If she’d still let me touch her.
If she’d still want me.
But I had to tell her. Tonight. Before someone else did.
Because if Zahara was gonna be mine—really mine—she needed to know all of me.
Even the parts I’d spent years trying to bury.
33
ZAHARA
“These are incredible,” the woman in the Chanel dress said, reaching for her third peach cobbler roll. “Absolutely divine. Do you have a shop? A storefront?”
“Not yet,” I said, handing her my business card. “But I have a commercial kitchen. I do custom orders, events, catering?—”
“I’m hosting a brunch in two weeks. Can you do… let’s say, five dozen? Assorted flavors?”
“Absolutely.”
She pulled out her phone. “Let me get your information. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
I was living a dream.
The past hour had been a blur of compliments, business cards, and booking requests. Women in designer gowns asking about wholesale options. Men in expensive suits wanting to know if I could cater their corporate events. Someone from a food magazine asking for an interview.
Sweet Zin was happening. Really happening.
But underneath the excitement was a current of unease I couldn’t shake.
Farah.
Every time I looked up, she was watching me. Not even trying to hide it. Those cold eyes following my every move, her expression somewhere between jealousy and pure hatred.
What had I done to her?
I’d been nothing but professional. Grateful for the opportunity. Friendly when we interacted.
But the way she looked at me made my skin crawl. Made me feel like I’d somehow wronged her without knowing it.
And then there was Prime.
I glanced across the room to where he stood with his brothers. Tall. Commanding. Impossible to miss even in a room full of DC’s elite.
But all I could hear was Vivica’s voice echoing in my head.
“He hasn’t been back to prison once.”
Prison.
What had he done? How long had he been locked up? And why hadn’t he told me the full story?
“Z, this lady wants to know if you do wedding cakes,” Yusef said, appearing at my elbow.
I turned to help another customer, pushing the questions to the back of my mind.
The boys had been helping all night. Yusef on one end of the table, Nigel on the other. Both greeting people, handing out samples, answering questions about flavors.
