Yes, Chef

by Linda Verji

  “Why would I miss you?” She folded her arms over her chest to hide her shaking hands. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  “Maybe.” He smiled ruefully. “But I couldn’t help myself. I missed you too much.”

  “Well, now that you’ve seen me, you can leave,” she gritted between her teeth.

  “Not yet.” He took another step towards her, and this time she held out her hand, palm face-up, to halt him.

  “Don’t!” She sounded chocked up even to her own ears. “Don’t come closer.”

  Surprise flashed in his eyes. “Are you scared of me?”

  Yes, she was scared of him. But she was even more scared of herself, of how much she was shaking, of how much her legs were aching to go forward instead of backwards, to meet him. Yes, she was scared.

  “I won’t do anything to you.” His voice was soft as if he was trying to calm a skittish filly. “I just want…. I just want us to talk.” He took a deep breath as if to steady himself. “I’ve spent the last few months thinking about you, wondering where you were, what you were doing, how you were… I’d just like to catch up-”

  She forced a laugh. “Catch up? Why would we do that? It’s not like we were friends? It’s not like we were… anything.”

  “You know that’s not true. We had feelings for each other.”

  “Feelings!” This time her laugh was real. What the hell was he talking about? She arched her eyebrows. “I thought you said that it was all fake? That you were just playing with me.”

  “I lied.” He started towards her again. “None of it was fake.”

  His confession sent shock roiling through her. Was he saying that he’d actually had feelings for her? How was that possible? He’d never once shown them. Her momentary shock gave him enough time to close the distance between them. Before she could back away, his hands closed over her upper arms.

  “Get your hands off me,” she growled.

  He didn’t drop his hands. Instead he surprised her even further by murmuring, “I love you.”

  What? Shock ricocheted through her rendering her both speechless and unable to move.

  He ran his finger up her arm, skimming it across her neck until it rested over her racing pulse. “Did you hear me? I love you.”

  “Yes I heard you.” She swatted his hands away from her skin. “What are you up to, Worth? What is this? Another game to see how long it will take you to get me into bed again?”

  Instant remorse filled his expression. When he tried to touch her again, she blocked his touch with her arm and took a step back. His hand fell.

  “I didn’t mean what I said that day,” he said. “I was just… I was just angry that you were leaving me… No, that sounds like an excuse-” He paused and swallowed hard as if trying to find the right words. “I’m sorry about all the things I said. I didn’t mean them but they were still cruel and hurtful-”

  She cut him off. “So you knew you were being hurtful?”

  “I did… I do. But I swear if your forgive me, I’ll never hurt you again.” His eyes were filled with what seemed like sincere remorse. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Just give me a chance to make things right.”

  It actually seemed like he meant what he was saying, and for a moment Sin believed him. However, in the next moment she realized that it didn’t matter whether he was being sincere or not, or whether she believed him or not. Any chance she gave him would only lead to a dead end because love couldn’t exist between them. They were just too different; things would never work between them.

  “You can have the forgiveness,” she forced herself to say. “But I’m sorry I’m all out of chances. Go home, Worth.”

  “What do you mean you’re all out of chances?”

  “I mean you don’t need to make anything right because there was never anything in the first place.” She smiled but there was no humor in her smile. “We were never in a relationship and will never be in any, so there’s nothing to make right.”

  He frowned. “But we love each other.”

  “You must be mistaken about something. I never said I love you.” She lied, “I don’t love you.”

  “What?” Surprise flashed in his eyes.

  “I don’t love you,” she repeated.

  “You don’t love me?” Worth narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe that. How can you not love me?”

  “I don’t.”

  “How can you not love me?” he repeated, disbelief echoing in his voice. He canted his head as he studied her. “Is there someone else?”

  She could’ve said ‘no’ and not complicated matters further. However, she realized that the best way to prove to a man that you were over him was to replace him with another. So she nodded. “Yes, there’s someone else, and I love him.”

  “No.” Worth shook his head vehemently. The look of stricken panic in his eyes almost made her take back her words, but she didn’t. He shook his head again. “No, you made that up. There’s no one else.”

  “Why would I need to make up a relationship?”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Then don’t.” She shrugged. “I don’t love him to make you believe me.”

  “You’re lying,” he insisted.

  “I’m not.” She reminded him, “It’s been four months since I left Portland. That’s a lot of time for me to find another man and fall in love with him.” It was spiteful, but she couldn’t help throwing his cruel words back at him. “You know how easy I am.”

  Worth winced at her words. “I shouldn’t have said that either. I’m sorry, Sin. I really, really am.”

  He moved closer and for some reason she didn’t move back. Soon, he was so close to her that their breaths mingled. He cupped her cheek, his touch raising chills over her heated flesh. “Please just forget everything I said. It was said in anger and I didn’t mean any of it. Forgive me. I swear I’ll never hurt you like that again. I swear.” His words ended on a whisper and he dipped his head lower as if to kiss her.

  She put her hand against his hard chest to hold him back. “No.”

  He frowned but didn’t move away. “Is this about the phantom man you’re in love with again?”

