“You escaped Kaz’s unfortunate fate.”
“The poor guy had to live with that monkey on his back his whole career.” He shakes his head. “Speaking of your soon to be boss, he’s on his way.”
Boss. Roommate. Fake boyfriend. Stepdad I’d like to fuck. Kaz is accumulating the titles.
“Grazie Mille’s owner must be cursing the day he ever bought that restaurant,” I say.
Erik nods. “Talk about a string of bad luck. After his crooked manager was arrested, and he fired the bartender with sticky fingers, he had to frantically search for an interim manager to oversee the staff. Now, the Brazilian owner is dealing with a faulty hood ventilation system. Under Kaz’s order, the staff shut down the restaurant due to the smoke pouring into the dining room.”
Kaz’s text was succinct. I had no idea he was dealing with this much.
“After all the upheaval, it’s no surprise the owner wants to sell,” Erik says.
“Poor guy—” From my peripheral vision I catch a glimpse of a figure. Ice thickens in my veins. “Oh no.”
“What is it?” Erik turns around.
Chett struts toward the building’s entrance, a model-tall redhead in a stunning blue flowy dress hanging from his arm, who I’m sure is from a prominent hockey family. He’s too eager to flash his pearly whites at the press flanking the red carpet to notice me.
“I’m surprised to see him here,” Erik says. “In the last four years he’s been invited to this charity event, he’s never botheredto show up, preferring to send his mother. What caused this change of heart?”
Good question.
I was prepared for Devlyn’s snarky remarks and condescending stares, but I wasn’t prepared to come face to face with Chett.
I glance up at Erik. “I was planning on steering far away from Kaz’s ex-wife. I plan on doing the same with my ex-boyfriend. When Chett’s had too many drinks, his asshole meter goes way up.” My lips curl in disgust.
Erik shakes his head. “Hischarmingpersonality—drunk or sober—stems from his enabler of a mother who never told him no.” He takes a step closer. “The weird codependent relationship he has with Devlyn was enough for Kaz to want a divorce thirty days into the marriage.”
Whoa.
“Her cheating on him was his ticket out of that toxic marriage.”
I rub a hand up and down my arm. “I dislike that woman?—”
I do a double take.
Holy hunk of a man.
I have to mentally coax myself so my jaw doesn’t hang open.
Kaz in his jersey is every hockey romance girl’s fantasy.
Kaz in a suit is pure suit porn.
Kaz dressed in casual clothes is something to behold.
Kaz in the gray sweatpants and long sleeve white t-shirt he wears when he comes in my room to sleep on the chair so he can be the slayer of my nightmare demons is sinful.
Kaz in a light blue linen suit, white shirt sans tie, and a pair of blue suede shoes that match his suit… be still my beating heart and pulsating ovaries.
God, the man walks with such swagger.
I resist the urge to fan myself.
Big dick energy, strutting my way.
SDILF, indeed.
