Luc

Det. Angus Leary looked at the evidence spread out on his desk before him, he had reviewed it again and again, but something was just not right. He was baffled, everything pointed to it being a positive match; the height, the weight, hair color, eye color and the fact that there was no other missing persons fitting this description anywhere in the area. Yet Angus could not shake that gut feeling that this corpse was NOT Aries Stark!

He had learned early in his career that just because everything added up did not necessarily mean that the evidence was correct. Evidence could sometimes be tricky, like the holographic pictures you spend hours staring into, just to clearly see the image hiding in the mess. He also realized even earlier that most words had 3 meanings, coincidences usually boiled down to precise, premeditated planning and the most obvious answer could blind you to the truth if you didn't look hard enough.

Most important, he knew above all that Miss Lona Lutz knew more than she was admitting to and he had all intentions of finding out.

***

Mimi opened the door and felt a strange tingle in her belly when she saw Jack standing there.

"Do you still need a job?" Aries asked.

"Yes." she looked at him quizzically.

"I need a cook for my restaurant."

"Your restaurant?"

"Yea,"

"You have a restaurant?" she questioned.

"Yea," he did now, as of this morning he had signed the paperwork and the check, "can you start in the morning?" he asked.

"Yea." she nodded still stunned.

"9:00" he said and she nodded again before he turned around and walked in his apartment.

She shut the door and sat on her couch dumbfounded.

She had no idea he owned a restaurant. She thought about it for another minute before she walked over to his apartment and knocked on the door.

"Your not doing this because I freaked out the other night and you feel sorry for me are you?" Mimi asked watching his expression.

"No." he said honestly.

"And you're not doing it because I kissed you right? I mean, that was an accident, I was drunk." she tried to keep her embarrassment from coming to the surface.

"No, I just need a cook." he frowned a little.

"OK," she smiled, "I'll be ready at 9." she turned and went into her apartment, leaving him to shut the door and sit on his couch worried.

He thought for a second, women could be tricky sometimes, he hoped she didn't take his invitation wrong; he truly wanted to help her. He couldn't help it that he was attracted to her, but he wasn't doing it for that reason.

He got up and went to her door.

"I want you to know the only reason I asked is because your an amazing cook, the meal you cooked was the best meal I've ever had in my life," her lips split into the biggest smile she had ever smiled, as he warmed her heart with his words. He grinned at her beautiful bright smile, "9:00."

"9." she nodded and went back into her apartment. He felt exhilaration as he sat on the couch.

She could not stop smiling, than she felt a little disappointment in herself that she had doubted his obviously honorable intentions. She ran back over to his door.

He opened it with a look of concern.

"Sorry I misjudged your intentions," Mimi's smile went straight to his heart "and thank you very much." she couldn't help herself, she hugged him. He froze, trying to pull back a little, if he leaned in she would be able to feel his stiffening dick and she might rethink her apology.

She misinterpreted it, and pulled away quick with a slight frown, "9:00" she turned and went back into her apartment.

He shut the door with a curse, thinking she had pulled back so quickly because she felt his rampant hard on.

***

"This place is amazing" she looked up at the ceiling, an intricate replica of a fiery sunset in a pale amber sky.

"I just bought it." Aries said, "your the 1st person I hired." he was standing behind her as she looked around the restaurant in awe, he was looking at her ass in awe. Curvy women were his weakness and this girl was his ultimate kryptonite.

"Shouldn't you have like a gourmet cook or something for a place like this?" she asked, her eye for detail on overload looking around the swanky restaurant. Everything screamed 'fragile and expensive', from the crystal, to the deep russet and chocolate Italian marble tiled floor. Even the thick silk rust colored curtains cost more than everything that was in her parents' cafe.

"I do," he smiled "you."

"No, I mean someone that has like degrees and stuff."

"You don't have degrees and your cooking is better than any of the expensive and over rated 'top' chefs of the world."

"How do you know?" she grinned, "Tasted many famous chefs cooking lately?"

"Just yours." they were locked in each other's eyes for a minute before she snapped out of it, remembering his reaction to her hug yesterday.

"So when do you start the interviews?" she asked.

"Did you hire and fire at your restaurant?"

