Consume Me Read Online Free Page A

I’d rather see him there than wasting his days in my little restaurant.”
    “You're right.  He can go as far as his imagination takes him, but still…”
    “Honey, did you ever stop to consider… maybe I’d like to take care of things on my own after being on my back for so long?”
    Stunned, Taryn looked at her mother.
    “I’m eager to get back to Sam’s.  I’m eager to have those long and tiresome days that leave me exhausted, but so satisfied.  And with Errol’s crew… what a dream.”
    “If you're sure.”
    “Sweetie, if I see you walk through that door before the week is over, I’m going to spin you around and send you right back out.”
    An immense weight was lifted off Taryn’s shoulder and her lungs filled with sweet and fresh air like it hadn’t in a long while.  Her mother’s push out the door was exactly what she needed.
    She clipped her suitcase shut, took a quick shower and grabbed her passport and purse.
    “Take care of that man of yours, honey,” Sam called from the door.
    “And you take care of yourself.”
    “I will.  Now scoot.”
    With a giggle and a skip in her step, Taryn hurried out to grab a cab to the airport.  Once on the plane, however, she was dogged with uncertainty and questions.  While her mother had made it clear she approved of Errol, Taryn couldn’t help but wonder if she’d be able to keep his demons at bay.  They’d been so present when she’d first met him in Paris, so much so, she’d feared staying with him could destroy her.
    But now she wondered; were his demons really gone, or were they simply dormant, just waiting for the opportunity to come back?
    And when they did come back, could she handle them?

 
     
    Chapter 3
     
     
    T aryn was a jittery pack of nerves as she arrived at the television studios in Paris.   Seeing Errol again after two weeks of aching for him, hungering for him, and dreaming of being in his arms, she wondered if she’d be able to keep from jumping all over him.  This was his professional stage, after all, and she didn’t want to look the fool in front of his crew.
    With a broad smile on her face she reached the kitchen set where they taped his show.  A clean-up crew was busy washing dishes, wiping off counters and occasionally picking in the platter of appetizing croque monsieurs set in a platter.
    “ Pardonnez-moi ,” she said in a halting accent.
    Three sets of bright, brown eyes turned to her.
    “ Oui ,” the smaller woman said.
    “Where is Errol King?”
    “Errol?” She turned to the taller woman and the young man cleaning the kitchen with her.  “ Est-ce qu’il est toujours ici ?”
    The only word Taryn picked up was ‘ ici ’, ‘here’.  Could he be gone already?
    Three sets of shoulders shrugged as they looked apologetically at her.
    “ Monsieur King a presque fini pour aujourd’hui .  Heez almost finish for today.”
    Taryn turned to the sound of the booming male voice.
    “I’m the stage manager, so my eyes are everywhere, all the time,” he said with a strong French accent.  He walked up to her carrying a tray laden with various ingredients. “He is in his dressing room getting ready for the next taping.”
    “Thank you,” Taryn said looking around for a clue as to where that would be.
    “Just down the hall.”  He jutted his chin out to the right.  “It’s the first door on the right.”
    “Thanks.”
    She walked down the hall, eager to surprise him, but as she approached his door, she heard his voice.
    “I told them to rebuild it just as it was,” he said.
    Taryn stepped silently closer and tried to peer into the room.  The door was ajar, but all she could see was an empty sofa and the shadow of Errol pacing.
    “Suzanne,” he went on.  “I told you, I don’t want them to  make any changes.  La Benicoise was perfect as it was.  Why change it?”
    Silence.
    “Okay,” he said more gently.  “I hadn’t looked at it that way.”
    More silence, and Taryn realized he was