21. Alessandra
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
alessandra
Next year’s resolution: don’t allow attractive chefs to lure you to parties.
Booth wasn’t kidding.
The whole town is here.
With the tables pushed aside, people laugh, dance, and drink around the restaurant floor.
A makeshift DJ booth sits in the corner, blasting ’90s music as the lights from a small strobe burst over the dance floor.
I’m used to fancy galas, so when I slipped on my little black dress, I didn’t stop to think the attendees at Our Place’s New Year’s Eve party would be in jeans and sweaters.
Standing at the entrance, the room’s attention is on me.
Marvelous.
Midnight is an hour away.
After video calling with my parents and brothers, I picked up my paintbrush, only to stare at the canvas blankly again.
Nothing . I gave up and rushed to get ready and hightailed it over here, not wanting people to assume I was going to be a no-show.
That would not work in my favor, especially as I slowly gain the trust of my employees.
Ignoring the peculiar stares, I head over to the bar, desperate for a drink, and find Johanna prepping what looks to be a Tom Collins .
Since Christmas Day , her smiles are more relaxed, genuine.
The same for Patrick , who waves at me from the other side of the bar.
“Aly, hey,” she shouts over “ Wannabe ” by the Spice Girls .
“ What’s your poison?”
I nod at the drink in her hand.
“ I’ll take one of those, please.”
She slides the glass toward me.
“ Take this one. It’s Booth’s but he’s disappeared…” She scans the room before her eyes flare in amusement.
“ Never mind. Found him.”
Following her gaze, it shouldn’t surprise me what I see.
Jazz hands, floppy chocolate hair, and an ear-to-ear grin.
He’d look ridiculous if it weren’t for the shirt molded to his chest and arms, the sleeves rolled up to display corded, bronzed skin.
A sheen of sweat covers his skin, making him glow under the flashing lights.
Any other man, the gyrating of his hips and lip-syncing, would give me the ick, but of course, Booth does the complete opposite.
“Are you joining them?” Johanna’s question has me pausing.
Them. Which is when I see Harriet beside him, matching his moves as he serenades her passionately.
Shaking my head, I snatch up my drink.
“ I’d hate to interrupt them.”
Jo’s eyes flit between me and the dance partners.
“ It’s not what it looks like,” she says as Booth grabs Harriet by the hip and dips her.
“It can look however it wants. Why would I care?” Hopefully , she can’t hear the tightness in my voice over the bass.
Shrugging, she finishes pouring a beer and passes it to another patron.
“ I think he’d care if he was standing where you are. They’re just friends. Trust me. ”
“With a history?” Now I sound like I care.
Before I left the Sadler household, I spotted a wall filled with prom photos.
Front and center sat Booth and Harriet , looking cozy.
“You could say that.” She contemplates her next words before saying, “ I’m going to pretend you’re not my boss for a second. We all saw the chemistry between you two at Christmas . Booth isn’t one to chase, yet somehow…”
My nose wrinkles.
“ Somehow …?”
She bites her lip.
“ His eyes follow wherever you go. I swear he looks for you in the mornings when he comes into the restaurant.”
I take a large gulp of my drink.
“ Let’s pretend this conversation never happened?”
Laughing lightly, she nods.
“ Deal .”
Pulling out a twenty, I slap it on the bar but she slides it back.
“ I’m not charging the boss.”
“You mean Scary Boss Lady ?”
Her cheeks turn scarlet under the fluorescent lights.
“ That child is a menace.”
I wave her off.
“ If she ever wants to work for me, let me know.”
She laughs.
“ You’ll regret that during her first week.”
We chat until a crowd forms around the bar, and I leave her to it.
While scanning the room, I touch up my lipstick, admiring how the ruby red matches my nails.
Spotting a quiet corner, I make my way over but come to a halt when I spy Martin .
Yeah , not tonight. Turning in the opposite direction, I scan the room and find Graham , Quinn , Dex , and Florence .
Accepting it’s my safest bet, I join the group.
Their welcome is a huge contrast to a few weeks ago, and I relax as I fall into their conversation easily.
“Have you decided how long you’re in town for?” Quinn asks.
Fighting the urge to glance in Martin’s direction, I shake my head.
“ I have a few more things to do first, but probably at the end of January .”
“Are we privy to these things ?” Graham , while quiet, is direct and transparent.
I’m choosing my words carefully when Florence’s cheerful voice saves the day.
“ Oh , but if you leave before then you’ll miss the Valentine’s Fair !”
