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Angus laughed again. Fake engagement or not, he liked this crazy family Owen had brought to him. And he liked Elisa the most.
He couldn’t wait to introduce her to Chelsea.
Elisa’s not your real fiancée, mate. Remember that.
Still, he could see his half sister liking Elisa immediately.
Jesus, you’re in trouble. No relationships. Remember?
Elisa smiled up at him, a hint of shyness creeping into her face. “Will you come and join us after you’ve finished in the kitchen?”
This time there was no artificial volume to her voice. The question was for him, not Nora. Him.
It made him feel…good.
“Definitely,” he replied, his answer for her and only her. “I honestly don’t think I want to stay away from you for too long.”
Whoa, mate. Tap the brakes. Don’t scare her off.
Pink filled her cheeks again at his unplanned, impulsive, and thoroughly inappropriate confession and all shyness left her eyes. “I know what you mean. I feel the same.”
He caught his breath. She held his gaze.
“Alright, alright.” Owen gave his shoulder a playful shove. “Save up all the lovey-dovey for when I’m not waiting for food. Get your arse into the kitchen, Daniels. I’m hungry.”
With one last look at Elise, Angus got his arse into the kitchen. His staff were doing their thing in it, line chefs, commis chefs, kitchen hands—all dancers in a graceful performance that was the soul of the kitchen, preparing meals for those in the dining area who’d already ordered.
He stood for a moment, observing them. Their energy, their je ne sais quoi, thrummed through him and he let out a slow, calm breath.
Home. This was home. How could he go anywhere else?
“You going to just watch them, or you going to cook something?” Kara appeared at his side. “Or are you going to go back out to your fiancée and actually get started on the processes of making your new relationship a real one?”
A tight lump settled in his throat, and he pictured Elisa. He wasn’t in the market for a relationship, not a real one at least. He was still trying to commit to a country to live in for a few years, let alone another soul to share a life with.
Share a life? Don’t even think about it. You’ve seen how that goes. It only ends in pain.
And yet…
He flicked Kara a look. “Do you think Nora is convinced?”
“Hell no.” Kara grunted. “I think you need to go out there and kiss Elisa until she has a screaming orgasm. Then Noramightbe convinced.”
“Might?” His body reacted to the notion of kissing Elisa. And reacted even more to the notion of making her climax. He arched his eyebrow at his sous chef, trying to ignore the hungry tightening of his groin. “And just out of interest, when was the last timeyoukissed your wife until she had a screaming orgasm?”
“This morning.” She didn’t blink. “And every morning.”
Angus snorted. “And on that note, I’m going to go wash my hands.” He shucked out of his suit jacket. Buckley’s Chance’s kitchen steward hurried over before he could call him, took the jacket, and hurried away.
His team knew him well. Had they missed him as much as he’d missed them? What did they think of the possibility of him moving?
Kara grinned. “I’ve got your new fiancée’s order, plus everyone else at her table. So hurry up so you can get started.” She turned and snapped out a finger at his poissonnier. “Frank. Salmon. The best. Now.”
Frank—one of the country’s best fish-line chefs—flipped her off and hurried off to the fridge to select the morning’s best salmon. Clearly someone in Elisa’s party had ordered the smoked salmon mousse.
Elisa’s party. Huh. Didn’t take you long to think of them as Elisa’s party instead of Owen’s party.
It hadn’t.
