CHEF'S DELIGHT

Chapter 6 - First Date Part 2

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Then I looked away shyly. Luke touched my face and turned it towards him again.

" Have I told you, you look exquisite tonight?" He whispered and stared at my lips.

I blinked multiple times, then bit my lip, blushed, and nodded my head slowly. Finally, he smiled sweetly at me and kissed my forehead.

" Let's go eat. Our food is getting cold." He said and carried me to our table. I gasped in surprise and held on tight.

" Luke! I can walk! Please put me down!" I shrieked and glared at him.

" Nope. I don't want those beautiful feet to get sand all over it." He declared and didn't let go.

" You crazy guy!" I mumbled and just enjoyed it.

He put me down and helped me to my chair before he went to his side of the table. He opened the covers, and the aroma met my nostrils. It's so mouth-watering and looked so delicious.

" Wow! You cooked a lot, Luke. And it all looked and smelled delicious. Thank you." I told him, smiling.

" I prepared them especially for you, Stacy. I hope you'll like them and enjoy your time with me. But, first, let's have a toast." He poured wine into our glasses and raised it for a toast.

" To our first date, and for more dates to come." He said and clinked his glass to mine. We sipped our wines while staring at each other.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Then he served me food and waited for me to taste it. The first bite took me to paradise. He is a good cook, no wonder he's so successful, and people are flocking his restaurant.

" Mmmmm, God! This food is heavenly, Luke." I uttered while closing my eyes to savor the taste and feel of the meat in my mouth. It's like melting in my mouth, and the taste lingers and wakes my senses up.

" I love watching you eat. And the way you moan brings my imagination to overdrive. I'm glad you like it." He murmured in a seductive and raspy voice. I opened my eyes and stared at his intense and dilated eyes.

" Are you kidding me? I love it, not just like it. You are a magnificent cook, no wonder you're successful." I told him honestly and put more food in my mouth.

" Thank you, Stacy. I tried and made sure to perfect every dish I make." He replied and started eating as well.

" When did you start cooking, and why this passion? Was it your plan from the beginning?" I asked him. I am trying to fish for information so that I will be able to start on that article. I know it is wrong, but I have a career on the line, and I need a promotion.

" Well, at first, I wanted to become a pilot. But it all changed when my parents died when I was ten. My grandma raised me and started teaching me how to cook. I loved grandma's cooking, and I loved spending time with her at the kitchen.' So he narrated, and I tried to imagine the little boy with his grandmother in the kitchen.

" I'm sorry to hear about your parents. But you're still lucky you had ten years with them. I never knew my parents. I grew up in an orphanage, and when I was old enough to support myself, I left. I've been supporting myself ever since I was seventeen." I said and smiled sadly at him. He looked at me differently now and reached for my hand.

" I'm sorry, baby, that you have to go through that. But I admire you. You have made a life for yourself and started a career. You are a strong and courageous woman." He said and squeezed my hand.

" I had to. I have no choice. I refuse to waste my life and wallow in tears because two individuals decided to throw me in an orphanage. I want to prove to them that they made a mistake in abandoning me and that I don't need them to live." I stated indignantly.

Luke's face changed. He looked at me in awe and admiration. Then, he took my hand to his lips and kissed each finger.

" You are one exceptional woman, Stacy Morgan." He murmured and smiled. We continued eating and enjoyed the sound of the waves and the calm wind. I omitted some parts of my life. I don't think I trust him enough to tell him.

That part of my life was darkest and most tragic. I wanted to forget that and erase it from my memory. No one knows about it, not even my best friends. I glanced at Luke and found him looking at me too. I smiled and sipped my wine.

" Stacy, I have a proposition for you. You don't have to answer now, but I hope you will say yes." He said seriously, staring straight at me. I raised my brows, intrigued about the proposition.

" What is it?"I asked.

" Let's be clear first before I tell you my proposal. I am attracted to you, and I know that you are attracted to me too, or you wouldn't have accepted my invitation and dressed up like this." He stated. I blushed a little.

He is half right. I am attracted to him big time, but part of it is because I wanted to know the real Luke Davies to use for my article.

" Your silence means I am right. Now my proposition is this. I want to know you better and want you in my bed asap." He continued, and to say I am shocked by his last statement is an understatement. I felt hot all of a sudden.

" But before I let you in my world and bring you to my bed. I want you to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Whatever you discover about my private life stays within the four corners of my house. Nothing should leak out, and no one should know. I want you, and I want to know you more. would you give this attraction a try?" He finished, and I stayed quiet.

What will I say? Should I give it a try and f**k the warning signs? If I sign that agreement, it will mean I can kiss my promotion goodbye. But Luke is right. I am attracted to him but am I ready for another relationship?

I haven't been with a man for over seven years since that horrible day. I looked at Luke and stared at his questioning eyes.

" Can I think about it? I haven't received a proposal like this before. You surprised me with it. I am not sure I am ready to share my private life with you as well. " I told him truthfully. It is sudden, and I have to weigh my options here. It's like choosing between your dream and ambition.

" Sure, babe. But, I hope you wouldn't make me wait. I do want you, so bad, and I'm this close to losing control." He made a sign with his fingers. I bit my lip and grimaced.

" Especially when you do that. You are killing me with that lip biting, baby." He groaned, and I chuckled.

" Is one week enough for you to decide? Let me know right away once you've decided, and I'll be at your doorstep in a flash." He said and grinned.

" Okay, one week. Give me one week to think it over." I agreed and smiled. He nodded and raised his glass in confirmation. Now, what should I do? My career or my traitor body? Luke is looking so hot that I want to jump his bones. But I am scared. I am scared to trust and love again.