7. Ember
Ember
I didn’t mean to end up at Logan’s restaurant, Talk of the Town. I parked in the back, not having the energy to deal with telling the hostess I was Sunshine’s cousin. It was a cool, clear day, and it wouldn’t have felt so cold, but the wind was blowing off the ocean, cutting straight to my bones.
I suffered the winters, which were mild compared to, say, Antarctica, because I loved the warm heat most of the year. I bundled into my jacket, eyeing the back door. It was a cozy brick building, with a pitched roof and brown tiles. It was simple and elegant, and I’d never had a bad dish.
No one knew I was here. I could get into my car and leave. I didn’t have any morning appointments, but I could catch up on filing. I could scope out the perfect place for the turtle pond. Snap a photo and send it in our family group chat. Maybe go check out the baby ducks at the feed store.
I rubbed the scar on my wrist out of habit. It was white and bumpy, and the only good thing about this time of year was I could wear long sleeves without feeling like I was giving up.
I’d fought long and hard to feel confident enough to wear short sleeves in public in the summer. It helped that the scars were faded enough they weren’t glaringly obvious. But the last alpha West and I dated had told me loudly that I was pretty despite my scars.
He’d meant it like a compliment, but it still felt like a slap in the face. Despite my scars. Like, thank goodness the rest of me was hot; otherwise I would have been utterly damaged.
That decided it. I headed to the back door. I was scared to meet Alejandro. My brain was blowing this way out of proportion. He would smell okay, be perfectly nice, and I would be pleasant.
That was all. It was dumb of me to worry that his scent would be as intense as Ben’s and Rian’s had been yesterday. I texted Sunshine that I was at the back entrance and waited.
A minute later, the door opened, and my cousin grinned like the sunshine she was named for. “Hey, Ember! Thanks for stopping by to help me.” She looked positively elated, like someone had told her she’d won the lottery and chocolate was now calorie-free.
I snickered. Or like she’s just gone through Julian’s heat.
“No problem.” I stepped inside.
Controlled chaos reigned.
Sunshine led me over to a small stainless steel high bar. “They got a lunch pop, but then they’ll be free.”
The kitchen was divided into two. One side was what I expected from my diet of reality TV shows about chefs: a big row of stoves, burners, and an oven behind a long stainless steel counter where chefs put food up into the window for servers to carry out.
Perpendicular to that was a smaller kitchen. There were stoves, burners, a fridge, and a long counter space, and right in front of that were three stools. Almost like a small diner.
“This is where Logan experiments without getting in Alejandro’s way.” Sunshine gestured for me to take a seat. Sunshine had a notepad at her place setting and a glass of soda.
I scanned the other side of the kitchen.
I recognized Logan, his brown hair mostly covered, his white chef hat making him look more serious than usual.
Three other chefs worked in the kitchen, and all wearing black-and-white-checkered pants that looked like pajama bottoms, and white chef jackets with their hair tamed in some sort of handkerchief or bandanna.
I scanned their faces and locked eyes with one of them. He was the most handsome of the bunch. His skin was light brown, and a couple of pieces of curly black hair escaped his bandanna. He was sweaty but it looked good on him, and he had warm brown eyes and dimples.
I stifled a traitorous whimper, feeling hot and then cold.
We only made eye contact for a second before he had to turn back to the stove to flip or smash or caress a meat patty.
I didn’t know; I wasn’t a chef. He was doing chef things.
But that moment was long enough to send shivers down my arms. I couldn’t scent him at all, not with this many people and food smells, but that didn’t stop me from trying to.
Sunshine got me a glass of soda and talked about the menu. I nodded, smiled, and added comments about chocolate cake and more milkshake options, but I was only halfway paying attention.
Sunshine took pity on me and kept the conversation light. She was a good cousin.
The orders slowed down too soon, and I still had no idea if I was supposed to go talk to the sexy alpha or if I’d be bothering him.
Logan approached Sunshine and gave her a kiss on the mouth. They looked at each other like they were the entire world, and my heart lurched.
I had that with West, I reminded myself. He was the center of my universe. I was a greedy omega, to want more people to love me like that.
Logan nodded. “Thanks for coming by.”
“No problem.” I smiled, trying very hard not to glance over at the stoves. “I love food, so helping seemed like a good plan.”
“I should introduce you,” Logan said gruffly. “Come here, Alejandro.”
My mouth went dry, and I tried to smile. The sexy alpha came around the side of the kitchen, looking amused. “Yes, chef?”
He sounded slightly sarcastic, like he was poking fun at himself and Logan.
“This is Ember, Sunshine’s cousin. Ember, this is Alejandro. Thanks for giving him an excuse to play with food again.”
Bless Logan, that was my in. “Anytime.” I looked at Alejandro. “I’m happy to help whenever you need someone to deal with the leftovers.”
He was somehow sexier closer up, and I caught a whiff of his scent, something tropical and fruity, like a pineapple and a strawberry had a love child, with undertones of palm leaves.
I wanted to lick him, get his scent all the way into my mouth. It was as dirty as it sounded, but also an impulse to know more.
“Of course, mi vida.” He winked, and I swore my panties caught on fire. Someone needed to stick his face on Sexy Alpha Monthly; we’d make a killing. “I live to serve.”
All coherent thoughts left my brain. I was ready to blame my red cheeks on the heat in the kitchen, but if I didn’t get my libido under control, the entire kitchen would smell like my perfume.
“Are you hungry?” He gestured at the stove. “I haven’t started your lunch yet. I asked Sunshine what food you liked, but she said you weren’t picky.”
“With food?” I shook my head. “Not at all.”
“You must have favorites?” he asked, charm oozing from every pore. More questions in that tone and I’d give him my social security number, my security code to the cottage, and my bank account.
“Uhhh…” My brain went blank. “That pork katsu thing you did was amazing. I love chocolate in all forms. Those chicken enchiladas really hit the spot. And thanks for the extra meal for West.”
He put his hand on his chest like he was wounded. “It hurt me so badly to hear that your omega partner was forced to have leftovers. If I’d known sooner, I would have sent you more.”
I took a long drink from my Coke, needing time to think. “You don’t have to do it at all.”
I waited; this would be the perfect opening for him to ask me on a date. For my number. To cash in on all the goodwill he generated from cooking for me and West for six months. I wasn’t sure what my answer would be.
“Of course not.” He tsked. “You want to watch?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said, my voice dropping to a purr. “I love watching.” West would go nuts for his scent; I just knew it.
The alpha winked and headed back over to the station. I went around to the other side, keeping the countertop between us.
“You’re allowed by the stove, if you want?” He paused, like he was reassuring me he wouldn’t accidentally set me on fire.
I almost kept going for the countertop. It would have been easier to have more space between us.
But I could stand the heat. Plenty of the chefs bustled around, pretending not to listen to us flirt, so we had chaperones.
I wouldn’t be able to jump him with so many people around.
Probably.