BLAZE (The HEAT Series Book 3) Read online

  He nurtured the business, spending hours perfecting each dish. Virtually every penny he made went into the interior design. He transformed the restaurant into one of the most popular places to eat in that part of the city.

  I was too young to remember any of the details, but my nonna, Sergio's mom, had told me the story of his early success again and again. It was her pride that made her repeat the tale every single time we baked together. I loved hearing it. I felt honored to be his daughter and grateful to be her granddaughter.

  I take a deep breath. "Things have been strained between us for years. We don't talk."

  "Is that why you never mentioned him?" He eases himself onto the stool next to me, tugging the bottom of his shirt to straighten it. "If he was my father I would be telling anyone who listens that I'm a Firi."

  "I'm a Sutton," I counter. "I've always been a Sutton."

  I'm certain he knows what I mean. I can tell by the slight nod of his chin. Most people in my position in the industry would openly flaunt the fact that Sergio is their father. His name alone would open doors of opportunity for me. It would also create an unrealistic expectation.

  It's natural for anyone who knows who my dad is to assume that I inherited my talent from him. I might have. I prefer to think that it's a combination of hard work, professional training and time spent in the kitchen with him while I was growing up. I doubt that I'd be where I am now if I only had the rudimentary skills my dad taught me to rely on. I took his lessons and built on them.

  "Do you want to talk about what happened between you two?" He tilts his head and studies my face. "It's related to his wife, isn't it? Did she do something to piss you off?"

  You could say that, Chef.

  I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly feeling protective of my relationship with Sergio. Tyler hasn't touched on what happened last night before I confronted my dad. He hasn't bothered to bring up the fact that he fired me and told me to get lost when I showed up at his apartment.

  "I'd rather talk about why you're here," I say firmly. "I didn't expect to see you this morning."

  He swallows hard, his index finger tapping against his thigh. "I went to Maribel's after Sergio left last night. I thought you might be there."

  "You went to Maribel's?" I try not to sound surprised. I assumed that after what happened at his apartment that he'd pull a no-show at his birthday party. It hadn't occurred to me that he'd be in the mood to celebrate but I guess it makes sense. He wasn't the one who was fired from his job, dumped by his lover and forced to confront his estranged father all in the span of ten minutes. That was me, which explains why I was at home showering and leaning on my best friend for support.

  "She went to a lot of trouble to set it up." He rubs his chin. "I didn't feel right about letting her, and everyone else there, down."

  But you let me down.

  I sigh heavily, unable to hide my disappointment. "I didn't think you'd go."

  "Sergio left my place right after you did." He straightens, his shoulders tensing. "I thought you two might meet up to talk so I headed to Maribel's. I needed the distraction."

  I needed him. When I finally went to bed, I craved the sound of his voice so desperately that I almost called him. I stopped myself though when I realized that it was after midnight and he still hadn't called me to talk about what happened.

  It all makes sense now. He was toasting to his birthday, not worrying about whether I was okay. I clench my jaw. "I haven't talked to Sergio. I came home and took a shower."

  He turns to face me full on. "About those things I said last night, Cadence. I was mad as hell when you showed up. I didn't have the full picture when I fired you. I don't want us to be done. I didn't mean any of it."

  "I'm not coming back to Nova." I level my gaze at him. "I'm going to accept a new job this morning."

  "What?" He raises a brow. "Where? You're not going back to Axel are you?"

  I'm not about to let him drag Brendon's name into his already strained conversation. I can't handle that right now. "It's not Axel. I'm not going to work in a restaurant."

  "You have a job at Nova, Cadence." He stands, his hands grazing the edge of the counter. "I don't want you to leave. You're too valuable."

  His words catch me off guard. I'm not as valuable as Maribel or Rolly. I know I need to let that go but it's still there gnawing at me. I can't help but feel that his decision to promote them over me was based partially on the fact that we've been fucking each other.

  If I hadn't already decided to take the job that Barbara offered me, last night would have convinced me that it's the best move I can make right now.

  I'm one personal misunderstanding away from being kicked to the curb at Nova. Tyler can't separate the work I do from what happens between the two of us. Even if the personal part of our relationship is over, the embers of what we did share will smolder for months. He'll fire me again if I cross him and I'm not about to give him that much control over my future.

  I stand as well, edging past him. "I've already made up my mind. I'll have my chef's jackets sent to Nova. My knives were destroyed in the fire so there's nothing for me to pick up."

  "No." He crosses his arms over his chest. "You're not going anywhere. I won't let it happen."

  CHAPTER 5

  I take a deep breath as I walk into the living room. "I've made my decision, Tyler. My time at Nova is done. I won't come back."

  "You're going to let a misunderstanding stall your career, are you?" He grabs hold of my elbow. "You have a bright future at Nova. You can't throw it away because of what happened last night."

  I jerk my arm free of his hand. I can't stay on course if he's touching me. I still feel that same need when he's near me. That hasn't changed even though I'm seething inside right now. "I'm not throwing anything away. I'm doing what's best for me, for my career."

