The Costarella Conquest by Emma Darcy

Author:Emma Darcy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-09-01T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

TO Eddie’s inevitable query about her night with Jake Freedman, she breezily answered, ‘Great food, great sex, and marriage is not on the menu for either of us so don’t worry about my becoming a victim of secret agendas. That’s definitely out!’

Later in the day, she settled her mother’s concern with, ‘It won’t become a serious relationship, Mum. It was just a dinner date, which I might or might not repeat.’ With a mischievous smile, she added, ‘Depends on how good the restaurant is if he asks me out again.’

It made her mother laugh. ‘Oh, you and food!’

And she cut off her father’s probe into the personal connection by regaling him with details of every spicy dish she’d tasted, virtually dismissing Jake’s company as pleasant enough but relatively unimportant.

However, it was easier to establish in other people’s minds that an involvement with Jake was not a big issue than it was to convince herself. Life simply wasn’t the same as before she met him. He dominated her thoughts, especially at night when she was alone in bed, her body restless with memories of their intense intimacy. It was impossible to block him out for long and she grew angry and frustrated with herself for not being able to set him at a sensible distance, especially as day followed day without any contact from him.

He hadn’t given her his mobile telephone number.

He obviously had a silent land number at his Woollahra home because his name wasn’t listed in the telephone directory.

No way could she call him at work because her father might get to hear about it.

Control of any connection between them was all on his side and she had no control whatsoever over yearning to be reconnected. Which was turning her into a stupid, love-sick cow and she hated being like that, hated it so much when he did finally call her on Friday afternoon, the zoom of pleasure at hearing his voice was speared through by resentment at his power to affect her so deeply. She only grudgingly managed a polite ‘Hi!’ to his greeting.

He didn’t seem to notice any coldness in her response, rolling straight into the business of the call without any personal enquiries about her or her well-being. ‘I’ve been trying all week to book us a table at one of your top restaurants for tomorrow night. Can’t be done. They’re all booked up and there hasn’t been any cancellations. However, I have managed to get us a table at Peter Gilmore’s Quay restaurant for next Saturday night. Is that okay with you?’

Peter Gilmore’s Quay—listed as one of the top fifty restaurants in the world! It was a totally irresistible invitation. A rush of excited enthusiasm flooded over all other feelings.

‘Fantastic!’ tripped off her tongue. ‘I saw his amazing Snow Egg dessert on a television show. It started with a layer of guava purée mixed with whipped cream. On top of that was guava-flavoured crushed ice. Then a meringue shaped like an egg and an inside that was creamy custard apple.

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