"You mean tiny cafe that could fit in this restaurant's bathroom? Yea, but on a MUCH smaller scale."

"Think you could do it here?"

"Hire a full staff?" she looked at the large restaurant and tried to calculate how many staff members they would need.

"Yea, think you can handle it?" he asked.

"Of course." she nodded, she could handle anything when she put her mind to it. It was technically no different than increasing the servings for a recipe, do what you always do, just do it in bulk.

"Than I leave it all up to you." he handed her the keys and an envelope.

"What's this?" she asked her eyes wide looking at all the money inside the envelope.

"Your advance."

"But this is a lot of money."

"This place is a lot of work."

***

Angus stood at the huge glass paneled front door of Aries Stark's mansion, his partner Benjamin Cruz on the left side while he observed from the right. He wasn't entirely shocked to see the "grief stricken" Lona Lutz buck naked and riding a tied up gentleman right there on her missing fiancés water fountain in the middle of the main hall.

"She just called me crying this morning, trying to see if it was her beloved fiancé lying stiff in the morgue." Angus shook his head.

"Yea, she looks REAL worried." Ben grinned.

Angus straightened up, standing directly in front of the door and knocked hard.

"Miss Lutz, I'd like to ask you a few more questions." he frowned as Lona squealed and ran up the circular stairs to the right, leaving the bound guy just standing there looking stupid and confused for a second before he started to hop towards the identical set of stairs to the left.

Angus and Ben looked at each other.

"Possible motive." Angus said.

"Jealous boyfriend, cheating fiancé." Ben added.

"I think we should come back," Angus turned to leave, "once we have a little more back ground info on the grieving fiancee."

***

Mimi was amazing, she had the place up and running in 3 days, he could barely believe it. She had Luci and Marz working the kitchen with her and a full staff of hard working, reliable people. By that Saturday, they were opened for business and packed wall to wall with satisfied customers. They were leaving thanks and appreciation to the cook for such amazing foods that could delight the taste buds to the point of addiction.

Aries stuck around the restaurant, he didn't have to, she had everything under control, but he just found himself wanting to hang around her, to be near her. He loved watching her multi task and he had discovered a new love, he loved watching her cook, he could watch her all day long.

He especially loved the way she always fed him, making sure his plate was always full and he was never hungry. She even gave him samples of everything she cooked, wanting his honest opinion; he loved being her taste tester. It felt nice to have someone genuinely worry about his comfort. She cared because she wanted to, because she truly liked him, not for his fame or fortune, for him and only him.

He almost told her the truth one evening as they closed up for the night, everyone was gone and she had just finished up in the kitchen...

"I have something for you." Mimi smiled handing him a pie with a big J formed out of crust on top. Aries grinned ear to ear already knowing what it was, he had found yet another addiction, her caramel peach pie. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted and now she had made one just for him, complete with his false initial.

He barely controlled the urge to kiss her and to keep his mouth shut and his identity a secret. One day he knew she would make him a pie with his real initial, a huge A, and he felt the most comforting thrill in the fact that he would finally be able to hear her call him by his true name.

***

Mimi loved his reaction, she loved cooking for him, he would do all the oohs and awes just like her father would do when she cooked for her parents. She loved watching Jack eat, so she kept feeding him. She loved a man with a healthy appetite and Jack had a VERY healthy appetite.

A few times she had to turn away, for some irrational reason, watching him devour his food filled her mind with deliciously wicked carnal images.

What the hell was wrong with her? Since when did food sexually stimulate virgins?

***.

"I told you to lock the gate!" Lona hissed at Raul, her chauffeur, as she scrambled naked into her room, slamming the door behind them.

"I'm sorry mistress, I got so excited I forgot." he hopped over to her, his bondage constricting his movements, he almost toppled over.

"You are a sorry, pathetic sorry excuse for a slave!" she kicked him in the chest with her needle heeled stilettos and he fell over. "Because of your incompetence, now I have to explain to the police why I am fucking my chauffeur when I should be depressed and worrying about Aries!" she kicked him again.

"PLEASE forgive me Mistress!" he cried pathetically.

"Forgive? No. Punish? Yes."

