I slouch back against the brown leather sofa, trying not to think about what just happened. However, after acting like a royal asshat, my brain won't turn off. I keep replaying the words in my head and hoping that my mouth will shut the fuck up before I say the one thing I never wanted to say. What the fuck was I thinking? I don't want to quit. I love working at Belladonna. Not to mention, Calla finally wants me as a business partner. Well, all of us. Fuck! Me!

“I need another drink. And food,” I mumble, getting up off the sofa.

As I start to head for the kitchen, I stop at the hallway leading to the room Calla used not even an hour ago. Why didn't I go to her? She was crying because of me. I could’ve apologized, but I let someone else comfort her, even though she’s mine. She was mine as soon as she came to my bed. Damn it. I huff out a deep breath and move toward the kitchen. There’s not much I can do right now. I need to make a plan. And for fuck’s sake, I need to remember that Calla is not, has never been, and never will be like Zoe. That bitch really did a number on me if what I said to Calla is any indication.

In the kitchen, I scavenge for food. Originally I was going to go out and get something to eat, but that was before this shit went down. Now I’m stuck with rations, if that.

Fuck. Guess it's cereal for dinner.

I pour my bowl of cereal, along with a cup of coffee, and head to the front of the house where the den is. When I’d come in yesterday, I’d put the mail and paper on my father's desk, knowing I’d want to read the food section. I step behind the desk, place my dinner on top of it, and pull my phone out of my back pocket before sitting down.

My phone flashes for the millionth time, telling me I have a voicemail and text message. Both are from Calla from when I ignored her yesterday. My hand hovers over the phone. I want to hear her voice, or see what she needed to say, but I don't pick it up. I simply watch the light flash and take a bite.

As I chew, I pick up the paper, unwrap it, and turn to the food section. I spot Torrance's announcement and the review from his friend. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the one that waved at me the night of the dinner.

“Holy fuck! He liked the menu. That’s my girl. We fucking did it! She’s finally out from under that son-of-a-bitch.” I reach for my cell to call her, when a distinct ring echoes in the silent room.

With the swipe of my thumb, I answer.

“Trey, what's up man?” I sit back in the chair.

“Is Calla still with you?” he asks.

“No, she left. Why?” I can't help the worry I feel and hear in my voice.

If something has happened to her, I’m going to kick my own ass. I knew I should’ve made her stay this late at night, but I was being pig-headed.

“Shit! I've been calling. I can't get ahold of her. ‘The Reaper's’ coming tomorrow.” Trey sounds both disappointed and frazzled.

“Wait, what?” My heart is now racing. “Mr. Grimm... Calla’s uncle... is coming to Belladonna tomorrow? How do you know it's him?”

“I’m not sure who called, but someone did. They requested a reservation next to the kitchen and used one of his code names,” Trey responds.

“But we don't take reservations. And he would know that.” I drum my fingers on the desk.

“No shit. And normally he wouldn't let anyone know he was coming. Maybe they’ve been talking? Either way, we need everyone here. Without drama.”

There is silence on the other end of the line then some commotion. A soft, muffled voice says something to Trey, and I strain to make out what is being said. The voice gets louder, and it sounds like Nessa is back... and royally pissed off.

“Tell him!” Her voice is growly and stern. I can picture her hands resting on her hips as she taps her foot, a fierce expression on her face.

“Tell me what?” I ask.

Trey sighs, giving into Nessa’s demand.

“She didn't pick him over you. You’re the last person she had sex with, and she didn't think you’d want her afterwards.”

“How do you know any of this?” I rub the bridge of my nose.

“When you left the table after breakfast, she took a walk to clear her head. She called and told me what happened. What she’d said and done. She was going to talk to you when she got back," Trey explains.

“We didn't talk after she got home,” I confess. “She went out and met Caleb, and that was that.” I lean forward and grab my spoon, dipping it in the cereal. When I lift it to take a bite, it's all soggy, and I push the bowl away.

