Eligible Bachelors: Wife For A Week Part 9

The ferry crossing was every bit as magical as Jasmine had promised, with Hong Kong Central on one sh.o.r.e and Kowloon on the other, each of them trying to outs.h.i.+ne the other with their neon-draped skysc.r.a.pers and their laser displays that lit up the night. The harbour itself was vibrant with activity; the playful breeze and the gentle slap-slap of waves against the boat a sensual delight. But it was the skyline that truly dazzled her, the thousands upon millions of lights that turned the busy harbour into fairyland.

aYou've made John's night,' said Nick. aJust watching your face was enough.'

aNick, it's so beautiful.'

aYes, it is,' he said quietly. But he wasn't looking at the lights of Hong Kong. He was looking at her.

Disconcerted, Hallie clasped her arms around her waist and looked away.

aCold?'

aNo.'

But he pulled her closer anyway, so that his warmth was at her back and his arms were around her waist, and she let him because they had an audience.

Because it felt right.

The restaurant was nothing more than daytime pavement converted by plastic tables and chairs into a night-time eating area. Large bins of live crabs, their pincers tightly tied, lined one side of the makes.h.i.+ft square, bamboo growing in tubs lined another. The shopfront made the third side of the square. The fourth side was the gutter. It was badly lit, full of people, had no tablecloths whatsoever, and, more importantly, loads of paper napkins.

A ragged waiter hurried over to greet them and escorted them to a vacant table only to discover the tabletop sticky with beer. He skirted around it with an apologetic smile and showed them to an adjacent table. Bottled water arrived not thirty seconds later, along with cups for everyone. Chopsticks and crab-claw crushers appeared in front of each person. There was no menu. The restaurant served crab; that was all it served.

aCooked any way you like,' the waiter a.s.sured them.

They ordered a chilli crab platter along with beer and white wine, and Hallie sat back to wait while her stomach growled and her mouth watered with every fragrant, steaming platter that emerged from the shopfront doorway.

aYou're drooling,' said Nick. aA good husband would point this out to his wife.'

aI am not drooling,' she said indignantly. aI'm embracing the atmosphere.' As for him being a good husband...Ha! She wasn't even going to start thinking along those lines. As soon as this week was over she'd probably never see him again. She would do much better to think about that.

Another waiter emerged from the doorway, steaming crab platter in hand, and wove his way towards them, turning at the last minute to deliver the tray to the people who'd arrived just after them and been seated at the sticky table. ad.a.m.n,' she muttered. aSo close and yet so far.'

aYou're really not a half measures kind of girl, are you?' Nick was looking at her with a sort of wry resignation.

aEr, no. Is that a problem?'

aNot exactly.'

Hallie watched the activity at the next table as the waiter deftly served the topmost whole crab to a dark-haired European man and then distributed various bits and pieces of crab to his Asian companions.

aThe first serving always goes to the honoured guest,' said Jasmine, noticing her preoccupation. aIt is the best.'

Hallie nodded. The Chinese were one of the most widespread and successful cultures on earth and force had nothing to do with it. Why use force when flattery and business ac.u.men worked better? Only this time the flattery didn't seem to be working well at all. The dark-haired European was making strange choking noises and his face was turning an unnatural shade of purple. His hands were clutching at this throat; his eyes were gla.s.sy with tears.

aJust how hot is the chilli crab?' she whispered to Jasmine.

aNot that hot,' whispered Jasmine as the man toppled to the floor, foaming at the mouth, his chair sliding out from beneath him to ram into a half-full tub of crabs and knocking it over.

The rest was chaos.

Diners fled. Crabs scuttled beneath nearby tables, some with their pincers tied, some with them snapping. Nick was over by the fallen man and Kai with him. John Tey was barking what sounded like directions into his mobile phone and the crabs...the crabs were on the run.

aFeet up,' said John, and neither she nor Jasmine wasted any time arguing that it wasn't very ladylike. Jasmine leaned over and dangled her chopsticks in front of a crab and, when it bit, deftly lifted it up and shot it back into the tub.

aDon't do it again,' ordered her father.

Jasmine just smiled.

The kitchen staff descended; the ap.r.o.n-clad cook protesting loudly that this wasn't his doing, while nimble-fingered kitchen hands scooped escapee crabs into buckets.

