Homewrecker Incorporated by S. Simone Chavous Page B

and cleared the appetizer plates. I smiled at him before turning my attention back to Grey.
    "So you're saying you're too old to have kids? How old are you? Thirty?"
    "Thirty-three."
    "Are you saying I'm old, then? I'm turning thirty-two two weeks from Friday. Perhaps I should start shopping around for nursing homes before it's too late." I bumped his leg with my foot under the table and smiled.
    He grabbed it and I squealed before he pulled off my shoe and started massaging. I moaned my approval, wishing he'd move his skilled hands much, much further up my leg.
    "Two orders of fillet with peppercorn sauce and roasted asparagus," the waiter said, interrupting our little massage party as he placed the plates on the table. My stomach rumbled at the smell as I pulled my leg back in. "Can I get you anything else?"
    "I'm fine," I replied, grabbing my utensils. Having not eaten all day, hunger took precedence over horny and the appetizer had done little to sate me. "This looks amazing."
    I couldn't wait. I sliced into the perfectly cooked cut of beef and dipped it in the sauce.
    "Oh my God," I said after swallowing the first bite. "This is the best steak I've ever tasted."
    "It's very good," Grey agreed, "You have to let me cook for you. I can top this."
    "Impossible." I took another bite. So. Fucking. Delicious.
    "That sounds like a challenge. Now you'll have to have dinner with me again so I can prove it," he said with a devilish grin. "I make pretty good sushi, too."
    The temptation was almost enough to make me consider seeing him again just for the food, but I'd already made up my mind. Somewhere between my sister's driveway and sitting down at the restaurant bar, I decided I just needed one night to get Grey out of my system so I could get my head back in the game.
    "If you can cook better than this, you'll have no problem snagging a wife," I said without thinking.
    He didn't react, just took another bite of his steak.
    I basically inhaled my meal and started eyeing a piece of filet he'd left while he ordered a piece of chocolate cake for us to split.
    "Do you want the rest of mine?" he asked with an amused grin.
    I smiled sheepishly. "I really do love a good steak."
    "I love a girl who eats." He swapped out our plates and watched me polish off his meat. I chuckled to myself, at least I thought.
    "What's funny?"
    "Nothing, just a dirty thought."
    "I've been having those since I saw you get out of that cab this morning."
    "Mr. Michaels, that is not appropriate business dinner conversation," I said, biting my lip. The waiter chuckled, setting a piece of gold-flecked chocolate cake between us.
    "You started it," he shot back. "Actually, can you just box this up and bring the check?" He passed the plate back to the waiter.
    I stuck my lip out. "I was going to eat that."
    "You'll still get your chance, but I had something else in mind for my dessert." His voice was husky and full of promise as he signed the check without looking away from me.
    My body hummed with anticipation. I wanted Grey like I'd never wanted anything in my life, even if just for the night. The job, the money, none of it mattered, then. It was reckless, and selfish, but I couldn't seem to stop myself even when it occurred to me the home I was about to wreck might just have been my own.
    ❖
    "Jesus, I thought that was you, Grey," a deep voice said from a few feet away as we stood next to our table. "Heard you were back in town."
    A tall, sandy-haired man with a neatly trimmed goatee approached. A huge smile spread across Grey's face, making my knees feel weak.
    "Hey, Chad!"
    It took me a moment to realize the other man was his younger brother as they hugged tight, slapping each other on the back. When Grey pulled back, his smile dropped when he caught sight of the stunning and very leggy blonde who followed behind Chad.
    "Hi, Grey, it's so great to see you. It's been far too long," she said softly, moving closer.
    She went in for a hug and my blood heated. Grey