Chapter 38
Gemma
I scrunch my shoulders as if that can make me invisible, but it obviously can’t, so I turn around to face James.
He beams at me and walks forward. “Hey! I can’t believe it’s you! The mystery menu consultant.”
“Yup…it’s me,” I say with fake cheer.
“You’re the perfect person to run into. You had the uncanniest knack for knowing what the Alpha would like. Come into the kitchen with me and try my newest dessert.”
I can’t think of an easy way out, so I just follow him.
Besides, Cassian isn’t here. And who says no to free dessert?
The dessert turns out to be small lemon tarts swirled with raspberry curd. They’re divine.
“He’s going to love these,” I say. And I mean it. Cassian loves lemon and raspberry.
“So, what happened to you?” James asks as he leans on the counter and we both lick our forks. “I tried to figure out your
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Chapter 38
contact information, but you vanished in a puff of smoke.
“Oh,” I say, my brain scrambling for ideas. “I…was hired through one of the Blackwell’s companies. But…um…”
I remember what I told coworkers on the warehouse floor the day the flight was sabotaged, and the story is as good as any. “My husband died,” I say. “I needed some time.”
James’s brows furrow in concern and sympathy. “I’m so sorry.”
Some of the wait staff came into the kitchen, and I also recognize
them.
“It’s Gemma!” says a waitress. “We were wondering whatever happened to you.”
“Her husband passed,” James says. It sounded so somber in his lovely English accent.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! When did that happen?”
“Are you looking for a job again?” asks another server. “I love all the stuff you put on the menu.”
Another server shushes that one. “Her husband is dead! Now’s not the time to ask about that!”
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“Don’t worry,” I say quickly, jumping to take control of the story again. “He cheated on me and then died when he got drunk and drove his car right off a bridge. No tears over here. Just shock.”
Everyone looks at me completely stunned. But working in a
restaurant that served as a front for an underground supernatural
casino, they’ve definitely heard crazier things.
“Well damn,” James says. “Good riddance, then.”
“Yeah,” I laugh nervously. Since the story is all lies anyway, I
decide it won’t hurt to embellish a little more. “He was terrible in bed, anyway. Really, truly useless.”
“Is that so?” asks a deep, cool voice from behind me.
My stomach drops, and I turn.
I could scream in frustration.
Why is Cassian everywhere I go?!
*****
Cassian
Anger licks like fire through my blood.
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First of all, I’m starting to think my wife is stalking me. She’s everywhere I go.
Second, apparently I’m a cheater who’s bad in bed and died by driving drunk off a bridge…
And she’s shed no tears over me.
“Cas–I mean, Alpha Blackwell,” Gemma stammers. Her cheeks are a deep rose color, and damn if the color doesn’t make her
even more beautiful.
“What are you doing here?” she asks.
“This is my establishment,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
James and the wait staff hear my tone and immediately clear out
of the kitchen.
Before he goes, James pulls a tray of steaming shepherd’s pies out of the oven. My mouth waters at the scent.
He suddenly started making those pies as part of the regular menu two years ago, and I’m addicted to them.
Gemma takes a step back from me. Her back presses ainst the clean, white kitchen counter.
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“Zina needed me to meet one of her clients since she couldn’t. I didn’t know they wanted to meet here, or I would have switched the venue.”
I grunt. “You work for Zina now?”
She lifts her chin. It shows off the lines of her jaw and neck, and my eyes travel down to the luscious curve of her breasts.
Zephyr growls in pleasure at the sight. Mate, he growls.
My throat is suddenly dry and I’m getting hard just from seeing
her.
I’ve only had her once, and I’ve been wanting her too damn long to fight it like I should.
I take a step toward her. She’s already backed up as far as she can. Zephyr is egging me on, telling me to get closer. Just a touch. Just a taste.
I miss her.
I don’t know if the thought is me, the wolf, or both.
I shouldn’t be doing this right now. There are men wai J for me downstairs. Dangerous men who claim to have information about who might be trying to kill me.
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19 19 min left
But as I close in on Gemma and trap her against the counter with
my hands on either side of her, I decide they can wait.
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Chapter 39