By the time the paramedics arrived, the crowd around the fallen man was six deep. Hallie stood well out of the way as he was stretchered into an ambulance that zoomed off with its sirens wailing. He hadn't looked well. Truth be told, he'd looked practically dead.

aProbably just a reaction to seafood or something,' muttered Jasmine, worrying at her lower lip.

aYeah,' said Hallie, reaching for Jasmine's hand and watching in silence as Kai casually liberated a piece of crab from the victim's plate, wrapped it in a napkin and pocketed it. He did the same for a crab claw from another plate. aReckon he's going to get them tested?'

aI think so,' said Jasmine, her attention all for Kai as he rejoined them.

aWhat?' he said, eying her warily.

aGo wash your hands.'

CHAPTER SIX.

NO ONE was hungry after that. Not for crab. John's suggestion that they return to the house and eat there met with instant approval although Jasmine looked a little panicked.

aDo we need to stop by a supermarket on the way home?' Hallie whispered as they headed for the wharf and the ferry terminal. Her brothers could strip a fully stocked kitchen of its food in less than two days; she knew what it was like to be asked to cook up a little gourmet something when the cupboard was practically bare.

aI have noodles,' whispered Jasmine. aI can't feed guests noodles.'

aOf course you can,' countered Hallie. aNick loves noodles.' And if he didn't, he'd eat them anyway. aMay I help you prepare them?'

aMy father will have a fit if you do,' said Jasmine.

aI'm taking that as a yes,' she said with a grin. aLeave him to me.'

aJasmine's going to give me a cooking lesson,' she told John cheerfully when they reached the house and he tried to usher them into the formal sitting room. aShe's going to show me how to cook stir-fry noodles. They're one of Nick's favourite dishes.'

Which was how they all came to be in the kitchen, every last one of them, with John fixing them drinks, Jasmine raiding the fridge for ingredients, and Kai setting a wok to heating and a huge pot of water to boiling on a gourmet gas stove.

aWhat are you up to now?' Nick asked her, pulling her aside when she would have headed over to help Jasmine.

aJohn's really embarra.s.sed about the restaurant incident,' she whispered. aI'm trying to avert disaster.'

aBy eating in the man's kitchen? He's old school, Hallie. He probably thinks this is a disaster.'

aWe're going to have a simple meal in simple surroundings and we're all going to enjoy it,' said Hallie firmly. And when he still looked uncertain, aJohn Tey won't relax until you do. Trust me, it'll be fun.'

She was right decided Nick a few minutes later. The informality of the kitchen and the routine task of preparing food went a long way towards dispelling the sombre mood that had descended after they'd left the restaurant. It wasn't quite the way he envisioned a areal' corporate wife would have handled the situation, but there was no denying that it worked. He watched Hallie quiz Kai about the type of oil he used and the paste he added, watched Kai chop ginger into slivers, his blade little more than a blur of speed. Watched Jasmine show similar skill with the cutting of bamboo shoots, wincing when Hallie immediately wanted to know how to speed chop too. He watched, with fatalistic resignation, as Jasmine handed her the knife and Hallie took her turn at the cutting board, albeit under Kai's careful tutelage.

aSo is this a traditional noodle recipe?' she wanted to know.

aNot quite,' said Jasmine, covering her grin with a sip of white wine. aThis is a whatever-we-can-find-in-the-fridge recipe. We make it a lot.'

Kai shot her an admonis.h.i.+ng frown.

aWell, we do,' said Jasmine.

aSo will I,' declared Hallie.

Kai just shook his head.

aYour wife is a lovely woman,' said John from beside him. He too was watching the byplay. aI'm glad she could accompany you this time.'

Nick nodded awkwardly. He didn't like lying to the older man about his marital status. He had John Tey's measure now; the older man would have understood the white lie he'd told to spare Jasmine's feelings. And Jasmine, according to Hallie, wouldn't have been heartbroken at all. All he would have had to do was come clean with both of them and the problem would have been solved. But it was too late to change the play now, not without losing John's trust. He'd made the call with the information available to him at the time; he had to see it through.

aMy daughter is often reserved around new acquaintances, but not with Hallie,' observed John. aYour wife has the knack of making others feel comfortable. She makes them smile from within. It is a rare gift.'

Yes, it was. He just wished he were immune to it, that was all. Because he wasn't.

