She glares at me and props her hands on her hips.
“Does that look usually intimidate your employees?”
“Yes.”
“I can see that.” I nod. “Garlic?”
“Fridge,” she says with a sigh. “I’m not paying you for today.”
“I’m exhausted.” I take a sip of the red wine that Kat poured for us before she left. The whole place is closed now, and Mia and I are the only ones still here.
“You did great today,” she says with a smile. She pulls her hair out of the ponytail and shakes it out until it’s framing her face. “That’s better.”
“We sold out of the special,” I inform her with a satisfied grin.
“I heard,” she says with a nod. “It was delicious. Thanks again.”
“It was fun, but I don’t know how you manage to do this every damn day.”
“You’d think I would be thinner,” she says with a frown and looks down at herself. “But I’m afraid that ship has sailed.”
“You’re beautiful,” I reply.
“You always said that,” she says. “I had some pretty intense confidence issues when I knew you, and I always wondered how you could find me pretty.”
“Why weren’t you confident?”
“Because kids and teenagers are mean.” She shrugs. “Even my mother used to say, It’s okay, Mia. Italian boys like chubby girls. She wasn’t trying to be mean.”
“It sounds mean,” I reply and feel my blood heat up. “And for the record, I was attracted to you. Hell, I still am.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “Interesting.”
I laugh. “All you have to say is interesting?”
“Well, it is interesting. And now that I’m embarrassed, let’s keep this train rolling and have that talk I mentioned this morning.”
“Okay.” I set my wine away from me and turn to face her, giving her my undivided attention. She looks so damn tired. “What’s up?”
“I need to apologize,” she says. “And not just about this morning. I was talking with Cami and Landon last night, and for the first time since before, I let myself think about everything that happened. I was wrong, Camden.
“I was so fucking embarrassed,” she whispers and clenches her eyes shut. “When the doctor told me that the pregnancy wasn’t real, I was just mortified. I admit I was also a little sad because even though I was terrified, I didn’t hate the idea of the baby. But mostly I was embarrassed. I didn’t know what to say to you. We weren’t a couple.”
I’m hung up on that last sentence. “What?”
“I was embarrassed.”
“No, the last thing.”
“We weren’t a couple?”
“Yeah, that. We weren’t? Because I don’t think we were on the same page there.”
She turns in her seat now, facing me. “Camden, we never said we were an exclusive thing.”
“Well I sure as fuck wasn’t screwing anyone else. Not to mention, we got married, Mia. That’s pretty fucking exclusive.”
“I wasn’t seeing anyone else either.” She shakes her head. “I assumed the sex was exclusive, but we never said we were in a relationship. I thought we were friends with some fun benefits.”
I sit and let her spill out the rest, but I want to shake her.
“And then we thought I was pregnant, and you shocked the hell out of me when you said we would get married. Before I knew it, we were married. It happened so fast. And then the doctor told me that the only reason you married me wasn’t even real.”
“The only reason?”
“Of course.” She frowns and I want to kiss those wrinkles between her eyes. “So, I packed my things and you know the rest.
“I didn’t let myself think about you after I came back to Portland. Whenever I did, it only made me sad and so ashamed. Instead, I moved ahead and tried to put you in my past.”
“Is that it?” I ask. She nods. “I have a few things to say.” I take a sip of wine, gathering my thoughts. “First of all, you need to know that I didn’t do anything that I didn’t want to. You didn’t trap me, Mia. You didn’t coerce me. I married you because I was excited about the baby.”
Her eyes widen in surprise.
“That’s right, I was excited. I know that we were too young, and poor as hell, and would have made so many mistakes, but I thought that baby would be an adventure. And going on that adventure with you? Jesus, it doesn’t get any better than that. You were my girlfriend. You made me laugh, and you made me think. You challenged me, and that was such a fucking turn-on. So, if you take nothing else from this conversation, remember this: I was there because I wanted to be there, not just because it was the right thing to do.
“When I got home from work that day and found you gone, well, it was probably one of the worst days of my life, second only to the day my parents died.”
She squeezes her eyes closed. “I’m so sorry.”
“You could have talked to me. I did some research after you left, and learned that false-positive pregnancy tests happen. We would have discussed it, and decided what to do from there, together.
“Instead, you took that decision and made it yours alone.”
“I did,” she says with a nod. “And I’m a horrible person.”
“No, you’re not.” I sigh. “Nine years ago, this whole conversation would have made me so fucking mad.”
“You know,” she says and clears her throat. “You never tried to find me.”
“Mia, you made it pretty damn clear that you didn’t want to be found.”
She nods. “I might have been an overreactor in my youth.”
“Maybe a little,” I agree. “We were both young and stupid.”
“And embarrassed,” she reminds me. “Even the doctor told me there were other ways to get a man to stay with me. I didn’t have to make up a fake pregnancy.”
“That doctor sounds like the stupid one.”
She nods, and then shrugs, and drinks the rest of her wine. “I was going to find you last night and apologize. But then I realized that I don’t know where you’re staying, and I don’t have your number.”
