“You sound like what you are. My gorgeous chef.” He laced their fingers together. “I’m selfish, keeping you all to myself at the Triple G.”
“I’m happy at the Triple G.”
“Yeah, but you’d be happier with a staff of—what? There must be a couple of dozen people working here.”
“More than that. In the kitchen alone, there are probably….” Lissa rolled her eyes. “Stop me before I bore you to death.”
“You could never bore me.”
“It’s just that, you know, this is the kind of place I’ve always dreamed of.”
“You wouldn’t change a thing about it?”
“No. Well, a little. The food was wonderful. But I’d gear the menu to the setting. The mountains, the forest, the elements. Locally produced foods, simple foods, but not simply done. You know?”
“Sure,” he said, even though he was clueless. The only thing he did know was that all the other women who’d passed through his life only showed this kind of excitement over expensive jewelry and couturier labels.
“I even have a name for a restaurant like that.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and leaned toward him “Sounds silly to have spent so much time building castles in the air—”
“What would you name it?”
“Basic Elegance.”
“I like it.”
“Seriously?” Her teeth sank lightly into her lip again.
“Seriously.” Nick cleared his throat. “And if you don’t stop chewing on your lip, I’m going to pick you up and carry you out of here.”
Color swept into her face, along with a look of abject delight.
“Promises, promises,” she whispered.
Nick looked at her. Then he took out his wallet, dumped a stack of bills on the table, reached for his cane and stood up.
“Nick?”
“Melissa,” he said, his voice low and hot and filled with an emotion that made her heartbeat quicken. “Melissa,” he said again, and then he held out his hand, helped her to her feet and, to hell with it, curved his arm around her, drew her to him and kissed her.
A little buzz of ex
citement whispered through the nearest tables, followed them as they walked out the door. Outside, he kissed her again, then handed the valet the ticket for his truck.
“—Nick Gentry,” an excited voice said behind them as the kid hurried away. “Really, I know it’s him, but who’s the—”
“Shh!” another voice said.
A couple stepped around Nick and Lissa, threw them a quick glance, and hurried along a path that led to the main lodge.
Lissa groaned and leaned her head against Nick’s shoulders.
“This is going to be everywhere in twenty-four hours. Pictures of you, the fact that you’re in northern Montana, and they’ll surely find out about the Triple G. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t let you bring me here…”
“Then we’ll make the most of those twenty-four hours, sweetheart, and coming here was my idea, remember?”
The valet brought the truck to the curb. Nick thanked him and handed him a bill. Lissa climbed into the cab. Nick got behind the wheel.
“I wanted to bring you here,” he said again. “I meant what I said. It’s time I moved into the world again.” He stepped harder on the gas. Then he glanced at her before looking back at the road. “And there’s something else.”