Hell's Kitchen XX + X

Chapter 9

(X's POV)

          I walked back to my dorms after a short talk with the producers and directors. They were very pleased with my performance in the kitchen as well as my showmanship in the episodes. They gave also gave me a few more pointers on how to act the part.

          Carrying three large bouquets while attempting to open the front door is proving quite a challenge, so I set them down on the porch, fumbling for the keys in my pockets, and opened the door. I turned on the lights and locked the door behind me.

          I was looking for vases in the kitchen cupboards when I heard a knock from the door. I checked the monitor to see who it was, surprised to see Chef Ramsay there, tapping his foot impatiently. I rushed to the door and opened it. "Chef! What brings you here?" He didn't answer and entered the house, closing the door behind him. He sat down on the couch and closed his eyes tiredly.

          I went to the fridge, grabbed a cold beer and put the can against his cheek. "Here. I think you need this." He muttered his thanks and opened the can. I went back to the kitchen to take out three vases for the flowers.

          "You should throw out the roses," Gordon spoke, watching me as he sipped the beer. "They don't go with the room."

          "I like them." I say as I slid the peonies out of the pink wrapper and unto a vase. "They're quite nice and pretty."

          He stands up and strides towards me. "You're nice and pretty." He inspects the cards that were tucked in the blossoms. I blushed at his compliment, looking away and turning to tend to the tulips. I still remembered how he kissed me on the lips briefly as he left after lunch. Maybe he was aiming for my cheek and missed.

          "I'm not nice or pretty, Chef."

          "You're nice enough to let me in at-" he checks in his watch. "ten o'clock in the evening, without worrying about lurking paparazzi outside." My eyes widened. I totally forgot about those fuckers. Who knows what rumour they're gonna post after seeing the Chef visit at late hours. "Don't worry, I checked. There weren't any." He said as if he read my mind.

          I arranged the roses last, removing them from the black lace wrappers and carefully sliding them unto the vase. "Aagh!" The roses and the vases dropped to the ground, shattering on the cool marble floor.

          The chef rushes to my side and inspects my hand. One of my fingers got caught in a thorn and is bleeding quite a bit. Gordon takes it and puts my bleeding finger in his mouth, he sucked at it, to stop the bleeding. "C-chef...I don't..." I bit my lip as I felt his tongue against my finger. He released it, all the while looking at me. I take my hand back and looked at it.

           Suddenly I felt a warm hand pulling me closer and the other was at my cheek, making me look into deep blue eyes. "Cassandra, forgive me, I can't help it." His lips crashed against mine, moving urgently with passion. Still in shock over everything, I used my hands to push at his chest, but he held fast and kept his lips on mine.

          A million things ran through my mind, but they were all silenced by one that told me to reciprocate. I followed that voice and closed my eyes, throwing caution at the wind as I kissed him back. It wasn't a sweet kiss, it was much more. It was filled with hunger, with possession, with something that made me shiver to my very core.

          I pulled away for air and he rested his forehead against mine. "Fucking hell...you drive me insane."

          I was breathing deeply as well. "Y-you do, too." Part of me wanted to go back in and kiss him, while the other part wants to send him out so I could collect my thoughts.

          He tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear and I looked up at him. "Chef, I can't. Y-you're married and-and you have kids!" I bit my trembling lip, hot tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

          "Yes and yes, but I can't seem to resist you." He wiped the tears. "You are the most passionate, most kind, most beautiful person, I have ever met. Bar none."

          I shook my head. "I'm not... I'm really not. I'm not worth it, Gordon." I didn't notice that I had dropped his title until I had said it. "I-I mean Chef..."

(Gordon's POV)

           I laugh internally, thinking that this bloody woman doesn't know what she does to me. Hearing her say my name like that excites a part of me, making me like a fucking teenage boy again. I cupped her cheeks, willing her to look at me. "Say it again." She looked at me, wondering if I had gone insane, which I'm sure I already am. "My name."

          "Gordon..."

          I smile and kiss her lips lightly again. "You are more than worthy of being loved, Cassandra. More than you know. I don't know why but the first time I met you, I knew you were different. I knew you were the one."

          She shook her head again. "No no no no, the 'one' is your wife, Tana." She stepped away from me, and I felt my heart crack. "You have a very beautiful family, Gordon. I don't want to be a scar on that. I-I mean you are a-a high profile person." She took a broom to clean up the rose petals and broken shards on the floor. "And I...I am a nobody. It will destroy you... and I don't want that to happen.

          As much as I hated the words that came out of her mouth, I cannot deny the truth. I stood motionless, holding onto the kitchen counter with a steadying hand. "What if I didn't care?"

          "Well I do!" She said as she put aside the broom and threw the flowers and broken vase in the bin. "You built your entire career in years, decades, and you're willing to throw that away for a fucking nobody?!"

          "You are not a nobody, Cassandra." I sighed and moved closer to her, pulling her into my arms and embracing her. She stiffened, but melted as I stoke her hair. "Let me make you a deal. After this competition, we'll see where this takes us, okay? Let's cross the bridge when we get there. For now, please, let us have this. I know you want it too. I know you feel it."

          "I do." She buries her face into my chef's jacket. "I want it more than I can ever admit."

          I smile and kept stroking her hair, dipping my head slightly to kiss the top of her head. "You are one, bloody amazing woman, you know that?"

          She laughs and pulls away, shaking her head. "And you are insufferable."

          "Not as insufferable as that Italian dickhead." She slaps my arm lightly. "Good thing those fecking roses are gone."

           "I never really liked roses." She smiles as she confesses. "They're nice and pretty, but that's all they are to me."

          "Then what do you like?"

          Cassandra grins and shakes her head. "I'm not telling."

          "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it's not as beautiful as you are." She blushes at the compliment again, and I lean in to kiss her again. And again. And again.