Burn (Heat #1)(20)

"It happens," she says quietly. "It's inevitable. The long hours are a big part of it. The shared dreams bind people together."

"My ex and I shared some of the same dreams." I look back at her face. "He was a nightmare though."

She laughs, her hand darting to her chin. "Tyler's ex, Neela, was a dream. She's a sweet girl. She took her career back to Boston right along with his heart."

I pause, wondering if that's something he confided in her or if it's her observation as an outsider looking in on a boss whose heart truly belongs to his restaurant.

"I need to get back in. Thanks for stopping by to congratulate me, Cadence."

"You did a fantastic job on the show, Maribel. Everyone at Nova is proud of you."

"Tyler told me the same thing earlier. I may be too old to own my own restaurant but I'm feeling more and more like this is my home."





CHAPTER 20


"You were right." I lick my fingers. "I didn't season it well enough. It tastes so much better like this."

"Right?" Tyler grabs my hand and pulls my fingers between his lips. "You had the foundation. You just needed to add to it."

I look down at the remnants of the halibut dish we worked on together in my kitchen. Initially we thought we'd prepare it at work but the cleaning crew had booked an early arrival. They showed up moments after Nova closed for the night so Tyler had loaded all the ingredients into a cooler to bring them to my place.

"I'm tempted to put this on the menu as a lunch special." He traces my eyebrow with the pad of his thumb. "Would you be up for that?"

It's an honor that touches me deeply. Maybe more so than the kiss he pulled me into when we first got to my place. I know he wants to make love. I want that too. I don't want to rush what's happening between us though. It needs to be organic, the pace determined by the two of us together.

"What do you think?" I joke as I run my hands over his back, under the black polo he's wearing. "What day will you do that?"

"Saturday is our busiest lunch day." He cups my chin in his hand. "Let's do it on Saturday."

I lean in to kiss his mouth. "You're not doing this because of Maribel, are you?"

He moves his lips across my cheek until he traces the shell of my earlobe with the tip of his tongue. "I'm doing this because this dish is now perfect and you earned it."

I pull back to look into his eyes. I haven't mentioned what Maribel said to me yesterday. If the woman she talked about is important to Tyler, he'll tell me when he's ready.

I have a past with Brendon. It's not unthinkable that Tyler would have a past with someone who worked closely with him. She's not at Nova anymore. I am. That's what I want to focus on.

"When is your roommate coming home?"

"Not before you f*ck me," I say shamelessly.

His hand moves to the nape of my neck, the other settling on my hip. "It might take all night for me to f*ck you properly. I haven't had a taste in almost a week."

"What are you waiting for?" I grip the collar of his shirt in my hands as I pull him into a deep, and mind numbing kiss.

***

"Your cock may be your best feature." I run my tongue over the length again, pulling the head back into my mouth before I pop it out. "I'm a little crazy over this."

"You can be as crazy as you want," he moans loudly. "If you suck me like that again, I don't care if you're certifiable."

I stare at it, the length is impressive, the girth more so. It's pink, rosy, and right now, pulsating in my hands. I lick it again, slowly, tentatively as I inch my hand up and down, sliding lazily along the shaft.

"If you keep that up, I'll blow my load all over you."

"You're not going to hear me complain about that," I purr as I fist him, hard and fast strokes, again and again.

I drop my mouth over the plush head, taking as much of him as I can down my throat. I resist the urge to gag, holding steady as his hands get lost in my hair. He's pulling, directing, trying to control my desire.

I wave his hands away with a swat of mine before I lower my mouth over him completely.

"Christ," he growls, yanking on my shoulders. "I need to f*ck you now, Cadence. Now."

His voice is loud, the tone thick with want and need. I pull myself from him and in an instant he's moved. The drawer opens. The condom package rips. He's sheathed.

His lips fall to my core for a deep swipe across my folds, then another, this time stopping to suck on my clit.

I scream as he pulls away and then I moan, deeply, when his cock drives into me in one single thrust.





CHAPTER 21


"What time do you work today?" Sophia snaps a picture of me in a short white romper. "I'm going to order the halibut out for a late lunch."

"You're ordering it to go?" I chuckle. "Why don't you just have lunch in the restaurant?"

"I called for a reservation, but you're booked solid." She claps her hands together loudly. "Half of Manhattan is going to eat your halibut today, Den. You'll be the toast of the town."

"You know I can cook it here for you, any night you want." I turn to the side as she takes another picture. "And it's not half of Manhattan. At most, it'll be a few hundred people."