ALittleTasteofHome Read online

  “I’m Mrs. Gwendolyn Rawlins. I’m having a party and wanted to know if you would cook up the food and deliver it to my house.”

  Allison flicked an eye over Gavin and he knew she recognized him. She was the one who usually brought donuts and muffins to his firm. She looked back to the older woman with him and answered. “We do deliver food, off the menu. However, we will not cater, so you would need to have your own people to serve. We aren’t available to do it on any Sunday. If you would like to come back to the office when you are done with your meal we can discuss this more at length.”

  “That would be acceptable.”

  With another smile Allison walked off.

  * * * *

  Sanura sprawled in a very unladylike fashion in her chair and peered at Allison when she walked in the room before closing her eyes.

  “When did you get back?” Allison asked.

  “Just now. These Sunday morning deliveries take a lot out of me.” Her head rested on the black leather of the chair and her eyes were closed as a fan blew a gentle breeze over her face.

  “You’re not used to it yet. There is someone out there who wants us to deliver for a party.”

  “Great.”

  “They’ll come back here when they are done eating. Do you want to handle it?”

  “No, I still have more deliveries to do. Right now, they are putting the last bit into the truck. Who is it?” Her head moved from side to side, emphasizing her negative response, but she remained in her comfortable position.

  “Mrs. Gwendolyn Rawlins.”

  Sanura bolted upright in her chair and gaped at Allison. Eyes wide open and shocked. “The Gwendolyn Rawlins? Billionaire widow?”

  “The one and the same. The mother of that overpaid white prick Gavin. Who, by the way, is with her.” An impish grin crossed Allison’s face.

  Sanura flushed. “Don’t tell her I called her son that.” It slipped out; Sanura knew Allison would never endanger a deal.

  “I’m sure she has heard it all before.”

  “Not coming from a person like me.”

  “Well, that’s probably true. But then there is only one you in this world. Thank God.” Allison put a manicured hand to her chest and looked grateful for that very thing, eliciting an eye-roll from her friend.

  “Well, I gotta go. See you later, I will be back as soon as I can. Hope you nail the deal. Good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  The friends hugged and Sanura headed back out to finish her deliveries. As she climbed into the truck she flashed back to a picture of Gavin. He had been a nice feast for her starving eyes. Tall and fit, he would be a nice catch, except for the fact he worked with a bunch of racist bastards. She did give him credit for not laughing at jerk David’s comment.

  Soon the traffic took all of her attention and she didn’t have time to wonder about the tall man with the handsome body. Or how his masculine scent made her heart skip a beat.

  Sanura returned a little over two hours later and, after getting out of the truck, headed over to her vehicle, a black GMC Yukon. She opened it and while she was messing around in the back she heard an unknown woman’s voice as it carried across the parking lot.

  “I think they will do wonderful for the party.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  That voice she recognized. Deep and resonating, making her insides tremble with longing for a taste of what he had to offer. It belonged to the man himself—Gavin Rawlins. She pulled back out of her vehicle and looked for him. They were getting into a sleek black car with tinted windows. As he held the door for his mother he looked up as if he’d felt her presence. His gaze zeroed in on her and she knew it. Hers had done the same. She knew she was far enough away he couldn’t see the heated blush that raced to her cheeks. Or notice the trembling. The woman said something else and he nodded once before shutting the door and walking around to his side. As if in slow motion he turned his gaze from her and climbed into his car.

  Sanura waited a few moments before she headed back across the lot into the diner, utilizing the time to allow her heartbeat and breathing slow down again. She entered the through front door and answered the greetings that reached her. After she had talked to many people, she strode back to the office and opened the door.

  Allison sat on the couch with a huge smile. “We got it. It’s for twenty people. In three weeks on a Saturday. Look at what she is paying.”

  Allison held up a check that made Sanura’s eyes bug out. “That much? What did you do, misquote her?”

  Allison’s blonde hair bounced in time with her action. “No. This was how determined she was to get our business. By the by, she mentioned her son recommended us. What did you do to that poor southern boy?”

  “I didn’t do nuttin’.” Sanura’s cheeks flamed as her mind sketched a picture of what she would like to do to that man. “What makes you think I did anything?”

  From the look Allison gave her, she knew her cheeks had flushed. The arching of her eyebrow told Sanura she didn’t believe one single word she uttered.

  “Because he got a meal from here yesterday. Delivered to his business and I know I didn’t deliver to firm yesterday. See, I told you, you’re a horrid flirt. But in this case I’m so glad.”

  “I didn’t flirt with him. I didn’t flirt with anyone. They were having a meeting, so I made sure I stayed silent.”

  “Uh huh. Whatever. I’m hungry. You want me to bring you a plate?”

  “Please.”

  Allison left with that damn smirk still in place on her face.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, bright and early on a Monday, found Sanura once again delivering to the prosperous architectural firm across the street. The people she met were talking softly amongst themselves as she dropped off the last of her delivery. When she turned to leave, though, she saw him. Gavin. He had just entered the break area. Everyone grew quiet as they saw him and silently edged around him as if he would bite their heads off with the least bit of provocation. Soon only the two of them occupied the room.

