CHAPTER ONE #2
Priya stood frozen in her stance. Her knees locked as she tried to will them to move.
She did not know that she’d be walking into Hell’s Kitchen with the Devil reincarnate as her boss, but Priya did get a few things as she was willing her feet to think for themselves.
First, she had to force her legs to walk fast because he was already halfway across the kitchen in two strides.
Two, she would not give this heathen the satisfaction of watching her burn under the collar.
And three, paying for the roof over her head depended on her compromising with this Lucifer.
Daddy always taught her about signing her soul away.
But clearly, Daddy never met the Boss that could accomplish that just by signing her paychecks.
Somehow, somehow, she could put one shaking foot in front of the other and make it to his office.
“Shut the door.” He motioned to her as she stepped through it.
He locked on her eyes, but as soon as she sat down in the empty seat opposite him, his eyes went south.
Priya frowned at the gesture. Sure, she stooped to a new level of stupid with getting hired, but that didn’t mean she had to take his ogling daily at work.
He should be more of a professional gentleman, but clearly—he didn’t get the memo.
“So, Ms. Perky, let’s talk about the specials for today.” He said with a smile, eyes still locked on her chest.
Priya bent down slightly in her chair to meet his gaze and waved a hand in front of his eyes.
“Hi. First off, my eyes are north of where you are looking. Second, it’s Priya—not perky.” She said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
It didn’t do much to cover up her enormous triple-D cups, but she certainly didn’t want to get the attention she had been in his office for the last few minutes.
He chuckled.
“Whatever you say, Ms. Perky.”
Priya let out a huff.
Braden cleared his throat and lowered his gaze to the floor before continuing.
“Sorry, Ms. Priya. So, let’s get down to business and pick from these four for today’s and tomorrow’s specials.
I was thinking either quail stuffed with fresh figs and prosciutto or quail in rose petal sauce for the first choice and for the second either smoky citrus butter-baked redfish or mustard-maple roasted salmon.
” He said as he spread some notes onto the desk in front of her.
His fingertips brushed her hand slightly as she reached for one page of notes and an electric heat surged through the tips of her fingers that traveled right down to her core.
There was no denying that Braden was attractive with his luscious dark and wavy locks and chestnut brown eyes.
His solid forearms and citrus, musky scent drove her to the point of insanity too.
But no amount of crazy would be worth an attraction to the foul-mouthed buffoon.
She shook her head in protest of her body’s reaction and crossed her legs to stop her libido from singing any amount of praise to the gorgeous god before her. He was her employer, and that was that.
“Well, my specialty is Italian and Southern foods. I’d love to work with the prosciutto and fig recipe because it sounds fun and flavorful.
As far as the fish goes—wild salmon is in season now through August, so we should take advantage of the mustard-maple recipe.
Even the maple syrup will be delicious now because it is also in season.
The redfish recipe sounds mouth-watering, but I’d wait till August for that one.
Perhaps we can do smoked citrus for a salmon dish for tomorrow instead? ”
Braden smiled from ear to ear. “Apparently, I was right about you being sharp. I threw in the red herring—or in this case—the redfish to see if you knew what was seasonal. I’ve always found fish should be in season for a perfect meal because it just tastes better.
” His eyes met hers for the first time since they walked into his office, and she could see they were twinkling with delight as he talked about food.
It was the first time he appeared human instead of a horny bastard.
“I know we talked briefly in the interview, but I never got to ask what your favorite dish is to prepare.”
He was clearly searching, and Priya was tongue-tied.
No man should look that gorgeous! It should be a crime against humanity.
Of course, his potty mouth left much to be desired, and she focused on that to get the wheels in her brain to move.
Still, what could she possibly say to impress this famous chef?
“Well, in all honesty, it would have to be manicotti.” She blurted out the statement almost without thinking it over.
She drew out her pronunciation of manicotti in an Italian/New York/Southern drawl.