In what seemed like a remarkably short time, the vegetables were frying in the wok and noodles were bubbling away in a steaming pot of water. Hallie looked towards him, saw him watching her, and sent him a conspiratorial smile that warmed him through, before heading over to join them.

aJasmine tells me you're fascinated by the Chinese Lion Dancing,' said John.

aYes, we saw some boys practising their routines in the streets today.' Hallie grinned. aI made Jasmine stay and watch until they'd finished. They were so young, the boys beneath the lion's head. And so skilful!'

aLion dancing is often an honoured family tradition. The boys are taught by their father or their grandfather from a very young age,' said John. aThe current national champions are performing at the Four Winds New Year's Eve Ball tomorrow evening. I've taken the liberty of acquiring tickets for us all if you're interested in attending.'

aI'm in,' said Hallie immediately, and with a somewhat belated glance in Nick's direction. aThat is, if Nick wants to go too.'

Nick nodded. It would take a stronger man than him to disappoint her.

aThe ball is quite a spectacle,' said Jasmine as she set a heaped bowl of stir-fry in front of him, another in front of her father. aThere are fireworks at midnight and paper lanterns and decorations everywhere. Did you bring a gown?' she asked Hallie.

Hallie nodded. aOne. But it's kind of plain. Nick chose it and his mother agreed with him.' She sighed heavily. aI was outnumbered.'

Plain, my a.s.s, thought Nick. There was nothing plain about the way the floor-length gold sheath had clung to every delectable curve. Nothing ordinary about the way it made her skin glow and her eyes turn to amber.

aWe could shop for another one tomorrow,' suggested Jasmine.

aNo.' Hallie waved the suggestion aside. aI was only teasing Nick. I love the gown. I'd have chosen it myself if I'd been given the chance. It may be plain, but the cut is superb.'

aYou could accessorize,' he said, remembering the jewellery he'd borrowed from Stuart for just such an occasion. aYou could wear your necklace.'

aYou mean the one I haven't even seen yet?' she replied archly. aThe one you chose without me? Maybe I could.' But her tone implied otherwise.

aI think you'll like it.'

Hallie sighed. aI daresay I will, but that's not the point, is it? The point is I didn't get to help you choose it.'

Oh, yeah. Modern woman. Freedom. Equality. Respect. aThat was before I knew you liked to be in on the whole decision-making process,' he said by way of defence. aI wanted to surprise you.'

aI think surprise gifts are wonderful,' said Jasmine. aThey're so romantic.'

aI think I agree,' said Hallie with a sigh. aI may not be such a modern woman after all.'

aI don't know how you keep up,' murmured Kai as he set another three bowls of noodles on the table and took a seat beside him.

aShe sleeps a lot,' Nick countered dryly. aThat helps.'

Hallie was looking forward to getting some well-earned sleep. What she wasn't looking forward to was that pesky little time before she went to sleep. That five-metre walk from bathroom to bed, with her in her sleepwear and Nick over by the window all brooding and s.e.xy. She made it to the bed by refusing to let her memories of this morning's lovemaking get the better of her. Did it by counting pillows. Denial was a h.e.l.l of a lot easier when you didn't know what you were missing, thought Hallie glumly.

aI still have some work to do before tomorrow,' said Nick. aIt may be a while before I come to bed. I'll try not to disturb you.'

She risked a glance and immediately wished she hadn't as those knowing dark eyes met hers. aIt's okay,' she said, wiping damp palms down the sides of her boxers for girls. aI have a plan.'

aYou do?' His lips tilted. aI can't wait to hear it.'

Actually it was more theory than plan. aI think I need to sleep on the other side of the bed tonight.'

aYou mean my side,' said Nick. aAnd that would be because...?'

aIt's obvious, isn't it? Last night I was trying to get to that side of the bed in my sleep, so I figure if I start there tonight I'll stay there.'

aThat's it? That's your plan?'

She nodded.

aNo pillows?'

She shook her head. Fat lot of good the pillows had done. aI'm keeping it simple.'

aLet me get this straight. You want to sleep on my side of the bed tonight because that's what's going to stop you from wrapping yourself around me and-'

aYes,' she interrupted hastily. aThat ought to do it.'

aWhat if it doesn't?' he asked silkily.

Good point. aWell, maybe one person could sleep on top of the sheets and the other between them.' Yes, that could work. She hurried on. aI'll sleep between the sheets and you can sleep on top of them. You slept without a sheet over you most of last night.'

aThat's because I couldn't find it, not because I didn't want it.'