“Is there a month this town doesn’t host a fair?” My question has everyone laughing.
It wasn’t a joke.
Dex leans down, a smirk playing on his lips.
“ So … How was your stay at The Nook ?”
I suck my teeth.
“ It would have been five stars had I not had an infestation.”
He barks with laughter.
“ That’s one way to describe him. But seriously, I’m happy to fully comp your stay. I swear I didn’t realize The Nook was live on my online booking system. Probably a sign I need to hire some help.”
“Not necessary.” I clink my glass with his.
“ It’s a beautiful place. Have you ever considered expan?—”
“No business tonight, Silver . Just pleasure,” a voice purrs behind me, sending a shockwave of goose bumps along my spine.
Despite my thumping heart, heated veins, and coiling stomach, I don’t show how he affects me.
“Welcome to the party, Baby Spice .” With a look over my shoulder, I slowly sip my drink.
“Did you call me baby?” His chest brushes my shoulder as he joins the circle, our hands inches apart.
“Of course that’s your takeaway.”
Cheeks flushed, and messy locks flopping over his eyes, he flips his head back and swipes a hand through his hair.
A move I didn’t know could be sexy.
Out of nowhere, another tall frame crowds me, and I look up to find the restaurant’s line cook leering down at me.
A strong aroma of liquor hits me when he opens his mouth.
“ Fancy seeing you here.”
I’m usually good with names, but his escapes me.
“At the party being hosted at the business I own?” I respond with a pinch of sarcasm that goes right over his head.
“Do you really own it if you bought it with Daddy’s money?” He chuckles.
No one else joins him.
I pull back my shoulders.
“ My money.”
Something in my tone draws Booth’s attention away from the conversation he’s having with his brother, and he frowns at us.
“ Kyle , you all right?”
Kyle.
That’s it.
“All good, Chef . I’m about to buy Alessandra here a drink. C’mon , baby, it’s on me.” He wraps his sweaty hand around my wrist and goes to tug me away.
The word baby makes me nauseous.
I glare at where he grips me.
Booth spots my discomfort and steps forward.
“ Easy . You’ve had enough to drink. Let go of her, Kyle .”
“Psht, I know when enough is enough.” He peers down at me and licks his lips.
“ I know somewhere quiet. I saw you looking at me the other day.”
Booth closes the distance between him and his line chef, but before he has a chance to react, I’m pressing the heel of my pump on Kyle’s foot until he hisses.
“If you don’t drop your hand, I’ll make it impossible for you to find employment across the whole of New England .” My voice is even, gaze steady as my words sink into his thick skull.
When he doesn’t budge, I lean my weight forward, and his teeth grit.
“Five. Four . Three .”
He stumbles back, ticking in anger as he grips his glass tight.
His mouth drops open, probably ready to throw a slew of insults my way, but Dex steps in and calmly drags Kyle toward the front door.
I let out a breath and rub at my tender wrist.
“Are you okay?” Booth whispers as he cradles my arm gently and inspects the skin.
“ I’m going to fucking ki?—”
“No, you’re not. No business tonight, remember? Let him cool off and give him a warning on his next shift.”
“Aly, he put his hands on you,” he seethes.
“And I’ll add him to the long list of boys intimidated by women in high positions. Nothing I haven’t handled before.” I flip my hand over and squeeze his forearm.
“ But thank you.”
He relaxes under my touch and shuffles forward until his hip presses into me.
“ You really are scary. Is it weird I like it?”
“Yes. You’re very weird. Especially after watching your choreographed dance routine.” I collect my hair into one hand and lay it over my shoulder.
Booth’s eyes flare, and I feel the trickle of heat as his gaze traces along my collarbone, over my breasts, then lower.
Like a line of powdered dynamite being lit, a spark ignites, the fire flowing straight to my core.
The restaurant opened up two days after Christmas , and things between us have shifted considerably.
We still enjoy giving each other a hard time, but rather than him storming off or me losing my patience, there’s a playfulness to it.
Each snarky comment or ridiculous joke shared is laced with temptation.
It’s a game of who will break first.
And I refuse to bend.
Ever since he declared we wouldn’t kiss unless I begged, I’ve had to dial up my willpower.
Every fleeting look and chaste brush of our hands is a dare.
There’s a hunger in his gaze.
He’s pushing me. Waiting for me to snap.
Rather than bow to the deep-seated desire brewing in my veins, I step back.
“Oh! Everyone !” Quinn shouts and bounces on her toes.
