The sake goes up my nose. Ohshit, that burns!
He hands me a tissue with a small frown. “I hope you present yourself better than this. But anyway, one of the available sons is a great catch. Women fawn all over him. He’s basically perfect.”
“Mmm, so perfect he can’t find a woman to marry.”
“It’s called outsourcing, honey.” Joey informs me in a slightly pitying tone, like I’m some cavewoman who hasn’t discovered the wonders of delegation.
“Yeah, sure. What does this perfect and available son do?” Maybe he’s an actor. Not the hot kind, but the weird kind.
“Nothing. He’s rich.”
I make a face. A spoiled overgrown man-child. How sexy. No wonder he needs to have Joey find him a woman.
“He’s working on some novel, but I don’t think he plans to finish it any time soon. Which is fantastic because it leaves him with a lot of free time. So all you have to do is sleep with him and have his baby.”
“So simple!” I snap my fingers. “Where’s the proposal and wedding?”
“Don’t be plebian. Who does that in real life anyway? It’s just for shows and movies.”
I just can’t.
“Besides, you should be honored. I’ve hired escorts—and I meanhotones—models and actresses, but he didn’t find any of them good enough. Which is why I’ve expanded the pool to include, you know, regular women. If you looked the slightest bit less hot, I would’ve walked out the door a long time ago.”
That’s it. I have no appetite and I’m not putting myself through the torture of nonsense coming from Joey. I start to rise.
“Bathroom’s down the hall, to your right,” he says.
He must’ve been here a lot with his important boss to know where the bathroom is! Except that isn’t where I’m going.
I open my mouth to tell him, but then a waitress enters, placing a fresh bottle of sake on the table. Don’t remember ordering it, but I certainly deserve it.
The server holds the sleeve of her kimono just so and pours me an elegant thimble-full, but I grab the bottle and take a direct swig. I turn to thank her, but then shock knocks me back on my ass.
Noah. What the hell?
He’s in a freakin’ suit, which of course fits him perfectly. It also adds that extra edge of power and authority which makes him look even hotter than he did earlier. The fact that I notice at all burns my gall.
“Good sake, isn’t it?” he says.
He’s smiling, just like on the vision board. But I ripped that picture off, so why isn’t he disappearing?
He sits next to me, takes the bottle and places it on the table. “Feeling better?” he asks. “You really should be more selective about your dates. Joey isn’t much better than Lorcan Duncan.” His chiding tone says I should’ve been out with him.
How does he know my date’s name? Just what the hell is going on?
“How did you find me?” I manage finally. My voice is hoarse, and I clear my throat. “Are you stalking me?” I wouldn’t put it past him. He showed up at my bakery without warning, then broke into my home. He could’ve bugged my house. Or maybe planted a tracker on my truck on his way out. Those things are dirt cheap and small enough that the victim would never notice.
“No. I just keep my eyes and ears open when it comes to you,” Noah says softly.
“Probably social media,” Joey says. “People post pictures when they see someone important.” His tone says he’s the important someone.
After struggling to process the moment, I give up. The sake bottle is sitting there on the table, taunting me. I grab it and take another swallow.
“So, you two know each other?” Joey asks. The excitement in his voice slithers over my back like a snake. Cold goosebumps cover my body despite the alcohol.
“No,” I say, at the same time Noah says, “Yes.”
“Perfect.” Joey grins. “Please. Meet Noah Lasker. He’s the one I told you about. You know, the guy who doesn’t do anything but be rich.”
