Page 17 of The Cask

Since I woke up drenched in sweat, I’d been telling myself the same thing over and over again. A sexually explicit dream with a man who resembled Omari didn’t mean anything. It didn’t even necessarily mean that I was thinking about Omari. Even though I was attracted to him, it was more likely that his voice being the last voice I heard before I went to sleep was the reason the man in the dream sounded like him. But it wasn’t him.

Attraction and sexual frustration collided and the man in the dream might’ve favored Omari, but it really could’ve been anyone,I lied to myself knowing full well who starred in the dream that woke me up panting.But even if it was him, it doesn’t mean anything. This is the same man that’s trying to ruin—

My head jerked to the left as the knock on the door startled me, interrupting my thoughts. I almost dropped the menus I was holding as my eyes met his.

What is he doing here?!

I took a deep breath and put on my game face. I was annoyed by his presence, but I forced a small smile. With each step, I shook off the thoughts, the dream, the image of him naked on top of me.

“Hello,” I greeted him as I opened the door. My eyes swept down his body. He looked really good in his navy-blue suit, but I kept my thoughts to myself.

“How are you?” His eyes scanned me from head to toe. “You look beautiful.”

Looking down at my black jumpsuit and sneakers, I said, “Thank you.”

“You know you’re gorgeous.” He cocked his head to the side. “Why do you look surprised?”

“I feel a little disheveled,” I pointed out, heading back over to the stack of menus. “Alexis is off on Sundays, so I’ve been getting everything set up for tonight by myself.”

“Disheveled?” He shook his head slowly, checking me out. “That is the last word that comes to mind when I look at you.” He took a step closer with each word. “Beautiful. Savvy. Intelligent. Alluring. Successful. Dedicated. Knowledgeable. Sexy.” He stopped when we were a foot apart. “Incredibly sexy.”

I swallowed hard. “You said sexy twice.”

He smirked. “I know.”

I broke eye contact and continued placing the menus. “Hm.”

“Is that a smile?”

“No.” I bit my bottom lip and looked at the time. “I thought we agreed I was coming to Luxe at two o’clock.”

“Yes, but I got finished with my lunch meeting early and since I had to park on this side of the street, I couldn’t pass by when I saw you through the door.”

I straightened the last menu into the insert and then put my hands on my hips. “So, you were watching me?”

“Not in a creepy way.”

“Nah…” I pursed my lips. “I think it was in a creepy way. I think you were creepily peeping into my place,” I teased.

“I wasn’t!” he laughed. “I called you before I came.”

“Likely story.”

He grinned. “Check your phone.”

“My phone is in my office.”

“Well, let’s get it from your office,” he challenged.

I glanced at my watch. Louis and a few of the other kitchen staff would be coming in at any minute. I didn’t want them to see Omari. I kept my personal life separate from my business and if they saw him, they would start asking way too many questions. I needed my plan to work and my staff would be immediately suspicious if they saw me openly flirting with the owner of Luxe.

“You know what? That’s a great idea,” I said, gesturing to the other side of the bistro with my head. “Follow me.”

“I like how you have the wine barrels with the glass tabletops over there. That’s pretty dope.”

“Thanks,” I replied, as I opened the door that led downstairs. “Watch your step.”

“What is this?” His deep tone was full of wonder as we descended the stairs.

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