“ Midnight strikes in two minutes. Grab your partners.” She’s so overcome with excitement, cozying into Graham , that she isn’t aware they’re the only couple present.
She spots Dex and Florence’s rigid postures and giggles.
“ Hey , I didn’t say you had to kiss.” Then her eyes slide to me and Booth .
“ Or do.”
My protest dies on the tip of my tongue when Harriet bounds over and loops her arm through Booth’s .
“I’ve asked the DJ to play B *witched next,” she says breathlessly.
To his credit, he takes a few seconds to break our staring contest, but when he looks down at his “friend,” a smile erupts on his face.
“ Sounds good, Harry .”
There’s that stupid pinprick in my chest again.
A silly, na?ve sensation that shouldn’t exist between me and him.
Which is why when the crowd starts to countdown, I knock back my drink and face the dance floor.
Preferring to look anywhere else but at them.
Ten. Nine . Eight .
A large hand grazes my waist as I keep my eyes trained on the partygoers.
Seven. Six .
“Alessandra.” A deep voice tickles my ear.
“ Look at me.”
Five.
Four .
“That’s not a good idea.” At my refusal, the heat of his body disappears.
And so do I .
I blame the alcohol for my tantrum as my heels clack against the parquet floor on my journey to the kitchen.
When the door stops swinging, I grip the edge of the stainless steel table, head pounding as the cheers from outside vibrate in my skull.
Dumb. Dumb . Dumb .
This man is killing off my brain cells.
Never, and I mean never, have I reacted this way over someone.
Had I turned around and witnessed him pressing his lips to Harriet’s , I would have blown a gasket.
Which is why I need to go.
Now .
I’m about to unlock the fire exit when the door hinges creak behind me.
The music gets louder, and then muffles as the door swings shut.
There’s no need to check who it is.
“ Go back to the party.”
“No,” Booth responds immediately, voice tense.
“No?” I laugh, and hang my head in exasperation, my back to him.
“ I’m sure Harriet is looking for you. Don’t make her wait.”
His returning chuckle is humorless.
“ You’re unbelievable.”
“I beg your pardon?” I whip my head over my shoulder.
“You heard me.” He takes one long stride forward, hand running along the shiny worktops.
“ Jealously is a new look for you, huh? How does it feel?”
“You’re deluded.” I bristle.
Facing him fully, I ignore his smug expression.
“ I’m in no mood, Booth .”
Another step.
“What are you going to do, fire me? Tried that once, and you went back on your word so fast, I got motion sickness.”
My hands twitch with the need to wipe that smile off his face.
“You’re pushing your luck. Now get out of my way.” My anger simmers below the surface.
He holds his hands out to the side.
“ I’m not stopping you. You’re free to go. But answer me this first.”
Slowly, he eats up the space between us, until the tips of my Manolos brush his boots.
“Spit it out.” I hate that he sees right through me.
It makes me feel weak.
Predictable . Out of control.
“If I’d kissed you at midnight, what would you have done?”
Spontaneously combusted.
Melted into his embrace.
Never wanted it to stop .
“I wouldn’t have let it go that far,” I lie.
His lips turn down and head cocks to the side.
“ Liar .”
“Imbecile.”
“Beg me.”
“Bite me.”
“Only if you ask nicely.”
The insults bounce back and forth, each pass filling the room with an electric energy.
Worried my next words will push us past the brink of no return, I snap my mouth shut.
Averting my gaze, I lock eyes with the kitchen door and march past him.
I’m a foot away from freedom when strong hands encompass my waist and pull me flush to a firm chest.
I feel every hard plane of his body.
The beating of his heart pulses all the way down to my toes.
A little fight leaves me when he arranges my hair in his fist to coast his lips down the side of my throat.
“You want me to beg, is that it? Say the word and I’ll drop to my knees right here.” When his teeth skim my wild pulse, my legs threaten to buckle.
“ I know what I want, Alessandra , and it’s you. I’ll take anything. Once , twice, a hundred times—whatever you’ll give me. Deny it all you want, but knowing an ounce of you was jealous is a high I can’t come down from.”
My hips push back, all sense lost when his cock nestles against my ass.
Hissing , he buries his face in my neck, hands skimming up my rib cage until his thumbs brush the underside of my breasts.
“Should I have reason to be jealous?” The remaining rational part of my brain asks.
“If you had asked, you would know Harry is one of my best friends. We dated in high school, swapped virginities, and that was it. Nothing close to romantic since we were seventeen.” His candor is obvious, and I flush at my overreaction .