  “He isn’t a phan-”

  Worth crushed his mouth over hers, swallowing her words. His mouth was hot over hers and his tongue unrelenting as it swept over the seam of her lips. There was so much passion in the kiss that she found herself responding, parting her lips, moaning. She moved her hands up, wound them around his neck and her fingers sunk into the thickness of his hair.

  Ah! She’d missed him.

  Worth’s appreciative growl was almost as delicious as the taste of him. Their tongues tangled and danced while their hands roamed. His hands wandered down her body, to her ass. He pulled her closer to him so her mound was sealed against the hardness behind his pants. Moisture pooled between her thighs and her throaty moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

  When he tore his lips from hers, she almost screamed in protest.

  “There’s no one else.” Worth’s gaze was filled with dark desire as it roved her face. His arms tightened around her body possessively. “You wouldn’t kiss me like that if you had another man.”

  His words were like a splash of cold water. They sent common sense flooding through her and she quickly shoved him away from her then took a step back to give herself space to breathe, space to think. But that proved too hard to do… he was still in the room after all.

  “Can you leave?” Her voice was shaky even to her own ears.

  “Why?” Anger flashed in Worth’s eyes. “Because of that man? He doesn’t even exist.”

  “Even if he didn’t exist, I would still send you away.”

  “Why?”

  She wanted to tell him all the reasons they couldn’t work, why they couldn’t be together. She wanted to remind him of what he’d said himself; that she wasn’t his type, that he didn’t deal with women with a criminal record. But she couldn’t have that conversation now. Not when h
er lips were still tingling with the memory of him. Not when she still wanted another taste of him. Not when her body was still hot and craving contact with him. No, it was too dangerous to spend more time with him here, alone. At this rate she’d end up sleeping with him…

  “Don’t ask me why.” She licked her suddenly dry lips as her eyes met his. “Just leave. Please.”

  Though he didn’t say anything, he didn’t leave either. So she prodded. “Do you want me to open the door for you?”

  He watched her for a while then sighed in obvious frustration. “No, I’ll do it.”

  He turned on his heels and headed for the door. One second he was in the apartment with her and the next he was out. However, she didn’t even get time to sag in relief. Just seconds later, the door swung wide open again. He was back.

  Her heart jerked in alarm. “What do you want?”

  He didn’t talk but the way he was panting and the look in his eyes sent nervousness racing down her spine. It looked like he wanted to kiss her again… like he wanted to do more.

  She took an instinctive step back. “What do you want, Worth? Please leave.”

  “I’ll go. I’ll go.” He dragged in a deep breath. “But it’s not over. It can’t be over.”

  Then like a wild tornado he left again, and this time it was for real. Sin collapsed onto the bed, half-relieved and half-scared. She was relieved that he’d left before things had gotten even hotter between them, but his last words left her oddly nervous.

  What did he mean? It’s not over?

  CHAPTER 23

  Worth was disappointed that things hadn’t gone as well as he would’ve liked, but he wasn’t surprised. It would’ve been stranger if his first attempt to get Sin back had worked out. And that was why he was renting an apartment instead of staying at a hotel.

  “Are you seriously going to stay there until she comes around?” Joel asked. Even though they were chatting via the computer, it was clear that he was still at the office.

  “Yes.” Worth nodded. “It’s not like you can’t handle things there without me.”

  “Yeah, but it would be good if you were around.” The other man sighed. “Our clients always give me weird looks when I go there in your place.”

  “Well, they need to get used to it.” Worth leaned back against the couch. “If we open another office here, you’ll end up running that coast.”

  “What? You’re thinking of opening an office there? Seriously?” Surprise filled Joel’s expression then he narrowed his eyes. “Is this because of business or because of Sin?”

  “Both,” Worth confessed. “Sin might not want to move out there so I’m just looking at my options. Also, our stores on the East Coast seem to be doing quite well. It wouldn’t hurt to have another base of operations that is closer to them.”

  “Well, knock me over with a feather!” Joel laughed. “I never thought you’d be the kind of man to mix business and pleasure.”

  Worth chuckled. “Neither did I.”

  “Given that you’re even thinking of moving closer to her, I gather things went well today.”

  “No!” Worth winced. “They didn’t.”

  “What?” Joel stared at him like he’d lost his marbles. “Then what are you making plans for? What if she doesn’t take you back?”

  “She will. She will,” Worth said, but even to his own ears he sounded uncertain.

  He could still remember how Sin had shoved him away after their kiss and how she’d looked scared every time he came closer to her. The way she kept tossing their last conversation in Portland back at him left no doubt that she was still in pain, that he’d hurt her. Getting her to forgive him would be hard enough let alone convincing her to date him.

  He sighed. “I hope she will.”

  “Cheer up, man,” Joel encouraged. “All you can do is give it your best shot.”

  “I’m trying, man.” Worth dragged in a deep breath. “I’m trying.”

  The two men spent the next hour or two going over pending business. After the conversation was over, Worth took a shower, spent some time watching TV then went to bed. The next day at around ten a.m., he was back at Lani’s Café.

