Dedication
This book is for Sarah.
Thank you for all the beautiful menus in these books, and for being a wonderful human. xo
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Menu Mia’s Famous Apple Pie
Camden’s Award-Winning Cheesecake
Song
Announcement
About the Author
Also by Kristen Proby
Copyright
About the Publisher
Prologue
~Mia~
“Are you kidding me?” I stare at my doctor, dumbfounded. Are you motherfucking kidding me?
“I’m not,” she says with a satisfied grin and pats my knee. “False-positive pregnancy tests are more common than you think.”
“But the whole damn purpose of a pregnancy test is to tell the truth.”
My fingers are shaking now. Oh my God, what did I do?
“Well, it can’t think for itself. And sometimes it’s wrong.”
“Sometimes it’s wrong.” I swallow hard so I don’t throw up all over her. “He married me,” I whisper. “We’ve only been married for four days.”
“You can always keep trying to have children,” she says.
“You don’t understand. He married me because the pregnancy test was positive.” I swallow again and impatiently brush at the tears on my cheeks.
“Mia, that’s no way to keep a man—”
“No.” I shake my head and glare at her. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I just got pregnant, and the next thing I knew we were at the justice of the peace.”
“I was twenty once,” she says and pats my knee again, and I want to deck her condescending ass. “Young people can be impulsive. I’m sure you can have the marriage annulled if that’s what you want to do. In the meantime, I recommend you going on the pill.”
The rest of the appointment is a blur of prescriptions and another pat on the knee, and then I’m in my car, staring at the plain gold band on my left hand, sobbing.
There’s no other reason for Camden to be married to me. He’s never told me he loves me. Hell, we never even officially said we were dating. We moved in together as roommates, and it evolved into hot and convenient sex.
He was just doing the right thing.
And now I have to do the right thing, too.
I can fix this.
No one knows that we got married. Not even my best friends.
And he won’t be home for at least another four hours from his shift at the pub.
Once I’m in our small Seattle apartment, I start blindly throwing my things into suitcases, and when those run out I use garbage bags.
I have to go before he gets home. I can’t face him. I can’t tell him that I was stupid and maybe too hopeful that a sexy and driven man could truly want to be with me.
Once my car is loaded, I write a short note.
Camden,
My doctor assured me today that the pregnancy test was wrong. I’m not pregnant. There was no need to be hasty and get married. We are free to find someone we truly love to spend our lives with.
Best wishes,
Mia
I lay the paper on the kitchen counter and take one last look around our apartment. We’ve only lived here for three months, but there are so many memories. Sex, and food, and laughter.
But there wasn’t any love, at least not from Camden.
And in spite of all of my faults, I deserve love, too.
Chapter One
~Mia~
“Oh, hello Camden.” I smile and tilt my head ever-so-slightly to the side. I’m standing in our office in front of the large full-length mirror between mine and Addie’s desks. “Thank you. I’ve let it grow since I last saw you. No time to get a haircut when you run a successful restaurant.”
I sigh and stare at myself in the mirror. “Don’t brag. That’s not nonchalant.” I narrow my freshly lined eyes and consider what to say. “What’s that? You’ve missed me? How nice. I admit that I’ve hardly given you a thought in the past ten years.”
I smirk and then roll my eyes. That’s the biggest lie of my life.
“No, I’ve never watched your show.” I practice raising just one eyebrow, not quite as menacing as The Rock, but in that sophisticated way that some women can do, like my best friend Addie, and fail miserably. Both eyebrows go up and I just look surprised.
“So, you’re impotent.” I nod sagely and try to look sympathetic. “That must be horrible for you.”
“Who the fuck are you talking to?” Riley, another of my best friends and co-owner of Seduction, asks as she hurries into our office.
“No one,” I reply with a sigh and tease my hair for the fortieth time. “I’m practicing what to say when I see Camden.”
“I don’t think you should lead with a conversation about his dick,” she says and then chuckles. “Although, it’s the most unique icebreaker I’ve ever heard of, so do whatever works for you.”
“It’s been ten years,” I whisper. “How is this even happening?”
“Why didn’t you tell us about him?” Riley counters and I turn to face her.
“Because he was a dude I dated in culinary school. It wasn’t serious.”
“You freaking married him.”
I shrug and turn away, still avoiding the conversation. “Well, I’m not married to him now, am I? And it’s just my luck that he became a celebrity chef and that he’s going to be in my kitchen. Does God hate me?”
“I’ve seen Camden,” Riley says with a slow smile. “He’s a sexy celebrity chef. Eye candy in your kitchen isn’t a horrible thing.”
I shake my head. If it were anyone but Camden I would agree. But the man got hotter in the last ten years.
How does that even happen?
“You know how I feel about sharing my kitchen.”
