“Take that!” she spat.
A hand gently landed on her shoulder as Kyle’s other arm came around and flung his champagne down the drain as well. “Yeah, fuck that.”
Turning around, she launched herself into his arms. “I hate this! I want to be happy for her, but I don’t want Nanine to leave.”
He gripped her tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder. “I feel the same way. Today was supposed to be a celebration, but it feels like we toasted a death.”
“Like the old Nanine’s we knew since first coming to Paris is finally all gone.” She shoved him back, her eyes stinging again. “I hate funerals. When I die, burn me and scatter me in the ocean. Do you hear me? I won’t have people trying to make toasts and putting on brave faces.”
He gave a full body shudder. “I’m trying to see the positive in that request. That you finally believe we’ll be together forever.”
She gripped his dark jacket, staring up into his sad, expressive blue eyes. “The last thing I’m thinking about is Operation Forever. Right now, I’m up to my ears in Operation Survival. I almost laughed on my way home, thinking about how worried I was that you might be a distraction from my goal. Do you know what really is? All this junk. Stuff like Nanine moving out of her home.”
He leaned down and kissed her softly, lingering until theyboth settled. “Thank you for admitting I’m not a distraction. I needed a bright spot.”
Laying her head on his chest, she listened to the solid thrumming in his chest. She knew the cadence of his heartbeat now. It sounded like a drummer’s encore at a Latin concert when they made love, and in quiet moments like this one, its steady beats reminded her of the comforting ticks of the clock counting down the minutes until a dish was ready.
“A few staff members received calls today from restaurants offering them jobs,” she told him. “I expected it. Hell, I got them after La Fleur won the star. But we haven’t even won a star yet. We’ve only been open six weeks.”
“Our restaurant opened with a bang.” He caressed her back. “But yeah, we’re in the big time now. A few heads of big governments even reached out tonight. Even I took a moment after those calls.”
She banged her head against his chest. “I know we’re going to get through this roller coaster, but I hate the highs and lows. Slow and steady wins the race, wins the star. Consistency is key, and it’s in short supply right now.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll do everything in my power to get things back to even steven in the kitchen for you. We have some changes to implement, but you’ve got celebrity chef status right now.”
“I hate it!” She waved a hand down her front. “I mean, look at me. Who thinks this screams celebrity? I’m not one of those chefs who likes to hobnob and party with important people. I want to cook, come home to you, and eat ice cream in our Romance Shrine.”
“Ah, Madison…” He cupped her chin and raised her gaze to his. “You’ve managed to turn this night around for me. I love you. More than anything.”
She had to cough to clear her aching throat. “I love you too. Especially in moments like this when the world is goingnutso. Oh, and you should know…I let Rico down easy tonight. We’re going to stay friends and colleagues.”
That gorgeous mouth of his tipped to the side, making her want to kiss him again. “I won’t tell you how happy that news makes me.”
“Chef Marcel called him after the review and told him you were in talks about the restaurant,” she added. “That means he wants this deal to happen.”
“I know,” Kyle added, a devastating smile lighting his mouth. “We’re nearly there. The lawyers are reviewing the terms. I’ve also gotten messages from about six other high-profile chefs wanting to talk about opening a restaurant in Paris with PRG.”
She playfully punched his chest. “That’s awesome. You’ll have all the challenges you need to be happy.”
“With you topping the list.” He slid his arms around her waist and gave her a devastatingly long, sexy kiss. “How about we grab ice cream and light some candles?”
Her belly liquified, the best damn feeling of the whole day besides the initial insanity of reading William Silver’s review in the bathroom, well away from the staff. Praise she would take; it validated her skills and hard work. The celebrity nonsense she’d rather chuck in the garbage. She needed to read it again. Half her brain had gone into a coma at the praise, but one sentence had been seared into her neurons.
This new menu reaches that touted excellent standard of French cooking previously only secured by greats like Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, and Joël Robuchon…
Yeah, they were so celebrating that with ice cream. “You get to light ten candles. I’m too tired to wait for all five hundred.”
He gave a crack of wicked, masculine laughter that made her toes curl in her high-tops. “Be glad Brooke texted me to say everyone was coming over, or they’d have walked into the Romance Shrine at full light.”
“Dean would have had a field day. Okay, I am going to count to ten. By the time I get to one, I want your sweet ass headed to the stairs for the candle ceremony. I’ll follow in a bit with the ice cream.”
He narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t ask as she started counting. Sending her a wink, he only called, “Don’t be too long.”
Rushing to find her phone, she sat beside Pierre’s cage. “I know you’re probably asleep, but I promised you bedtime reading.”
She began to read the review, her voice thickening in parts. She had to remind herself that William Silver was talking about her. Not an alien from Mars.Her. When she finished, she clenched her eyes shut and pressed the review to her heart.
Please let this mean I’ve won the star.
