He was totally calling bullshit on that. Still, he had to be impressed that she had fallen into her father’s legacy so easily and wholeheartedly. He had never imagined her running the restaurant. At least not until the very end, when he’d finally met her father.

“If this were about talent alone, half the scores wouldn’t be based on audience votes. At this point the only way you’re winning is if we’re on the same team.” So he sounded arrogant, so shoot him.

She swallowed. “We’re going to have to lay some ground rules.” Which wasn’t exactly an admission that he was right, but he was taking it as such.

“Again, like I’ve never gotten that from you before.” He sent a lazy smile at a camera. “What ground rules would you like to lay down this time?”

Her jaw clenched. “We can’t talk about our past. None of that ‘this time, last time’ stuff. This show has nothing to do with that.” The new cold flatness was firmly back in her eyes.

“What past?” He could do cold and flat too.

“Thanks.”

Pushing off the station, he turned to face her. She was still fiddling with the chopping board. With one finger he pushed it out of alignment. Her hands stilled on the wood. She didn’t look up at him.

“Don’t mention it.” He kept his finger on the board and held it in place as she tried to straighten it again. “I’ve had enough practice with you hiding me like a dirty secret.”

She had pushed him into the bathroom once, when her cousin had walked into the In-N-Out they were at. Years of women using him as arm candy hadn’t wiped away that memory.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Which was just as well, because there wasn’t anything in her eyes he wanted to see. Bringing up their past wasn’t going to benefit him either. It was certainly not the right strategy for closure.

Before either of them could say more, Jonah came back. “Sorry to interrupt.” He grinned in his extra-smarmy way.

Ashna smiled at him kindly, obviously ready to hug him for the interruption.

“It’s time to get to know the other contestants,” Jonah said, the thick tension between Ashna and Rico sliding right past his powers of deduction. “They’re going to do introductions. And guess what? You two are first.”

Ashna stiffened. But he was Rico Silva; and it was showtime.

“Us being first sounds like a prediction, mate,” he said, and held his arm out to Ashna.

Given the tight set of her mouth, he wasn’t sure if she would take it, but she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. The smile she attempted for the camera was a valiant effort.

Together they walked under the spotlight to applause and hoots. For better or worse, they were doing this.

Chapter Ten