Page 3 of White Wedding
On the table was a pitcher of ice water and a few glasses. Rafael poured himself a glass and cleared his throat. All he had to do at this meeting was show Ms. Blackwood his menus and convince her to bring her clients to Tres Hermanos for a tasting. Once they tried the food, they’d be hooked.
As the door handle turned, he plastered a bright smile on his face, fully prepared to wow Ms. Blackwood with his charm and his brother’s creative menus.
But as soon as she walked in, his goals flew out the window.
Because the last time he’d seen her?
She’d been naked.
And she sure as hell hadn’t called herself Victoria Blackwood.
Chapter 2
Victoria stared at the man standing behind the boardroom table.
What the hell?
As always, she’d done her research. Tres Hermanos was an upscale Mexican restaurant, founded by three brothers, that had been a fixture in Escondido for decades. Six years ago, Martin Sanchez—the oldest son of one of the owners—had expanded the business by starting a catering company affiliated with the restaurant. Victoria had read an interview with him in theSan Diego Union-Tribute. He was in his thirties. Married with two kids.
This guy?
Not Martin.
His name was Rafael. By now, he had to be twenty-six or twenty-seven, since he was in his early twenties when she met him in Baja, five years ago.
If anything, he’d only gotten more handsome. Tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular, with light brown skin, searing dark eyes, and thick black hair. Hair that had felt absolutely luscious under her fingers. He was wearing long sleeves, but if he rolled them up, she’d see tattoos up and down his arms. There wasn’t an inch of his body she hadn’t explored.
“You’reVictoria Blackwood?” he said.
She tried to speak, but nothing came out. At the very least, she owed him an apology. An explanation.Something. But she couldn’t form the words. He filled a glass of water from the pitcher on the table and handed it to her. She took a few grateful sips, stalling until she regained her voice. “I…I am. But you’re not Martin Sanchez.”
“I’m his younger brother.” Rafael gestured to the chair opposite him. “You should sit. You look pale.”
She nodded and sat down. She still couldn’t believe she was facing Rafael. “I thought you worked in San Diego. At El Marinero or someplace like that.”
He crossed his arms. “I did. But I came back to Escondido four years ago and started working for my brothers.”
She tried to control the rush of emotions coursing through her. No matter how great her shock, she needed to stay focused and secure a caterer for the wedding. “I don’t understand. What happened to Martin? His assistant said I’d be meeting with him.”
“Sorry about that. There was a scheduling mix-up with our master calendar, and Martin only found out this morning. Neither of my brothers are available that night. Martin is hosting a private dinner as part of a charity auction, and Tony is tied up with a wedding in San Ysidro. But Tres Hermanos would still love to have your business. That’s why they sent me.”
His voice was calm. Even. How could he act so poised when she could barely contain the memories flooding through her? Nights of tequila and abandon. Swimming nude at a private beach. Long, leisurely sessions in bed.
Damn it, Victoria. Pull yourself together.
She took a deep breath. “Have you ever catered a wedding on your own before?”
“Just one. But it was much smaller.”
“How much smaller?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah…eighty people, give or take. It was for my cousin. In her parents’ backyard.”
Eighty people? Try as she might, she couldn’t stop her voice from rising. “I’m expecting two hundred people. And they’re expecting…a certain level of service.”
“Our service is excellent. If you need referrals, Martin can provide you with plenty of names.”
It didn’t matter how many names he gave her. Tres Hermanos might have a great reputation, but trusting an inexperienced caterer for her ex-fiancé’s wedding was a wreck waiting to happen. Not to mention she and the caterer shared an intimate,personalhistory.
