Blaze (Heat #3)(15)

"We don't have to try and make this work, Sergio." I skim my gaze over his face. "It's too late to repair things at his point."

His shoulders fall forward as a low noise escapes from the back of his throat. It's guttural and deep. There's pain woven into each note. His hands leap to his face, covering it as he sobs.

I try to look away. I don't want this. I never wanted to be faced with his pain because I f*cking knew it would mirror my own.

"You are my girl," he whispers into his hands. "You are my little girl."

"I'm not," I say, brushing another round of tears from my face. "I'm not her anymore. I'm a woman now. We can't go back in time."

He sobs harder, each breath he takes more strained than the one before.

"What we had is gone, daddy." I reach for his shoulder, but I fist my hand and pull it back before I touch him. "What's done is done."

With those words, I slide off the bench and walk away, leaving him alone with his pain and regret.





CHAPTER 16


"Can I get a copy of all of these?" Tyler sifts through the headshot prints on the table between us. "I can't choose a favorite. I'm crazy about all of them."

I slant my head to the side to look at the picture at the top of the pile. In it I'm dressed in a green blouse, holding a white ceramic bowl in my hands. I look happy and energetic thanks to the talent of Falon Shaw. When I met her at the television studio three days ago, she put me at ease immediately. We spent the next three hours working together to capture every shot that was on the list Barbara provided. We also took a few pictures of me at home, in my own kitchen, cooking a meal for Sophia.

"They belong to the studio," I say with a grimace. "I can take a selfie and send you that."

He smiles at the offer. "I have a bunch of photos of you on my phone."

"You do not." I grin. "When did you ever take a picture of me?"

His response is a push of his smartphone across the table toward me. I swipe my finger over the screen before I tap on the photo app. I open it and I'm greeted with several pictures of me in my apartment and one taken less than ten minutes ago inside Nova.

"You're stealth, aren't you?" I tease. "I didn't realize you were taking these."

I can't say I'm that surprised that he's captured me with the camera on his phone. We've only seen each other a couple of times since his birthday but on each of those nights, I took a picture of him when he wasn't looking.

My schedule is filled with prepping for my first morning show appearance, and meeting with the web designer and social media manager that were hired by the studio.

Tyler has devoted virtually every waking hour to Nova. Their soft launch is next week and although the restaurant doesn’t look ready for opening night, Tyler assures me it is.

"Are they going to upload these to your website?" He pushes the top one aside to look at one of me at home, my hair pinned messily atop my head while I laugh at something Sophia said.

"Some of them." I look over my shoulder to where Maribel is standing. She's been talking to a small group of employees since I arrived. "How's Maribel doing? She seems content."

His gaze skims past my face to where she is. "She's good. I'm impressed with how she's handling her new position. I'm thinking of putting her in charge of the entrée station."

It's a big step up for her. Heading that station is a position I would have coveted if I still worked here. I don't though, so it's becoming easier to feel happiness for Maribel. "She's a hard worker. I'm sure she'll do great."

"I know it's not easy for you." He leans back in his chair. He's dressed as he always was when he was in the kitchen back at old Nova. He's wearing dark trousers and a white chef's jacket. He looks every inch the professional and consummate restaurateur and chef.

The way he stared at me when I arrived made me weak in the knees. I'd chosen white shorts and a navy blouse when I dressed this morning knowing that I'd be seeing him. I'm hoping the bait I'm casting will land him in my bed again tonight.

"We're never going to agree on the fact that I believe I should have gotten the senior chef job that you gave to Rolly."

That draws a wicked smile to his lips. "I told you I admire your confidence, Chef. You're a strong and ambitious woman. That's one of the reasons I love you."

My heart lurches as my lips part.

"You're in love with her?" Maribel, as always, has the worst timing possible. She stops next to the table we're sitting beside. "Did you just say you love her, Chef?"

His eyes brighten as he leans forward to rest his hands on his lap. "What's not to love? Just look at her, Maribel. Cadence Sutton is perfection and I'm the luckiest man in the world."





CHAPTER 17


"I meant what I said this morning," Tyler traces his index finger over my bare calf. "I love you. I know it's soon and probably scary as f*ck to hear me saying it, but it's true."

"It's scarier than f*ck," I tease as I close my eyes and lean back on the couch. "Is it really love if it happens this quickly?"

"Give me a minute." He bends my knee so he can brush his lips against it. "Your legs are so smooth. Why haven't I noticed how smooth they are before?"