Hard & Deep: A Football Romance

"Is everything okay?" Her voice did little to mask her anxiety. She needed him to want to work here.

Gordon looked up at the stacks of new pots, pans and dishes. "It looks like it to me."

"Good," she sighed. "Do you want to have a seat and go over the paperwork?"

"No problem." He smiled at her, and her knees wobbled slightly. The man was incredibly attractive, and the force of his smile was something else.

As they left the kitchen, Tracy glanced over to the case that he brought with him. She wanted to know what was inside, but didn’t dare ask. Who was she to question one of the best chefs in the world, after all? Instead she grabbed one of the yellow folders near it and continued on her way.

Out in the dining room, she put the papers on the table where Mr. Hayes took her and pulled the other three seats down.

Gordon sat down across from her and scooted his chair in.

"So," he said, folding his hands together. "I trust you’ve had a chance to look at the contract that the lawyers finally agreed on."

"Yes. It all looks good to me." Tracy smiled and held her breath. This was where any problems would come up.

"Great. Where do I sign?" he asked.

Tracy rifled through the papers and plucked out one with a little, red flag sticking out. She handed him a pen. "Right there, please."

Tracy glanced down. There, near her shoe and in plain view, was the pair of lacy panties that she hadn't bothered to put back on from the night before. On seeing them, Tracy did her best to muffle the gasp that rose up in the back of her throat. Hoping that Gordon hadn’t seen them, Tracy quickly kicked them under the table’s raised feet and bit down on her lip in a feeble attempt at hiding her embarrassment.

Gordon scribbled his name quickly and handed the pen back to her. "Looks like we’re in business."

Tracy suddenly felt giddy. It took everything she had to keep from melting into a giggling school girl right then and there. Gordon, for his part, didn’t seem to notice.

"I know we’ve talked about the menu at some length," he said and leaned back in his chair, "but obviously I would prefer to do a private tasting so that I can get your final approval. We need to nail this down so we can get our orders out to the vendors."

The way in which the confident chef spoke made Tracy hold onto his every word. Every minute of his years of experience shone through in his tone. Anyone could tell, just by listening, that he knew exactly what he was talking about. To Tracy, that kind of confidence made her imagination run wild.

More than that, however, she found herself helplessly drawn to him. For all of the press and attention that his successful career had drawn, people actually knew very little about Gordon Baxter. It was, so it seemed, to be just the way that he wanted it. But to Tracy, it was only a begging invitation to want to know more.

He brought his hands up and rested his index fingers on each side of his tightly-angle

d chin. His eyes bored into hers, making her core heat with his intensity.

"So what do you say?" he asked.

"That would be great,” she whispered. For a moment she wondered if he wanted to be alone with her for this tasting. In her mind's eye, she could quickly see it turning sexual. The way he looked at her was primal and full of desire. As much as the thought piqued her interest, she was with Mr. Hayes. “It will be me and my boyfriend, Mr. Paul Hayes."

"Of course." Gordon nodded and pushed the contract back toward her as if he had expected that all along. "How about tomorrow night around seven? I need some time for prep and all that."

Tracy smiled. Her thoughts finally felt a little lighter for the first time in weeks.

"I can’t wait."

“Neither can I,” Gordon replied, fixing her with his stare again. Tracy bit her lip. It was a good thing Mr. Hayes was coming to dinner, or she would be tempted to do so much more than just eat Mr. Baxter's food.

Chapter 19

"So," Tracy turned to Mr. Hayes, who had his eyes fixed on the road in front of them as it whipped by their luxury car. "Are you excited?"

He quickly turned to her and flashed a smile. "Yes, but probably not as much as you."

Tracy wrapped her fingers around the seat belt near her shoulder and sank down into the seat with a giddy giggle.

"Probably not,” she agreed. The look of desire Gordon had given her flashed into her mind.