Page 14 of Dirty Little Sins

I already had a mix of spices and flavors that I thought would work in some new dishes. After this party I'd come back to the kitchen and do some experimentation and get it all documented. I'd be alone with my thoughts and my pots and pans to experiment to my heart's content.

And I might as well enjoy it before the camera crews that were due at the end of the week arrived. After which a moment of peace would be impossible to find.

Hopefully that meant that the interactions between me and Vincent would be nonexistent. There had to be a way for us to coexist in this town without constantly running into each other. Maybe I could enlist Nina's help in that mission.

Since I'd blabbed my life story to her the night before, I might as well use that HUGE mistake to my advantage. She would understand why I needed to avoid their precious fighter.

If the show producers got a whiff of something personal between him and me, they'd either have an issue with it or want to sensationalize it on the show. How they pick and choose what to focus on still confused me. They got their panties in a twist over the basics and then turned a blind eye to their own salacious ideas.

Yes, I'd definitely talk to Nina about it when she returned and ask her thoughts on handling this situation.

Delegate. Delegate. Delegate.

The one word I had the most difficulty with while at the same time feeling more determined than ever to find that healthy work balance.

Feeling a little better now that I'd worked that out in my head and gotten into the cooking zone, I completely forgot about the fact that Nina had wanted to tell me something about the party host.

It wasn't until I'd gotten the servers set up and retreated to my own suite to change that I remembered she'd never made it back to the kitchen to finish whatever she'd wanted to say.

I shrugged into the mirror as I admired the long form fitting red dress that fell almost to my ankles and showcased the sky high black Jimmy Choos I'd chosen to wear at my first official event at The Sinclair. They'd been my last big indulgence before the bottom fell out. And private party or not, I needed to make the best impression at tonight's event.

They might not be food critics, but their reaction would be a good gauge of what to expect in the future.

As for Nina, whatever she'd had to say must not have been as important as she'd thought. I made a mental note to quiz Julie on what happened earlier to keep Nina away.

Pushing that thought out of my head, I put on my game face and headed towards the party suite.

As it turned out the party was to take place in one of the rooms just down the hall from mine. I had to pass through a private bar area where several people in various cocktail wear lingered over drinks.

Apparently, the pre-party had already started out here. I nodded to the bartender as I passed and proceeded to the door which had been left ajar, most likely for guests to mingle between the two spaces as they arrived.

I entered the suite and my eyes widened at the wall of glass across the from the door. This room might have been on the same floor as mine, but that's where the similarities ended.

Where I'd thought my room had been luxurious and spacious, it felt tiny in comparison to this one. The cavernous living area had several sitting arrangements made up of green velvet couches and deep seating chairs. They invited people to linger and relax at the same time.

The monochromatic decor of every shade of green lent the space a masculine feel without going too over the top to make a woman feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite.

I wanted to linger here. Take in the space and even meet the man staying here. This room, it— I paused turning in place to take it all in— invited people to get to know each other in an intimate way that such a large space should not have been able to convey.

Maybe it had something to do with the erotic art on the walls. Each piece large while still feeling subtle. Either way I got the sense that this suite was meant to provide unexpected pleasures...

Shaking my head to clear the sensual images now running through my mind, I turned away from the view and headed to an area of the suite I hoped would be the kitchen. Because I had no doubt a space this size and caliber would have a full-fledged space for my team to work.

However, when I turned the corner I did not find a kitchen. Instead I found myself standing in a room with a bed the size of a lake and a television screen that ran the entire length of the wall above it. Rooted to the spot by what I found, my brain could hardly take it all in. There was simply too much to see.

Starting with the half dozen rings that ran along the headboard and the metal cuffs that ran between each one...

What the fuck?

Chapter Six

VINCENT

From my position in the master closet, I spied Zia from the moment she entered the room. Her gaze had fixated on the bed and her jaw gone slack at the "extras" that were added into this suite.

It wasn't the largest that the hotel offered, but it was certainly one of a kind nonetheless and my favorite amenity of The Sinclair by far.

I brushed that thought aside to focus on the woman standing in what essentially was my bedroom. Next to a bed designed for sex in a way that I knew we would both love. Me in charge and her acquiescing to every one of my many demands.

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