  He looked delicious. The charcoal gray suit he wore fit him to perfection. His hair was styled in a cut close to his head and he was freshly shaven. Precisely how she liked her men to appear. A pressed white shirt with a razor sharp collar under the suit coat covered his broad chest and the tie coordinated perfectly to the whole ensemble. The way the material seemed tailored to his body, even to her untrained eye, stated the obvious—the fabric was the best money could buy. His shoes even screamed wealth. Hell, his whole outfit probably cost more than her payroll for one day’s work.

  When she finally pulled her gaze back up his fine body to his rugged face, she found him watching her as if he knew she had been checking him out and now waited for her to look up. With a very sexy half smirk, one thick blond eyebrow quirked up as if to say, See something you like?

  She slipped past him and toward the door. “Good morning.” It escaped.

  “Good morning.” His voice rang as deep as she remembered. Also as potent. She moved quietly off around the corner.

  * * * *

  Gavin stood there and watched the space where his dream woman had disappeared. One of the receptionist girls came in and squeaked when she saw him in the room. Was everyone afraid of him? Did they all dislike him so? Why did he suddenly care? He didn’t.

  “Is this the time this stuff is usually delivered?”

  The girl looked startled he spoke to her, actually looking over her shoulder to see if there happened to be someone behind him before answering. “Ye . . . yes. She comes this time every day. Although it is usually Allison who delivers, not her.”

  “Why, is there something wrong with her delivering the stuff?” His tone left no room for misunderstanding his dislike of the way her words were beginning to sound. Typical sentiments of his workplace and why there was no diversity, not to mention the racist jokes and remarks he sometimes overheard in passing.

  “No. Not at all. Just not used to her b
eing here, that’s all.”

  With his typical rudeness, he walked off, disgust apparent.

  The next days passed the same way. Except by the end of the week it changed that he was the only one there. The tension that surrounded them was full of sexual electricity, neither of them could deny the animalistic attraction they possessed for each other.

  He had to know.

  “I see you every day and yet I don’t know your name. What is your name?”

  She leveled a suspicious look at him. “Why does it matter?”

  “I want to know.”

  Before she could answer David entered the room and Gavin had to stop the growl from leaving his throat.

  “Where is the pretty one? You know, the blonde girl, where is she?”

  Sanura squared her shoulders and faced him. “She’s not able to do deliveries right now.”

  “Well, tell her we miss her shining beautiful face around here. Tell her I would love to get to know her better.” His smirk broadcasted his intended meaning of that statement.

  Gavin opened his mouth to say something but stopped when she responded. Her eyes were hidden but if her tone was any indication of how she felt, her disgust was perfectly clear.

  “Very well. I’ll tell her husband what you said and if he so chooses he can pass it on to her. Perhaps he will even deliver her reply to you in person.”

  Gavin smiled as she spat her words at David. She was a spitfire. He still didn’t know her name or even the color of her eyes, but when she walked into the room his heart skipped a beat, he felt tingly all over and his knees went weak.

  The day was a late one for him and, as he left the office, he paused at a window when he saw cars pulling into the lot of the diner. There were well-dressed people getting out and going into the diner.

  Must be a special party. He’d gone by earlier in the day and saw a sign which said they would be closed tonight. He watched as a shiny black SUV pulled into the lot and parked. He knew that vehicle; he looked for it every day. This woman had become an obsession with him.

  Both of the front doors opened and Allison stepped out dressed in a black cocktail dress. Her hair was pulled up away from her face and she looked radiant. Then the driver stepped out and his breath caught in his throat. It was his mysterious woman, the one who haunted his thoughts but wouldn’t tell him her name.

  She was dressed in a silver form-fitting dress held up by spaghetti straps and falling to above the knee. His mouth went dry like he was eating cotton, and not the candy kind. Her legs were fabulous as was the rest of her. No longer in her usual attire of pants, shirt and baseball hat, she took his breath away. She and the blonde woman headed with the others into the building.

  “Which one are you staring at there, Rawlins?”

  David stunned Gavin with his question. Gavin had been so focused on the woman that haunted his mind he never heard David come near.

  “Only wondering what was going on. What’s it to you?” The response was ice cold like his reputation.

  “Nothing. It’s just you seem mighty interested in that little delivery girl who comes here every day. I mean, all of a sudden you are in the break room every morning when she comes in. You know, the partners are starting to talk. If Morris were to find out he might pull out of the arrangement with the firm. Then you would never make partner.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gavin sent David a chilling glare.

  “Well, you know Morris picked this firm because of the people that work here. He won’t have anything to do with people that reach beyond what they should expect. You know, the ones who don’t know their place in the world.”

  “Tread softly, David.” A third voice came into the conversation.

  David jumped and both men looked over and saw Clint Hartford. Another amazing architect and the one man in this place Gavin called friend.

  “I was telling him what I have heard around. Well, I’m going out. So I have to go.” David departed, leaving the two friends alone.

  “So, which one were you staring at? As if I didn’t already know.”