“You do now.”
“I do?”
“I sent you a text earlier.”
She frowns. “I haven’t even looked at my phone today.” She pulls it out of her bag and smiles. “You sent me a cake emoji.”
“I was hungry for cake.”
“Did you get some?”
I shake my head. “No, the paying customers ate it all.”
“How rude,” she mutters. “I’ll save you a piece tomorrow.”
“What time are we coming in?”
“Seven thirty if you want to get any work done.”
I frown. “Mia, it’s midnight now.”
“Yep.”
“Let’s talk about these workaholic tendencies of yours.”
“Or let’s not.”
“I’m serious. You’re going to kill yourself if you keep this schedule up.”
“Opening a business is always rigorous, Camden. Of course I put in more than forty hours a week. I have a kitchen to run, and now I’ve been talked into a television show.”
“You didn’t want to do the show?” Why is she doing it if she didn’t want it?
“No way. That was Riley’s dream, and once things started happening, it just sort of snowballed. I just wanted to have a successful restaurant. I don’t want to be on TV. I’m not exactly TV material.”
“That’s not the first time you’ve put yourself down, Mia.”
“Oh please.” She waves me off. “I’m not putting myself down. I’m stating the truth. There aren’t many curvy girls on TV, and that’s the truth. Besides, being in front of the camera was never my thing. That’s Addie. Yet, here we are. I’m the one who gets to be the face of Seduction.”
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmur and reach for her hand. “I wish you believed that.”
“I do.” She smiles ruefully. “Sometimes. I think self-im
age issues are part of the girl DNA. I’m not obnoxious about it. But you asked.”
“I did?”
“I think so.” She laughs now and shrugs. “I don’t actually remember.”
“If I were to ask you to join me for dinner, somewhere other than Seduction, would you say yes?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“You have soft hands.”
“I wash them a lot.”
It’s quiet in the restaurant, and the light is low, and in this moment, it feels like we’re the only two people in the world. It feels familiar and new all at the same time, and all I know for sure is, I need to kiss her. To have my hands on her.
I stand and lean over her, caging her in between my arms and the bar.
“Mia?”
“Uh huh.”
Her eyes drop to my lips and she runs her tongue over her bottom lip, and it’s almost my undoing.
“Whether you believe me or not, I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m going to kiss you.”
Her eyes jump up to meet mine.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Honestly?” I move between her legs, pressing closer. “I don’t give a fuck if it’s a good idea. I’m going to do it, and I’m doing it now. So if you’re going to say no, you’d better say it now.”
“I don’t think I’m going to say no.”
She takes a deep, shuddering breath and lets it out slowly.
“You should hold on to something,” I suggest and immediately regret it when she fists my T-shirt in her hands, holding on tightly. “Ah yes, your old signature move.”
“I always had to hold on to something when you kissed me,” she whispers.
I brush my nose lightly against hers and move in slowly.
Chapter Five
~Mia~
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, he’s going to kiss me. Maybe he shouldn’t have warned me because now all I can think about is that I haven’t brushed my teeth in over fifteen hours, and what if he turns his head in the same direction I do and we clash teeth?
Oh God, this could be very bad.
But his hands glide up my arms and into my hair where he fists them and holds on for dear life as his lips sink over mine. He’s still for a moment, and then we’re all tangled lips and moans of pleasure. It’s exactly as I remember it being ten years ago.
His tongue glides over my lips and he nibbles the corner, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. He cups my jaw and neck, and peppers sweet kisses over to my cheekbone and farther to my ear.
“So damn sexy,” he growls. I can’t reply. I’m pretty sure my bones have liquefied, and without him holding me up I’d fall into a puddle on the floor.
That would be a sight for the cleaning crew to behold.
“Did you just laugh?” he asks against my neck. Oh dear Moses, if he kisses my neck I’m done for. Yep. Done for. He pulls my shirt aside and kisses my shoulder too, and I’m pretty sure my vagina is going to explode from hotness overload.
“Maybe,” I reply and bite my lip when he nibbles his way back up my neck.
“Why?”
“I don’t remember.”
He smiles against my lips before he kisses me once more and then pulls away.
“Wow,” I whisper. “So you’re not impotent after all.”
“Excuse me?”
My eyes fly open in horror. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Ignore that.”
“Was there a rumor going around that I’m impotent?”
I silently call myself every horrible name in the book and scrub my hands over my face, trying to pull myself out of the sexual haze Camden just had me in.
“Not that I’m aware of,” I reply and clear my throat. “I’m just dumb, and we should never speak of this again.”
“If you need me to prove the rumor wrong, I can,” he says and I meet his eyes for the first time since the kiss of the century. He’s not mad. He’s grinning, and if I’m not mistaken, his cheeks are flushed. He’s as turned on as I am.
“Maybe another time,” I murmur and hop off the stool. He joins me, and I’m thrown by how tall he is. “Did you grow?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I don’t remember you being so tall.”