“You’ve made it quite clear,” she says with a laugh. “It’s not forever. By the time we’re ready to tape episodes for the show, we’ll be on a set. For now, Trevor wants you guys to meet and to start brainstorming recipe ideas and get to know each other a bit.”
“If we’re in competition with each other, why do we need to get to know each other? I should be able to just show up and kick his ass and then call it a day.”
She smirks. “There’s nothing spontaneous about spontaneous television.”
I frown and cross my arms over my chest, but Riley immediately wraps her arms around me and gives me a tight hug. I don’t love to be touched, so I stiffen, but that just makes her hold on harder.
“You’re touching me.”
“I love you, Mia.”
Damn it. “I love you, too.”
“You’re not a grouchy woman,” she says and I can’t help but grin. “You’re beautiful and you’re a genius in the kitchen.”
“Now you’re just sucking up.”
She kisses my cheek and pulls away. I rub the spot on my cheek and sigh. “Fine. I’ll turn the grouchy level down a bit. You know, all I ever wanted was to cook. I just wanted to open this place with you guys and cook delicious food. I never sig
ned on to be a TV chef.”
“I know,” she says with a nod. “And you’ve been—”
“Difficult.”
“Awesome about it.”
I try to cock my brow again, but it doesn’t work.
“You may grumble, but you still do what we ask, and that’s more than I ever expected. I don’t know how you feel about meeting with Camden today because you don’t ever talk to us about it, but I can tell you this. You’re beautiful. That blue top looks amazing. He’s going to swallow his tongue.”
“I don’t care,” I lie.
“Honey, you’re a woman. Of course you care.” She checks the time on her phone. “He should be here any minute. We’re meeting in the bar.”
“Not the kitchen?”
“No, you can show him your kitchen yourself. It’s your space.”
She turns to leave, and I take one last look in the mirror. “You’ve got this. He’s just a man, and you’ve got this.”
I nod confidently, smooth my hands down my black skirt, and flip my curly black hair behind my shoulder as I leave the safety of my office and walk to the bar.
Our restaurant is simply stunning. If I didn’t own it, I would love to work here. We’ve expanded recently, adding two dozen more tables. The grey hardwood floors gleam in the low light. The chairs are plush and inviting, and the booths are deep, framed by heavy curtains for a more intimate experience. Not to mention, the food is remarkable if I do say so myself.
I walk into the bar and immediately spot Camden. His back is to me, but I’d recognize him anywhere. He’s a bit broader now, his shoulders and arms nicely wrapped in his white button-down shirt. But his hair is the same light brown, if a bit longer than before. It used to beg for my fingers to mess it up. And let’s be honest, even sitting down, I’d recognize his ass anywhere.
He’s talking with Trevor, the show’s executive producer and Riley’s new husband. Riley is there, along with Addie, Cami, and Kat—the other co-owners of Seduction, and my very best friends.
I take a deep breath and wrap all of the confidence I can muster around me, then walk steadily to the table.
“Hello.”
Camden turns with a smile, and I swear everything in me just stills. I can’t smile, or walk, or even give him the up and down once-over greeting that I’d decided upon last night. All I can do is stare into his deep-blue eyes, and lock my knees so I don’t fall on my ass.
Damn him.
“Mia.” Hearing my name from his lips feels like an out-of-body experience. “How are you?”
“I’m well,” I reply and hold my hand out for his. He shakes it, but rather than let go, he kisses the back of my hand. The girls give each other looks of surprise and I quickly retrieve my own hand. “And you?”
“I’m great.”
Someone, Kat I think, puts a glass of wine in my hand and I take a long sip, needing the liquid courage.
“You know each other?” Trevor asks, but he already knows the answer to that. I’m sure Riley told him everything she knows, which isn’t much.
“We used to,” Camden says, still holding my gaze. “A long time ago.”
“A long time,” I agree with a nod and walk to the opposite side of the table. I can’t sit next to him without smelling him, and the fact that he still smells the same doesn’t bode well for me. He’s spicy, like thyme or rosemary. I don’t think I’ve met anyone before, or since him, who can smell delicious and so fucking masculine all at once. I’ve been attracted to this man since I was nineteen years old. I remember what he looks like naked.
Dear sweet Jesus, he’s seen me naked.
I never should have agreed to this.
“Do you want some more?” Kat asks with a grin.
“More what?”
“Wine. You sucked that down like a champ.”
I frown down at my glass and set it away from me. “Oh. No. But it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?”
“That’s my philosophy,” Cami says with a nod.
“So, I know this is going to be a competition show,” Camden says, pulling me back to the task at hand. “But I don’t have many of the specifics.”
“Well, it’s not going to be a surprise show,” Trevor says. “I’m not going to throw lemon peel and mushrooms your way, and demand that you make it into a masterpiece in fourteen minutes.”
