INFERNO (The HEAT Series Book 4) (5 page)

"The only part of me that sustained any injury was my face, Chef." Tyler nods towards his naked body. "My cock is still in working order."

"I can see that." I lift a brow at the size of his erection. If we had more time, and if all of my anxieties about Neela had been calmed, I might take him up on what he's offering. It's almost too perfect to pass up, yet, I have to.

"I know you want to get back to the hospital." He tugs on a pair of black boxer briefs. "Once we check in on Sergio, I think we should go to Nova if you're up for it. I want this Maribel shit cleared up today."

I want that too. He's been by my side since I found him in my bedroom earlier. The only time he was out of my sight was when he took a quick shower after we arrived at his apartment. I agreed that we'd swing by here so he could change clothes before we go to see my dad together.

I watch as he puts on a pair of faded jeans before pulling a black T-shirt over his head. His left forearm is sporting a good sized bruise, the shade of it a perfect match to the bruise on his cheek.

"When the car hit you, were you thrown against the door?"

He looks across his bedroom to where I'm standing near the doorway. "It's hard to remember. I think so. That's what one of the EMTs told me."

"You saved my dad's life, Tyler." I tilt my head. "Your parents told me that."

"Did they?" He pushes his bare feet into a pair of black leather loafers. "I didn’t tell them about it."

Of course he didn't. If there's one thing I've learned about Tyler since we became involved with each other it's that he's not the person I thought he was. He's nothing like the arrogant, narcissistic jerk that the press makes him out to be. Chef Monroe is caring, his heart is tender and he's one of the most humble people I've ever met. That, and he's masterful at making a woman, this woman in particular, come.

"Are you thinking about fucking me, Cadence?"

"What?" I lower my eyes. "We were talking about the accident, Tyler. Don't change the subject."

"You were asking me about the accident?" He makes the subtle correction. "Then your eyes glazed over and your tongue wet your lips and you squirmed a little bit."

"I did not," I say defensively. "I didn't do any of those things."

He closes the space between us with heavy, measured steps until he's standing right in front of me. I can smell his soap and that ridiculously masculine scent of his cologne. He bites the corner of his bottom lip. "As soon as I prove to you that I want nothing to do with any other woman on the face of this earth, I'm going to take you to that bed and fuck that sweet body of yours over and over again, Chef."

My eyes dart from his face to the bed behind him.
              "You can bank on that promise. You belong in my bed and the sooner you're in it, the better."

***

"I'm Cadence Sutton. Sergio Firi is my dad." I approach a petite red-headed nurse as I enter the ICU with Tyler by my side. "Has he been asleep the entire time I've been gone?"

She looks right past me to Tyler. "Are you Chef Monroe? You're Tyler Monroe, aren't you?"

I feel him move behind me. His arm brushes mine as he darts his hand toward the nurse. "I'm him. It's nice to meet you."

She grabs his hand with both of hers, pulling it to her chest before she finally lets it fall. "I've been a fan for years. I have every cookbook you've ever written."

He steps into view next to me, his hand resting on my lower back. "My girlfriend is here to see her dad. Is he awake yet?"

She eyes me briefly before she turns her attention right back to Tyler. "The doctor is in with him now. He's been resting comfortably all night."

"Good to know." He motions toward a row of grey fabric chairs that line one of the walls. "We're going to sit over there and when Cadence can go in and see her dad, you're going to let us know."

"I'll do that, Chef." The redhead nods her head swiftly. "Can I get you anything? Some water or maybe a coffee?"

"No," he says quietly as he steers me to the row of chairs. "We're good. We're both fine."

I settle into a chair as Tyler does the same next to me. "He's going to be okay, Cadence. You know he told me a few stories about you last night before we left my place for Nova."

"What stories?" I trace my finger over a crease in the leg of my jeans. "Stories from when I was a little girl?"

"Some of them." He raises his eyebrows. "He told me about Old Pete."

I cover my face with both hands, tying to mask the blush that I feel racing up my neck. "He didn’t. Sergio wouldn't talk about Old Pete."

He tugs at my hands, but I hold firm. "You'd sing Old Pete to sleep each night. How fucking adorable is that?"
              I shake my head and laugh. It feels good, so good to just let go. "Don't talk about Old Pete, Tyler."

"You miss the old guy, don't you?" He leans close enough that he can whisper into my ear. "Do you ever sing yourself to sleep in memory of him?"

