Page 78 of Love on the Byline

“I’ll allow it.”

“You cook, you’re very detail oriented,” she said, tickingthe list off on her fingers.

“That’s new information?” he asked as he prepped the counterwith flour.

“Okay, it’s not. But watching you apply it to your…work...asBran’s executive assistant puts it in a new perspective.”

“I see.” He hadn’t missed her slight hesitation over hisoccupation.

He thought he’d picked up on some disapproval, beyond thewhole Bran was an asshole in college thing, and wondered what she thought abouthis position.

“What else have you learned?”

“That you underestimate yourself. But then you’ve alwaysdone that.”

“Have I?” Surprised, Ollie stopped to look at her.

“You have.” Blake held his gaze, and there was so muchunspoken between them, he had to swallow and turn away.

“I’ll, uh, just text Bran to see if he still wants dinner ateight.” He washed his hands and went back to the living room to retrieve hisphone. There was a text from Bran’s private line.

BPL: Ran into Adam Mac (literally) down the beach. Goingto eat at his place.

OLLIE: Secure?

BPL: It’s just him and me.

OLLIE: Did you get my text about tomorrow night?

BPL: I did and I’ll be back before curfew, dad. [winkingemoji]

Ollie thought about informing Clark or Noelia, but put hisphone in his pocket. At the end of the day, Bran was an adult. Free to make hisown choices, good or bad. He knew what was at stake.

He turned for the kitchen but couldn’t stop himself fromtaking out his phone and looking up Adam McKenna.

There didn’t seem to be much online about the guy, save hisscreen credits and his charity work. There was nothing on TMZ, nothing in asearch on the Gazette’s website.

“Huh.”

“Everything alright?” Blake appeared in the doorway.

“Looks like it’s just you and me for dinner.”

Three emotions crossed her features in quick succession.First, surprise, followed by concern, and finally one that he didn’t recognize.But it had brought a shy smile to her full lips, so he wasn’t about tocomplain.

17

“Is there such a thing as a foodgasm?”

Blake moaned around her fork as the flavors exploded acrossher tongue. Garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, a hint of white truffle oil,and freshly grated pepper weren’t things she’d never tasted before. Somehow,though, Ollie had alchemized those simple ingredients into a masterpiece. Theshrimp were so fresh, they still tasted like the ocean. And the pasta!

She opened her eyes to find him watching her with amusement.“It’s good?”

“Dude, it’s friggin’ amazing!” She wiped her mouth andforced herself not to scarf down the entire bowl of pasta at once. “Please tellyour grandma merci from me for teaching you how to make this.”

When he smiled, really smiled, his eyes practicallydisappeared. He was all white teeth and dimples, and utterly adorable. And hewas blushing, though he picked up his glass of white wine to try and hide it.

They were sitting on the patio as the sun set over thewater. The temperature had dropped and, though it wasn’t exactly cool, he hadturned on the fire pit. For such an opulent property, he seemed right at homethere.

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