“My grandma made them from scratch every Thanksgiving, and I make them on special occasions in her memory. I do the same with lasagna, too—even though she didn’t make that as much. ”
His eyes brightened again. He got up from behind his desk and reached out to cup Priya’s cheeks.
Priya shot up from her chair. Sure, she thought the guy was a hornball, but she never thought he’d touch her this brazenly in his own office, at which any point someone could enter.
They were nearly a breath apart, and Priya sucked in as much air as she dared through her slightly parted lips.
He couldn’t know he had this effect on her because she wouldn’t allow it.
“Priya, I didn’t care about the dish you’d tell me.
All I cared about was the passion behind it.
I knew my gut was right about hiring you.
” He said while he pressed his lips on both of her cheeks and made a soft smacking sound.
They were so buttery smooth, and she barely realized he was kissing her until he met her gaze again.
She tried to recoup her look of horror, but she wasn’t doing very well in hiding it.
“Sorry! I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable.
It’s just that you remind me of my family.
They were all chefs and all from Europe.
I’m sure you know it’s customary to greet each other by kissing cheeks. ”
“Really? You didn’t care about the dish?
” She found her hands cupping both of his that still cradled her face.
She blinked a second longer than she needed to as Priya moved into his touch, but only slightly before she corrected herself.
He’s your boss, Priya! Stop panting over him!
“And no, the European greeting isn’t uncomfortable for me.
I’m literally second-gen off of the boat.
My grandparents were the first to arrive here off Ellis Island.
After growing up in my family and spending a summer abroad, I’m used to the warm welcome in Italy and Spain.
My dad’s side has been here far longer. He’s from India originally.
” Her eyes widened at her own realization of surprise and shock intermixing her feelings at his gesture.
She didn’t want such closeness with the man because of who he was, yet her body hummed the instant he touched her.
“Yes, my family is mostly from Europe and mostly Italy, though I have some India descent in my family tree on his side, too.” He said as he lowered his hands and placed them in the pockets of his skin-tight black jeans.
God, how she wished to be those hands touching his skin through that thin layer of fabric on his thighs. Priya! Don’t, girl! It’s barely an hour into your first day!
“Sounds nice. Mine were mostly from Italy, too.”
“I wish I could have them here for the holidays. Unfortunately, they are all deceased.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s always hard when our loved ones have passed.
I’ve had my fair share of family members dying these past few years, too.
There aren’t that many of mine left either.
I’ve got some cousins on my grandfather’s brother’s side, and that’s the side from India. But that’s about it.”
“Yes, and sadly, you can’t do anything except live on without them.”
“True.” Priya lowered her gaze.
Not knowing what more to say, she quickly changed the subject. This was the first time she met and connected with her boss, and she’d be damned if she screwed this up. She had to get him to like her; talking about dead relatives would not cut it.
“So, have we decided on quail stuffed with prosciutto and figs?”
“I think so. Come back to the kitchen, and I’ll show you how I make and plate it.” He said as he patted her shoulder and smiled.
Another wave of energy surged through her body as his hand patted her shoulder, and she swore her stomach did a backflip.
They both worked in relative silence in large part in the now all too massive kitchen for the first few minutes as they diced up some onions and garlic.
To Priya’s surprise, it was an extremely comfortable quiet between them.
Usually, when getting to know a coworker, she’d fill the time with idle chat, but this time was different.
She didn’t feel a need for it. He didn’t swear up a firestorm as he had earlier in the morning, which was a welcome relief.
But he didn’t talk all that much either.
However, he did tower over her shoulder as she seasoned the quail with salt and pepper on her cutlery board.
She wasn’t one to use more than the pinch her ancestors told her to use.
Sure, some of them would argue as she grabbed the seasoning between her fingers.
But in the end, they all seemed to celebrate once she gingerly salted and peppered her meal.
A rush of heat shot through her as he gently tapped her on her forearm.
“Very good. Now rub the meat with this herbal poultry mix and butter like this.” The tone was as soft as the touch of his hands over hers.
“Make sure you get every curve—I mean cranny. Rub every part of that thing, so it browns well.”