"Yes, please punish me, PLEASE!" he loved her cruel punishments.

"I promise to," she walked over to her dresser and grabbed her cell phone out of her new $1500 purse she had bought with Aries credit card. "Now do I have to gag you or will you keep your mouth shut while I call my lawyer." she glared at him

"I'll be quiet mistress." he said bowing his head and despite the possible disaster stirring in the air, she grinned maliciously at his submission.

Raul was the perfect slave for her; he was obedient, reliable and as loyal as a little lap dog. He would do anything for his mistress, and always went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to her acting career. Publicity was the key to fame, not morals or ethics. Lona was not above having Raul slashing some tires, breaking some kneecaps, bribery, or murder...

What ever kept her name in the paper!

***

Darren was one of the first employees Mimi had hired, from his interview she had assumed he would be a hard, fast worker, but having been in the restaurant business most of her life she was familiar with slackers and Darren was definitely that. She was seriously debating whether to replace him; she had already spent the last 2 weeks making sure he got his duties done in a timely matter. Unfortunately, he was a natural flirt who thought himself a comedian, constantly cracking jokes. Mimi and Luci, now her right hand women, constantly had to tell him to quit talking and get back to work.

Darren genuinely couldn't help it, he loved attention, and he was a bonified people person. He tried hard to keep his enthusiasm and story telling level down; he truly wanted to keep this job. He had a serious thing for Mimi, he couldn't help it, there was just something about her, that smile was amazing, it brightened the room for him. He spent most of his day trying to remember to keep his mouth closed and get his work done, but unfortunately the only attention she showed him was when she scolded him for slacking. God help his twisted little soul, but bad attention was better than no attention.

He wasn't surprised the guys on the job didn't like him, most men didn't, he was a suave, devout ladies man, despite his recent infatuation with Mimi, and he believed most men were just intimidated by him. What did surprise him was his boss Jack. He could never understand why Jack just didn't seem to like him, Darren wasn't into men or anything, but he could safely say Jack was a real handsome guy; and obviously rich, he had no reason to feel threatened.

***

"I don't trust Darren." Marz said taking a big swig of his beer, "He's lazy, talkative, gossipy and he's always hanging around the girls," he looked at Jack as he said, "Especially Mimi."

"I noticed." he agreed taking a drink of his cognac, looking through the glass on the kitchen door, watching Darren, once again, openly flirt with Nomi. He had about enough.

"I don't think it's a good idea, he's already messing around with a couple of chicks on shift." Marz said, watching Jacks reaction. Just as he suspected, he saw the intense flash of jealousy on his friends face.

Aries got up and headed towards the kitchen, Marz grinned in satisfaction, but wondered why Jack just hadn't asked Mimi out yet. Luci said she was positive Mimi liked him and he knew for a fact Jack liked her. They were a stubborn pair. He motioned Luci over so he could tell her about Jack's reaction.

Aries walked through the kitchen door just in time to hear Darren hitting on Mimi.

"So let me take you out to dinner tonight," he said standing close behind her. Mimi was ready to open her mouth to decline and tell him to get his ass back to work when Jack walked in.

"Darren I pay you to work, not run your mouth." Aries looked him straight in the eye.

"Sorry, sir." Darren bowed his head trying to avoid Jack's intense glare.

"Get it done so we can close up." he barked.

"Right away." Darren nodded and took off, not wanting to piss his boss off.

Aries stared at her for a second before he walked into his office.

"What's eating him?" Luci asked walking in to see Jack's scowl before he left.

"I don't know, but it's been eating him all day." Mimi answered.

Aries was going to wait until he took Mimi home to tell her about fraternizing with the staff, but Darren quickly finished his work than asked her if she needed a ride. Normally she would have said no, but seeing Jack's obvious bad mood, she reluctantly accepted.

***

Aries drove behind Darren and Mimi on the way home, happy they did not deviate from their destination. He was not sure why he felt the way he did, he knew it was a form of jealousy; he just was not very familiar with the all consuming emotion. Plus it just wasn't reasonable for him to be jealous, he had no claim on her, hell, she hated his guts not that long ago.

