“No,” Preston chuckled, and looked at Alejandro. “She’s my work wife.”
Alejandro laughed. “She’d kill you in your sleep.”
I didn’t know what to do with that. If I asked questions, he’d think I was interested. Which I kinda was. But I didn’t have time to get involved with anyone.
Preston nudged me with his forearm, his warmth concentrating on the point of contact. Leaning over, he set the record straight. “Relax, Nicholas. I’m not a cheater, if that’s what you’re thinking. Stella is my sous chef and other best friend. She’s happily marriednotto me.”
Alejandro laughed. “Oh god that would be a major shit show. Like I said, she’d kill you in your sleep.”
Some kind of something flooded my veins as relief washed over me. I didn’t know what was happening between us, but his thigh pressing along mine was causing things to stir in my pants.
This was going to be trouble. I could see my degree slipping away before my eyes and my recurring nightmare from months ago came strolling up to my subconscious.
And the forty-five-year-old hot as fuck instigator wearing the fucking Met’s t-shirt was to blame. There was only one thing to do. I was gonna have to stay as far away from Preston James as humanly possible.
CHAPTER2
PRESTON
Now I rememberwhy I didn’t do catering anymore.
Stella and I rushed around the kitchen, making sure we had everything on the list for the party. Greer Rowan was paying me a pretty penny to do this job, and if I’d had to do it without Alejandro, I’d have said fuck no.
As she read off the list of things we were most likely to forget, I hurried around the kitchen, making sure it was packed.
“Serving utensils?”
“Check.”
“Chafing dishes?”
“Check.”
“Fuel Canisters?”
“Check.”
“Rolling warmer drawer?”
I looked around in the kitchen and hallway as if it were hiding from me. “Fuck no. Where the fuck is it? I can’t get the fucking food inside the building without the fucking cart! And we can’t carry each individual thing upstairs because we’ll burn our fucking hands!”
I was losing it.
Stella walked over, pushed me onto the stool we kept in the kitchen, and handed me a shot ofFireball. “Take a deep breath and calm all your fucks down.”
I grumbled. “Did you have this served up and ready to go? And I only swear when I’m stressed. You know that.”
“I know,” she said, as she massaged my shoulders while I threw it back. The cinnamon burn was comforting going down my throat. I was too old for this.
“Why did we say yes to this?” I whined like the big ole baby I was.
My work wife laughed since we both knew the answer to that stupid question. “Wedidn’t.Youdid because Alejandro asked you to.”
“Yeah, well, next time I’m saying no.”
She laughed and worked the tight muscles in my neck. “No you won’t Preston. You’ll do what you always do. You’d give the shirt off your back to help whenever someone asks. That’s who you are, sunshine.”
Stella clapped me hard on the back, and I knew she was finished catering to me. “But that’s the end of the pity party. Get up and let’s do this. We have people to impress.” She paused, then shook her head as she pointed to the back door. “There it is.”
