

  IVAN WATCHED AS JADEN STOOD in the corner of the elevator, blushing, while an elderly woman looked at her as if to say “Been there. Done that.” If not for the couple standing beside them, he’d have had her pinned to the glass wall with his dick in her hand faster than you could say Miami Heat, and the thought made his cock stiffen. A bell chimed, the doors to the elevator slid open, and the elderly couple exited. As the doors slid shut, he captured Jaden in his arms. A low groan emanated from deep within when she reached into his pocket and grasped his cock through the thin lining of his dress pants.

  The doors opened again, and they tumbled haphazardly into the corridor of the fifth floor, entangled in an embrace. The scene was reminiscent of the first night they’d spent together in Sarasota—the garden, the kiss, the elevator—and Ivan could see a look of recognition flash across Jaden’s face as well. He pulled her toward their room.

  His voice, heated and needy, shook when he spoke. “No disappearing tricks tomorrow morning, okay?”

  “Never again will I walk away from something so right,” Jaden replied. She clung to him as he turned the key in the lock.

  He kissed her again, and they burst through the door, locked in a passionate embrace, ravaging each other’s mouths and necks as if coated in Tupelo honey. His erection pressed hard into her thigh as they danced across the floor and collapsed into the sofa. He tugged at the strap of her black dress, pulling it down just enough to expose her perfect, bare breasts. Well, what do you know…No bra. Holding her against the sofa, he trailed his fingertips across her skin until he found the bud of her nipple, firm with arousal. The feel of her skin made him harder and he ground into her, his hips thrusting as he took her breast in his mouth. Rolling her taut nipple between his teeth, he tasted and tormented her until she was writhing beneath him. And as her breathing increased, and her moans turned to pleas, he again took her in his mouth and began to suckle her firm, round breast.

  Jaden widened her legs and looked into his eyes as she grabbed his face. “Fuck me hard, doctor,” she demanded in a low growl.

  He smiled wickedly at her and raised one cocky eyebrow. Jaden had transformed from a shy country girl into downright dirty erotic goddess, and he loved it. He loved when she talked dirty to him and wasn’t afraid to make demands. A fire smoldered in his eyes, and his mood shifted to that of an animal ready to devour its prey. Jaden was fucked, in every sense of the word.

  Wordlessly, he pulled her to her feet and bent her over the arm of the sofa. Lifting her dress above her waist, her grasped her pink thong and slid it down her long legs, grinning at how wet the thin strip of satin had become. The need to fuck her, to feel the warmth of her pussy engulf him, was overwhelming. Leaving her panties tangled around her ankles, he pressed his knee against the back of her legs, spreading them just enough to grant him entrance. But first he needed to ready her, to tease her into the same sexual frenzy that was driving him mad.

  “Fuck me!” she screamed. She reached for his cock, but he stopped her.

  “Not yet,” he replied, his voice as hoarse and ragged as hers.

  Rather than spending time admiring her perfect form or running his hand across the smooth planes of her ass as he usually did, he instead got to his knees behind her and buried his face between her legs, tasting and teasing every luscious inch of her sex and eliciting a deep moan of approval. He savored the taste of her, working his tongue back and forth, and sliding two fingers into her. His mouth and fingers moved rhythmically against her and in her, and still she cried for more. He could feel her body quiver as it neared orgasm, and a sense of electricity shot through him. He knew he could make her come at any instant with a simple touch of her clit. But only when her legs trembled and gave out did he take it between his teeth and roll it across his tongue. As she convulsed in orgasmic shudders, he encircled her waist with his hands and held her steady as she collapsed over the arm of the sofa.

  Her breathing was heavy as she glanced over her shoulder to look imploringly in his eyes. As satisfied as she clearly was, she still was desperate for him. She lifted her hips and ground her ass against his erection.

  “I want you inside of me—now!”

  And this time he was more than willing to oblige.