  Gavin didn’t answer, but looked back out the window and into the very inviting diner. Everyone looked happy, they were laughing and joking as they ate and danced. That was what he was missing. Happiness. Friends. Fun. He worked too much.

  “You work to damn much. Come on, you and me. We are going to go out. Let’s go.”

  “I don’t know, Clint. I have so much work to do.”

  “Right,” he drawled. “For Morris? Who cares, for that matter who will even know? Come on. We can at least get some dinner; you know you need to eat.”

  The men walked out together and headed down the street to an Italian restaurant for their meal. Gavin’s Chicken and Mushroom Noodle Marsala was good, delicious in fact, but not what he wanted, not at all. Gavin Montgomery Rawlins wanted to be a part of the celebration at A Little Taste of Home.

  * * * *

  The party was fun, a huge success. Like every year, as they celebrated another year of business, this one would also go down as a very memorable occasion. They wound down around nine and headed home, since the morning came quickly.

  As they drove home, Sanura glanced over at her friend. She was beginning to show and was getting tired much quicker.

  “Ali, I think we should start taking days off. We work too much. Make it three days total. One where we have off together and one separate apiece. What do you think?”

  “Sounds smart. Or only work partial days. That way we can pick and choose when we leave. I know how much the Sunday morning job means to you. I know we can trust Sherry and the others to run it without us.”

  “Makes more sense.” Sanura pulled into the driveway. The girls made some hot chocolate and watched a movie before they headed into their separate rooms.

  The diner got ready for the delivery to the large Rawlins estate. When the day rolled around Sanura found herself with butterflies cruising around in her stomach. What if he was there? The time came and she and Allison both got in the truck. Allison read the directions as Sanura drove. They arrived fifteen minutes before they had planned, but were waved in through the huge iron gate.

  “Holy hell, look at this place. It is huge.” Allison gazed around.

  “We could get lost and die before finding the house.”

  “Doubt it, Mac, they wouldn’t want us to litter their property.”

  “You’re right. I guess I wouldn’t make a very good lawn ornament. Not really your friendly garden gnome type,” Sanura quipped as she pulled up to the back of the mansion as they had been told to do, and backed the truck up with one try and did so straight.

  “I hate it you can do that so much better than me.” Allison actually sounded like a little pouting child.

  “It comes from driving all those truck and trailers which, if you did, you would know how to do it. You know, Ali, I was thinking. Maybe we should go to the rodeo when it comes into town. What do you think?”

  “All for it, Mac. Nothing but hot cowboys in tight jeans. Whooee, sign me up, baby. Besides, I am a free woman again. The divorce was final today.”

  “I know. How are you holding up?”

  “Good. I took in proof of my pregnancy and he is being ordered to pay me alimony. Until the kid is eighteen.”

  “Daaamn,” she teased. “You can buy dinner tonight then.”

  Both women jumped out of the truck and, while Ali went to the door, Sanura opened the back. The women had unloaded it all quickly. They knew the party had already commenced and they tried to stay quiet as the ones who were going to serve took the food and put it on china for the guests.

  As they chatted and worked at taking the food out of the containers, a change came over the room. Both women looked up and saw Gavin standing in the kitchen, his cerulean gaze fixed on Sanura. Her belly tensed with need and desire.

  His eyes deepened with pleasure as he set down his drink and approached them with a lethally smooth stride. He was mouthwateringly s
exy in his tuxedo. It accented his physique so well; her mouth grew dry looking at him. The slight groan from Allison told her that her friend found him as good looking.

  He stopped in front of them—well, more her—and stared at her with intensity. So much so Sanura almost took offense until the look became heated, possessive, and downright primal. He opened his flawlessly formed mouth and spoke in velvet tones, “Green.”

  The women exchanged glances before looking back at the man in front of them. Sanura spoke, “Excuse me?”

  He never glanced away from her. “Green. I have been wondering what color your eyes are. Now I know. Green. Like a pair of emeralds.”

  With a confused smile, and a look that said This guy is off his rocker, Sanura nodded and went back to work, trying hard not to show how his words affected her.

  He didn’t leave. “Will you tell me your name?”

  Allison watched the interaction avidly. “Mac, her name is Mac.”

  Sanura sent Allison a glare, which was a mix of gratitude and anger.

  “That’s it? Mac? Nothing else?”

  “I think that is more than enough for you to know.” Sanura’s patience was wearing thin, and now there was a small, thin woman walking over to them. She had always been uncomfortable when there were large groups of people and they were focused on her, except for when she sang.

  “What are you doing back here, Gavin? The party is out there.”

  “I know where the party is. I was thanking the women who delivered the food.”

  The small brunette sniffed her displeasure. “Why would you thank them for doing their job?”

  “Go back to the party, Cathy.” There was no room for argument. As soon as she was gone, he visibly relaxed but kept his gaze directly on her.

  They had finished so they were packing up and making sure they had everything. Allison took one load, leaving the rest for Sanura. As she picked it up and headed back out to the truck he followed. After loading it and shutting the back of the truck, she turned and there he was, gazing at her in that unnerving way.

  “Yes?” Sanura arched an eyebrow.