Because I needed to maintain a clear head. Keep all of my faculties on high-alert. Why did she have to be heart-stoppingly gorgeous? And young, I reminded myself. More than a decade separated us, and yet I couldn’t stop staring. The way she moved, with a mixture of grace and efficiency, it captivated me. As if there were some music only she could hear, a muted rhythm that she followed.

Shay poured water into a glass and handed it to me. “I left some meals in the fridge and freezer for you. They’re marked with instructions on how to reheat. I asked your assistant what you usually preferred, but she didn’t have a lot of information.”

“Lara’s more of a manager, and she isn’t typically in charge of keeping me fed.”

“Really?”

I wanted to laugh but held back. “I lived in New York. All the takeout you could possibly want is at your fingertips.”

A wistful expression swept across Shay’s features so quickly, I thought I might have imagined it. “That makes sense.”

“Have you ever been?”

“Where?”

“New York.”

Her lush mouth thinned. “Once, a long time ago. You’ll have a much harder time with takeout here. You can always take the boat over to Anchor or Shelter if you want to eat out, though.”

I traced a design in the condensation on my glass. Shay clearly wasn’t one for openly sharing. Maybe it was a mechanism she’d put in place to create distance with her previous employer. It made sense. If you lived on the same thirty acres as your boss, a line had to be drawn in the sand somewhere. The problem was, the more she withheld, the more my curiosity was piqued.

“I guess I’ll have to learn to cook. I think I’ve got grilled cheese mastered. That should hold me over.”

Shay clasped her hands in front of her as if she were a butler waiting to be called to duty. “I’m happy to do some meal prep for you. Just let me know what you like and don’t, and when you’re running low on things in the fridge. I’m not a gourmet chef by any means, but you won’t starve.”

There was a lack of emotion to her tone that didn’t seem authentic, a cool professionalism. A canvas began taking shape in my mind. Her lines and curves stretched across it. A smoky blue mist seeping out of her mouth. But hidden within the disguise of the mist: the truth. A blue heat so hot, it would leave burns forever etched onto the skin.

“Brody? Are you all right?”

The coolness had fled from Shay’s tone, replaced by concern. I shook my head. “Sorry. Just tired from the trip. Some basic meals would be great. We’ll make sure the additional responsibilities are reflected in your salary.”