Recipe for Love (Entangled Select Suspense) Read Online Free PDF Page A

nerve to contradict his opinion. No one who did that to Ethridge came away unscathed.
    Now there was no Ethridge to contend with, but her presence, along with the light herbal scent of her perfume, made it difficult to concentrate. An underlying scent of peaches tickled his senses. The exotic blend enticed him to bury his nose in her neck, to just breathe her in. The notion drew him up short. “You should tone down your perfume a bit. It’s rude to wear a scent that might interfere with another chef’s ability to taste.”
    She looked straight ahead, but a little smile touched the corner of her mouth. “I’m not wearin’ any perfume. Just plain ol’ soap and water.”
    His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. What could he say that didn’t sound stupid or sexist? Better to keep his mouth shut and his libido in check.
    Tom’s arrival on center stage with his microphone in hand saved his bacon.
    “It’s time to introduce our final contestants.” Tom’s energetic patter jerked him out of his musings.
    Tom pointed to the wings of the stage. “Here we have Anthony Barrows, owner of Barrows Bites.”
    The chef came out, fists pumping the air and his dreadlocks, caught up in a purple tie-dye bandana, bouncing. The stage lights burned hot against his ebony skin, making his face glisten even before he got to the kitchen area of the stage.
    “Next we have Brad Gilmore, owner of Thyme Enough.”
    Gilmore strolled in at a dignified pace, his thin body and face set for battle. One eye shone through the slash of red chunked, black hair that swept across his face. The short sleeved black coat framed the tattoos covering his arms. His boyfriend sat in the front row, whistling between his teeth. The loud, raucous display was a sharp contrast to his partner’s buttoned-up, conservative suit.
    “Our final contestant is Cesare Bolzano. He runs the Cucina di Amore Personal Chef Service . ”
    The man nodded, his black eyes fierce. His bald head and scruffy facial hair made him look like he’d be more at home on a Harley than in the kitchen. His lips curled into a sneer as he took in his competitors. He’d barely made it into the finals, and his attitude said he had an ax to grind with the judges as well as his fellow chefs.
    A familiar figure slipped into the back of the room. The detective caught Jordan’s eyes and lifted a hand in acknowledgment. Beside him, Tilly tugged at one of her spritely red locks and wet her already glossed lips.
    His heart tumbled. He tamped down the acid burn of irritation and leaned back in his chair. “I wonder if Detective Iron Jaw thinks any of these three could’ve taken our favorite critic out. He’s got all the exits covered in case someone wants to make a break for it. Who knows, maybe he still has doubts about us.”
    “Shush.” She gave the detective a small wave. “He’s doin’ his job.”
    The contest started in earnest as each chef pulled a knife out of the knife block. A large black number on the blade indicated which area of the kitchen the chefs would use and their place in the judging lineup. Bolzano came in first. Gilmore took second, while Barrows ended up at the tail end.
    “I know I didn’t kill anyone.” She glanced over at him. “I think Tom’s got a point. Your friend had to come up for air sometime. Everyone has to pee. Maybe you raced down the hall when she went into the bathroom to freshen up?” Her eyes never left Jericho’s face. The vibes coming off her came close to microwaving Jordan.
    “Her name is Gemma.” He meant his words to hold command, instead they sounded defensive. “And I didn’t kill anyone, either.”
    She cocked her head, her attention still focused on the back of the room. “You know, I’ve been thinkin’.”
    “Should I be afraid?”
    She blinked and faced him, her cute face puckered into a frown. Oh, yes, it made the juices flow just to watch her take the bait. He’d tug at the line to see if she’d go for the whole hook. Her