What's Cooking? Read Online Free Page B
Author: Sherryl Woods
Tags: United States, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, series, Contemporary Fiction, Harlequin Special Edition
mentioned whether Rick had asked about Maggie or even whether he'd come by personally or sent the pictures by courier. Maggie hadn't wanted to ask. If the photos had come by courier, it would suggest that Rick, too, w^s taking extra measures to avoid any more contact between them.
"Want me to scan the pictures in so you can see them?" her assistant asked.
Control freak that she was, Maggie had replied at once, then waited and checked to see if the files had come through. As soon as she'd seen the photos, her heart beat a little harder. Rick had done an amazing job. He was every bit as talented as his reputation implied, even if he had been shooting pictures of summer squash and corn instead of willowy blondes. Maggie had immediately wanted to pick up the phone and call to congratulate him.
That was what had finally driven her out of the house. She was perfectly capable of making her own coffee, but the prospect of sitting outside, thumbing through unfamiliar magazines to look for some ideas that would be fresh to her readers, promised to be almost enticing enough to keep her mind off Rick for an hour or two.
Unfortunately as she studied some of the region's best photography, she realized none of it held a candle to what Rick had been able to do on short notice. When she realized she was sitting there making comparisons to his work, rather than forgetting about him, she tossed the magazines back into her canvas tote bag and headed
30 30WHAT'S COOKING?
home. If she was going to obsess about the man, she might as well be in her own surroundings.
As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted her cell phone on the kitchen table where she'd left it. She told herself that anything work related would be communicated by e-mail. She reminded herself that her family would simply call the cottage. Only Rick was likely to leave a message on her cell-phone voice mail. There was no reason on earth to pick up that phone and check messages, but naturally she did.
To her regret?or was it relief??there were precisely fourteen messages on her voice mail, thirteen of them from Rick. Apparently there was going to be no escaping the man, after all, unless she gathered the courage to toss the phone into the bay. And since she seemed to get a little thrill just from hearing the increasing frustration in his low, sexy voice, she doubted the phone was going anywhere.
The last message, which had been left only minutes earlier, was from Ashley, and she sounded odd, a little less confident than usual.
Other than acknowledging that annoying little stutter-step of her heart at the sound of Rick's voice, Maggie ignored his messages and called her sister on her private line. Ashley picked up at once.
"Hey, Ash, what's up?"
"Well, hello there," Ashley said a little too brightly. "Thanks for calling me back so quickly. I wasn't sure you'd be checking your cell phone for messages, since you're on vacation."
Maggie groaned and sank down on the sofa. She knew what that odd tone and the cryptic remark about
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SHERRYL WOODS31
her vacation meant. "He's there, isn't he? Rick is in your office."
"That's correct. Today's the day for surprises, all right."
"Send him away," Maggie told her urgently. "Whatever you do, Ashley, do not tell him where I am. Do not tell him I'm on the phone."
"Yes, I'm doing my best to dojexactly that," Ashley agreed cheerfully.|
Ashley mumbled something Maggie couldn't understand. "What did you say?" Maggie asked her sister.
"She said I'm being too damn persistent," Rick replied tersely.
There went that stutter-step of her heart again. "Oh," Maggie said weakly. This was it. jHer worst nightmare. Unless she found some way to toughen her resolve immediately, Rick was going charrri her whereabouts out of her. Then he was going to track her down, and every one of her noble intentions about ending their doomed affair was going to go up in smoke. She had absolutely no willpower where he was concerned. He was more addictive than
"Want me to scan the pictures in so you can see them?" her assistant asked.
Control freak that she was, Maggie had replied at once, then waited and checked to see if the files had come through. As soon as she'd seen the photos, her heart beat a little harder. Rick had done an amazing job. He was every bit as talented as his reputation implied, even if he had been shooting pictures of summer squash and corn instead of willowy blondes. Maggie had immediately wanted to pick up the phone and call to congratulate him.
That was what had finally driven her out of the house. She was perfectly capable of making her own coffee, but the prospect of sitting outside, thumbing through unfamiliar magazines to look for some ideas that would be fresh to her readers, promised to be almost enticing enough to keep her mind off Rick for an hour or two.
Unfortunately as she studied some of the region's best photography, she realized none of it held a candle to what Rick had been able to do on short notice. When she realized she was sitting there making comparisons to his work, rather than forgetting about him, she tossed the magazines back into her canvas tote bag and headed
30 30WHAT'S COOKING?
home. If she was going to obsess about the man, she might as well be in her own surroundings.
As soon as she stepped inside, she spotted her cell phone on the kitchen table where she'd left it. She told herself that anything work related would be communicated by e-mail. She reminded herself that her family would simply call the cottage. Only Rick was likely to leave a message on her cell-phone voice mail. There was no reason on earth to pick up that phone and check messages, but naturally she did.
To her regret?or was it relief??there were precisely fourteen messages on her voice mail, thirteen of them from Rick. Apparently there was going to be no escaping the man, after all, unless she gathered the courage to toss the phone into the bay. And since she seemed to get a little thrill just from hearing the increasing frustration in his low, sexy voice, she doubted the phone was going anywhere.
The last message, which had been left only minutes earlier, was from Ashley, and she sounded odd, a little less confident than usual.
Other than acknowledging that annoying little stutter-step of her heart at the sound of Rick's voice, Maggie ignored his messages and called her sister on her private line. Ashley picked up at once.
"Hey, Ash, what's up?"
"Well, hello there," Ashley said a little too brightly. "Thanks for calling me back so quickly. I wasn't sure you'd be checking your cell phone for messages, since you're on vacation."
Maggie groaned and sank down on the sofa. She knew what that odd tone and the cryptic remark about
31 !
SHERRYL WOODS31
her vacation meant. "He's there, isn't he? Rick is in your office."
"That's correct. Today's the day for surprises, all right."
"Send him away," Maggie told her urgently. "Whatever you do, Ashley, do not tell him where I am. Do not tell him I'm on the phone."
"Yes, I'm doing my best to dojexactly that," Ashley agreed cheerfully.|
Ashley mumbled something Maggie couldn't understand. "What did you say?" Maggie asked her sister.
"She said I'm being too damn persistent," Rick replied tersely.
There went that stutter-step of her heart again. "Oh," Maggie said weakly. This was it. jHer worst nightmare. Unless she found some way to toughen her resolve immediately, Rick was going charrri her whereabouts out of her. Then he was going to track her down, and every one of her noble intentions about ending their doomed affair was going to go up in smoke. She had absolutely no willpower where he was concerned. He was more addictive than
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