A Pinch of Kitchen Magic by Sandra Sookoo Page A

vanished into the air, his heart
a twisted lump of despair. Never had he regretted his career choice
until today. Never had he met a woman who could match him in every
way except magical skill level. Never had he wanted it all until
now.
    Sometimes, if a project simmered too
long, it went bad.

 
     
     
     
     

Chapter Six
     
    Sexy as Chocolate
Mousse
     
    Forty-eight headless gingerbread men
lined the butcher-block island like macabre castoffs from a party
hosted by Henry the Eighth. Aidan stared at them with gruesome
fascination. They didn’t start life headless. She only snapped
their heads off every time her thoughts wandered to Matteus. She
tossed the last decapitated body onto the platter. The head landed
on a plate of heads. No more cookies. What would she do
now?
    Since his departure two days ago,
Aidan focused all her energies on cooking. The irony was she
succeeded. Without him to distract her, for the first time in her
life, her cooking was flawless. A pot of creamy, pale yellow
polenta with parmesan cheese rested on the stove like a satin
pillow, honey-glazed carrots winked at her from the counter top,
and her carving knife sliced perfectly roasted, garlic and rosemary
infused pork tenderloin into blush-tinged medallions. A bowl of
chocolate mousse waited in the refrigerator.
    After donating her edible cooking
projects to every soup kitchen in the area, she was still running
out of room to store leftovers. She needed to get over Matteus and
move on with her life. If her aunt could go through life alone, so
could she. It would kill her but it might break her heart beyond
repair.
    She had achieved her dream, but the
reality was bittersweet. She had no one to share her joy. With an
effort, she stifled a sob. Spooning a soft puddle of polenta into
the middle of a plate, she arranged two pieces of pork on top with
a few carrots on the side for color. Just like a cookbook. Yet her
appetite for gourmet food had fled for the moment.
    Maybe she should get a dog. At least
then, the leftovers wouldn’t go to waste.
    “ If anyone could pull off
a five-star dinner, it would be you. I never doubted your
ability.”
    Aidan dropped the plate, but instead
of the crash she expected, it hovered above the floor like a
bizarre flying saucer. The air before her shimmered then Matteus
appeared. The plate balanced easily on his upturned hand. “What do
you want?” Even to her own ears, her voice held a dull, bland note.
She was too exhausted to cry or fight him, but she greedily
devoured him with her gaze, memorizing every plane and nuance of
his sculpted body, each line and freckle on his face. She would
carry the image of him with her to remember in the empty years
ahead.
    “ There are many things I
want, but only one has the power to bring me to my knees.” Setting
the plate down on the butcher block, Matteus took two steps in her
direction then stopped. His mouth opened and closed, but in the
end, he just stared at her. “For the first time in my life, I know
what I want beyond every doubt and rule.”
    The storminess of his eyes washed over
her and threatened to sweep her away. Aidan shivered. Two days ago,
she would have gladly jumped into the torrent, but he had made his
choice. If he wanted to capitulate, he’d have to work for it. “Why
are you here?” She slipped around the island, glad for the solid
piece of furniture between them. “I warned you to keep away. You
can’t keep popping in every time you feel like it. I’m not strong
enough.”
    He rubbed a hand over his
stubble-covered cheek, his sigh a sound of exhaustion. “I wanted to
drop this off.” From the breast pocket of his black silk shirt, he
pulled a credit card-sized square.
    As she took the card from him, she was
careful to avoid touching his fingers. “My license?” Her heart
pounded, as flattery warred with irritation in her stomach. “That’s
it? You came back to bring me this?” Maybe there was no hope for
him after all.
    He nodded, his