The Sweetest Seduction, Breakaway Hearts by Crista McHugh

the way supermodels did on the catwalk, swaying hips included. “Oh, God, this is simply horrendous. It all has to go, too. The rustic look is simply passé. I want the black marble to continue into here, and mirrors along this wall to reflect the city lights.”
    Lia’s teeth clenched. She started counting to ten before she lost her cool, making it all the way to eight before she reached them. “Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Bates?”
    Before he could answer, Amadeus barged in. “This is none of your concern, little girl. Go back into the kitchen and keep scrubbing pots.”
    Her blood pressure skyrocketed, her pulse pounding along her scalp. “I am the owner and executive chef of La Arietta, and I demand to know what you are doing here.”
    Amadeus rolled his eyes and did his best Valley Girl sigh. “Mr. Bates, will you please deal with her? I don’t have much time to decide what I want to do with this place, and I’d rather focus my creative energies on something other than this speed bump.” He spun around on his heel and rocked one the chairs at a nearby table, wrinkling his nose.
    Mr. Bates cleared his throat. “Ms. Mantovani, as you know, Mr. Kelly still plans to lease this space to Mr. Schlittler once your lease is done, so we’re here—”
    “No, you have it all wrong,” she interrupted, shaking her head as though this was all a bad dream. “Adam said he’d be showing Mr. Schlittler other properties.”
    “What’s this about other properties?” Amadeus rushed back to them. “Mr. Kelly and I had an agreement. I want this space and nothing less. I deserve this place.”
    Lia was thankful she’d left her knives in the kitchen. She curled her hands up into fists, her arms pressed against her sides to keep from knocking the other chef’s teeth out. “And what makes you think I don’t deserve to stay here?”
    “Oh, please,” he replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You’re just a little nobody. I’m Amadeus Schlittler, one of the greatest culinary geniuses of all time. My restaurants have more stars than you’ll ever dream of seeing in your life. Why should Mr. Kelly keep you when he can have me?”
    The insults hit her like a slap in face. Why would Adam let her keep this place when he could have Schlittler? And now that he’d gotten what he wanted from her in the bedroom, why should he keep his word to convince the diva-chef to open his restaurant elsewhere?
    Her eyes burned, but she refused to show any signs of the weakness trembling inside her. She lifted her chin and said in a cold voice, “Perhaps so, Mr. Schlittler, but until the end of the month, it’s my name on that lease, so get your self-absorbed ass out of my restaurant.”
    Schlittler’s eyes widened as though she was the first person who’d ever spoken to him that way. Then they narrowed into a sneer. “For now. Enjoy it while you can, little girl, because on the first of the month, this will all be mine.”
    He snapped his fingers and turned around. “Come along, Mr. Bates. I can continue to give you all my demands on the way back to Mr. Kelly’s office.”
    Lia kept her muscles locked into place, staring at the entrance long after they left. She didn’t crumble until Dax laid a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, sweetie.”
    Fat, scalding tears rolled down her cheeks and plopped onto her crisp, white cotton chef’s jacket. She’d been a fool to ever believe Adam. He always got what he wanted, and this was no exception. And she’d been stupid enough to fall for his bullshit. A treasure? Ha!
    Julie pressed a glass into her hand and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Dax stood guard in front of them as they hurried back into the safe confines of her office. “Have a sip of grappa and get it out of your system,” her sous chef urged.
    But it wasn’t as simple as that. She’d been tricked into believing Adam had actually cared for her when all the while, he was plotting on destroying her business to