First and Only (Callaghan Brothers #2)

“Ah, still shy I see,” he said. “Such a rare treasure these days, to find a woman so enchantingly oblivious to the spell she casts on those around her.”


“Chef D’Armini, how wonderful to see you again,” Lexi said, rising to her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “As handsome and charming as ever, you rascal,” she added, making him laugh even more. The world-renowned chef grinned like a schoolboy at the compliment. A few diners pulled out their Droids, no doubt sensing that anyone garnering such attention from Francesco D’Armini had to be Twitter-worthy at the very least.

“Come, bella,” said Francesco, indicating that Ian should join them as well. “We will speak in a more private venue, eh?”

He ushered them into his private office. It was unexpectedly simple, but done with exquisite taste. Dark, rich fabrics and smooth, polished wood suggested understated elegance with a high price tag.

“You are very naughty, Alexis,” he scolded with affection. “If I had known you were coming I would have prepared something special for you.”

“Everything was fabulous,” Lexi praised, making him beam even more. “And I didn’t know we were coming here.” She glanced at Ian, who stood against the wall like a bodyguard.

Chef D’Armini followed her gaze, and looked appraisingly at Ian. “This boy, he is treating you good, yes?”

Ian straightened a little. It had been a long time since anyone had called him a “boy”, but he took it in stride.

“Yes, sir. He is.” She flashed Ian a shy smile that melted his heart. There was a soft, ethereal quality to her voice that he only heard when she spoke to him.

“Ah, I see.” The chef leaned in close, his face softening. “He is the one, is he not?” He spoke quietly, but Ian’s keen ears heard every word. A lovely, familiar blush rose in Lexi’s cheeks as she averted her gaze.

The chef turned to Ian. “You are a fortunate man,” he said, his voice full and somber. Ian detected something else in there, too. A warning, perhaps? It seemed as though Lexi brought out the protective male instinct in everyone.

“Yes, I am,” Ian replied simply. He held the chef’s gaze so that they understood each other. After a long minute, the chef nodded, satisfied.

“Bene. You will invite me to the wedding, no?”

*

Lexi was mortified. Turning at least a dozen increasingly dark shades of red, she looked down at the expensive carpeting, unwilling to see the look of “not happening” on Ian’s face.

“I’m sorry about that,” Lexi said quietly as they made the hour and a half drive back toward Pine Ridge. Ian’s mood had been subdued ever since they’d left the Chef’s private office. He’d barely spoken ten words to her over the coffee and dessert; his mind seemed a million miles away.

She wished it didn’t bother her as much as it did. She knew her time with Ian was limited, knew that in less than forty-eight hours she would be on her way back to Benton. But there was some part of her that wanted to believe in fairy tale endings. She shut those thoughts down as soon as they began to surface, unwilling to let anything mar the time she did have.

“Don’t be.” The expression on his face was unreadable, his blue eyes crystal clear, like living glass.

The silence in the sleek black Jag – Michael’s – was making her paranoid. “The dinner was fabulous, Ian. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He offered a slight smile that made her want to scream in frustration. What was going through his mind?

“Look, Ian, don’t pay any attention to what Chef D’Armini said. He’s a hopeless romantic, always trying to play matchmaker. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“N-no,” she answered, silently cursing the stutter she thought she had mastered years ago. Her face was flushed, the butterflies in her stomach multiplied a hundred times over. A familiar weakness started creeping into her extremities, brought on by the slight rise in her heartbeat and the decided lack of meds keeping her on an even keel. For the remainder of the ride she kept silent, concentrating on regulating her breathing before she made an even bigger fool out of herself.

The moment they got back to her hotel room she excused herself and practically ran into the bathroom. She breathed a sigh of relief when the welcome cooling sensation of the injection circulated through her body. Within a few moments she started to feel better, but it wasn’t enough. She looked longingly at the last remaining vial, but wouldn’t allow herself the extra fix. She had to save it to get through her last twenty-four hours. The ride home was going to be a bitch, but it would be worth it to have this extra time with Ian.