  Given the widening of Sin’s eyes when he walked in and how she stilled, it was obvious that she wasn’t expecting him. Instead of going to her, he settled at a table in the corner of the restaurant. Naturally, Sin didn’t come to serve him; another server did. Still, it was obvious that she was aware of him by the way she kept glancing in his direction.

  Worth ignored her glances and opened up his laptop to get some work done. Unfortunately, he couldn’t quite concentrate, not when she was so close. Like the previous day, she was wearing shorts (khaki this time) and a tank-top. On any other woman the outfit would’ve been casual, but Sin had a body that could make anything sexy. Worth couldn’t help the instant rage that rose in his belly whenever he caught a male patron eyeing her. He wanted to drag her out of the café and take her somewhere private, somewhere where only he could see, admire and touch her. But he couldn’t do that, could he? She wasn’t his. Yet.

  He pretended to be busy while keeping a covert eye on her. He knew that if he was patient, she’d eventually come to him. And she did. As expected, her curiosity won over her resistance and she marched to his table.

  “What are you doing here?” She stared down at him, her fist pressed to her hip. Even angry, she was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever met.

  “Can’t you see?” He pointed to his laptop. “I’m working.”

  “You’re working?” She folded her arms over her chest, lifting her breasts in the process and drawing his gaze there. “Can’t you do it somewhere else? Why does it have to be here?”

  He could’ve lied. He could’ve said that the café’s wi-fi connection was the fastest in the area or something else. But he didn’t. He met her eyes. “Because this is where you are.”

  His words rendered her speechless, and she stared at him in shocked silence for quite a while before she huffed. “Go home, Worth.”

  “Okay.” He smiled. “As long as you come with me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she bit out.

  “Then I’m not going home either,” he countered.

  “What!” Distress was written plainly over her honey-toned features as she glared at him. “You can’t just stay here. You have your company and everything…”

  He smiled. “You’d be surprised at the amount of work one can get done with just a laptop and a cell-phone.”

  “Go home, Worth.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “There’s no reason to stay here. I already told you that I forgive you.”

  His voice softened. “You know that’s not all what I want.”

  “Well, that’s all you’re getting,” she snapped.

  Before Worth could formulate a comeback for that, a patron called out for her. After one last glare at him, she stomped away. Worth couldn’t help the sigh that escaped his lips as he watched her bustle around. This would be even harder than he expected.

  He was watching Sin so keenly that he wasn’t aware of the lady approaching him until she plopped down on the chair opposite his.

  “Wha-” His eyes widened when he met her gaze. “You!”

  “Yes, me.” The short-haired, petite woman who’d broken into his house watched him with an uncomfortably keen gaze. “So you really came?”

  Worth folded his arms over his chest and sat back in his seat. “I really came.”

  Little Miss Intruder raised her eyebrows. “After four months? Really? It took you that long to get yourself together?”

  “I was busy,” he retorted but didn’t elaborate.

  “Too busy for Sin?” The woman clucked disapprovingly. “Man, you’re a dick.”

  “You should really stop insulting me,” he bit out. “If it wasn’t for the grenade you handed me, I would’ve been here sooner.”

  “I can do whatever I like,” the lady retorted acidly. She suddenly smiled. �
�So I hear you got rid of Claire for me? Did she cry when they were dragging her to prison? I hope she cried.”

  Worth had to laugh. “No, she didn’t cry.”

  “Well-” The woman made a face. “That’s a pity.”

  “She wasn’t happy though, and she won’t be for quite some time.” Worth watched his uninvited guest for a moment before saying, “You know you never told me your name, Sin’s friend.”

  “Ten,” the woman returned briefly.

  “Ten?” He wasn’t even surprised that her name was just as odd as she was. Chuckling, he complimented, “Interesting name.”

  Ten ignored his compliment. Instead she asked, “So what are you here for? To hurt Sin again?”

  Worth shook his head. “No, to make her happy.”

  “Hmm.” Ten watched him for quite some time before saying, “You better make her happy because if you don’t, I’ll slice your balls off.”

  Worth had to fight to keep from cupping his hands over his family jewels. By the murderous glint in the woman’s eyes, it was obvious that she meant every word. On that terrifying note, Ten stood up and left his table.

  Worth stayed at the café for an hour or so more but he had to leave early for a conference call with one of their suppliers. However, he was back early the next day, and the next day, and the next day. Why was he there? One; because he wanted to see Sin. Two; because he wanted her to see him and realize that he wasn’t going anywhere, that he was serious about them being together. Sin always met him with glares but by the third day she’d stopped asking him to leave. Progress, right?

  Though he had no problems with her working, seeing her on her feet everyday running around the café left a bad taste in his mouth. Plus not every patron who walked in was sunshine and roses. A few were proper jerks. She had to be tired. How could she not be? And hungry. It was now three p.m. and he hadn’t seen her take a lunch break.

  Worth called a waitress over. “I’d like a piece of tiramisu and some fresh juice.”

  When the waitress brought it over, Worth said, “It’s not for me.” He gestured towards Sin who was currently taking the order for a table a few feet down. “It’s for her. Tell her to eat.”