He nodded and sampled the chocolate concoction. For several heartbeats he didn’t
say anything. Then he moved the plate toward her. “Do you honestly think it’s worth either
increasing the price or breaking our rules about profit margins?”

Shit, he hated it. He hadn’t liked everything she’d added to the menu, but as long as
he could see the potential and that other people would like it, and it met his financial
criteria, it went through. At first she’d discussed her ideas with him, but as she’d grown in
confidence and had gotten to know her business partner better, now she simply cooked
what she wanted and presented the finished product for his opinion.

“Do you think I would’ve presented it to you if I didn’t?” She couldn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice. Maybe she should’ve bought him out, then she wouldn’t have to deal with this…yeah, but she liked the excuse to see him and she liked that he had the best interests of the restaurant at heart. It was also nice to know that someone else was
taking care of the financial side of the business while she handled the actual running, the
food and the staffing.

“Yes.” He lifted one eyebrow in challenge.

“It is my name that brings people here, not yours. My food. My restaurant.”

“My money.” Something she was never able to forget. “My rules.” He tapped the paper with her neat columns. There was a glint in his eyes, as though he was deliberately goading her.

Meagan picked up the truffle and threw it at him. Her eyes widened as she realised
what she’d done. Then the chocolate ball was in his hand, caught perfectly before it could
reach his face.

For a heartbeat neither of them moved. She shouldn’t have done that, but he knew exactly how to piss her off. Waving that fact, that it was his money, was like waving a red cape at a bull. She needed to work on her gratitude, but how long should that last; two years, four years? Surely by now it shouldn’t matter, when they were both pocketing the proceeds.

He brought the truffle closer. “This smells divine.” It had been sitting out so it would be the perfect temperature for eating, not cold and hard, but not so soft as to be mushy either. Now in his warm hand, though, it would be melting fast. He took a bite from the ball in his hand, leaving a smudge of chocolate on his lip until he licked it off. “And it tastes pretty good.”

“Pretty good?” She stood up. “Edesia has two chef’s hats. It is one of Sydney’s best fine dining establishments. My cooking isn’t pretty good. It’s fucking awesome!”

Fraser stood up, still managing to look perfectly in control and calm even though he was holding a slowly melting chocolate truffle in one hand. “I love that spark you get in your eyes when you are angry.” He tossed the truffle to her.

She caught it and fumbled the now sticky ball before placing it on the plate. “So you
deliberately insulted me?”

“Someone has to keep your massive chef ego in check.” He ran his fingers over his
wedding ring then slowly drew it off. Chocolate smudged the white gold as he placed it on
the corner of the table. “Perhaps you should show me how much you want that dessert on
the menu.”

You can find out what happens next in our extended excerpt, over at  the Housewives Lounge.

To find out more about the #SydneyWives series, click here.

You can also take our Which Housewife are You Quiz (Thus far, statistically, most people are Darla)

Meagan is available for pre-order now and will be released on Thursday of this week.

From the hottest writers in Australia comes a scintillating new series. Enter the world of Sydney’s elite, and find out what goes on behind the doors of the most exclusive addresses in the country…

Meet the Housewives of Sydney. They are wealthy, elegant, poised, and constantly in the public eye. But what goes on behind closed doors, in the private homes and parties where the cameras and paparazzi aren’t welcome? Delve into the most personal details of their relationships, their friendships and their lives. The only question is: can you handle the heat?

Meagan knows food. In the kitchen, she’s confident, cool, and in charge. But when it comes to presenting next season’s dishes and delicacies to the owner of the exclusive restaurant where she is head chef, all of her insecurities boil to the surface.

She knows that she’s playing with fire with a special dessert that blows the restaurant’s budget, but maybe, with the help of some unorthodox persuasion techniques, she might just get what she wants – everything that she wants.