“I gathered that much from the fight, and from the conversation we had when I drove her home. Wes, Caleb only asked to meet with her to see if we’d help with a charity cooking event. He might want Calla in his bed, but that's not what he asked her for.” Trey sighs. “So, you dumbass. You quit for nothing but your pride... without bothering to get the facts, first.”

I run my hand through my hair. “Fuck. Me.” A knot forms in my stomach, making it feel like the cereal I just ate might reappear. I’m a motherfucking idiot. Why didn’t I let her talk? I seriously need to kick my own ass, or call my brothers and Ben and let them have at me after this clusterfuck.

“Exactly. To make things worse, she was so happy about the news yesterday, but because you’re butt-hurt, you didn't pick up your phone when she called to tell you the good news. You didn’t even bother to answer her text.”

“The review?” I ask, hating myself for what a jackass I’ve been.

“The review. We completely changed the menu yesterday. Every day is something new. She tossed every old menu. It's been a huge hit. She wanted you here to see it and to clear the air.” He falls quiet again.

“And I fucked it up. Damn it! Why do I lose my shit when it comes to Calla?” I’m not really expecting an answer.

“Because you love her.” He lets that hang there.

“I... uhhh…..” I don't know what to say. It's the truth. But after what I did, what I said, I’m not sure I can fix any of this.

Trey waits for me to say something a little more coherent. When nothing comes, his voice is frustrated as he makes a few indistinguishable sounds and hangs up on me.

I pull the phone from my ear to stare at it.

Caleb only wants Calla to work with him on a cooking charity….

Trey’s words finally fully register, and I grab my dishes, phone, and keys, and head for the kitchen. I quickly clean everything before going into my room to pack. I’m not going to miss being there for Calla... or fixing what I broke.

Silently, I slip in the back door of Belladonna the next evening. The dinner service is already underway, and by the look of it, ‘The Reaper’ is already here.

From my viewpoint, Calla appears uneasy and very flustered. Her eyes are puffy, and she keeps yawning as if she didn't sleep much last night. But she's pulling herself together enough to cook. Trey and Adam move cautiously toward Calla, wrapping their arms around her. She allows their comfort for a short time then barks for everyone to get back to work. That’s when Adam heads out of the kitchen to deal with the wait staff.

Calla and Trey get back to work preparing the menu. With Calla barely holding herself together, the staff take turns walking over to see what she needs. They work as a team to help keep her from falling apart. Her food has to shine brighter than ever for this particular critic.

Every few minutes, Trey glances at his watch as if expecting someone to show. Finally, his gaze lifts, and he peers around the kitchen. It’s a bit unnerving because it's like he knows someone is watching. As he walks back over to Calla, he spots me. Cautiously, I place a finger to my lips for him to remain silent.

He nods with a smile.

I mouth, “How is she?” without drawing attention to myself.

Trey answers silently with a shake of his head.

I remain out of sight while I study the kitchen staff working the menu and protecting Calla, even if it's from a man that would never truly want to hurt her. At least, not intentionally. Yet, not many know the ‘The Reaper,’ or Mr. Grimm, is her uncle. But he can’t play favorites in his line of work.

“Y’all still call him the ‘The Reaper’?” she tosses out and laughs. “You know he’s not that bad.”

“Yes!" everyone in the kitchen answers, and her face lights up.

“Oh my God, he’s going to love that!” She chuckles a little more.

She turns toward the staff, yelling out ingredients and trying to contain her enjoyment. “He requested the stuffed lamb with spinach, cranberries, walnuts, and special sauce, with a side of spaghetti squash and a Caesar salad. This has to be prefect, folks.”

I need to make things right with her, and she needs all the help she can get tonight. Moving further into the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, I make sure she’s able to see me.

“Calla!” I call out over the commotion, but no one except Trey hears, or rather sees, that I’m saying her name.

Trey pauses and rolls his eyes at me. It's as if he’s calling me a chicken-shit for not stepping up next to her. Maybe he’s right. I take a few more steps, when something makes Calla take notice of Trey's posture change, and she peers around until her eyes fall on me. She freezes and simply stares at me as I move closer to her prep station.

“Would you like another set of hands?” I offer quietly.

