thing that helped was chocolate ice cream and his nonna’s hugs. He didn’t have any chocolate ice cream, and ChiChi was playing poker with her friends. So he opened his arms and pulled Lexi close, wrapping one hand around her lower back and gently patting between her shoulders.
Then he said, “Salmon isn’t so bad.”
“It is when it’s poached and served on a bed of blanched asparagus,” she sniffled and, to his surprise, wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her soft cleavage into his chest and burying her face in the curve of his neck. Not sure what to do next, he went quiet, knowing that the women in his life lived to fill gaps of silence.
Sure enough, after what felt like fifteen minutes, Lexi finally spoke. “Our grandmas invited me do a tasting with a few other caterers at the next Daughters of the Prohibition meeting.”
She sniffled.
He gave another comforting pat on her head.
They both stood in silence. For a long-ass time, because of course Lexi couldn’t be like other women and spill her secrets. That would be too easy.
“That’s great,” he finally said, hating himself for giving in. Men liked quiet. Welcomed it, even. But with her, he had no idea what he liked anymore. All he knew was that if she was catering that event, she wouldn’t hide in her apartment all day, wouldn’t have time to date a bunch of tools, and he wouldn’t have to deal with Natasha.
“No, not great. They invited the celebrity judge for the Showdown to join them.” Sniffle. “Probably because Bo Brock is so hot.”
Lexi thought Bo Brock was hot? Marc was suddenly hoping that the guy was reconsidering. Hell, he might just tell Brock he’d found another judge.
“Abby and I figured that if I catered the event it would be a great way to test my new recipes while building a name for the bistro.”
“Then why the tears?” Marc asked, running his fingers up the back of her neck and easing out some of the tension. He must have hit a sensitive spot, because she gave a little moan and snuggled closer and Marc gave up.
No matter how many times he patted her back or tried to picture Abby in his arms instead of Lexi, he couldn’t come up with a single brotherly emotion. The only thing that was coming up for him was a big problem in his pants, and if Lexi swayed any closer she was bound to notice. And wouldn’t that just make everything a hell of a lot more complicated.
So when she added, “They’re deciding who gets to cater the Showdown, and if they like my food it will be me,” Marc took her by the shoulders and nudged her back a little so that they were no longer touching.
“That’s incredible. Do you realize how much press you could get out of that?”
“That’s what Abby said.” Her lower lip quivered. “But they want me to serve salmon,” she cried. “On a bed of asparagus! How can I make the most boring dish ever and impress them? I mean—”
She froze, her big green eyes large and wet. “Oh God.” She doubled over and covered her face with her hands as though embarrassed for him to see her break down. Her back shook with emotion, and she was making these little mewling sounds that damn near broke his heart.
Marc squatted in front of her, tucking her hair behind her shoulder, and whispered, “Aw, honey, don’t cry anymore, you’re killing me. We’ll figure this out. You and me. I promise. Hey,” he coaxed when she just kept convulsing. He pulled his shirt out and offered it up. “Give a good blow, wipe your tears, and then I’ll take you home. We can talk about this in the morning. Okay?”
Lexi lifted her head slightly, looked up at him with those incredible eyes, and then, for the first time since she’d been served, she reminded him of the girl he knew and loved. She moved her hands and threw up all over his shirt.
CHAPTER 7
A clicking sounded in the distance. It echoed through her head, pounding over and over. Lexi groaned, and even that hurt.
Pulling the covers tighter to her, she squeezed her eyes, trying to convince her brain to reattach to her skull. The clicking stopped, and she felt a hand slide into her hair, then rub tiny, moan-worthy circles at the base of her skull. Snuggling in deeper, she melted around the warm body she was holding and felt