Page 385 of Savage Bosses

Tatianna cleared her throat. She would not allow her mind to wander down that dark path. If anything happened to Bryce, she’d lose her damn mind. Tatianna couldn’t picture her life without him. She’d known the Cattaneos all of her life. They weren’t bad people, at least not to her and her family. But they weren’t good either.

She both loved and hated Bryceson’s family. But if she wanted to be with Bryce, she needed to accept the side she hated. What other choice did she have? She knew he was working towards breaking away from the family business. One day, he’d be free, and she’d no longer have to worry about getting that call she feared.

Likewise, she’d one day step from under the dark cloud that hung over her family. One day, she’d leave behind the rumors that her father was a crooked politician. Rumors that he’d once threatened the life of one of his opponents. And the rumors that her mother had once poisoned one of her father’s mistresses when she’d found out the woman was pregnant.

Bryce wasn’t the only one trying to escape a tainted heritage. So was she. But, at least they had each other. Since they were kids, he’d always stood up to the bullies who’d shouted mean things to Tati about her family at the playground. He was the one she’d turned to when her parents’ arguments had interrupted her sleep on school nights.

Countless times, she’d called him, and he’d come rushing over to meet her in her backyard in the middle of the night. Together, the two of them would climb up into her treehouse and stay there all night. And when Bryce’s dad got angry with him, Bryce would sneak out and come to her house, and once again, they’d end up in her treehouse.

It had been their haven when they were young. But as she got older, she realized it wasn’t the treehouse that was her haven. It was Bryceson Cattaneo. Tatianna took a step back to admire the plate of food she’d made for Bryce. She looked up when Julia bumped her shoulder.

“Is that for lover boy?” Julia asked. “Do you want me to take it to him?”

Tatianna shook her head. “I’ll take it. If Carlos starts looking for me, tell him I went to the bathroom.”

“Will do,” Julia said with a wink before walking away.

Tatianna put the plate on a tray and prepared a glass of sweet tea for Bryceson. Smiling, she left the kitchen. Her heart rate increased when her gaze landed on the sexy man at table twelve. Her guy was a little over six feet tall, making him stand out almost everywhere they went.

Plus, he was handsome as hell. So, of course, women were going to look his way. Like they were doing now. He was dressed in a simple white tee shirt and dark jeans. Yet, the shirt couldn’t hide his broad shoulders and defined muscles. His dark hair was messy, like he hadn’t bothered to comb it before leaving the house.

He’d simply rubbed his fingers through it and called it a day. Yet, on him, it looked perfect. His strong jawline was dusted with a hint of stubble, adding a rugged charm to his appearance. But it was his smile that truly captivated her.

It was crazy how he could still send butterflies flitting around in her belly, even though they’d known each other all their lives and had been dating since high school. As if he sensed her approaching, Bryceson looked up from his phone. A huge grin spread across his face, making her own smile widen.

He stood up. She shook her head, knowing exactly what he planned to do. The first thing he did whenever he returned from one of his missions was hug her for five minutes straight. Which was why she’d told him to wait until after she got off work to come see her.

Tatianna shook her head, letting him know he couldn’t hug her here. He nodded, fully intending to do as he pleased. She could see it in his eyes. She shook her head again. She was not about to get in trouble again. But Bryceson’s stubborn ass only nodded again.

“No, Bryce,” she mouthed as he stepped away from his table.

He nodded as he approached her, getting ready to scoop her up into one of his big bear hugs that she loved. Just not at work, though. Panicking, her eyes darted left, then right. If Carlos caught him hugging her, he’d throw a fit and lecture her on how a chef should always remain professional.

“Please,” Tati mouthed. “Not here.”

Bryce stopped and sighed. “You owe me,” he mouthed back.

“Whatever you want.” Tati winked, causing him to chuckle and, thankfully, return to his seat.

He was seated by the time she made it to his table and sat the food down in front of him. He didn’t wait for her to take the plate and glass off his tray. He did it for her. Holding the tray against her side, she watched Bryceson take his first bite of the grilled salmon she had prepared. He closed his eyes and moaned, savoring the taste.

The dimly lit corner of the restaurant seemed to shrink around them, the world beyond fading away as her focus narrowed on the man in front of her. She knew he was making that sound on purpose. She liked it when he moaned. His moans and groans sounded sexy as fuck. And if they were alone, she’d make him moan louder.

“Damn, Tati,” he groaned before licking his lips.

She crossed one leg in front of the other.Be still, my beating pussy. You can’t make him say, ‘damn, Tati’, until later tonight.

Opening his eyes, his dark gaze met hers. “This tastes so damn good, babe.”

Tatianna felt a flush of pride at his praise.

“Thank you,sir,” she told him, remaining professional and knowing the wordsirwould turn him on.

Since he wanted to groan in that way he knew she loved, she’d call him sir because she knew it made him want to fuck her.Two could play this game.His gaze narrowed. Bryce grabbed his napkin and dabbed at the corners of his mouth before returning the napkin to the table.

“Ms. Dupree,” he said suddenly, his voice low and seductive. “Come here for a second. I want to tell you something.”

Tatianna hesitated under the heat of his gaze. She glanced around the restaurant, noting that the other patrons were too absorbed in their own conversations to pay them any mind. With a deep breath, she bent down, bringing her ear closer to his mouth. Tatianna couldn’t stop a blush from creeping over her when Bryceson leaned in close, his warm breath tickling her ear.