“Sure.” She eyes me warily, but at the same time, the sadness bleeds out of her face. She glances over to Trey, who has a shit-eating grin on his face. As I head to my area, a new wave of ease fills the kitchen.

I look over at Calla before starting my prep, and she mouths, “What did you do?” to Trey.

“Called in reinforcements,” he responds loud enough I can hear, and I grin, shaking my head.

The kitchen falls silent as his words echo through the room. I chuckle, and Calla glares at me.

“I'll deal with you later!” Her voice has an edge to it. It's joking, yet serious at the same time.

“Promise?” I wink and try to give her a wicked smile.

There's only one way I’ll let her deal with me later, and I know she’ll enjoy it. But first, I have to apologize. How I ever thought I could leave this... or her... really is beyond me.

The kitchen now roars with life and laughter.

As the main course goes out for Mr. Grimm, we watch from the window as the server sets the plate down on his left side. Calla moves toward the door, prepared to walk out. The server glances at Mr. Grimm, whose expressionless face would scare even me, then to Calla, who is now walking to the table. She smiles at the server, who quickly retreats.

I scramble out of the kitchen, closely followed by Trey, to watch my girl completely win over her uncle.

“Mr. Grimm, how are you tonight?” She gives him a smirk with this formality.

“Your servers are lacking,” Mr. Grimm grumbles, holding up an almost empty glass of wine.

Adam comes to stand next to us, carrying a bottle of red wine and a glass, as the server moves toward us.

“Make sure his water glass is full too,” Adam instructs Nessa’s server. Then he mumbles, “The servers are doing just fine.”

Adam hands the server the empty wine glass, along with the wine, and she quickly heads back to the table.

“This dish is from our new menu. And we’ve paired it with a lovely Zin,” Calla informs him as the server passes her the glass and bottle before picking up his water glass to refill it. “Would you like to try the suggested pairing, or your previous wine?” she asks, presenting the bottle of wine to her uncle.

He agrees to the new wine pairing, seeming not to want any further conversation. Calla glances our way, specifically at Adam, and nods. He strolls to the table then begins to uncork the bottle. Adam hands the cork to Mr. Grimm and pours a small taste in the large glass. Mr. Grimm swirls the wine in the glass before lifting the glass to his nose, smelling its aroma. Lowering the glass, he sips the wine and places the glass back on the table.

“Adam, it smells divine. Please pour me a full glass.”

Adam blinks but remains silent as he pours the wine. When the glass is full, he steps back and waits for Calla.

“Enjoy your meal.” She smiles at Mr. Grimm and takes his empty salad bowl as she and Adam turn and slowly head away from the table.

“Calla, will you join me for a minute or two?” her uncle requests, glancing up from the table.

This is unexpected, and it stops both her and Adam short. They turn back toward the table. Adam steps around Calla to pull out the chair across from Mr. Grimm, and she takes a seat, scooting closer in to the table. Holding his hand out, Calla passes the empty bowl over to him as he leans down to whisper something in her ear before lightly kissing her cheek. Mr. Grimm watches but says nothing, taking his first bite of lamb.

“Adam, bring Calla a glass of this too, please.” He points to the wine with his knife.

“Yes, sir.” He hurriedly walks away, returning just as swiftly with Calla's glass.

The dining room is bustling, so Trey heads back into the kitchen. Calla and Mr. Grimm sit in silence while he eats. She hasn’t touched her glass of wine yet, and I’m unsure if she’s even taken a breath since sitting down. I wish I was next to her, holding her hand as he passes judgement. I’m about to say, “screw it,” and join them just so I know she’s breathing, when he pushes his plate away. The man never finishes a meal when he’s working.

Having eaten dinner with him before, it surprises me that he’s finished the dish so quickly. And in silence. His plate is empty, and he hasn't made any notes in his little black notebook that’s laying open on his right.

“Calla. This is the food you were born to create,” he tells her before picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.

“Thank you.” She finally breathes as she beams at his words.

This is the best news, and thank fuck it comes from him.

“By chance, did you create a dessert for me?” He grins at her, and I do a fist pump.

