Recipe for Love (Entangled Select Suspense) Read Online Free

got the better of her. Like the day she’d thrown her new dish of chicken and noodles across the kitchen. It was right after Hirschberg told her she had to be on the panel with Ethridge and Jordan.
    Now sharing the judge’s table didn’t seem as onerous, even with Jordan’s presence.
    “Kind of me, my ass.” Tom grimaced, and slammed his empty can down on the table. “The boss man called to tell me it would be a good idea since my contract comes up for renewal this fall.”
    She should be shocked, but she wasn’t. “That’s blackmail.” The owner of The Culinary Channel was a full-blown bully who liked to throw his weight around and bark orders.
    “You are such a babe in the woods.” Tom shoved his hands in the pockets of his tan cargo pants and paced the floor. “I’ll bet you signed your life away when The Culinary Channel propositioned you for your show.” He shot a glance at her with a smirk on his face. “Jordan’s too sophisticated to let anything get by him.”
    She grabbed a tan disposable cup, decorated with dancing coffee beans, from the stack by the carafe. Its squeaky protest grated against her nerves. “My lawyer said everything looked okay.”
    “Don’t tell me—homegrown attorney with no background in entertainment law?”
    “So?” She hated it when people assumed she was stupid because of her accent.
    “My attorney is the best in the business.” Tom drew a finger like a knife across his Adam’s apple. “And he quakes whenever he gets a call from Hirschberg.”
    “My attorney is my brother-in-law.” Tilly shook her head and smiled. “He takes care of all my lawyerly needs, includin’ helpin’ me out of this pickle with Ethridge’s death. I didn’t like the man, but I sure as hell didn’t kill him.”
    “I can understand someone wanting to whack the dude.” Tom couldn’t keep still. His legs jittered. He wrapped and unwrapped his arms around his chest.
    “Did you kill him?” Jordan lifted an eyebrow in question. He leaned against the table and took a swig of his water while he waited for an answer. “Well?”
    Tom’s face paled until his freckles stood out in 3-D. “No.” His arms quit flapping, only to be replaced by the nervous jitter of his left leg. “What would give you that idea? How do I know your alibi will hold up? Maybe you did him in.”
    He gave Tom an assured smile. “Nope. I’m pure as the driven snow. Remember, my date for the night can attest to that fact.”
    “She had to sleep sometime.” Tom pointed at Jordan, his voice full of “gotcha.”
    “Did she?” Jordan twirled the cap back onto his empty bottle and tossed it into the trash. “Did she, now?”
    She wanted to smack the smug look off his face. “No wonder she looked so frazzled at the police station.”
    “Meow.” He snagged a chocolate chip cookie from an array of pastries, chomping into it with a big “Bite Me” smile.
    She ignored him and turned back to the carafe to get her coffee. She watched Miranda on the monitor busily arranging the stations where the three remaining contestants would battle it out for an opportunity to participate in the national contest. The chance to win a show on The Culinary Channel was high stakes.
    “Don’t let him rattle you.” She added a large dollop of half and half, tested the strong brew, and added a bit more to smooth out the bitterness. “You got nothin’ to be worried about. The same as I told Miranda—tell them the truth. She’s really hurtin’ over Ethridge’s murder.”
    Tom laughed and pulled another energy drink from the bowl of ice on the table. “Oh, honey. She’s crying crocodile tears. Besides, I don’t believe a word of that and the truth will set you free crap.” His left leg jittered away as he popped the top. “We got us a real babe in the woods.”
    …
    Jordan watched Patty Carmichael, the makeup artist, give Tilly a last minute touch up before they went on camera. He found himself strangely drawn to Tilly’s