Safari Island Shifters: The Complete Collection(53)

“Parker, I’d like you to meet Chef Clementine Blue and her assistant, Polly Ford,” Ward said.

There was a similarity between the two women, but Parker recognized Clementine. She looked exactly like her picture online. No airbrushing for this babe. The assistant had the same long blonde hair and blue eyes, but she was a little taller than Clementine.

“Nice to meet you, ladies.” Parker shook their hands. “You two pretty ladies wouldn’t happen to be sisters?”

Polly laughed. “Get out. We’re cousins. How could you tell?”

“Sometimes I worry about you, girl. You know we look alike,” Clementine teased. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Travers.”

He put down the tray of drinks. “I know you didn’t ask, but I’ve also created two options for signature cocktails you could serve at the reception with the appetizers.”

“Look at Mr. Overachiever.” Clem took one of the blue drinks. “I don’t have a signature drink, but I’m sure I can come up with something.”

“Clem’s a great bartender,” Polly said. “I bet she could make something great and really original. She used to do it back in high school for her friends.”

Clem slapped her cousin on the arm playfully. “Shut up! Don’t go telling all my secrets.”

Polly’s face reddened. “Oops! I mean she did it after college when we were all of legal age.”

Parker laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re secret is safe with us.”

“We’re going to get out of your way.” Clem handed her drink to Polly to try. “We’ll start getting ready ourselves. Again, nice meeting you, Parker.”

“Very nice.”

He watched the two women walk into the kitchen with their containers of food. He knew his eyes lingered a little too long on Clem as she walked away, but it couldn’t be helped. She was smoking hot. Good thing she was his rival for the job, or things would have gotten very complicated for him. His cheetah was yelling at him for the first time in weeks. It wanted him to go after the girl and make her his.

It had to be an animal instinct thing. His animal always did love a pretty girl, but he was going to ignore it. He’d only made his resolution to stay celibate that very morning. It was way too early to go back on his word, and he was fresh off a breakup. No way was he going to pursue anything right now. Least of all, the gorgeous chef who was competing against him for a job.

She seemed like a really nice girl, and she’d be off the island in a few days. There was no need to complicate her life for selfish reasons. He would only be using her to make himself feel better.

He had to do better, dammit! No matter what his animal wanted, he was steering clear of her.





Four


“He’s cute!” Polly whispered to Clem as they went into the kitchen. “And a shifter, too. This place is amazing.”

“Shhh.” Clem peeked back into the dining room and saw the four people in there talking. “I don’t need him to hear you swooning. We have a job to do here.”

“You mean cooking? We already did the cooking.”

“I mean beating him! I want this job. It was supposed to be mine already.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. But he is super cute, though, right? It’s not just me, is it?”

“He is good-looking,” Clem conceded. “Better than his pictures would have led me to believe. It’s like all of his stuff is Photoshopped to look worse. I see why people make such a fuss over the guy.”

They were plating their dishes when Parker came into the kitchen. “I hope I didn’t leave too much stuff in your way.”

“It’s fine,” Clem said. “I’ve got all the space I need here. All done?”

“They’re all yours.” Parker smiled. “Good luck.”

“Hey, you cook at that Wild Eats place, yeah?” Polly asked abruptly.

“I do.”

“Could we come tonight?”

“Really?” Parker looked from Polly to Clem.

Polly nodded. “I want to try the food. I have a friend who came and she wouldn’t shut up about it.”

Clem was giving Polly the death stare the whole time but Polly didn’t notice. She didn’t want to spend the night eating at Parker’s restaurant. There were two other perfectly good places for them to go, or they could do room service. But Polly was too busy talking to notice.

“Sure. I’ll give the hostess your names and reserve you two a table. We always get a few last-minute cancellations.”

“Great!”

“Good luck again.” He shook Clem’s hand.

She smiled until he had turned his back and then she gave Polly a look that could kill. “Are you kidding, P?”

“What?”

“He’s our competition! We don’t dine with the rival.”

“But by then it’ll be over. I don’t think it’ll be a big deal by then.” She shrugged. “You don’t have to come.”

Polly served the food while Clem stayed in the kitchen during the tasting. Polly gave her updates after each dish, and it seemed to be going very well. This was definitely her job to lose. She’d been their first choice; it was Parker who’d weaseled his way in. Clem knew she had it in the bag.