Page 60 of Hot for Hostage

Or maybe that was from the onions.

Regardless, I was starstruck by how immaculate the huge space was—and my fingers itched to inspect the ovens—but since he wasn’t yelling at me now, I tried to focus on the chef currently dicing onions in the center of it all.

Antonio wore his age well, with smile lines on his face and a full head of greying hair. But his dark eyes held the same cold distrust the other men around here eyed me with, and his arms had more muscle than I would’ve expected from a chef.

Did Davian exclusively hire men who were equal parts intimidating and ridiculously attractive? His compound could make a mafia-men calendar women would buy in droves.

“Sorry about that.” I walked up to the kitchen island he was working at. “Bear’s outside now. Do you mind if I keep you company in here?”

Antonio looked up from the onions long enough to glower at me, and I gulped.

“That depends,” he said, voice gruff. “Can you stay quiet?”

The question made me hesitate. I’d never been very good at that.

“I can try,” I hedged. “You can put me to work, too. I’m happy to help.”

“Do you have any cooking experience?” he asked shortly.

I leaned against the counter and nodded. “Lots. I’m in culinary school in the city. Baking is my favorite, though I’m learning all of it.”

He grunted. “I already have a system. But if you’re bored, you can hang out in here.”

“Thanks.” Propping both elbows on the counter and resting my chin on my hands, I watched him work through the onions with enviable speed and accuracy. “I’m Sadie, by the way. And you’re Antonio?”

The knife paused, and both his thick grey eyebrows rose. “The boss told you about me?”

“Well, he didn’t say you were an actual chef. I was picturing one of his scary guards slicing up fruit for our lunch earlier.” I snickered at that imagery. “Speaking of, thank you for the food. It was delicious.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, a warm blush crept up my neck. Fruit wasn’t the only thing I’d feasted on at lunch, and Davian was quite tasty himself.

Antonio grunted before resuming his fancy knife work. “Next time, make sure to stop in for breakfast. That’s delicious, too.”

My blush deepened. He thought there’d be a next time? “Oh. I don’t know if I’ll be staying over again. These were extenuating circumstances.”

He spared me a glance without slowing his chopping. “You’re with the boss, no?”

“Withhim?” A nervous laugh clawed its way up my throat, and I stood straighter. “Like—together? I mean, we haven’t made anything official, if that’s what you’re asking. Things got a little complicated after I— Well, yesterday I sort of took Vince’s gun and— Um, actually, the details don’t really matter.”

Well, that was enough talking for me.

A frown creased Antonio’s forehead. “The men talk. They say you’re together.”

My eyes widened. What kind of Nosy Nellies did Davian work with? Word got around here faster than at Gladys’s book club, and those ladies could out-gossip anyone.

“Uh, I don’t know about that. But wedidkiss. A few times, actually.” Thinking about the patio caused my whole face to radiate heat, and I discreetly fanned myself. “He’s a good kisser.”

Antonio’s brows inched up in disbelief before he threw his head back with a deep, full belly laugh that made me jump. I watched in fascination—while hoping he wasn’t laughingatme—until he calmed down enough to chop again.

“You’re too sweet,dolcezza.” He shook his head as a few more chuckles escaped.

I had no idea what that word meant, but I really hoped it wasn’t anything bad.

“You’re just being nice,” I said, though I couldn’t help grinning. I was ridiculously pleased he wasn’t scowling at me anymore.

“No, no. Youare,” he insisted. “When I heard the boss had a lady friend staying over, that was news enough on its own. But I didn’t expect her to be sweet.”

My brain latched on to his mention of lady friends. What kind of girls did Davian usually date?

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