“You’re pint-sized,” he replies and kisses me on the head.
There’s nothing small about me. I don’t say it out loud. He doesn’t want to hear it, and after that kiss he just planted on me, he clearly gives zero fucks about my size.
“I should go home. It’s going to be another early morning.”
He’s quiet as we both gather our things and I turn out the lights in the restaurant.
“Are you parked over here too?” He’s walking next to me down the block toward the parking lot I use.
“No. I’m not going to let you walk down here by yourself at this time of night.”
I grin up at him. “That’s very chivalrous of you, but I do this every single night.”
“You won’t while I’m with you.” He reaches down and takes my hand in his, linking our fingers.
I suspect that touch is this man’s love language. He’s a toucher.
I’m the opposite of a toucher.
But I don’t pull my hand away. When we reach my car, I unlock it and toss my handbag onto the passenger seat, then turn toward him and catch him checking out my ass.
He doesn’t look sorry.
I don’t want him to be sorry.
“Take tomorrow night off and go to dinner with me.”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I own a business and I’ll need to be there.”
His lips twitch.
“The world won’t fall apart if you take a night off.”
“I took a night off last night.”
“See? You can make it two nights in one week. The staff won’t know what to think.”
“Exactly.” I shake my head. “I can’t be gone two nights in one week.”
“Mia.” He drags a finger down my cheek. “I want to have you all to myself tomorrow evening.”
Damn him for being so persuasive.
“I will leave at seven, after the initial dinner rush.”
He sighs. “Compromise is important, I suppose.”
I smile and grab his hand before he can pull it away, and press a kiss to his palm. “Thank you.”
“But we aren’t meeting in the morning,” he says firmly.
“Trevor wants—”
“Trevor isn’t a chef. You and I both know that we don’t need to practice dishes that we’ve made for years. It’s a competition show. We’re going to have our own style anyway. You overslept today because you’re exhausted, and after watching you work today, although it was sexy as fuck, it’s going to kill you. Sleep. I know you’ll be at work long before lunch anyway.”
“You’re awfully bossy. Just because you kissed me doesn’t mean you’re suddenly in control.”
He leans close, his lips inches from mine. “I’m not trying to control you, Mia. I’m trying to take care of you because you’re not doing it for yourself. Do me a fucking solid and take the morning off.”
“And the evening.”
“You’re working through dinner,” he reminds me. He’s not angry or frustrated with me. He links his fingers with mine again, holding my hand gently.
“Fine.” I sigh and shake my head. “I’ll weed my garden in the morning. I think I have some tomatoes ready to pick, and the cucumbers should be close too.”
“Tend your garden.” He winks at me as I lower myself into my car. “And get some sleep.”
“Yes, sir.” I give him a mock salute and roll my eyes as I start the car, and roll my window down. “Do you want a ride to your car?”
“I don’t think so. I could use a walk.”
I nod and wave as I pull away. I watch him in my rear-view mirror, and he stands on the sidewalk, watching me, his hands in his p
ockets. His hair is disheveled, and I can read his face perfectly.
He wants me.
And for the first time in a long time, I have that fire in my belly that comes with being so damn attracted to a man I can hardly stand it. Camden Sawyer is a sexy, kind, chivalrous man, and I just agreed to take a good portion of the day off tomorrow to be with him.
The girls won’t even know who I am when I tell them.
“How was your morning?” Camden asks after we’ve ordered dinner. He took me to The Cheesecake Factory, which made me laugh like crazy. Who would believe that two highly skilled chefs would choose The Cheesecake Factory for dinner? We used to love this place back in the day. I still do. The menu is huge, and it’s always delicious. Not to mention, you always know what you’re gonna get. There aren’t any surprises, and as a person who is constantly experimenting and tweaking recipes, it’s nice to go back to something you know.
“I slept longer than I expected,” I admit and laugh when he cocks a brow. “You can say I told you so.”
“No need.”
“But I did have time to quickly weed the garden and pick a few things.”
“Have you had the garden for a long time?”
“No, actually. I bought the house just before we opened Seduction, so maybe three years ago. I had the kitchen gutted and redone before I even moved in. While that was being finished, I went to the house one day to measure for furniture and stuff, and wandered into the backyard. There was the perfect spot for a small vegetable garden, but with the renovations and getting ready to open the business, there just wasn’t time for it.
“This past spring, I decided that Sundays after brunch with the girls would be set aside for the garden.”
“You take Sundays off?”
“Mostly.” I bite my lip and shrug a shoulder. “Lately, I’ve been working more. The girls yell at me.”
He tips his head to the side and takes a sip of his water. “Yell at you?”
“To take days off,” I reply. I check my phone for the third time since we sat down. “I wonder if they remembered that the walk-in freezer door doesn’t shut right?”
“Mia?”
“Yeah.”
“Put your phone away.”
I look up at him and frown. “I have to have it handy in case they need me. What can I say? I’m a workaholic.”