"Put a little more elbow grease into that."
Lily smirked to herself as she scraped the grill again, clearing it after a busy night at the restaurant. The crowd had been pleased, and the evening had gone well, considering two of the line cooks had called in sick. But hearing Travis joke with her told her he, too, had a sense of pride and accomplishment as they worked in tandem with the rest of the staff on the nightly cleanup.
She didn't look up, too hard at work to bother. And besides, the last thing she needed right now was to see the prominent dimple in Travis' left cheek as he grinned at her in amusement. The man was devastating as it was, and she'd felt such a strong, instant attraction to his deep brown eyes and blond tipped, mussy brown hair that she'd almost decided not to take the job as sous chef under him. But she was an adult who could control her urges, and working in a fine dining establishment like this one with one of the most noted up and coming chefs in New York had been too good of an opportunity to turn down just because she fantasized about her boss.
So, now, as she'd done for the last four months, she buckled down and focused on her work. Almost everything had been done, and the last of the last waitress called out a goodbye, Travis walking her to the parking garage. He was definitely a gentleman, always making sure the girls were safe on their way out. Lily didn't need protection; she carried pepper spray and took the train, as she had all her life. She couldn't understand why anyone drove in the city.
Finished with the grill, she tossed the scraper in the sink to soak while she made sure the last of the plates were in the dishwasher. She and Travis kept an immaculate kitchen, one above reproach, and she would leave nothing undone, no matter how exhausted she was. Cleanliness could be a make or break for a restaurant and a career in this city.
Satisfied, she turned back to the sink to clean the scraper and jumped, startled at the sound of the door closing. This time, she did look up and found Travis leaning back against it, his arms crossed over his chest and a large grin on his face. His dark eyes sparkled in the dim light, and there was mischief written all over his expression. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just didn't want to sneak up on you, either."
Lily shrugged, feigning indifference, despite her heart racing. Was it the startle or the view that had her so worked up? She wasn't sure. "It's no big deal."
"Are you still working?" he asked, tilting his head and seeming to study her.
She couldn't watch him watch her like that, so she turned back to look down at her hands in the soapy water, where she held the scraper in one hand and the steel wool in the other. "You know me. I can't leave anything unfinished."
"That's a great rule of thumb. In fact, I have some unfinished business myself that I need to take care of." Lily frowned, finding the vague statement odd. Travis always spoke his mind, and he tended to be a joker, sarcastic humor his specialty. Was he making fun of her? For some reason, the idea that he might be was mortifying, and it made her angry. Sure, she had a crush on him, and she always wanted to impress him, but this was personal, and it stabbed deep into her confidence.
She considered ducking further into her work versus turning and reading him the riot act for being such a jerk, but neither option seemed viable. She didn't want to make waves, and she didn't want to give away just how much his approval meant to her on more than a professional level. Instead, she lifted the items in her hand and started scrubbing off the caked on grease and other leftovers from the night. She could handle this like an adult. It wasn't high school, and she wouldn't act like some sad little rejected girl who had a crush on the varsity quarterback.
So focused on her scrubbing, Lily didn't see Travis move, and she gasped as hands curled around her wrists, halting her movement. His fingers were cool and light but firm, and she could feel his presence directly behind her. What was he doing, other than making her wonder if she'd get charged with sexual harassment and fired if she moaned and leaned back to see if his chest was as hard and muscled as it looked?
"Why don't you put those down for a minute?" It was a question, spoken more like a command, and Lily found herself following his direction. Something in his tone heated her blood more than usual, and her skin burned and tingled where he touched her.
Travis dipped their hands into the soapy water and used his to rinse hers, gently and smoothly. Then, he pulled them out and dried them on the towel hanging from the rack next to the counter. As he moved with her, Lily felt his breath on her neck, blowing the wisps of hair that had come loose from her messy bun so they tickled, and she shivered slightly, trying to control her breathing. This was far too intimate, and she couldn't imagine what he was thinking.
She felt his lips on her ear an instant before he whispered, "I've wanted to bend you over and fuck you since the day you walked through that door."
A strangled noise escaped her, and Lily fell back against him, melting...and discovered that his cock was at attention at the small of her back. From the way the salute felt, he was certainly as well endowed in that department as he was with his culinary gift, and it made things ache low in her gut. "And what makes you think I'm going to let you do that?" she asked, but her voice was so low and raspy she barely recognized it.
He chuckled, the rumble in his chest vibrating against her back delightfully. "I've seen the way you look at me. Come on, Lily, don't play games with me. We owe it to each other to let the sparks fly." Before she could answer, Travis spun her around and used his body to pin her against the counter, his mouth searing against hers, with his tongue pressing to part her lips. She gave a surprised cry that he swallowed, the counter gouging at her hips as he swept into her mouth and took control, making her body explode with need.
