Wild Temptation

Chapter Three: The Hideaway

Riley Woods’ Pov 

Dark blue eyes traced her body. He pinned her against the wall. Gasping breaths. His body inches from her. She traced her fingers down along his hard chest, stopping just at the top of his pants. His hands grabbed her waist, and pulled her into him. He kissed her neck, trailing down to her breasts. Riley moaned softly at his touch. A blaring noise broke through the background. She gasped. 

The alarm startled her awake and Riley reached over to turn it off, struggling to breath. She felt warm and tingly all over. Riley wandered into the kitchen to get a drink of water. Dreams like this were common for her. It had been a long time since she dated anyone. After college, she decided to focus more on her career and less on her social life. However, she had never had a dream about a famous celebrity before. She tried to regain control over her thoughts. She’s supposed to interview the guy, not f**k him. Her phone rang in the other room and she rushed to answer it. 

“Hello?” Riley cleared her throat. 

“Did you secure an interview yet?” It was Rachel.  

“I’m interviewing him later today.” There was a short pause. 

“Really? That was fast.” There was a hint of disbelief in her voice. 

“Yeah. He’s doing this weird thing at The Hideaway later, I’ll get a chance to talk to him then.” There was another pause. 

“I’m impressed. Call me after the interview. I’m interested in seeing how it goes.” 

“You got it.” Riley hung up. She felt confident about this assignment. She was very persistent, and wouldn’t back down from this challenge. 

Riley stretched once more before she started getting ready for the day. She perused her closet for something to wear. She wanted to look professional and serious. After careful consideration, she decided on a black button down blouse that cuffed at her elbows, tucked into a white, fitted pencil skirt paired with black wedge heels. She pulled her curly brown hair into a loose ponytail, and wandered into the kitchen to make breakfast. 

Feeling a bit lazy, Riley diced up some veggies and mixed them into an egg mix. It was a simple omlet and orange juice kind of morning. While she ate, she typed out all of the questions she was going to ask Camron Reed. She wanted to be prepared. Elusive or not, she was going to pin him down and get her story. The dream she had last night flashed through her mind and she almost choked on her orange juice. Riley regained her thoughts and finalized her interview outline. She printed it out and gathered her things. 

Traffic was a bit of a nightmare. The Hideaway was an upscale restaurant that was in the middle of nowhere. Hence the name. However, Riley had to drive across town to get to it. She huffed, a bit annoyed, and turned on the radio in hopes it would calm her down. An almost rock sounding band was playing. She was digging it until the radio station announced the name of the band, Wild Division. She quickly turned off the radio. Ever since she was giving this assignment, she just couldn’t escape this band.

Even more annoyed than before, Riley played a cooking podcast from her phone at a stoplight. She took a deep breath and was able to relax a little. When in doubt, cooking and baking relaxed her and made her happy. She listened as the podcast went into detail about one of her favorite lobster recipes. She was going to have to try to make it sometime. Her mouth watered at the sounds of it. After an excursionizing drive, she finally made it to The Hideaway. As she parked her car and gathered her things, Riley could hear quite the commotion coming from the entrance of the restaurant. As she approached the building, she was able to hear what was going on.

A large man was blocking the entrance and a woman was trying to get in. 

“You have to let me in! My boss will fire me if I don’t get this exclusive!” The girl pouted. 

“Sorry miss. I am to keep everyone out. Mr. Reed is conducting interviews for a personal chef. Fans and the press are not permitted.” He crossed his arms firmly. 

“Fuck.” Riley mumbled to herself. The restaurant was supposed to be a public place. Who knew that Mr. Drummer Boy would be able to control who goes in and out. She had to think quickly. Her boss was expecting this interview today. She took a deep breath. She could cook. It was mostly a hobby, but she was confident in her skill. She could sneak in and pretend to be there for the chef position. Certainly she could get a few of her questions answered for her article this way. 

“May I help you, Miss?” The security guard noticed her. Riley took a deep breath. She could do this. 

“Hello. I’m here to interview for the chef position.” She smiled. The security guard looked her up and down. She looked dressed for an interview. Her professionalism certainly paid off. 

“Do you have a resume, Miss?” He raised a brow in suspicion. Riley rummaged through her purse, a bit flustered. She had to think of something quick. 

“You know what, I totally space. It's still sitting on my printer at home. I’m just so nervous. This is a huge opportunity for a chef like me. Do you think I could be interviewed without one?” Riley frowned and drooped her eyes. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest. The security guard looked her over once more. 

“That’ll be up to Mr. Reed to decide. You can go in and wait for him to see you.” The guard stepped out of the way and let her pass. It took her everything she had to remain composed. She couldn’t believe she was able to pull that off. 

“Thank you!” She wandered into the restaurant. The lighting was soft and relaxing. She was directed to a seat by what looked like a hostess. From her seat, she couldn’t see Camron. She tugged on the hem of her skirt nervously. They never taught you how to lie about being a chef to procure an interview in Journalism 101. Riley took a deep breath. She could do this. Her job depended on it. Her calming thoughts were interrupted by a girl crying and racing for the door. She stood up and tried to stop her to see if she was okay, but the girl pushed past her. 