I splay my hands so I can peek around my fingers to see his face. He's smiling, his grin wide and open. "No. Never. I stopped singing when Old Pete died. I loved that goldfish."

He scratches his jaw. "You'll sing me to sleep when I'm old. I'll ask you to and you will."

I lower my hands. "What makes you think I would do that for you?"

His fingers move from his lap to mine, running a path over my knee. He leans in then, his mouth so close to mine that I can feel his breath against my lips. "You love me, Cadence Sutton. You love me more than you loved Old Pete. That's why I know you'll do that for me."

"The doctor told me that you're recovering at warp speed, dad." I pull the green plastic chair that was near the window across the floor. The metal feet make a grinding noise that fills the quiet air. The only other sound is the rhythmic beeping of the machine that is tracking his vital signs.

He watches as I move the chair into place next to the bed. "You can't keep a good man down, Cady."

He's right. I'd listened intently as the doctor explained to me that my father would be spending the foreseeable future in the hospital. They're going to schedule the surgery on his leg for next week. Once that's complete, they'll keep an eye on him for any possible issues that may arise from the procedure itself including blood clots. My father failed to tell me that he suffered a mild stroke eighteen months ago. I heard that from the older male doctor who just examined him. It's a concern, but they're aware of it now after speaking with his primary care physician in Italy. He's in good hands here and if he follows all of their advice, he'll be walking again within a few months.

After the doctor had left the ICU unit, Tyler reassured me that Sergio was getting the best care possible and he told me that he'd arrange for me to speak personally with his brother-in-law, Ben, if I have any questions. I'd kissed his cheek then before I came into the room to see my dad alone.

"How are you feeling today?" I sit in the chair, my elbow propped on the bed next to him.
              "Happy."

I smile. It's the same answer he gave me in the middle of the night when he woke up. "Why are you happy, dad?"

"My beautiful girl is here." He rests his hand over mine. "What father wouldn't be happy to have a daughter like you?"

"Can I give you a gift?" I lean down to pull my purse into my lap. "I bought you something."

"Is it Father's Day?"

I nod. "In a way it is, yes. I missed Father's Day so I want to give you the gift today. Is that okay?"

"It's okay," he says in a low voice. "Gifts from you are my favorite. I still have the watch you gave me."

I glance quickly at his left wrist. It's bare. The outline of where the watch has long been is still there. The skin that's been hidden beneath the watch is pale compared to the rest of his arm. It's obvious that it was an integral part of who he was for a very long time.

"That watch was broken, dad." I pull the box from my purse. "I got you a new one."

His eyes drift from the box in my hand to his left wrist. "I loved that watch, Cady. Can't you fix the old one?"

I open the box and pull the new watch out. I hold it in the air where I know he can see it. "It's the same watch, dad. This one works. The hands move."

His eyes lock on the face of the watch as tears form in his eyes. "It's the same watch. It's as new as the day you gave it to me. Put it on my arm."

I'm hesitant. I know they'll need to remove it when they operate on his leg, but for now, it needs to be where it belongs. I reach forward, wrap it around his wrist and fasten it closed.

"I love you, dad," I say quietly as I graze my lips across his forehead. "Whenever you look at the watch you'll know that every minute of every day I love you, and I'll love you for every minute after that."

"I love you, Cady." His voice is barely more than a whisper as he closes his eyes and drifts back to sleep.

***

"I'll explain the sentimental value of the watch to Ben." Tyler darts his head to the side to look out the window of the taxi. "I'm sure he'll be able to talk to the staff in the ICU so the watch doesn't get misplaced."

I'm already planning on a back-up plan myself. After Tyler and I go to Nova to see Maribel I'm going to Times Square to get another watch. I don't want my dad to face his recovery without a watch on his arm. I can't say for certain whether Tyler understands the significance of the watch, even though I've been explaining it to him since we got into this taxi outside the hospital. It doesn’t really matter if he gets it or not. The watch is important to my dad, so I want an extra just in case the one he's wearing goes missing or gets damaged.

"Pull up on the left," Tyler says to the driver. "If you stop right after the light, that's good."

I glance out of the window at new Nova. Although the restaurant is closed until it officially opens next week, it's still a bustling hub of activity. I can see movement through the windows and a few people have stopped outside to peruse the menu that is displayed behind a piece of glass near the entrance.

