Savor You (Fusion #5)(10)

I write yummy grill under our names.

“Have you honed your dessert skills over the past ten years?” he asks with a grin.

“I always made good desserts.”

“I seem to remember a situation with a smoky apartment, fire alarms and burnt brownies. The fire department showed up.”

“That wasn’t my fault,” I counter. “If you hadn’t talked me into getting naked, I wouldn’t have—” I stop and sit back, frowning down at my notebook.

“You wouldn’t have what?”

“Nothing.” I shake my head and write dessert under my column. “I make some signature desserts we can decide on later.”

I move to climb out of the booth, but he puts his hand on my arm, stopping me cold.

“What?”

“What just happened?”

“Look, Camden, I think we’re going to have fun cooking together. We always did before, there’s no reason that we won’t now. But we don’t really need to rehash all of the good ol’ days. And you can just back off with the smolder, too.”

“I don’t have a smolder,” he says, frustration hanging heavily in his voice. “I was trying to have a fun conversation with you. We’re going to be working together on national television. It’s not going to work if it looks like you hate me during the whole thing.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Then why the attitude?”

“I don’t have an attitude. But if you’d like to see one, I’m sure I can oblige.”

“Jesus, you’re difficult,” he mutters and rubs his hands over his whole face this time.

“I can turn on Susie Sunshine for the cameras,” I reply. “And I’m not trying to be a bitch. I’m really not. But there’s no need to talk about before.”

Between his smolder and hashing out the past, it’s going to be impossible to remain professional. I’m so damn drawn to him, and that’s not what we’re here for.

That’s not the plan. Not to mention, he never said he wants me. I refuse to embarrass myself with this man. So the more distant I am, the better.

“Oh, we’re going to talk about it,” he replies grimly.

“I have to get in the kitchen.”

“I know. But you can’t run away every time I see you, and we will talk. But it won’t be here.”

“Hi pot, I’m kettle. I seem to remember seeing you run off to the restroom when I made my way to your table last night.”

His hands fist on the table and he takes a deep breath.

“That wasn’t the same.”

“Okay.” I roll my eyes and move to stand again, but he holds me back again.

“We’ll talk, Mia.”

“Well, I don’t plan to see you outside of here, so—”

He just grins, and I know I’ve lost this little argument.

“Are you having a nice time with your sister?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“It’s good to see her,” he says with a nod. “You seem to get along well.”

“She was always nice to me.”

“Does she get to talk about the past with you?”

“She hasn’t brought it up,” I reply. Besides, she never saw me naked.

“Hmm,” he says. “She and Chip are down on vacation for the week. I think we’re having dinner on the river this evening, if you’d like to join us.”

Hell no.

“Thanks, but I’ll be working.”

“Do you work every day?” he asks.

“Not every day.”

“When was your last day off?”

I frown, thinking, but I can’t remember. “It was probably a week ago.”

“That’s a lie,” he says easily. “You can’t remember.”

“If you’re so fucking psychic, why are you asking me questions?”

“Why are you so on edge?”

I take a deep breath so I don’t throat punch him. I’m on edge because he puts me on edge. And he does it without even trying. “Have a nice dinner tonight.”

I stand and gather my notebook.

“Oh, and thanks for the coffees, too.”

“Shall we start cooking tomorrow morning?”

I nod, resigned to never sleeping again. “Same time.”

“I’ll be here.”

“See you then.”

I walk back to my kitchen and start making a list of extra ingredients that I’ll need to order for these recipes. I’m not working tonight, but I can’t spend time with Camden outside of this project. I’m still ridiculously attracted to him, and I’ll make a fool of myself.

I already did that once with him. I won’t do it again.

My phone buzzes with a text from Cami. Don’t forget dinner tonight at our house. 6:00.

I smile and reply. I’ll be there. What can I bring?

The dots blink on the phone as she replies. A bottle of red. I have the rest covered.

You got it.

Spending the evening with my best friend and my brother is much less likely to end in catastrophe than if I’d accepted Camden’s invitation.