Savor You (Fusion #5)(7)

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I don’t know,” she says with a shrug. “I guess I can just see the way you look at her. None of us know exactly what happened between you years ago. She doesn’t speak of it. Ever.”

I turn to look at Mia again and feel my heart pound harder.

“And she’d be pissed if she knew I was saying any of this. So, I’ll just end with this. She’s so good, Camden. And I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“Me either.”

She nods and walks away, and I stop to look at the woman in question again. She’s still talking to Steph and Chip. Her cheeks are flushed from the hot kitchen. Her blue eyes are happy. There’s one stray piece of hair that’s escaped from the back of her hat.

I want to twist that hair around my finger.

I walk back over and take my seat.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing,” Mia says, waving me off. “How is everything?”

“This fish is a little dry.”

Her eyes narrow on me, and I can’t help but laugh. “I’m kidding. It’s delicious.”

“Be nice,” Steph says. “Why are men such shits?”

“Good question,” Mia says. “Don’t forget to call me. I’d love to chat with you.”

“Oh, I won’t forget,” Steph promises. Mia nods and moves on to the next table.

“What was that all about?”

“I’d forgotten how funny she is,” Steph says and takes a bite of her spaghetti. “This is the best red sauce I’ve ever had.”

“I thought mine was the best you’ve ever had,” I reply.

“That was before I had this. Sorry.” She shrugs a shoulder. “She does look great. Maybe a little tired.”

I noticed.

“So, you’re going to call her?”

She takes another bite and then nods. “Yeah, I think I’ll see if she wants to get pedicures or something.”

“Why?”

She stares at me and then takes another bite of her food.

“Because I like her.”

I nod.

“Do you not want me to see her?”

“I don’t mind either way.”

“I think he’s lying,” she says to Chip, who’s been wise and had food in his mouth constantly through this conversation. He just shrugs one shoulder and takes another bite of his steak.

“Why would you care if I spent a couple of hours with Mia?”

“I don’t care.”

She sighs and takes a sip of wine. “I like her, Camden. We’re adults. We can be friends. There doesn’t have to be any drama.”

“Am I causing drama?” I ask Chip, who just shakes his head, still chewing.

“I have a question for you,” Steph says.

“Oh, good.” I roll my eyes and snag another piece of bread. Mia always made excellent bread.

“What do you think of her?”

“I don’t know her, remember?”

“Knowing what you do. What do you think?”

“She’s intelligent, an excellent chef—”

“Jesus H Christ, Camden, answer the fucking question.”

“She’s amazing. Is that what you want to hear? She’s a stellar chef. She’s smart and beautiful. That was never a question. I’ve known that she’s amazing for years, and seeing her today only cements that fact. What do you want from me?”

“That,” she replies with a smile. “Just that.”



I didn’t sleep much last night. That’s nothing new. I rarely sleep for longer than three hours at a time. But I didn’t sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about Mia. How she looks, what she said, how I feel about her.

I shouldn’t feel anything about her. She’s a colleague, and I’m pretty sure the statute of limitations has expired on the whole she-left-me-while-I-was-at-work-and-annulled-the-marriage thing. We were young, too young to get married. It was probably all for the best.

But I’m pulled to her in a way that has never happened to me before or since. I’m no saint. There have been women. But never one that I regretted moving on from.

And now, here I am, ten years later, working with this amazing human who can still take the breath from my lungs.

I don’t know what I want from her, or if I want anything at all. But I’m excited to work with her today. We always enjoyed cooking together. It’s how we decided to be roommates. My old roomie moved out, and I couldn’t afford the place on my own. She was in my culinary program, and needed a place. It seemed logical and convenient.

We were partners in class, and knew we got along well. But what I didn’t consider was that not only is Mia fun to work with, she’s sexy as fuck when she cooks. I couldn’t keep my hands off her.

That’s something that I’ll have to work on. I don’t need a sexual harassment suit.

The thought makes me grin as I walk into the Starbucks down the street from Seduction. If there’s one thing that I remember about Mia, aside from how it feels to be next to her when she’s naked, it’s that she’s one grouchy person before coffee. Maybe she’s already had some, but coming in with backup can’t hurt.