Page 59 of Broken Boss

“Oh, please. After a Friday at the office, I’m sure I look a mess.”

Chris shakes his head, his eyes sliding down my body. “Really, Autumn. You look great. I’m going to be the envy of every guy out there.”

He pulls open the door and that flutter is back. Oh, no. I’m in deep—deeper than I thought.

“Come on. I want to give you the kind of night out you deserve.”

The restaurant is beautiful, simple, and small, with ornate carvings in the wood and dim lighting. Deep forest greens are matched with pinks, a color palette that works surprisingly well.

Bittersweet Roux.

“Wait, isn’t this place relatively hard to get into?”

Chris looks over his shoulder at me, a sparkle in his dark eyes. “It is. But I know a guy.”

“A guy, hmm?”

The velvety voice makes him startle as a woman leans around him. She’s beautiful—tall and glowing, as if she’s drawing all the light in the room to herself. She smiles widely and holds out a hand.

“Hi, I’m Gen. Are you Chris’s…date?” The wicked grin she gives him actually brings a blush to his cheeks and I chuckle.

“Gen, reel it in. I don’t want to scare her off already.”

“Mmm, I can see why. How did you get a woman like this to come out with you?”

They’re teasing each other, but for a moment it’s like I don’t exist as she leans in and gives him an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek, arms wrapped around his waist.

A twist of jealousy shudders up my body, causing a blush to bloom on my chest. Is she one of those women he took out, was on the cover of a magazine, spent a night with? She certainly seems happy enough to see him.

“Your table is in the back corner. Figured you’d want a little privacy, even though you wouldn’t tell any of us who you were bringing for dinner.” She gives him another saucy look, a nudge of her hip, and sways her way back toward the kitchen. The white coat she’s wearing clicks understanding into place.

“Is she the chef?”

“And owner.” Chris looks annoyed, amused, and a little worried. He turns me deftly, lifting my coat off and handing it to the hostess. “Ready?”

His hand is warm, fingertips caressing as they ghost over my palm. He leads me to the back of the restaurant, where it’s quieter and more fragrant with spices. A few curious eyes are on us. Anyone he knows?

What did she mean, he wouldn’t tell them who he was bringing?

“So…how well do you know her?”

There’s ice to the words that I didn’t intend. Chris catches it, too, and hesitates, his eyes meeting mine over the table.

“Gen is my brother’s wife. They’re the ones with the two daughters. Eva and Roux.”

Oh, God. It’s like a slap in the face—Roux. Bittersweet Roux, like the restaurant.

Before I can apologize or make any more of an ass out of myself, a waitress shows up and offers us menus. She lists off the specials and takes our drink orders. I stick with prosecco, my first and last of the evening. The last thing I need is to make more of an idiot of myself with the help of a good buzz.

As we wait, Chris slowly spins his glass of whiskey, peering at me with those dark eyes.

“Autumn, I want to apologize. I was out of line at Fishkill.”

It’s direct, sincere, and I can’t look away from him. It’s like I’m pinned in place, breath caught.

I believe him.

“I…I appreciate that, Chris, but to be honest, I really don’t want to talk about it.”

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