“You’renot making me feel better,” I whispered, my guts exploding with butterflies andbumblebees and razor-sharp wasps.
Shesmiled at me. “Don’t wimp out on me now, Kaya. Continue showing me the strong,independent woman I know you are. The kickass chef that can outcook and outsmartliterally any other man. Do your thing, woman, and the rest will follow.”
Herwords were like a gust of wind on the dwindling fire inside me, reigniting thefight and flames that had gotten me this far. “This means I have to be nice toWyatt though, doesn’t it?”
Shelaughed. “Sleep with him if you have to.”
Inibbled on my lip ring again, hating that I didn’t hate that idea as much as Ishould. Or at all. I made an amused sound to cover my reaction. “Pretty surethat would only make things worse between us.”
Shewinked at me. “Obviously, I’m kidding. But you have to at leasttry to get on his good side.” Wereached the door and Dillon burst through the kitchen, quickly catching up withus. Vera slapped me on the shoulder. “Hey, it’s worth a shot! Bye, Kaya.”
“Bye,Vera…”
Thatdidn’t go anything like I thought it would. Hell.
Chapter Four
Dillonand I walked into Lilou through the side entrance laughing about having coffeewith Killian and Vera at Salt and the possibility of running restaurants in thesame city together. It wasn’t a conversation I let myself indulge in often, butshe wanted to know what Vera had said to me and I couldn’t keep a secret fromher.
“Whatare you going to do? How are you going to get him to like you?” she asked.
“Verasaid I should sleep with him,” I told her, giggling my way through thesentence.
Dillonlaughed harder until it completely died on her lips. I looked up to find Wyatt,the very topic of our conversation, looming over us, staring at me. More likeglaring at me.
Mysmile wobbled, but I managed a sarcastic, “Hey, boss.”
Hiseyes narrowed. “Can I see you in my office?”
Thatwas the last place I wanted to go. I had food to prep and a menu to study. Anda separate restaurant to takeover. “Uh, sure.”
Dillonstepped away from me to head the opposite direction, but not before shewhispered, “Now’s your chance,” which made me cough and laugh at the same time.
Wyatt’shead snapped around to see what I was doing. I waved at him and continued tocough and also plot Dillon’s murder. That was the worst thought she could haveplanted in my head before I was forced to be alone with the man.
Heheld the door open for me and my mind immediately raced to memories of lastnight and his body touching mine… his late-night text that almost felt flirty. Mythoughts sped forward and wondered if sleeping with him was even possible? Notbecause of the job. My integrity would never stoop to that level. But because…well, hell, because it was kind of impossible to not thinking about sleepingwith Wyatt now.
Wouldhe reject me outright? Or was he the kind of guy to never turn down free play? Thatthought made my nose wrinkle. I could hardly tolerate Wyatt in a professionalcapacity, but I didn’t think he was a douche in his personal life. In fact, theentire time I’d known him, he’d never bragged or even talked about nightlyconquests. Around the time I broke up with Nolan, he’d started dating a girland I thought it had gotten kind of serious, but they had broken up at least ayear ago because she hated his hours. Since then if he hooked up with randomgirls or started dating someone new, he’d never said anything to anyone.
Oh,my god, why was I even considering this? It wasn’t like I’d let myself moveforward in my career that way.
Ipressed a hand to my forehead and tried to push the perverted thoughts out ofmy mind.
“Areyou okay?” Wyatt asked from behind me.
Jerkingto face him, I tried desperately to school my features into anything butguilty. “Yes. Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Hewatched me compose myself without another comment. I found him particularlyunsettling today. He hadn’t donned his chef’s coat yet and his black t-shirtclung a little too tightly to his biceps and broad chest, tattoos on fulldisplay.
Histattoos were familiar to me now, at least the ones I could see, making themeven more dangerous for some reason. The single feather that transformed into abird stretching elegant wings wrapped around his neck. The fork, spoon, andbutcher knife laid out on his right forearm like it was set for service. Theoutline of a pig on his left forearm with the cuts of meat dotted and labeled.There were more, so many more. They made full sleeves over his forearms andbiceps, and I could only assume reached across his chest and touched thevisible ones around his neck, but I’d never seen the ones beneath his shirt.Only the ones peeking out.
Hewore tapered jeans and stylish gray tennis shoes that probably cost more thanhalf my paycheck. His hair wasn’t disheveled from work and stress yet, artfullysettled in lush waves.
Whenmy eyes dropped to his stubbled jaw and tired eyes, the pang of sympathy forhis late night was the wake-up call I needed. I was checking out my boss—thesame boss I drove crazy with my presence.
Thiswas Vera’s fault.
Saritadanced around my thoughts, taunting me, calling me with her Siren song. I metWyatt’s mysterious gaze and wondered how I could get him on my side. On onehand, I imagined that he was dying to get rid of me. This was his opportunity.