  "You said you're taking a job that isn't in a restaurant." He rounds me so we're standing toe-to-toe. I'm wearing heels so the height difference between us is marginal. "Where are you going to work, Cadence? What are you going to do?"

  I gnaw on my lower lip, debating whether I should share the news about the offer Barbara made me with him now or not. He's been so focused on trying to get me to stay at Nova that he skimmed over the fact that he told me we were effectively done last night. Simply saying he didn't mean it isn't going to mend that fence.

  "I need to go to a meeting about it now." My hands drop to my hips. "I don't want to discuss the details until I have the job."

  "You haven't accepted it yet?" His voice is laced with hope, his eyes filled with optimism. "Turn it down, Chef. You belong at Nova."

  Chef.

  It's the one word I've used to define myself for as long as I can remember. My drive to be the best I can be in the kitchen isn't going to disappear just because I'm not cramped into a tight space during a chaotic dinner service each night. I can reinvent my own vision of myself. I'm going to forge a new path and control my own destiny.

  "You can't change my mind," I say calmly. It's a reflection of what I'm feeling inside. "I'm not coming back to Nova."

  He scowls. "I won't argue with you, Cadence. I trust you to do what's best for your career, but I need to know that you didn't make this decision because of what happened at my place last night."

  "I received the offer days ago." Absentmindedly, I play with the bracelet on my wrist. "I was leaning toward taking it. It's a great opportunity for me."

  His gaze sweeps over the living room before it locks on my face. "If it's what you want, I'm happy for you."

  I know he's being sincere. It's there in his eyes. I see the way his lips curve up into a smile. "Thank you, Tyler."

  "That doesn't change us though, does it?" He tilts his head back. "I don't want what happened last night or this new job to come between the two of us."

  I don't want that either. I want us to figure out how to recover from last night. I want him to take back what he said so I can clear it out of my thoughts.
It's not that easy though. He was ready to toss me out of his life without hearing my side of things.

  "I don't have time to talk about this now." It's true. I want to get my job situation ironed out before I deal with us. We're on shaky ground and as much as I want us to work, I have to be realistic. My career is a part of my life for the long term. I can't say the same for Chef Monroe.

  He steps away from me, his hand raking through his dark hair. "I don't want to fuck this up more than I already have. I want you to take the job. If you need to go to do that now, I'll leave."

  If he's waiting for me to offer to meet up with him later to replay what happened last night, I'm not up for that today. I need to decompress. I'm still reeling from the fact that my dad is in Manhattan. I can only deal with one temperamental chef at a time.

  I start toward the door of my apartment, hoping Tyler will take the not-so-subtle hint and follow me out. He doesn't. Instead he strides to the coffee table.

  Out of the corner of my eye I watch him bend down to pick something up.

  "This is for me, isn't it?" He turns to me. "Is this my birthday gift?"

  I wince when I see that he's holding it. I'd taken my time to wrap the frame yesterday before I left for his birthday party. I'd chosen simple silver paper and white ribbon. I finessed each of the corners, taping it carefully so when I presented it to him, he'd understand the care that went into every facet of the gift.

  "I was going to invite you back here after your party so you could open it and eat cake with me."

  His expression softens. "My birthday is today and all I want is to be with you."

  CHAPTER 6

  I rest my right hand against my stomach, my fingers splaying over the fabric of my dress. I should wish him a Happy Birthday but I tried to do that last night and it was a prelude to a clusterfuck so I'm going to skip over the well wishes.

  "I had the gift made over a week ago." I sigh.

  He grins. "You had this made for me?"

  I nod, unsure if this is the right thing to do. When I picked out those images of Tyler in old Nova it was when I felt close to him. I wanted him to have something that would help him remember not only what he lost, but also where his dream of opening his own restaurant began.

  I step around the couch so I can stand next to him, my body physically vibrating from the nervous energy I'm feeling.

  "Open it." I tilt my chin towards him.

  His eyes light up. "You're sure it's okay?"

  I'm not sure of anything but since he's already ripping the corner of the paper, I'm just going to go with it. The gift was custom made for him so it seems petty not to give it to him at this point.

  He stops once he's stripped the frame of the paper. His gaze moves down to the back of the frame and the simple message I wrote in black ink.

  To every yesterday and each tomorrow. Cadence. xoxo

  My heart sinks in my chest. I'd forgotten I'd written that. It feels out of place now. It's too intimate given what happened last night. It's presumptuous and romantic.

  The silence is so uncomfortable that I reach forward and flip the frame myself, turning it over to reveal the collection of images.

  "I thought it would be nice to give you something from old Nova." I exhale before I continue, "I know you had a lot of good times there. This is meant to be a reminder of that."

  He doesn’t reply. He doesn't even look up from the frame. Instead he lowers himself to the couch, his ass just barely meeting the edge of the cushion. He doesn’t seem to notice that he almost missed it.

  I sit too. "If it's too much, I'll understand. Like I said, I had it made last week. A lot has changed since then."

  He carefully rests the frame on the coffee table before he turns to face me. "Christ, Cadence. You're incredible. The gift is...it's my heart. You can't know what it means to me."