“I don’t know what I have to give or how much I want to. It’s difficult for me, Booth , and I’m not here permanently?—”
“When I say anything, I mean anything . You give me a minute; I’ll cherish it like a lifetime.” He sighs when I thrust my chest out, filling his hands with my supple flesh.
My decision sits on the tip of a pendulum.
Swaying left to right.
One side is sensible, not leading me astray.
The other has a fever erupting through me with an unquenchable thirst.
A taste.
A sip. That’s all I need.
“Tonight. One night.”
The words are barely out of my mouth before I’m spinning around, dizzy from the rapid movement, but no comparison to the head rush when Booth smashes his mouth to mine.
There’s no getting acquainted.
It’s all lips, tongue, and teeth as we unite ferociously.
Clawing at one another.
He pushes. I pull. He bites.
I suck. The taste of him floods my senses, overwhelming me.
I gasp when he pushes me against the table, the sharp edge biting into my back as his hips pin me in place.
A desperate noise leaves me when he breaks the kiss, only for his lips to lead a hot trail along my jaw and down my neck, mumbling words of satisfaction into my sensitive skin.
“You feel exactly like I knew you would.”
Arching into the warm hand gliding up my spine, my eyes flutter closed.
“ And what’s that?”
“Like the cause and cure of all my torment.” My eyes ping open when he fists my curls and presses our foreheads together.
“ I’ll take your one night, Aly . But don’t be surprised when you come pleading for more.”
I shove him away, then tug him back.
A perfect summary of our relationship.
“ You’re so full of yourself.”
“And you fucking love it.” His grin is short-lived before his lips are on mine again, hands cupping the backs of my thighs to hoist me up on the cool metal surface.
His hips settle between my spread legs, and my short dress rides up.
I bite back a groan when his thick cock, hidden only by his jeans, presses against my core.
He’s in full control of this kiss.
Molding and moving me to his will.
His fervent touch softens me, until I’m pliant in his hands, but I’m as power hungry as he is.
Shock colors his face when he stumbles back.
The pointed toe of my heel rests on his sternum.
My other leg dangles off the table, hands planted behind me.
“Take them off,” I command.
His eyes glitter when they drop to my red silk thong.
One large finger travels from my knee to ankle.
That playful, crooked smile is on full display as his gaze rises.
“ Red panties. Red nails. Red lips. Which will look prettier wrapped around my cock?”
“Only one way to find out.” I widen my legs.
“ Now , be a good boy and do as you’re told.”
He chuckles darkly.
Gripping my ankle, he lowers my leg, giving him the space to step closer.
The thumping music is no match for my rampant heart when he slips his hands underneath my bottom and drags my thong down my thighs.
All dominance dissolves when he balls the material in his fist and brings it to his face to inhale deeply.
“Fuck, if you don’t smell divine. I’m dying for a taste.” His gravelly voice vibrates over me.
“ Would you like that? Me tongue fucking your tight cunt?”
I’m completely bared to him, the cool air from the overhead fans kissing the wet, heated flesh between my legs.
He tilts his head, admiring my aching pussy with his lip trapped between his teeth.
“But I can’t do it here.” He shakes his head in disappointment.
“Not up for the challenge,” I rally .
Growling, he holds up my panties.
“ Don’t make me gag you with these. I am very much up for this, however, I take food hygiene seriously.”
He scans the kitchen as if it’s his most prized possession.
It’s a fair point.
“So where are we going?” Disentangling myself from his grasp, I drop to the floor and adjust my dress.
“ There are cameras in every room.”
Booth thinks carefully for a beat, and then satisfaction blooms over his face.
“ Trust me?”
“No.” It’s a half truth.
He intertwines our fingers and guides us toward the door.
Glancing over his shoulder, he says, “ We’ll work on that.”
The blaring music drowns out my argument as we step back into the throng of people.
We don’t have time to gain each other’s trust, is what I want to say.
It takes a minute to maneuver our way through the bodies, and when we reach a door, a set of keys materializes in Booth’s hands.
I don’t have time to ask what we’re doing before I’m pushed inside a darkened supply closet, and the snick of the lock echoes in my ears.
My pleasure might as well have been lying dormant until this very second.
Years of being sexually active are nothing compared to the heat that’s coiling deep in my veins as Booth’s eyes assault me.
There’s no joking. No coy smirk.
His features darken—not from the lack of light, but carnal desire.
“Now be a good girl for me. Face the shelf and bend over.” He tucks my panties into his shirt pocket.
“ I want your ass on display as I fuck you into forgetting all about that little black toy of yours.”