“It’s one of my favorites.” He liked being the one who introduced her to a new taste.

“Don’t tell me what it costs. I want to enjoy it without guilt.”

He put down his glass. “Chloe, what makes you worry about money so much?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so focused on price. It’s a bad habit.” She stared down into the bubbles in her glass.

“Maybe I can help.”

That made her look up. “No.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Will you at least answer my question?”

He could see the debate going on behind her eyes. Finally, she shrugged before taking a gulp of champagne. “My grandmother lives with me. I don’t want her to go into a nursing home, so I’m saving money for the day when I need to hire help for her.”

“I see.” That kind of care was expensive, and she was a temp. No wonder she negotiated for a raise whenever possible. “You continue to impress me.”

“It would be more impressive if I didn’t kill every company I worked for as a permanent employee.”

“Kill?” He let her deflect his praise with the new topic. “Should I be worried about the future of Trainor Electronics?”

“You may be safe. The Russell jinx seems to affect only start-ups. So far Flexitemps is still in business, although I warned Judith when she took me on.”

“Start-ups are notorious for failing, so I don’t think you’re the sole reason they’ve closed down. Why would you work for those if you’re concerned about saving money?”

She hesitated, rearranging the array of forks in front of her as she spoke. “I don’t have any patience with corporate politics. I like to be rewarded for getting my job done well rather than for schmoozing the boss.” She blushed and looked him in the eye, saying, “This is not schmoozing.”

He laughed at her directness. “We are well beyond schmoozing,” he agreed before leaning forward. Her revelations about her work background proved that his original instincts were correct. “I said you were a ringer. Tell me where you’ve worked.”

At that moment the servers arrived, and he caught a look of relief on her face. He quelled the desire to curse and send the waitstaff away so he could unravel more about his intriguing companion.

However, he’d ordered a variety of appetizers before the jet left New Jersey because he wanted Chloe to taste the entire array of deliciously fresh Maine seafood the Weather Vane Inn offered. He wanted to see the moment the flavor burst on her tongue and she focused on it. What he really wanted was to have her lying beside him naked while he fed it all to her with his fingers. A man could use his imagination.

“We’ll never be able to eat all this,” she said, her eyes wide as the waiter placed a large, artfully arranged platter in the center of the table.

“Speak for yourself. I worked up a considerable appetite on my way here.”

She slanted him a warning glance, but the corners of her mouth twitched.

The waiter spoke, gesturing toward each item as he named it. “As you requested, Mr. Trainor, we have included only Maine seafood here. Steamed mussels, scallops, soft-shell clams, mahogany clams, rock crab, and a selection of Damariscotta oysters—including those from Glidden Point, Pemaquid, and Cape Blue.” Nathan got another pointed glance from Chloe at the mention of oysters.

“We are especially fortunate to have two Belons, the rarest oysters in the world, for your tasting pleasure,” the waiter continued. He backed away with a hint of a bow. “Enjoy our sampling.”

“The rarest oysters in the world, eh?” Chloe said, poking at one with the miniature fork the waiter had set down beside her plate. “Does that give them extra powers?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“They have a powerful flavor, so that might equate to extra potency.” He picked up a Belon in its shell and held it out to her.

She started to take it from him with her hand but he pulled it back. “With your mouth,” he said, wondering if she would do it.

She hesitated only a second and then leaned forward, opening her lips to take in the edge of the shell before she sucked the oyster out of its natural cup and into her mouth like a pro. The whole time she kept her gaze locked on his in deliberate provocation. The sight of her lips pursed around the rough shell sent a fast burn through his body, tightening his cock to rock hardness.

After a couple of chews, she grimaced and swallowed in a labored gulp. “Ugh! It tastes like metal.” She grabbed her water goblet to take a swig before she picked up the other Belon oyster and held it out with a wicked smile. “Your turn.”

The nasty flavor of the oyster lingered on Chloe’s tongue as she dared Nathan to eat the other one. He didn’t hesitate for a second before angling his body in to suck it off the shell. His lips touched her fingers, so she felt the heat and texture of his mouth before he leaned back. Now she understood the flare of intensity she’d seen in his eyes when she took the oyster from him. It was a strangely intimate act to feed someone from your hand.

He chewed the mollusk slowly, his eyes always on her. She watched the muscles in his throat work as he swallowed. “It does have a coppery taste,” he said. “Like eating a computer chip.”

“Just what I want for an appetizer,” Chloe said.

His gaze was still on her as he said, “Now I understand the aphrodisiac properties of oysters. It’s all about how you eat them and with whom.” His voice was husky and low, vibrating through her so she shifted in her chair.