Calla studies Mr. Grimm, frowning slightly. I chuckle inwardly. I get what she's doing. She’s trying to fuck with him and make him worry a little, just like he does to chefs. It's one of the sexiest things I’ve seen her do. I pull out my phone and send Trey and Forest a text.

Me: He wants dessert.

Forest: On it.

Calla scans the bar in search of Adam, I’m sure. Instead of finding Adam, her eyes land on me. While she’s still slightly guarded, I’m hoping she knows now that I’ll always have her back, even when I’m being a stubborn son-of-a-bitch. And to make sure she knows I’m in her corner, I wink at her. Calla returns her attention to her uncle, and they converse over the wine a little more. A few minutes later, Adam approaches me and hands me the dessert plate.

I swiftly stride over to their table and place the dessert plate on Mr. Grimm’s left.

“Mr. Grimm,” I greet. He sits back a bit, giving me room to remove the dirty dinner plates.

As soon as the plates are in my hand and out of his face, he slides the dessert plate in front of himself. I study Calla's eyes one more time, making sure she's okay and that her nerves haven't gotten the better of her. Not that I really need to. She’s doing great. Before heading away from the table, I catch the soft smile that crosses her perfect mouth.

“My favorite!” her uncle exclaims.

She winks, and I turn my attention back to him just in time to see the biggest smile on his face.

“I know.” She chuckles and takes a sip of her wine.

Audible sounds begin filtering out of Mr. Grimm's mouth as he thoroughly enjoys his dessert. His childlike enjoyment makes Calla giggle.

A server steps up next to me and offers to take the plates, and Adam passes by with another glass of wine. This time it’s a white, and most likely a dessert wine. When I get back to where I’d been standing before, I turn back around and watch my woman continuing to make her uncle proud.

Mr. Grimm’s full focus is on Calla, and the realization that she made this specifically for him lights his face. They sit quietly for a few minutes while he writes a few notes in his book. He smiles with every stroke of his pen, giving me hope he’ll give us a really good review. He finally sets his pen down and closes the book.

“Did you truly enjoy the meal, Uncle?” Calla asks, biting her lip.

“Yes! I'll admit, I had prepared myself to write a bad review. You, of all people, understand that I can't be biased when it comes to work. But this… this was better than I've ever given you credit for.” He reaches across the table and holds out his hand.

She places her hand in his, and he squeezes it once before letting go. They each take another sip of their wine, and Mr. Grimm slowly slides his chair back before getting to his feet. Calla follows his lead as he gathers his things. She waits next to the table while Mr. Grimm walks toward her.

“See you soon, my dear.” He kisses her cheek and surrounds her in a big hug.

She smiles and nods then she walks Mr. Grimm to the front door. Stopping at the hostess station, Calla watches her uncle exit Belladonna. I head back to the kitchen, hoping I can keep that smile on her face.

I pace once I’m in the kitchen. I’m impatiently waiting for Calla to come back. I peer out of the small window in the kitchen door with every turn. When she finally pushes the door open, I pounce on her, my nerves shot to hell. Even though I startle her, we laugh. As do Trey, Forest, and Adam, who’s right behind her. While I wasn't paying attention, Trey moved to the front station and is now leaning against it, watching me intently for what I’ll do next. I guess he’s ready for me to get my head out of my ass too. Without thinking, I pull Calla into my arms.

“I love you. I’m a complete jackass. But I love you,” I whisper in her ear.

Smoothly, I lean away from Calla to look into her eyes. My hands move to hold her face, and I passionately kiss her in front of everyone. The kitchen goes crazy with people cheering, hooting, and hollering while they watch us.

“I love you too,” she says with tears in her eyes as we come up for air.

“It’s about damn time!” Trey announces, patting me on the back.

Adam wholeheartedly agrees and exits the kitchen with a wide smile on his face.

“Can we try this for real?” I request. “You and me living together? I want you in my bed every night, so I can wake up to you wrapped around me every morning.”

“Yes, please,” she replies, grinning before whispering, “sir.”

My grip tightens around her waist, pulling her further into me and my now hardening cock. “Mine. You are all mine,” I growl into her ear.