And He Cooks Too Read Online Free Page B

her wrapped around your little finger. Her pinkies are not available to the rest of us.”
    “Direct confrontation doesn’t work with a control freak. Just makes her more combative. You have to go with the flow, work around her.”
    “Be passive-aggressive? Tell her one thing and do another?”
    A chuckle. Warm, reassuring. “You’ve been watching too much Dr. Phil. Give yourself an hour or so to calm down. By then, she’ll probably seek you out to apologize.”
    Strong, melodious voice. It coiled around her like a velvet caress. So calming, persuasive and at the same time…what? Commanding? Was it affecting Deb the same way?
    “O-Okay, Nick. Thanks.” Apparently it had.
    Muffled sound of retreating footsteps.
    Jasper put a finger to his mouth, indicating they should remain silent. A second later, Nick came around the corner. Involuntarily, she gulped air. Even more attractive than the last time she’d seen him. Probably because her mascara wasn’t puddling her eyes today.
    “Jasper! I wasn’t expecting to see you.” His voice trailed off as he noticed her. One brow shot up. “Hello?”
    No indication of recognition in those indigo eyes. That was how he was going to play it? Okay. She hated pretense, but she could play that game too.
    How could any one person receive so much in the looks department? Little fish-flutters in her stomach signaled she should tread carefully around this man. Still, she couldn’t take her eyes away from him. Get a grip, girl . Where is your self-control?
    He tilted his head, giving her the once over. “Who’s this?”
    “Meet our new production assistant, Nick, Reese Dunbar. Reese, this is Nick Coltrane, our host. Reese used to be a chef at Solange , that place in Midtown.”
    The hypnotic blues that were making her shiver inside her chef’s jacket blinked. “Really? My aunt and I dined there not long ago. What a coincidence.”
    Coincidence, indeed .
    The supervising producer added, “When I heard Reese was available, I jumped at the chance to sign her.”
    Nick Coltrane’s expression changed to that of a rock star, the magnetic kind of smile young girls swoon over. “Ms...?”
    “Dunbar.” Though no longer a teenager, her knees did feel a little wobbly. She shifted her stance. He was playing this to the hilt. For whose benefit, though? Hers or Jasper’s?
    “Dunbar.” He reached for her hand. The heat generated by the brief contact counteracted her goosebumps. “Welcome aboard.”
    Jasper leaned closer to the show’s host. “We heard you with Deb. Is she okay?”
    Nick glanced back over his shoulder. “Yeah, I guess so. Leonie apparently read her the riot act for not informing her about, uh, her.” He stopped, gave Reese a sheepish look.
    Winning over Leonie McCutcheon was rapidly turning into more of a challenge than she’d anticipated.
    “Then you’ve already heard about Reese’s run-in with our esteemed executive producer?
    Nick shot Jasper a strange look. “Something about cherries?”
    “Strawberries,” Jasper corrected.
    She replayed the forgotten fruit incident for Nick.
    Nick rolled his eyes. “Leonie and her crazy rules.” He shifted his eyes back to Jasper. “Best to stick with this guy and keep your distance from the executive producer.”
    Good advice, but it wasn’t going to get her any nearer a partnership with the caterer. For now, though, it might not be such a bad idea to lay low where Leonie McCutcheon was concerned.

Chapter Three
    In his dressing room, Nick popped a can of diet soda and downed a gulp. Only one. Sometimes he allowed himself a second, if he needed the extra jolt, but Leonie drew the line at two sips before a taping. She had this thing about unscripted belches.
    “Ten minutes, Nick,” the floor manager called from outside the door.
    “Gotcha, Jack.”
    Ten minutes. He needed every single second of that time to revamp his plan. Thanks to Jasper’s late arrival that morning, Reese Dunbar had already gotten off to a