Page 71 of For Butter or Worse
He frowned. “Tom told me to come. He thought it would look supportive. He said you knew.”
“Oh.” Okay, so thiswasn’tsome special surprise visit from Leo—it was a planned one from Tom. The one day she turned her phone off also happened to be the day when Tom decided to add in an impromptu date. Because,of course.
“Well, surprise!” He smiled. “Apparently I’ve ruined your night. But I don’t think I’ve had a meal this good since...ever. Unless you count that takeout we had.”
Just the mention of their night together made her legs clench firmly closed. She was warm from the kitchen, but even warmer from standing next to him.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said.
“I am legally not allowed to say any pasta is better than my dad’s, but that pasta was...” He made elaborate hand gestures to indicate explosions.
But no amount of hand fireworks could fix the fact that she felt a bit deflated. He wasn’t here for her—he was here because of Tom. She removed her hand from his. She couldn’t indulge whatever feelings she had for Leo, not when they were so clearly one-sided. Even if it was her fault for setting the terms.
“I think your title of Supportive Boyfriend is officially secured.”
He scratched the back of his neck. His arm lifted, and so did his shirt, revealing a sliver of his flat stomach, and the small hairs she remembered running her fingers along. Her mouth opened slightly. She wanted to lick him.
“Can’t argue there,” he said.
“Thanks for coming.” She remembered his expression as he took a bite of her pasta, like it was lighting up his soul. Even if the encounter had been staged, his reaction was real.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Tom said we need to post another photo. Should I come over after work is done?”
She licked her lips, nearly able to taste his espresso scent. But she had to control herself and focus on Lyon. Still, part of improving traffic meant posing for photos with Leo, and she’d made a promise to do whatever she needed to succeed.
“I’ll text when I’m leaving,” she finally said.
She wanted to look at him—to search his eyes for confirmation that he cared about her in some way. But she stopped herself. If she saw how little he really did think of her, she’d lose her nerve or change her mind. Instead, she walked back to the kitchen.
She couldn’t believe she’d agreed for him to come over. She had a whole night of work ahead of her. But what other choice did she have? She needed him just as much as he needed her.
And there was no getting around the fact that he was...talented. She’d been thinking about how talented he was all day. So if inviting him over also meant she’d get another round, then so be it.
She could do this. She could have no-strings-attached sex with Leo and not get confused about what it meant.Just casual sex.She’d set the original boundaries with him, and now she needed to abide by her own rules. She wasn’t usually a casual person, but using Leo would be cathartic. After all, hadn’t he used her on the show to boost his own career? Now she’d get to use him to release some much-needed tension.
When Nina came back into the kitchen, and her station, shallots, butter, garlic and freshly cut basil all stared up at her.
“Two pastas, on order.”
She nodded.
“Did they enjoy the meal?” Jasmine asked, keeping her eyes trained on the scallops she was plating.
“Rave reviews.” Nina didn’t want to tell Jasmine who the VIP at table four was. She’d come in ready to focus on work, and she would get back to exactly that.
Because the emotions she had for Leo weren’t real. Lust and great sex were clouding her mind. Since she knew he didn’t feel anything for her, she just had to guard her heart.
27
LEO
He unbuttoned his pants, then buttoned them back. He let out a frustrated sigh.
Why had he gone and finished off the entire tray of desserts? He’d been served a tower of raspberry mille-feuilles, éclairs, pistachio profiteroles, crème brûlée tartlets and macarons so light and fluffy he didn’t feel guilty when he popped the fifth one in his mouth.
But now his pants were impossibly tight and his throat burned from sugar overload. Leo was being self-conscious in a ridiculous way. She’d already seen him naked, but still, he wanted to impress her. And collapsing into a sugar coma wasn’t going to win him any points.
The problem was he hadn’t actually planned on coming back to her place after the dinner at Lyon. Tom hadn’t requested a photo, and he hadn’t told Leo to go to the restaurant... Leo had made it all up as an excuse to see Nina. And watching her work in a surprisingly sexy chef’s apron turned out to be an added bonus. He wasn’t willing to leave dinner and not see her afterward. So he’d gone out on a limb and, to his delight, she’d agreed.