“Okay,” Camden says with a nod. “How will this work?”
“I want you and Mia to do some brainstorming on recipes. Dishes that are a challenge, but fun to watch you make. If you have signature dishes you’re known for, or if you have a specific recipe coming up in your new cookbook, that would be fantastic. For this pilot episode, we’ll do five recipes and then choose our favorite three for the actual show.”
“What are they competing for?” Cami asks and sips her water. Her blue eyes are full of humor as she looks back and forth between us. “Fame? Fortune? Their own cooking show?”
“They already have those,” Trevor replies with a laugh. “I was thinking bragging rights.”
“That’s boring,” Addie says with a frown. She tucks her blonde hair behind her ear, then taps her lips in thought. “Maybe they can win a certain amount of money to be donated to their favorite charity?”
“I like that,” I reply with a nod. “Neither of us needs money.” I look to Camden for confirmation. He doesn’t say anything, just holds my gaze and nods in agreement. “We should make donations to a charity. We can switch it up each week.”
“That’s a good idea,” Kat says with a nod, and Trevor makes notes in his notebook.
“Will we be cooking at the same time?” I ask.
“Yes. You’ll be using the same kitchen together.”
“How do we know that Mia won’t cheat?”
My head whips up in surprise, but Camden is grinning at me.
“I won’t have to cheat to kick your ass,” I reply.
“You sound confident.”
“Cooking is what I do best.”
His eyes smolder, just like they used to when he was thinking about sex, and I have to look away from him and turn my attention to Trevor. “What you’re saying is, you haven’t come up with any recipes yourself? Shouldn’t you assign them to us?”
“You just said that cooking is what you do best. I’m not a chef. I want you guys to play with it.”
“When do we begin filming?” Camden asks.
“Next Monday.”
“A week away?” I demand. That means I have to see Camden for a whole week.
“That should give you time to decide on recipes and strategy,” Trevor says with a nod.
“Surely Camden can’t take this much time away from his regular gig,” Addie says, and I vow right here and now to bake her brownies every day for the rest of her life.
“I’m free,” Camden says with a smile. “My other show has wrapped for the season, so I’m good.”
“I don’t want to rush this,” Trevor says. “And I want the show to succeed.”
“Do you and Camden know each other well?” Cami asks. “How did you choose him?”
“I cast him in his current show,” Trevor replies.
“Trev and I go way back,” Camden confirms. “I think we’ve been at the network about the same amount of time.”
Trevor nods, and I’m still stuck on having to spend time with Camden for a whole week.
“Am I going to have to do this with every competitor for each episode? Spend a week coming up with the menu before we film? That seems . . . stupid.”
Trevor laughs. “No. We’ve decided to just focus on this first episode to start and to see how the audience receives it, and then we can work on more shows.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why do I think you’re not telling me the whole truth?”
“I have no idea,” Trevor replies.
“I also have to work this week,” I remind everyone. “I’ll work with Camden, but I still have a kitchen to run.”
“I was going to speak to
you about that,” Cami begins. She’s the CPA and money guru of our operation. “We have the budget to hire on some more kitchen help. I think you should consider it.”
“No.”
“I can help,” Camden says and then shrugs when we all stare at him. “I’m here anyway. I’ve been told that my dishes don’t suck.”
“You don’t know the menu.” I cannot work next to this man every day. I’ll climb him like a damn tree after the first day.
“I can learn.”
“Think about it,” Addie says. “You don’t have to decide now.”
“Did no one hear me say no?”
“Grouchy,” Riley says between her teeth and I sit back in my seat, staring at her. Her eyes widen and I can hear her thoughts. Stop being difficult.
I sigh and resign myself to this weird twist of fate. Camden is back in my life. I never thought that would happen. The culinary world isn’t huge, but I’ve been careful to make sure we haven’t crossed paths in all of these years, and now, here we are. Working together.
“I’ll think about the offer,” I say reluctantly. “We will work in my kitchen this week, but we’re filming the show on set.”
“Yes,” Trevor says. “The set has been made to look exactly like the kitchen here at Seduction.”
“I’d like to see your kitchen,” Camden says. He may as well have just said he’d like to see me naked. My kitchen is the most intimate part of me.
But I just smile and stand. “This way.”
“I’ll catch up with you both later,” Trevor says.
I walk ahead of Camden, and pray that he’s not staring at my ass. I’m a bit heavier than I was when I knew him years ago. Not much, but a bit, and it’s all settled in my ass.
“You have a beautiful restaurant,” he says from behind me.
“Thank you.” I nod and push through the kitchen door, holding it open for him. He stops next to me and takes everything in.
“Clean. Efficient. Top of the line.”
“It’s all of those things,” I agree and give him the tour. I show him the two walk-in refrigerators and freezers. I show him where I keep everything. I avoid looking at him, or touching him.