Tyler pays the driver as I step out onto the sidewalk. It was only yesterday that I stood in this same spot, begging Sophia to help me understand what was happening between Tyler and Neela. Now, less than twenty-four hours later, I'm about to get all the answers I've been waiting for.

"Chef!"

It's impossible to make out who yells that as we enter Nova hand-in-hand. I see a flurry of instant activity as people rush toward us.

"Don't let go of my hand," Tyler says under his breath before he's engulfed in a massive group hug by the employees of his restaurant. I hold tightly to his hand for as long as I can but the distance created when people crowd between us is too much. I feel his hand slipping away from mine just as I spot Maribel enter the dining room.

She's dressed in her chef's coat, her black hair pulled tightly into a ponytail that sits at the base of her neck. Her face is flushed. She's been hard at work. The evidence of that is on her jacket. The spots of green and red that dot the front of it are a hint of what they'll be taste testing today. I know how this works. Tyler explained it all in a staff meeting before I quit my job.

The time between soft launch and launch is designed to fine tune the menu. They'll take what works and hone it so it can surpass what's expected. The dishes that weren't well received at the soft launch will be cut from the menu, never to be seen again.

I wish I was part of the process, contributing to a menu that is sure to impress even the toughest food critics in this city. Chef Monroe will officially launch Nova to rave reviews. I have no doubt about that.

Tyler shakes hands and embraces his employees one by one, reassuring each that he's fine and that opening is still on track. He doesn’t rush anyone. I'm impressed by how often he asks whether the person he's talking to has everything they need.

I recognize many of the faces. There are a few that are new. Nova's staff has grown, just as the dining room and dinner service has.

"Are you ready, Cadence?" He reaches for my hand after he hugs the last person who was waiting to talk to him. "Let's go to my office."

I nod in silence. Maribel vanished from sight shortly after we arrived. She didn't join in the Nova lovefest that just took place. She'd made herself scarce. It might have everything to do with the glare I gave her when our eyes met or it could all be related to the fact that she's back in the kitchen doing the job Tyler assigned to her.

I follow a step behind Tyler as we round the corner from the dining room. I'm stopped, instantly, when I crash into his back. I look around him, but all I see are several Nova employees in the kitchen. "What's wrong? Why are we stopping?"

He pivots so he's facing me. All the color has drained from his face. His jaw has tightened. He looks nothing like the man who just greeted all his employees in the dining room.

"Tyler?" I step closer to him. "What is it?"

He raises my hand to his chest and I instantly feel how strongly his heart is beating. "I love you, Cadence. I only love you."

I lean forward and brush my lips over his. "I know you do, Chef. I know."

His gaze is dark and intense. "Don't leave my side. You need to see this. I want you to hear every word of it."

I nod even though I have no idea what he's talking about.

He closes his eyes, turns back to the kitchen and that's when I hear his voice. It's deep and the authoritative bite to it stops everyone in place. "Maribel in my office now and bring Neela with you."

***

"There's nothing to discuss." He looks over her head so his eyes are locked on mine. "I told you to get out, Neela. No one here was authorized to offer you a job. You'll be paid for whatever time you put in today, but you're not welcome here."

She stomps her foot against the floor. "I can help you, Ty. You know that I can. You need to recover from that accident. Let me at least stay on until you're back to full speed."

His eyes never leave mine as he continues talking to her. "Gather your things and leave the restaurant. You're not working here another second. You need to go now."

She finally acquiesces, her fingers deftly open the front of the chef's jacket she's wearing before she tosses it at Tyler. He doesn't flinch as the jacket falls to the floor at his feet.

She brushes past me, stopping before she reaches the door. "I came here to help you, Tyler. I thought you'd at least appreciate it."

He turns his gaze to her. "I made it clear months ago that we'd never work together or be together again. It's not happening. It'll never happen."

She looks at me. I see resignation in her eyes. "I'll leave you alone if that's what you want."

"He doesn't know what he wants," Maribel says from the corner of the room. "He's been confused since you left, Neela. You can't just walk out."

Tyler turns back to look at her. "I know exactly what I want, Maribel. I want Cadence. I want the people I handpick to work at Nova. I want Neela to move on and build a life for herself."

"You two were meant to be." Maribel circles her finger in the air. "It's fate. You work together so well. You love each other. If you'd give Neela a chance to work here, she'd show you how good you two can be."

Neela apparently doesn’t agree. She curses under her breath before she opens the door of the office and walks out.