Under Pressure(50)
Both of the twins immediately stood up before he could change his mind.
“Hey, why don’t I get to go?” Sal argued. Jason pinned him with cold gray eyes.
Bella’s husky laugh interrupted them. “You hit him, Sal. And remember if you ever hit him again you’ll have to deal with me. And as your punishment for today, you can think about the napoleon del lampone I’m making in class today.”
“Ah, sweetheart, that is just so mean.”
“What are you making?” Adrian asked.
Sal looked so forlorn it was comical. “Raspberry napoleons.”
Brett was back to looking sullen. “Man, this sucks. We’ll continue the search from here, and I’ll shoot you whatever we find.”
Jason paused. “From here?”
Sal shot him a look. “Don’t worry, Mac. I’ll try not to piss on your furniture.”
Jason made a move toward him, but Bella wrapped her arms around him, holding him in place.
Sal smirked. “Who knew? Bella is my own personal security system.”
Bella shot her brother a look. “Just remember not to piss me off or I might let him pound you into the ground, you smart-ass.” She laughed at his pouting face as she pulled Jason with her out the door.
Adrian and Rock followed, but they could hear Sal’s mournful sigh as they left. With thoughts of raspberry confections running through his head, Rock thought he got the best gig yet. Adrian stuck his head back in and promised to tell them how it tasted.
“Fuck you, dick.”
With a laugh, he left.
Chapter Eighteen
The napoleons were finished.
A collective sigh went through the room as the flaky pastries were placed on the counter in front of Bella and Jenna so the whole room could see. Bella knew that the confectionary looked perfect with its glazed red-and-white icing. It was gratifying to show the class how the dessert was supposed to look at the end of their labor.
“All right, guys, get to work. Jenna and I will help you if you get stuck.” Turning to Jenna, Bella studied her carefully. “Jenna, you’re an awesome chef, but your pastry skills are exceptional. I’ve never had these come out so perfect.”
“Hmm, what? Oh, really? Thanks, Bella! That means a lot to me. Your recipe for this is killer. The crème is to die for.”
Bella looked at her new friend with a speculative glance. Jenna was nervous, had been all day. Ever since she had walked into the room at ten that morning, Jenna had not been her usual self. Bella wondered what was going on with her. Sneaking a peak toward the front, she decided that there sat the reason. Or should she say reasons.
As soon as Ryan and Adrian Savage locked onto Jenna, their penetrating eyes had never left her. Either one or both men had kept an interested, watchful eye on every move that Jenna made. It was obvious their attention made her nervous.
Jenna was shy. She was a pretty woman, but Bella realized that she was self-conscious and didn’t realize her appeal. So what she was not stick thin? Jenna had a full woman’s body, and Bella thought she should stop hiding it in big baggy clothes she always wore. Both of them were wearing chef’s jackets now, so it didn’t matter, but she wondered what the brothers would think if they saw Jenna’s big breasts in a wicked low-cut shirt. Bella knew underneath the chef’s hat she wore, Jenna had long beautiful mahogany tresses that she usually wore back in a ponytail. It would be a blast to build up her self-esteem, give her a makeover, and let the inner wild woman lose.
On the other hand that could also be bad, Bella thought, sliding another covert glance toward the men. Considering she wasn’t sure if Jenna was ready to take on a man like Rock or Adrian, let alone both of them. Jason had told her the twins shared everything together, literally everything, even their women.
After doing a round to check on the progress, Bella came back to lean on the counter next to her assistant. “Hey, Jenna, are you busy tomorrow night?”
“No, not really. I mean I don’t have plans. Why?”
“I’m having a party for a friend of mine tomorrow. It’s her birthday. I’m cooking a big dinner for Tara and our friends and wanted to know if you want to come.”
A bright smile lit up Jenna’s face. “I would love to! I could make the birthday cake if you want. I wanted to try a new white-chocolate lavender-buttercream recipe, and I could make it for tomorrow.”
“That would be perfect! You really don’t mind?”
“Not at all! I can come help with the dinner prep, too, if you want. I don’t mind really. I can start everything at my place tonight and bring it over and complete it there. Where are you hosting this party?”