He looks up.
Freezes.
And for a second, it’s just us.
My mouth opens, but I can’t form words. Becausewhat?
This man, thisgrumpy, hot as sin, one-night stand of a man, told me he waspassing through. He made it sound like he was some anonymous traveler, a lone wolf with no ties and no plans.
But he’shere. Standing in the middle of the restaurant where I was hired to work in. The restaurant I came home for.
Knox.
“You work here too?” I ask quietly.
“I own the place.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper.
CHAPTER FIVE
Knox
I don’t make mistakes.
Not anymore.
Not since the day I walked off the field with the weight of a broken team, a busted reputation, and a career the media tore apart like raw meat.
I clawed my way back from the edge, no interviews, no endorsements, no noise. Only silence, sweat, and a rebuilt empire made from steel, stone, and a single promise:
Never let chaos get that close again.
So why the hell isshestanding in the middle of my kitchen?
Josie.
The girl who has been on my mind since she snuck out of my bed in the early hours of the morning. Cinnamon sweet laugh. Honey warm smile. The way her body moved under mine like we were made to burn together.
She walks through the door, and time stops.
No apron. No clipboard. No warning. Just her… jeans hugging hips that don’t quit, worn leather boots, and a soft, form-fitting t-shirt that reminds me of all her curves.
Her hair’s pulled up in a messy knot, a few strands falling loose, framing her face like she’s too busy being beautiful to care.And those eyes, wide, dark, startled, land on mine like she didn’t expect to see me any more than I expected her.
She freezes. Cheeks flushed. Lips parted. Like I knocked the wind out of her.
Good. Because she did the same damn thing to me.
The air shifts. Thickens.
Shit.
“You’re the new hire, then?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
Her jaw drops. “You’re the boss?”
Yeah. This is a nightmare.
