Yes Chef, No Chef - By Susan Willis Page 0,85

smell permeating along the hall and Tim decided it was yeast, her gentle eyes were wide with shock and surprise, she looked flushed, warm and inviting, and oh God, so lovely that he could feel his knees trembling.

He knew his excuse for calling with post was going to sound lame now but didn’t care - it was just so good to see her again. “Hi, you’ve got mail,” he said waving two envelopes in his hand. “And well, because I was passing I thought I might as well drop them off.”

Making the mistake of looking into his green eyes and feeling his intense smouldering stare made her heart skip with happiness and her legs feel wobbly.

She took a step back and managed to croak, “Oh thanks, come in.”

“Were you busy?” He asked hesitating slightly and looking down at her hands which were covered in flour.

Her heart slowed and she felt her legs steady and looking at her hands she giggled. “I’m baking bread,” she said. “But come through to the kitchen and have some coffee.”

He stepped into the hall and looked around. She closed the door behind him catching the subtle spicy smell of his aftershave that she remembered so well and felt quite giddy with excitement.

“Just down here,” she said walking down the hall in front of him. “I’ve got a picnic booking on Friday and thought I’d make a large batch of saffron bread to freeze.”

She walked to the bench and switched on the kettle while she saw him looking around the kitchen. This, after all, was his area of expertise and she wasn’t sure why but suddenly it seemed really important to her that he approved and liked it.

“Cool,” he said walking around the island in the middle of the room. It was a good sized kitchen and he could tell she’d thought the layout through very carefully. But there again, that was just like her, he mused, “They’re good sized freezers and fridge. And you’ll certainly need them if you’re cooking ahead for bookings.”

She nodded at his comment and busied herself setting the coffee mugs ready while peering at him as he leaned against her shiny new island. The sun streamed through the window onto the side of his thin smooth face and his bright green eyes danced with amusement - he’d always had the knack of looking like he was smiling into the lens of a camera. His handsome face filled her with happiness, there was no other word she could think of to describe him, but handsome. Not rugged George Clooney or smooth Tom Cruise but just manly attractive. “So, how’ve you been?” she asked as casually as she could, although really she wanted to scream who the hell is this blonde?

He smiled and stared into her eyes. “Fine thanks, and you?” he asked, but he really was desperate to know if she was seeing anybody. He couldn’t seem to stop staring at her and wanted to go on drinking her in forever. It wasn’t until now that he realised just how much he’d pined for her and all the memories that he’d held inside for the last two months just paled in comparison to the real thing. They did no justice whatsoever to the feelings coursing through him.

Her cheeks flushed at his intense stare and her palms started to sweat. Picking up the boiling kettle she felt it slip a little in her trembling hand but he was by her side in an instant, took the kettle from her and poured hot water into the mugs.

Rubbing her hands down the side of her leggings to try and dry them, she said shakily, “It’s the flour.”

He poured milk into the coffee and set them on the island top. “You should try and keep them cool,” he murmured arching an eyebrow at her. “It’s no good having hot and sweaty hands for baking bread and pastry.”

Wiping them thoroughly with a towel she agreed. The sun was streaming through the French doors onto her face and she could feel her shirt sticking to her back with perspiration, or was it because he was standing so close to her? Her mind was racing but she knew she had to try and stay calm - after all, there was no reason why they couldn’t be friends, was there?

Playfully she replied, “Yeah, I need to keep the flour cool because heat is no good for bread flour because of its high-protein wheat and the ascorbic acid. I won’t get