But she had kissed him, there for opening up the invitation, and no matter how quickly she tried to withdraw it, that kiss was still burning in his lips.

Aries slowed down as his car stopped in front of the house, he watched as Darren scrambled to open the car door, and he grinned to see Mimi had already let herself out.

"I'll walk you to the door." Darren smiled at her, walking close to her.

"Sure." she shrugged, it was only like 3 steps away, "Well, this is me," she smiled, "thanks again for the ri-" as she turned her head he planted a kiss on her lips. He was as quick as a snake, and his lips tasted like one, Mimi yanked away from him.

"I'm sorry" he immediately started, seeing her anger already brimming.

"If you ever do that again you will be waiting in the unemployment line in a body cast." she warned him. Both of them turned to see Jack pulling into the driveway and Darren got nervous.

"I'm so sorry Mimi, I couldn't help it, your just so-"

"I am your boss and you will respect me as though." she turned and walked into her front door. Darren did a serious speed walk to his car, sighing in relief that he got inside before jack came out of the garage. He sped off.

Aries was pissed, he tried to reason with himself but it hadn't worked, he was still pissed. Mimi was fishing for her keys wanting to get inside before Jack got in the building, but it was no surprise, that due to her failing luck, she could not find her keys. Darren kissing her had been bad enough, but she knew Jack had seen it and she felt weird about that. Regardless of how bad they started off, or the fact that he pulled away when she hugged him, she still couldn't shake that feeling she got when ever he was around or she thought of him. She didn't want him to think she liked Darren or anything.

"Hey Jack." she smiled

"Nomi, we need to talk." he said with a seriousness that made her a little worried.

"Sure, just let me find my keys." she said, digging back through her purse, and wouldn't you know, she found them immediately. "Come in." she said as she unlocked the door than went inside, he followed behind. "What's up." she grinned and he wondered how she could be so calm when he was almost raging inside.

"I'm running a business, not a dating service."

"Excuse me?" she was genuinely confused, trying to scan her brain and remember if she had messed up somehow.

"I need a manager that can run my business not date the employees."

"I do not date the employees." she looked at him baffled, she didn't date anyone, she was a virgin. "I can't believe you just said that."

"What do you expect me to say when I find my manager kissing the busboy in my front yard?" he snapped.

"I wasn't kissing him!"

"I saw you."

"He kissed me!" she stormed defensively.

"Well maybe you should stop flirting with him so much!"

"I NEVER flirted with him!"

"Your his boss Nomi and you need to act like it!" he used her real name sternly.

"I do act like it!"

"How? By making dates on my time?"

"I wasn't making dates, he asked me to dinner and I didn't even get a chance to answer him before you stormed in!"

"Thank god I did, who knows how far you would have let him go-"

She couldn't help it before she knew what she was doing she slapped him, right across the face. His eyes went wide, his face turned red and she swore she saw steam come from his ears. Before she could react, he had her, his hands holding her face; he planted a brutal kiss on her lips.

He yanked back and she gasped the air back into her lungs, starring at him, he stepped back realizing what he had just done.

They both stood there silently, staring intently at each other for what seemed like an eternity before she stepped forward grabbed his face, pulling it down to hers than continued the kiss.

Aries kissed her back just as passionately, both blind to what they were doing and all else but each other, they went on pure instinct. He slid his hands down her neck, taking over her mouth, she tasted so sweet, so fresh, and he couldn't get enough of her. Her breathing increased, her heart was racing so fast she feared it would pop and her body was floating as his hands slid down her shoulders, taking the straps of her tank top as they went. She could feel every inch of the fabric sliding over her bra covered breasts and when the fabric ran over her soft nipples, it send a jolt of electricity that rattled through her jellified legs. She gasped hard into his mouth right before he pulled back, looking down at her breasts to watch her nipples harden beneath the thin cotton material of her bra.

He ran his finger tips lightly around the tightening nub, circling it lazily, watching her reaction to his touch. He loved the way she thrust her large breasts forward trying to force his fingers to slide across her nipples. He kissed her open lips as she panted; slipping his tongue inside to circle the tip of her tongue as he finally slid his fingers over her begging nipples. Mimi cried out into his mouth as he took her back into a deep kiss.