“This way please.” The hostess came back and guided her to the back of the restaurant. Sitting at a table was a man she assumed to be Camron Reed. His dark curly hair was a mess. His jawline was strong and sharp. His eyes were dark blue and seemed to be glued to her body. Riley cleared her throat. 

“Hello. My name is Riley. I’m here to interview for the chef position?” She attempted to give him a small smile. He leaned back in his chair and tucked his hands behind his head. 

“Of course you are.” He smirked. “I’m Camron Reed. But I’m sure you knew that already. Please, have a seat.” He motioned for her to sit in the chair in front of him. 

“Nice to meet you.” Riley ignored his arrogance for the time being and sat down biting her tongue.  

“So how long have you been a cook?” Camron asked. He didn’t have any papers in front of him or any other indication that he was recording her answers. 

“Well, ever since I can remember really. My parents owned a small restaurant back home.” Riley interlaced her fingers and set her hands in her lap. 

“Alright. What’s your favorite thing to cook?” Camron sat up and folded his hands in front of him on the table his eyes not leaving hers,  

“I enjoy making breakfast food the most.” Riley studied him as best she could and waited for an opportunity to ask him some questions. 

“It is the most important meal of the day.” He smirked. 

“What’s your favorite meal?” Riley asked, leaning in closer to him. 

“That’s a tough one.” Camron laughed lightly. “But this interview is for you, not me.” 

“Aw, come on. I’m just curious.” She batted her eyes at him. 

“Next question.” Camron smirked. “Are you available to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner?” 

“Sure. I’m available.” Riley became short. She didn’t like being ignored. 

“What about catering events? Like band sessions and photo shoots.” His gaze never left her, and she was beginning to feel warm.  

“Yes. I can do that.” She took a deep breath. “Band sessions? You’re in a band?” She feigned surprise. 

“Oh please. Don’t tell me you have no idea who I am?” Camron inched closer to her from across the table. 

“The only thing I know about Camron Reed is that he’s looking for a personal chef.” Riley mimicked his movements and her face was now close to his. Her cheeks grew warm, and she tried to stay focussed. 

“Is that so?” Camron leaned in and she could feel his spearmint breath on her face. 

“It is.” Riley smiled slyly, not moving an inch. She held her breath as flashbacks from her dream overcame her.  

“Well, you certainly look the part…” He slid back into his chair and Riley could see him eying her chest. She bit her cheek and swallowed her pride. “How about you cook me something for lunch as a test run.” 

“A test run?” She snapped back to reality and shoved any racy thoughts to the back of her mind. Riley played with her hands, her mind running a mile a minute. She didn’t think she would have to prove herself. She just figured she would continue the playfully banter until she got some answers out of him. 

“Don’t look so nervous, hot stuff. You got a whole kitchen in here, and I’ll toss in some of the kitchen staff to help you out. Impress me, and you got the job.” Camron leaned back in chair, his arms stretched above his head. Riley could see his muscles flex under his shirt and she felt her face turning hot again. She couldn’t fail. She had to get this interview. Riley took a deep breath and tried to think of a logical solution. A quiet pause filled the restaurant. 

“So are you a soup or a salad kind of guy?” Riley asked with a smile, up for the challenge. She was raised by chefs, this should be a piece of cake. Camron shook his head. 

“Guess.” He waved over the hostess. “Take Riley into the back to prepare lunch.” He instructed, his husky voice paying special attention to her name. Riley bit her lip as she was guided into the back. She was nervous and way over her head. There was no way she could keep this act up forever, but she needed this story to work. Her career depended on it. 

Riley was pushed into two swinging doors that revealed the kitchen. Up against one wall were stovetops and ovens galore, and a prep counter was placed in the middle. Riley noticed a girl with red, curly hair dressed in black slacks, a white button down shirt and an apron. The hostess left her and the girl alone. Was this girl supposed to be the kitchen staff Camron talked about? She had imagined at least 3 other people to be back here. What a dirty trick… 

“Hello! I’m Jade. Are you as excited as I am to be cooking for THE Camron Reed!?” She jumped up and down with a large smile on her face. Riley admired the girl for her excitement, but she was rummaging her head for a recipe that would knock that smirk right off Camron’s perfectly chiseled face, not to mention a way to get an interview out of him.  

“Riley. Nice to meet you Jade.” She shook hands with Jade as they introduced each other. “Any ideas on what to make for Mr. Mysterious?” Jade shook her head, her hair bouncing with the motion. 

“I’ve heard that he likes rich foods that explode in flavor! But I’m probably just as lost as you. The rest of the staff refused to come in for this particular event. But I’ll help in any way that I can! ” 

Riley groaned at this response and brushed her hands through her hair. It didn’t surprise her that the rest of the staff would refuse a request like this. Being in Camron’s presence for just 5 minutes was enough to get her blood boiling. However, she couldn’t fail. She wouldn’t. Riley started opening cabinets and the fridges taking note of the ingredients she had to work with. 

“Flour… Eggs… Cheese… Potatoes… Yes… This will work.” She mumbled to herself as she arranged the ingredients on the counter. “How about we make Camron Reed an Italian themed lunch he’ll never forget?” She smirked at Jade. 

“Yes! This will be perfect!” Jade squealed in excitement. Riley couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. 

“Alright, let’s get cooking!”