Page 3 of Softer Than Stone
Sure, he was a big guy—which was one giant tick. He also seemed competent, which may or may not have got me hard. Okay, and the not-so-subtle glances he kept casting my way were kind of a turn-on. But what really messed with my head was the Chokito bar I’d found on my desk this morning.
It wasn’t there last night. No one on staff would have thought to leave me a chocolate bar—I was too much of a grumpy arsehole for that kind of thoughtfulness—let alone one I’d been grumbling about not having had in ages. I didn’t need to be a detective to figure out who’d left it.
Chris.
The idea that the massive lion shifter had not only overheard me but gone out of his way to track one down? It had my stomach flipping like I’d eaten raw dough. And it wasn’t thebadkind of flip either.
Admittedly, all of those reasons told me I was lying to myself. I wasn’t confused about my pull to him. He ticked a lot more than one box.
Perhaps I shouldn’t think it. We were both on the job, and I could feel something dangerous brewing just below the surface in Kurranba. Brax’s presence—the guy who’d somehow found his way into my restaurant and was the reason why Chris was here in the first place—had tainted the place with unease, and I hated the way my staff had picked up on it, tiptoeing around like they were waiting for something to explode.
Why the hell had I said it was okay for Chris to be here again?
My gaze flicked towards the side room where I knew he was stationed. Now wasn’t the time to wonder if a man his size—all thick muscle and stunning golden eyes—would be keen to sit on my dick and let me fuck him into oblivion.
But it wasn’t like I wasnotwondering either.
His muscles bunched, making me pause. Lips moving, he was clearly talking to whoever was at the other end of his earpiece. My panther hearing was phenomenal at the best of times, but the first thing the SICB had done when they took over the small room that gave almost a panoramic view of the restaurant floor was soundproof the space.
Hell, put a blind on the window in the door, and I was kinda grateful that they said I could keep the new additions. There were a lot of possibilities for what I could do with a soundproof room, especially if Chris stuck around.
I nodded at something Kira was saying, but my gaze remained firmly fixed on Chris. His head had snapped up, eyes tracking whatever was happening on the restaurant floor. Following his gaze, I peered out of the large hatch separating the kitchen from the restaurant area.
A woman entered. Human. Short and petite, she looked wary, darting furtive glances around her. At her side was a tiger shifter. My nose twitched at his scent, and unease settled in my gut. The guy was big, and while I pulled off the grump card pretty impressively, he just looked mean.
They walked towards Brax, the man Chris had told me the SICB were tracking. Brax’s focus stuck to the woman, something close to distaste crossing his expression. A cruel smile appeared when he gestured to the seat before him, which she clumsily took.
Discomfort pierced my chest. This was all wrong. Everything about it.
The woman didn’t want to be here. I didn’t need to be a genius to figure that out. So why the hell was Chris letting this meeting take place?
“Chef.”
I jerked my head towards Kira. Worry furrowed their brow.Shit.Just how long had they been trying to get my attention? “Yeah?” I worked hard on hiding my concern for what was happening with the meeting taking place, schooling my features in the usual “fuck off” setting.
Funnily enough, my go-to frown settled Kira immediately. Their worry disappeared.
“What’s up?” I asked, crossing my arms and leaning slightly against the counter, my attention torn between the kitchen and what was bubbling in the restaurant.
“Sorry, chef,” Kira said, their voice a touch hesitant. “It’s just… I’m not sure the sauce for the barramundi is reducing properly. Should I add more stock, or…?”
I exhaled, dragging myself back into focus. “No stock. It’s already on the thin side. Kick the heat up a touch and keep an eye on it. If it doesn’t start behaving in two minutes, let me know.”
Kira nodded, relief clear in their expression, and moved back to their station. I turned to the hatch and peered through again, catching a glimpse of the tiger shifter standing behind the woman, meaty hands gripping the back of her chair. His body language screamed intimidation.
Chris was still watching intently. His posture was a study in tension—bunched shoulders, clenched jaw, and hands resting too deliberately on the tabletop in the small soundproof room. When his gaze flicked towards me for half a second, I felt it like a spark down my spine.
But I didn’t have time for sparks, not now. There was an hour left of service, and my team needed my focus.
“Back to it, Waru,” I muttered to myself, turning my attention to the kitchen.You can brood later.
I walked the line, checking dishes, correcting plating, barking orders to keep everyone on track. Service was nearly over, and I could see the exhaustion setting in on my staff. They needed to push through just a little longer, and it was my job to get them there.
“Barramundi’s ready, chef!” Kira called out, their voice carrying above the din.
“Run it!” I called back, giving the plate a cursory glance as it went by.
Still, my thoughts kept drifting. Something about that woman in the dining room—the way her shoulders hunched and her eyes darted like a rabbit under threat—set my instincts on edge.
