She was right. She’d never asked for any favors apart from the one last night and now this one. Actually, it was really just one favor stretched over two nights.
Sabrina felt torn. One side of her wanted to see Daniel again and continue where they’d left off, the other was scared of the consequences. She couldn’t get involved with him, not with a man who slept with escorts, well, okay, pretend escorts.
“Holly, please. This won’t work.”
“You liked him. You said the sex was good. So, please just do this for me. Just tonight.”
Against her better judgment, she felt herself nod. “But this is the last time.”
“Promise.”
***
An hour later, Sabrina met Daniel in the hotel lobby. He was dressed in black jeans and a casual shirt and looked even more handsome than he had the night before. He looked up from his newspaper when she entered the lobby and jumped up instantly.
With a few strides, he was there to greet her. He took her hand into his.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” she echoed back.
“I hope you’re hungry. We’re having dinner at a place near Telegraph Hill.”
Sabrina gave him a surprised look. “We’re going out? Am I playing your fiancée again?”
Daniel shook his head. “We’re going out just the two of us.” He let his eyes glide over her body before resting them on her lips again. “And we’re coming back here later.”
The searing look in his eyes was a promise she’d hold him to.
A taxi took them to their destination, and during the entire cab ride Daniel held her hand. When he helped her out of the taxi, his body brushed against hers, and she shivered slightly. Her nipples instantly hardened.
“Miss me?” he whispered into her ear but didn’t wait for a reply. “Come.”
Daniel led her inside. It wasn’t what she’d expected. It wasn’t a restaurant but a large kitchen. Several other couples were assembled as well as three chefs dressed in customary chef’s garb.
“Welcome to Tante Marie’s Cooking School.”
Sabrina shot him an astounded look and caught him grin. “I’ve always wanted to try this,” he whispered to her. “It’ll be fun.”
***
Tim had told him about the place and that they offered dinner cooking classes for couples. It was so far removed from what Daniel normally did on a date that he thought it would be perfect. He wanted to do something different, and he wanted to get to know Holly and understand why she’d rejected his money. He figured the relaxed atmosphere at a cooking class was the perfect place to do just that.
The menu was simple: a salad, handmade pizza, and a tiramisu. Plenty of wine both during the cooking and during dinner. Enough to loosen anybody’s tongue.
The chefs first demonstrated the preparation of the dishes then assigned the duties to the different couples before they were let loose on the tasks. He and Holly had the task of making pizza dough. Following the recipe to a t, they measured the ingredients, mixed them with a spoon in a large bowl, and then emptied them out onto a large wooden board.
“Do you want to knead or shall I?” she asked him.
“Why don’t you start on it, and when your hands get tired I’ll take over.” Daniel stood right next to her watching her every move. They both had donned aprons the school had provided.
Her elegant hands worked through the dough, and he watched her, fascinated. Silently, he stepped behind her and molded his body to hers. He felt her surprise, but she didn’t move away.
She fit perfectly into his chest, and he knew instinctively that he would have the best sleep of his life if he could only spoon her and nuzzle his head in the crook of her neck. That’s what he wanted, have her stay with him the entire night and fall asleep with her cradled in his arms. Later, when they were back at his hotel, he’d ask her to stay until morning.
Reaching his hands forward, he put them onto hers and helped her knead the dough while he put his cheek to hers.
“Why didn’t you take my money last night?”
She stiffened.
“You deserved it,” he assured her and continued moving her hands with his through the dough.
“You didn’t need to give me anything.”
“Why?”
“It was more than enough.”
“What was more than enough?”
“What you gave me last night.”
Daniel needed to get to the bottom of this. “The money I paid to the agency?”
“No. That’s not what I meant.”