Read Her New Boss: A Rouge Erotic Romance for Free Online

now this?’
    Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say more, and Jackson almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Until he remembered how she’d treated him and how her tone only changed when she discovered who he was. He might not be a movie star, but in culinary circles people knew who he was. If Zoe had worked for Contiello, she’d been in those circles.
    The bartender nodded once, not deigning to answer the boisterous chef, and turned without saying another word. She grabbed a beer from the cooler and slid it in front of Contiello before turning to walk away.
    ‘What did I tell you?’ Contiello slapped him on the arm again. ‘Come on, let’s go get a seat and hear your proposal.’
    ‘Jackson Levy,’ Zoe whispered, coming to her sisters. ‘That cowboy is Jackson Levy and he’s really a cowboy.’
    ‘Are you getting this?’ Kat laughed, taking a drink. She swayed slightly on her seat, more than a little tipsy.
    ‘Something about cowboy levies?’ Sasha answered.
    ‘They tax cowboys?’ Kat giggled.
    ‘That man I yelled at. That’s Jackson Levy. Kat, do you remember that magazine article I showed you a year ago about the mysterious restaurateur? You know the one, everything he touched turned to crème brûlée? That’s him! He’s the guy investors pay thousands of dollars to so he can design them restaurants and every one of them is in the black within a year. He picks the location, the theme, the staff, the cooks, the …’
    ‘Whoa, take a deep breath.’ Kat reached across the bar. ‘You look like you’re about to pass out.’
    ‘He could get me a job,’ Zoe said, feeling the first real ray of hope since she’d gotten fired. ‘If he backed me, it wouldn’t matter what rumours Contiello spread because that man –’ she paused, waving her hand toward the end of the bar where Jackson had been sitting ‘– is a restaurant genius. And I was such a bitch to him.’
    ‘You didn’t know,’ Kat said.
    ‘You’ve done it now,’ Sasha teased.
    ‘Sash, now’s not the time to rub it in,’ Kat scolded, giving their sister a disapproving look. Turning her attention once more to Zoe, she continued, ‘Apologize to him and if he seems reasonable, explain what happened between you and Contiello.’
    ‘What did happen between you and Contiello?’ Sasha interrupted.
    ‘He wanted her recipes.’ Kat continued to stare at Zoe. ‘And she didn’t want to give them to him to use. He tried to say they were his anyway since she worked in his kitchen when she invented them.’
    ‘Pfft!’ Sasha snorted. ‘She’d been inventing those long before his kitchen.’
    Zoe looked to where Jackson sat, well away from both her and the bar. ‘Who knows what lies Contiello’s telling him now?’
    ‘Want me to have him eliminated?’ Sasha narrowed her gaze, taking a swig out of her bottle as she glared across the room.
    ‘Thanks, gangsta, but I think we’ll follow mom’s advice on this one.’ Kat gave Zoe a pointed look. ‘Go defeat him with kindness and honesty. Don’t let Contiello win. You’re too good for that.’
    ‘Since when do we listen to mom?’ Zoe asked, too nervous to take a step.
    ‘Since the tea leaves told her we should.’ Kat laughed, poking fun at their divining mother. ‘You want me to call her and tell her to put on a kettle?’
    ‘Uh, no,’ Zoe said, knowing her mother’s assistance at this moment was the last thing she needed. ‘I’ll talk to him just as soon as there is an opening.’
    ‘Smart choice.’ Sasha winked. ‘Now, how about beer number 159 on the list? I haven’t tried that one yet.’
    Zoe waited nervously for over an hour, watching for her chance to bring Jackson another drink. Once, Kendra beat her to it as she was tied up with the rowdy college boys. A part of her cringed since she had said she’d pay for them, as she mentally tallied how many beers the two men drank. She could little afford to fund their meeting.
    But covering the tab was the least of her