Promises to Keep by Vanessa Devereaux

the same spot on the desk for the third
time. She was emotionally spent, and sexually frustrated too. When he’d kissed
her, her pussy experienced that oh so familiar pull that said sex now, please . She wanted him, and
only him. She thought he’d carry her upstairs and make love to her.
    Okay the carrying her up the stairs had been a
little wild, but his erection gave him away. He wanted her as much as she
wanted him.
    She’d heard the shower running about ten minutes
ago. His room was directly above the reception area. She should think about
taking a cold shower, too.
    Picking up the duster again, she realized she’d polished
the same spot again. The veneer would disappear if she kept this up. She tapped
the desk instead. She’d known plenty of women who’d think nothing of marching
straight up to his room, knocking on the door, pushing him back until he fell
on the bed, and then proceeding to seduce him.
    She wasn’t that sort of woman.
    Damn.
    Maybe she’d go bake some cookies.   Sadie had e-mailed her the recipe from the
ex-client she’d mentioned while she’d be staying here.  
    Hayley went to her e-mail and hit print. She carried
the recipe into kitchen and sat it down. Gen’s Famous Chocolate Chip cookies.   Flour, brown sugar, butter,
chocolate chip cookies, preferably 60 percent cocoa, walnuts, eggs, and add lots of loving as you mix the batter.
    These
goodies are the true way to a man’s heart , Sadie had added
at the bottom.
    Well
we’ll see about that.
    ****
    Cole didn’t need an alarm clock to wake him the
following morning. He could smell breakfast cooking again. He hoped that Hayley
hadn’t gone to any trouble to get up early or prepare something just for him.
Still he wouldn’t complain, because a guy could get use to this sort of thing.
    He got out of bed and stretched his arms in the air.
He walked to the window and looked out. By the look of the ice and frost on the
trees he was guessing it was cold out there and the sort of day when you’d
rather be curled up in bed for a few more hours.
    Once he’d shaved, showered, and put on his work
clothes, he headed downstairs. The smell of sausages got stronger with each
step he took. He turned the corner to see Hayley setting the table.
    “Good morning,” he said.
    “Morning. Did
you sleep okay?”
    “One of the best night’s sleep I’ve had in a long time.”
    Probably
jerking off helped big time.
    “I hope you didn’t go to any trouble with breakfast
on my account,” he said.
    “You’re a paying guest.”
    “Yeah, but I’m probably up earlier than people who
are simply vacationing here.”
    “It doesn’t matter because I get up early. Now if
you want to sit down I have eggs, sausage, and hash browns for you.”
    His mouth watered just thinking about it. He pulled
out the chair and sat while Hayley went into the kitchen and came out with a
plate overflowing with food.
    “This should chase away the cold from your day. I take
it you work outside a lot,” she said, placing it in front of him.
    He nodded. “Today I’m moving cattle from one pasture
to another.”
    “Wow, do you have to rope them too?”
    “Not usually but you can get the odd one not wanting
to move to new land.”
    “I baked some chocolate chip cookies last night. You
want to take some for a snack?”
    “You baked cookies last night? After
I went to bed?”
    Hayley nodded. “A recipe from a
friend of someone who recently stayed here.”
    “Okay, Betty Crocker, if you have some spare, I’d
love some.”
    Hayley smiled as he took his first bite. A great combination to start the work week.
    ****
    She should really lock these cookies in the safe.
She hadn’t been able to stop eating them, and was glad she’d given half a dozen
of them to Cole. Hayley looked at the plate again. Only two
remaining. Okay, eat them and don’t make another batch until right
before Christmas.
    Biting into one, she let the chocolate melt on her
tongue. Maybe this was a poor