One Perfect Touch (Very Irresistible Bachelors 3)

“Oh no.” Pouting, she placed both hands on my face and pressed her forehead to mine. “What do you say to another serving of burrito?”

“I’m in.”

***

On Friday, I officially had Rob withdrawals, which was why I had the crazy thought of surprising him tonight. He’d told me which restaurant he was at, so after closing the store, I stopped by Ladurée to grab some macarons and then headed to Tribeca. The closer I got, the giddier I felt.

This whole week he’d been texting me, sending me pics of dishes, the crowds—his week had been crazy, yet he was thoughtful enough to text me.

The restaurant was so packed that I could barely make out anything, let alone spot Rob... or find a table. It took a lot of eyelash batting and begging to convince the guy at the entrance to let me in even though I didn’t have a reservation.

After some more eyelash batting, they showed me to a tiny bar table against the wall that only had space to seat one person.

Wow, this place was amazing. Even though it was packed and the noise level was beyond loud, I loved it. It had a high ceiling, with warm lighting coming from modern light installations and cozy red brick window arches. It was a contemporary look decorating a very old interior—nice. At the very back was the kitchen, which was open for everyone to see.

You could even sit at the counter there and watch the chefs in action. To my surprise, Rob was one of the chefs. He hadn’t told me that he’d be cooking. He was explaining something to one of the cooks, but of course I couldn’t hear anything from where I was seated.

I left the Ladurée bag of sweets on my seat and made my way through the crowd. The closer I got, the heavier the air was with delicious aromas.

I just watched Rob, committing every detail to my memory. Damn, he was even sexier cooking in front of a large crowd than at home. He had a white apron on embroidered with the name of the restaurant, Dumont’s. Charisma poured off him as he explained the easiest way to prepare a shrimp salad.

“The secret ingredient to every salad tasting more delicious is... parmesan,” he said. I realized he had a small mic clipped to his collar. Everyone laughed. But I was with him on that; even though it was a simple ingredient, parmesan was the best—if only it didn’t have a million calories.

He noticed me, and at once, his smile changed. I couldn’t tell how, but it matched that predatory glance in his gaze, making me squirm as heat coursed through me. Not even the three rows of people between us were enough buffer for his smolder. He whispered to a member of staff standing nearby before starting with the next course.

Two minutes later, one of the servers approached me.

“Ms. Winchester, Rob asked for you to come with me.”

“Oh, thank you. I have a bag I left on my seat.”

“We’ll bring it to you.” He smiled as he prompted me forward. “This way, please.”

“Oh, well, okay, that’s great.”

I was led to a fantastic table on the right side of the kitchen, where I had an amazing view of Rob.

“How is this table even available?” I asked in amazement.

She winked at me. “We always keep two great tables open just in case a notorious critic or a business partner decides to stop by spontaneously. Would you like to eat something?”

“Yes, what do you recommend?”

“We have a tasting menu this week. You can order individual courses or the entire menu, and then you’ll get smaller portions of everything, like small plates.”

“Oh, that sounds perfect. I’ll take the whole thing.”

Indulging in delicious food while watching this delicious man? Yes, please.

When Rob trained his gaze on me, I winked at him. It was a good thing he’d gotten me this swanky table, because this would probably take another few hours. I felt so VIP, especially when the server returned with my Ladurée bag and a bottle of Dom Perignon, pouring me a full glass.

“On the house.”

The menu was absolutely delicious. I wasn’t even sure what some of the items were, but the flavors just blended perfectly in my mouth. I was watching Rob more than what I was eating anyway.

Every time he glanced over, he had a protective look, sultry maybe—I wasn’t sure, but I felt special to him, like I never had with anyone else before.

This was so unlike me, just showing up here without a plan. I usually liked to know everything ten steps in advance. I didn’t consider myself impulsive or spontaneous... but I just liked doing this because it was for Rob.