Page 14 of Loving the CEO

Chapter Four

Tory

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The B&B was absolutely lovely. Leo and I each had a huge room. Our host, Sophie, informed us that we could use the kitchen and living room as we saw fit. Her own room was at the back of the house, and we were welcome to ask her if we needed anything.

Once she went into her room, it felt as if we were completely alone. I could feel my nervous system start to calm down. The fact that I didn't even have my phone with me was helpful; otherwise, I'd be tempted to check for missed calls. I was certain I had a few more from Walter, and maybe my mom too.

Debbie was amazing, as usual. I’d only texted her,Walter is a cheating bastard. I’m not going through with the wedding. Please tell Mom too, and she’d replied,I’ll grab a shovel. Want to bury him in Lafayette?No second-guessing me, no other questions asked. I told her that the only thing I needed help with was canceling the wedding. She assured me that she would take care of everything. I trusted my friend with my life.

A knock at my door startled me. I opened it and found Leo standing in front of me. With dark brown hair and matching eyes, he’d always looked like a superstar. Right now, his hair was completely ravaged, but that only added to his appeal.

"I’m going downstairs to start making dinner. I made a deal with the host to give us privacy in the kitchen."

"Leo, you don't have to cook."

"I'm making my world-famous risotto, and I promise you that I've gotten way better at it over the years."

I smiled, memories flashing through my mind. It truly had been a staple in college.

"I liked it back then too," I assured him. “I'm going to change into something more comfortable, then come down and help, okay?" Then a realization hit me. "Your stuff is at the hotel.”

“Don't worry, I've got it covered."

"How?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "I've got my ways."

"Leo!"

"I've spoken with reception and asked them to bring my bag here. I didn't even start to unpack, so all they have to do is literally take it from the room."

"That's good. Did they tell you... anything about the wedding?"

"I didn't ask. And even if they had, I’d keep quiet."

“Leo!” I chastised, folding my arms over my chest.

He mirrored my stance, but it didn't look bad. In fact, he had a whole sexy bodyguard thing going on. Or just plain sexy.

He'd always been extremely attractive. But was he working out more now or...?

I carefully averted my gaze.What am I doing? He’s my best friend. I can’t check him out.

"I’m going to take a shower," I said. I’d completely forgotten what we were quibbling about before, too caught up in my thoughts.

"You do that. I'll be down here."

I loved showers. They were my favorite form of self-care. I could feel all my muscles relax while the water ran down my body. I was careful not to wet my hair because Sophie’s hairdryer was tiny, and it would take me hours to dry my mane. Afterward, I put on a dress. It was extremely warm inside the B&B, so I didn't even have to put on tights.

Even though my chest was heavy and my heart felt like it had simply shattered, the rest of my body was surprisingly at ease. I felt as if I'd been straining every muscle for months, and now I'd finally let loose.

Downstairs, it smelled terrific. Not quite like risotto, though. I mostly followed the scent to find the kitchen. It was in a decent-sized room behind the staircase. It had only a small kitchen table but all the appliances you could need. I realized this must be their personal kitchen.

"It smells delicious, but this is definitely not risotto."

"No, Sophie doesn’t have the right spices. She gave me an earful, too, saying that the only way to properly cook that was to make a jambalaya. I have no clue how to do that.”

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