  "You like it?" I scan his face, unsure why I'm even asking. It's obvious that he's touched by the gift. I can hear it in his voice. I can see it in his eyes. He's softened. He looks vulnerable and open.

  "I fucking love it." He fidgets, his knee brushing against mine. "No one has ever given me such a thoughtful gift before."

  I smile in spite of myself. I feel the barrier around my heart breaking apart and I try to fight to keep it place. "I know that losing Nova was hard. I want you to be able to remember it in a positive way."

  "I'll always remember it in the best possible way." His hands leap to my cup my face. "It's where I met you."

  ***

  If ever there was an example of being saved by the bell, it's happening now, just as Tyler is leaning in to kiss me.

  He stops with the first shrill ring of my phone. His left eyebrow pops up in silent query. He's wondering whether I'm going to kiss him or answer the call. I don't keep him in suspense at all. I lean back, away from his touch before I stand and head back to the kitchen to get my phone.

  I scan the screen and see the phone number I used to call repeatedly years ago. It's the landline in Magari's office. It's Sergio. It has to be.

  I silence the ringer with a push of my thumb as I let the call go to voicemail.

  "You're not going to answer that?" Tyler appears in the doorway, the wooden photo frame tucked under his arm. "I can leave if you need privacy."

  I need more than privacy to talk to Sergio. I need my nonna to mediate, the way she used to.

  "No," I say without thinking. "I'm going to handle that issue later. I have to get to my meeting."

  His chest lifts and falls with a heavy breath. "I want to see you again. Can I stop by tonight?"

  I pick up my purse and sunglasses from the island. I need time to think about what I'm going to say to him when we do talk. I don't want to forgive and forget because if I do that, he'll think I'm good with what went down at his place last night. He made me feel small and guilty for not telling him about my fractured relationship with my dad.

  "Tonight isn't good for me." I pull on the bottom of my ponytail. "Why don't you text me in a few days and if I'm up for it then, I'll meet you for a drink."

  He clears his throat, obviously perturbed by my refusal to see him tonight. "I'll do that."

  I fold my arms over my chest as I watch him turn and walk away.

  CHAPTER 7

  "If you're up to it, we want you on air next Thursday morning." Barbara shuffles through the uneven stack of papers on her desk. "That will give you enough time to come up with a dish to cook."

  I nod, my gaze still buried in the thick contract she handed to me when I followed her into her office.

  I came to the mid-town studio after Tyler left my apartment. When I was digging in my purse for my wallet to pay for cab fare, I saw Tyler's tablet. I'd forgotten about it but once I realized I still had it, I couldn’t focus on anything else. I debated stopping by new Nova to leave it with someone there, but it's too important to just drop into anyone's lap. I need to give it to Tyler and I want to do that soon. I have to. I can't even keep my mind on this contract.

  "Do you have a lawyer who can look the contract over within the next couple of days, Chef?"

  I smile as I look up at her. She's attractive even though right now she looks like she walked through a windstorm to get here. Her hair is out of place, and the collar of her blouse has flipped over onto itself. I almost smoothed my hand over it when she first greeted me after I found her in one of the editing rooms. An associate producer directed me there, telling me that Barbara wouldn’t want to wait to see me. That assurance had buoyed me enough that I told her I wanted the job without any preamble at all.

  I bite my bottom lip. "I know a lawyer. I'll call her this afternoon and see if she can take a look at this today."

  I wouldn't call Zoe Beck my friend but we're definitely acquaintances. We struck up a conversation about food one day when I was leaving Axel after my shift. She stopped me to ask if I had anything to do with the lobster salad she'd just had for lunch.

  My only contribution was the preparation of the d
ressing but she raved about it. I gave her my number when she told me that she was considering hiring a personal chef but that never came to fruition. Instead, she started texting me whenever she had a question about cooking. She's told me enough times that if I ever need legal advice, I can call her since that's her specialty. Today is the day I take her up on that offer.

  "I've taken the liberty of contacting a photographer." Barbara grabs her smartphone from her desk, her fingers deftly gliding over the screen. "We've built a portable set for your segments. We want a series of pictures of you there, some of you at markets, and maybe a few traditional headshots."

  "All right," I say evenly. "When will that happen?"

  "Whenever we can mesh your schedule with Falon's." She rubs her top lip. "She has an opening on Friday morning if you're good with that."

  "Falon Shaw?" I ask quietly. Falon is engaged to Asher Foster. They were in old Nova just days before the fire. She's one of the best photographers in New York. She's also one of the most expensive.

  I flip through the contract trying to find anything that stipulates who pays for promotional material. Since I'm working strictly on ad revenue, I doubt that I'll make enough this year to cover the cost of a professional photography session.

  She leans back in her chair. "I've sent Falon a list of the shots we want but we're paying her for a block of her time. If you two come up with any ideas for food related imagery that we can use on our website or your social media accounts, you go ahead and do that. We want all the photos to be authentic. Our viewers are going to want to feel that they're part of your world, Cadence."

  I smile inwardly, grateful that she answered my question before I had to ask it.