Page 134 of Love or Tequila in Unexpected Places

The word slipped out before she could stop it, and she immediately regretted it. Enchanted was not the right word. Not after what had happened in the kitchen before that meal. The Kitchen Sexcapades™flashed across her mind, along with the more recent Restaurant Sexcapades™.

She felt a heat rush through her body as vivid flashbacks took over. The memory of being pinned to the kitchen counter, of Angelo’s hands, his mouth, the way he—

Angelo cleared his throat, snapping her back to the present. Allison blinked, her thighs clenching under the table as she tried desperately to refocus on her pasta.

This wasnotthe time.

She stole a glance to her left and found Katerina glaring daggers at Johnathan. If looks could kill, her brother would’ve been six feet under. It was clear Katerina harbored a deep-seated grudge against him, and the tension between the two was so thick it could’ve been served as a side dish.

Allison didn’t entirely understand what had gone down between them, but she knew how stubborn Johnathan could be. Hard-headed, like every other Lockwood. She just hoped whatever drama was brewing here would settle before someone lost an eye. Or worse.

“Mamátaught us both to cook,” Katerina spoke up, finally breaking her icy silence, though her voice softened at the mention of her mother. “She said a Greek should always know their way around food.”

Katerina’s hazel eyes dimmed as she spoke, her accent carrying a wistful edge. It was clear that she missed her mom, and Allison’s heart ached for her. She understood that feeling too well. More than most.

“She sounds like a wonderful woman,” Allison said, reaching over to take Katerina’s hand in hers, offering a gentle squeeze. “Why didn’t she move here with you?”

Katerina’s eyes met hers, and for a brief moment, the walls around her heart seemed to falter. “She has a life in Athens. A job, friends… It would have been selfish of me to ask her to leave all of that.”

The words were spoken matter-of-factly, but the sadness in her voice was unmistakable. Katerina—this fiery, tough-as-nails woman—was hiding more pain than she let on. Allison could see it in her eyes, the dullness that dimmed their usual sparkle, the weariness lurking behind her sharp wit.

What did life do to you?

Allison promised herself right then and there that she would help Katerina in any way she could. Whether as a friend, a shopping buddy, or a surrogate sister—whatever she needed. She wasn’t going to let this girl lose her way.

“Well,” Allison said, her voice soft but sincere, “I admire that you’re starting fresh in a place you don’t know. That takes a lot of strength, Katerina.”

The name felt awkward in her American mouth, her accent mangling it a bit, but Katerina smiled anyway.

“You can call me Katia,” she offered, her smile reaching her eyes this time.

Allison’s heart warmed, and she returned the smile. “Katia it is.”

They shared a brief, comforting look before turning back to their meals. For a few moments, the table was quiet save for the sound of forks and knives, but Allison felt it—him. The weight of Angelo’s gaze pressing into her. She didn’t need to look up to know he was watching her, but she did anyway, drawn like a magnet.

Sure enough, Angelo was staring at her, his brown eyes soft, but with that same teasing smile that made her insides twist into knots. His face, so relaxed and stretched into a grin, made her heart trip over itself.

It was terrifying, the way she felt her heart slip further toward him every time she caught him looking at her like that. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it safely in her chest. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized…

Maybe it already belonged to him.

Johnathan, of course, had to swoop in and ruin her perfectly happy feelings.I swear I’m gonna kill that man,Allison thought as she braced for the inevitable.

“I think we should talk about this deal you wanna strike with our father, Angelo. It doesn’t sound like a very good plan.”

And just like that, the moment was obliterated.

Read the fucking room, Johnny.

Without missing a beat, Angelo leaned back in his chair, cool as ever. “I want to threaten your father.”

Allison immediately choked on her spaghetti. A flurry of activity erupted around her: Katerina thumped her on the back,chairs scraped against the marble floors, and a symphony of panicked voices broke out.

“What the fuck, Taylor?” Johnathan shouted, springing into full big-brother outrage mode.

There it was. The Johnathan SpecialTM.

“What—how the fuck is this my fault?” Angelo fired back, throwing his hands in the air defensively.

---