Page 12 of Ember

That decided it. I headed to the back door. I was scared to meet Alejandro. My brain was blowing this way out of proportion. He would smell okay, be perfectly nice, and I would be pleasant.

That was all. It was dumb of me to worry that his scent would be as intense as Ben’s and Rian’s had been yesterday. I texted Sunshine that I was at the back entrance and waited.

A minute later, the door opened, and my cousin grinned like the sunshine she was named for. “Hey, Ember! Thanks for stopping by to help me.” She looked positively elated, like someone had told her she’d won the lottery and chocolate was now calorie-free.

I snickered. Or like she’s just gone through Julian’s heat.

“No problem.” I stepped inside.

Controlled chaos reigned.

Sunshine led me over to a small stainless steel high bar. “They got a lunch pop, but then they’ll be free.”

The kitchen was divided into two. One side was what I expected from my diet of reality TV shows about chefs: a big row of stoves, burners, and an oven behind a long stainless steel counter where chefs put food up into the window for servers to carry out.

Perpendicular to that was a smaller kitchen. There were stoves, burners, a fridge, and a long counter space, and right in front of that were three stools. Almost like a small diner.

“This is where Logan experiments without getting in Alejandro’s way.” Sunshine gestured for me to take a seat. Sunshine had a notepad at her place setting and a glass of soda.

I scanned the other side of the kitchen. I recognized Logan, his brown hair mostly covered, his white chef hat making him look more serious than usual. Three other chefs worked in the kitchen, and all wearing black-and-white-checkered pants that looked like pajama bottoms, and white chef jackets with their hair tamed in some sort of handkerchief or bandanna.

I scanned their faces and locked eyes with one of them. He was the most handsome of the bunch. His skin was light brown, and a couple of pieces of curly black hair escaped his bandanna. He was sweaty but it looked good on him, and he had warm brown eyes and dimples.

I stifled a traitorous whimper, feeling hot and then cold.

We only made eye contact for a second before he had to turn back to the stove to flip or smash or caress a meat patty. I didn’t know; I wasn’t a chef. He was doing chef things. But that moment was long enough to send shivers down my arms. I couldn’t scent him at all, not with this many people and food smells, but that didn’t stop me from trying to.

Sunshine got me a glass of soda and talked about the menu. I nodded, smiled, and added comments about chocolate cake and more milkshake options, but I was only halfway paying attention.

Sunshine took pity on me and kept the conversation light. She was a good cousin.

The orders slowed down too soon, and I still had no idea if I was supposed to go talk to the sexy alpha or if I’d be bothering him.

Logan approached Sunshine and gave her a kiss on the mouth. They looked at each other like they were the entire world, and my heart lurched.

I had that with West, I reminded myself. He was the center of my universe. I was a greedy omega, to want more people to love me like that.

Logan nodded. “Thanks for coming by.”

“No problem.” I smiled, trying very hard not to glance over at the stoves. “I love food, so helping seemed like a good plan.”

“I should introduce you,” Logan said gruffly. “Come here, Alejandro.”

My mouth went dry, and I tried to smile. The sexy alpha came around the side of the kitchen, looking amused. “Yes, chef?”

He sounded slightly sarcastic, like he was poking fun at himself and Logan.

“This is Ember, Sunshine’s cousin. Ember, this is Alejandro. Thanks for giving him an excuse to play with food again.”

Bless Logan, that was my in. “Anytime.” I looked at Alejandro. “I’m happy to help whenever you need someone to deal with the leftovers.”

He was somehow sexier closer up, and I caught a whiff of his scent, something tropical and fruity, like a pineapple and a strawberry had a love child, with undertones of palm leaves.

I wanted to lick him, get his scent all the way into my mouth. It was as dirty as it sounded, but also an impulse to know more.

“Of course, mi vida.” He winked, and I swore my panties caught on fire. Someone needed to stick his face on Sexy Alpha Monthly; we’d make a killing. “I live to serve.”

All coherent thoughts left my brain. I was ready to blame my red cheeks on the heat in the kitchen, but if I didn’t get my libido under control, the entire kitchen would smell like my perfume.

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