“I’m your boss, Alivia. I signed a nonfraternization policy. I had no idea if there would be ramifications of you working under me, and I needed to discuss that with them, along with the NDA.”
“Which you still haven’t had me sign.”
I huffed. “I know …”
She went quiet, appearing to hug her stomach even tighter. “I still will if you want me to. I’ll never say a word, but I know my word means nothing to you.”
The tone of her voice cut straight through me.
The softness, the sadness of it.
Everything had been taken from her.
A home.
Stability.
Food.
I couldn’t take the memory of us away, too, and tarnish it with a legal document. Fuck, that still felt so wrong.
“Why are you in here?” I brushed my thumb across my lips.
Because if she stayed much longer, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from putting her on top of my desk and spreading those delicious thighs around me.
She hadn’t even blinked—that was how hard she stared at me. “Oh, right …that.” She lifted the box that she’d placed on the corner of my desk and put it on her lap, carefully pulling off the lid. “I found these in my locker.” She aimed the contents toward me. A set of four knives, positioned in a block of hard foam. “There was no note or anything. I can’t imagine anyone else giving these to me … but you.”
I had known exactly why she was in here.
I also knew she’d arrived for her shift less than ten minutes ago and it had taken her no time to come in here.
“I can’t have you using your shit knives on my cutting boards. They’d probably leave rust stains and tear up the wood so badly that I’d have to buy new ones.”
She kept her mouth closed when she laughed, so the sound only came out of her nose. “Walker …”
“If you’re going to learn how to be a chef, you need theproper tools.” I nodded toward the box. “That’s a starting point.”
“Thank you.” Emotion moved into her eyes. “I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you—and those words aren’t even enough. I’m so grateful.”
I pointed at the door. “Go.” She gave me a short nod, and as she was walking to the door, I said, “Alivia …” She looked at me over her shoulder. “Those knives are extremely sharp. Be careful.”
“Do you want me to sign something that says I won’t sue you if I cut myself?” She smiled. “Or maybe I should have you sign something that says you won’t break into my locker again.” She winked.
That fucking mouth.
Damn it, I liked it a lot.
But I said, “Out. Now.”
“Yes, Chef.”
SIXTEEN
Alivia
“Iwant your fucking daughter out of my house!”
While I lay in my bed, I pushed the earbuds even deeper into my ears to drown out Dean’s screaming, but no matter how hard I drove them in, I could still hear him.