  Tearing at the zipper of his pants, he yanked them down as his cock sprang free, ready and aching for the feel of Jaden. Not bothering to remove his shirt or jacket, he ran his hands up her back, across her shoulders, and down her arms, capturing them in a vice like grip behind her back. She was at his mercy, and they both knew it.

  He teased her with the plump head of his shaft, pressing it against her pussy and pushing the tip within, sliding it slowly between her slick folds. He loved the feel of her wetness against his bare dick, and he reveled in their commitment and trust—not to mention the pill—which made messy condoms a thing of the past. Inch by torturous inch he eased into her, only to pull out just as slowly. Her cries made him harder, and he slowed his pace even more.

  “Ivan, please,” she begged.

  Finally the torture became too much for him to handle as well, and he thrust into her hard, sending shockwaves of pleasure up his spine. After a few strokes, hard and fast, he returned to his leisurely in and out.

  “Goddamnit, don’t stop!” she demanded. “Harder!”

  How he loved when Jaden begged. Nothing made him harder than the sweet sound of her voice begging him to fuck her. Satisfied that he’d tormented her enough for one night, he unleashed a bout of commanding strokes that pinned her against the sofa as he fucked her hard and fast. The warmth of her pussy clenching his cock felt like heaven. Driving into her, he filled her completely, and the slapping sounds of flesh on flesh filled the room.

  She struggled to free her hands, but he held them firm and pulled her arms taut behind her back, lifting her body off the arm of the couch. Harder and faster he invaded her, and yet she still moaned for more. He could sense that she was close, and as her pussy contracted around him, he gripped a fistful of long, black hair. Tugging her head back, he bent over to her ear and whispered, “You ready?”

  “Y…E…S…” Jaden managed to reply.

  A sense of supreme satisfaction and oblivion coursed through Ivan’s veins like a powerful, wonderful drug, and with a groan, his hips surged forward. He buried himself balls deep in her warm depths. He released his grip on her hair and arms, reached around her body, and with the tip of his finger, circled her engorged clit. A touch
was all it took to send her over the edge again, and he could feel her milking him as she came. With one final thrust, he pummeled into her, spilling himself deep inside her body.

  As the aftershocks of climax began to ebb, he collapsed across her back, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat and satisfaction.

  “Fuck me,” Jaden sighed as they slid onto the couch.

  “I thought I just did,” he replied with a breathless laugh, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He reveled in the sensation of still being inside her and feeling her body tremble in the wake of one of the best fucks he’d ever had.

  “That wasn’t a request, it was an expletive.” She pushed herself up off the sofa.

  He stood with her and reluctantly slipped himself free from her body. Running his hands across her smooth stomach, he nuzzled his nose in her hair. “Ay, ay, ay…”

  She snickered as she headed for the bathroom. As he heard the shower turn on, Ivan found himself dazed and alone in the middle of the living room, and nearly in a sexual coma. He closed his eyes and smiled a very satisfied smile.

  Chapter 4

  “Into the Mystic”

  DAMP AND REFRESHED, Jaden emerged from the bathroom wearing a white terrycloth robe with the hotel’s logo embroidered in gold script on the lapel and a pair of matching white slippers. Classic rock streamed from the docking station where Ivan had plugged in his iPhone, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Wandering from the bedroom to the living room, she detected a faint trace of cigar smoke and noticed that the balcony door was ajar. There, leaning against the rail, his muscular physique illuminated by the setting sun, was Ivan. A cigar dangled from his mouth and his hand held a glass of wine. A simple white towel was the only thing he wore, and he appeared to be deep in thought. Bare feet, bare skin, and flowing brown hair that just reached the top of the tattoo inked across his back. The sight was almost perfect. If only he’d lose the towel, she thought. This man, a man she trusted implicitly and loved with every fiber of her being, a man who loved her back just as much, was a miracle. Finding what they now shared had been a once in a lifetime chance…and they’d been lucky to find it at all.