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“Me?” she asked, pointing to herself and scoffing softly, unable to hide her disbelief.

“Is there anyone else in the elevator with us?” I teased, ending with a laugh.

Tawnie shook her head, arms crossing over her chest. “Why me? I don’t see how being Mr. Stone’s assistant makes me qualified in the slightest.”

The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. A few guests waited to step in. I gently grabbed Tawnie’s arm and nodded at the guests in acknowledgment before leading her to the side of the hallway.

“Experience doesn’t always define value. I see something in you, and your knowledge of the ranches makes you a perfect fit. Plus, knowing your story and how hard you worked to stay afloat shows me that if you want something, you’ll go after it.”

Tawnie gave me a soft smile, which I returned. My hand still rested on her bicep, offering comfort with a gentle rub.

“I see a little bit of myself in you. There’s drive and passion for being part of Stone Ranch. As challenging as being Mr. Stone’s assistant must be—because I’ve spent the last month with him and already want to pull my hair out—you deserve more.”

I could see the glint of potential tears in her eyes. Oh God, I wasn’t great at handling tears.

“That is so kind,” Tawnie replied, sniffling and wiping the corner of her eyes with her thumb. I tried to smile, but I was sure I looked like I was in pain. I knew they were happy tears, but still, I hadn’t been expecting them. “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me,” I said. “We can talk logistics and more details later with Mr. Stone.”

Tawnie nodded, smiling again. “I can’t believe he’s on board.”

I let out a light laugh as we started walking toward the kitchen. “It took some convincing, but he’s on board.”

“He hates change, so I don’t know what you did to make it happen. I swear, that man has been drinking his coffee the same way at the same time every day for years.”

“I can be very persuasive,” I answered. The moment the words left my mouth, I realized the subtle, seductive tone they carried. Tawnie noticed too, her head snapping up to look at me. “No, no,” I said, raising my hands in defense. “I didn’t do anything like that for you to get the position.”

Her cheeks turned red as she quickly looked away. For some reason, it made me feel a little awkward, knowing Tawnie thought Colton and I were involved. She wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but no one needed to know the specifics.

“However you did it,” she said, “thank you again. I love what I do, but I’ve always wished for more. I didn’t want to be Mr. Stone’s assistant forever, but I knew I wanted to stay here.”

“The position will require a lot of travel between locations and more work, but I think you’ll be compensated pretty well.”

Tawnie opened the door to the kitchen, allowing me in first. As I stepped over the threshold, I was greeted by a marvelous aroma. The scent of herbs and garlic lingered in the air, making my mouth water.

Damn Axel and his amazing culinary skills.

As service wrapped up, servers rushed in and out of the kitchen, collecting last-minute dishes and delivering desserts. The stunning marble floors and spotless stainless steel appliances sparkled under the artificial light.

For a moment, I observed the scene, taking in the smiling faces, the jokes passed between employees, and the speed at which they worked. It was impeccable, a well-oiled machine. At the helm was Axel, clad in his all-black outfit. His dirty blond hair was perfectly pushed back, just the right amount of gel making it look tousled and intentionally messy. His coat was rolled up to his forearms, revealing a span of tattoos.

Seeing him like that used to turn me on so much that sometimes after I’d visit him during the dinner rush, I’d wait until everyone was gone so he’d fuck me in the back with his chef’s coat on.

Now though, I wasn’t thinking about Axel having his way with me; I was thinking about his boss. That’s what I call a power move.

Tawnie moved farther into the kitchen, her shoes echoing on the floor.

“Axel,” she called.

His head snapped up, and his piercing blue eyes fell past her and landed right on me. I swear I saw him pale, his mouth hanging open slightly like he’d seen a ghost.

I couldn’t help but smirk as I moved closer. “Oh, hi, Axel,” I said, twiddling my fingers in a wave before crossing my arms over my chest. No makeup, messy bun, and sweatpants didn’t take away from the triumph I felt at that moment. The anger of him leaving me in New York came rushing back.

I thought I’d be able to keep them in check, but now that I saw him in the flesh, my emotions were in overdrive.

“Eleanor?” he asked, tilting his head. “What are you doing here?” Placing the knife he had been using down on the cutting board, he took a few steps toward us.

“She’s here working closely with Mr. Stone on the ranch,” Tawnie responded for me. I couldn’t help but laugh at how forward she was and how she threw in Colton’s name. I wasn’t going to go that far, but hey, she’s her own person, and I’m glad she did it.