Page 26 of Dirty Little Sins

From the industrial sized refrigerators across the room, Nina called out. "What about some food? Maybe that would help."

My no came out on a groan and she shook her head. I didn't want to tell her this wasn't my first rodeo. When I'd been going through my divorce I'd had some pretty bad attacks and ever since those pictures had been delivered there'd been a few almost on camera close calls.

"Water's good," I croaked out.

She rushed back to my side and handed me an uncapped bottle. "You may not want to hear this right now, but I know what it's like to be at the end of your rope. No matter the circumstances. Whether you're just working too hard, which I suspect, or how facing a certain someone again has caused an upheaval, which I also suspect. I can help."

"She doesn't need help. At least not the kind you think."

The low rumble of the familiar male voice rolled through me in a violent wave, leaving my stomach somewhere around my feet. What the hell was he doing here?

"Is that so?" Nina moved in front of me and if I was able to breathe deep I might have appreciated her protectiveness more.

Despite Nina's slender back blocking my line of sight, I felt the rake of Vincent's gaze from my head to my toes. I groaned. Why the hell did he have to choose now to finally show up?

Humiliation burned with outrage as I tried to regain my composure. I couldn't let him see me like this.

I forced the bottle of water to my lips and swallowed enough to wet my parched throat.

"She is not well," he said. "I've come to take care of her."

"She's fine," Nina retorted. "She doesn't need you to make things worse."

I imagined Vincent's brow lifting as Nina continued to defend me. While my heart rate hadn't calmed, the humor of my situation had begun to clear some more of the haze in my mind and enabled me to take deeper breaths as well as another sip of water. I'd made it to the other side without a full blown attack and just needed some fresh air. Not to mention some peace and quiet.

Couldn't he be like a normal person and have just sent a text or something? Why show up here? Now?

"I'm removing her from this kitchen now." His voice had deepened to a near growl and while my hackles rose at his gall, I also found it sexy as hell.

Of course I did. Because I was fucked up AND stupid.

"She's not—" Nina wasn't letting go, but I didn't need her protection anymore. Good intentions or not. They both needed to know that I made my own decisions.

"It's okay, Nina. The sauce I was working on is now ruined and I'm too tired to start over on it tonight. So I might as well get some sleep and start fresh in the morning."

We all turned our heads to the mess on the stove. The red sauce had indeed boiled over and splattered every surface within three meters. Not only was it a reality, it was also a metaphor for the mess my life had become.

Despite the impending recovery, I felt tears sting at the back of my eyes. When Vincent turned toward me and met my gaze it only got worse. The combination of concern, determination and possibly a little sympathy was more than I could handle.

When he reached up and touched my cheek before swiping a strand of hair behind my ear, I felt something break inside me. I didn't know how to resist this side of him. And maybe I didn't really want to. He had an instinct for what I needed and when and I had a desire to meet that instinct with my own.

"Cut there!" A familiar voice boomed through the kitchen. "Oh my God, that was absolute perfection. That's going to make for one hell of a teaser for a second season."

Oh shit.

My stomach plummeted as my show director and camera crew filed into the cavernous room that suddenly felt restricted and tight. Or maybe that was just my chest as my anxiety ratcheted back up to a whole new level.

"What's going on?" Nina turned to the crew and questioned, her eyes wide over the intrusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Zack, the director of Zia's Kitchen. Sorry for the middle of the night arrival but our plane was delayed. But as luck would have it, that turned out perfect." He turned to Henry, the head cameraman. "You got all that, right?"

He nodded, a slight smirk crossing his face. Of course he did. They were all great at their job and especially Henry. He had a knack for being in the right place and the right time to get the perfect shot.

"And you!" Zack turned to Vincent. "Color me surprised to find The Destroyer himself in the kitchen with our Zia." He rubbed his hands together in obvious excitement. "I foresee this is going to be a very interesting set over the next four weeks."

I groaned.

Just great.

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