It was normally such a blessing to have an organized worker, but in this instance, Rachel really wished Sarah had been an incompetent mess. Rachel wanted an excuse to flee, any excuse to get away from familiar eyes piercing into her.

“That’s great, Sarah, but I need to—”

“Um, excuse me, Rachel?”

Like some horrible comedic scene, all five of them turned to the main window, dividing the dining room from the kitchen to see Wendy. The restaurant manager was standing there with a grin so wide that there was only one thing that could have possibly prompted it.

Oh, please. Not now. Not right now.

“There’s someone asking for you in the dining room,” Wendy said, looking at Rachel.

Before Rachel could say anything, Mason jumped in, speaking up. “Who, Wendy?”

“Don’t answer that!” Rachel countered as she glared at her brother.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Mason pushed.

With her pulse pounding and blood ringing in her ears, Rachel glared and stormed past him. “It’s none of your business. Stay here.”

“Hang on a minute,” Josh finally piped up. “Cole’s out there? Waiting on you? That guy doesn’t wait for anyone.”

Aiming annoyed eyes over her shoulder at Josh, Rachel warned, “Don’t even start. As of yesterday morning, I am not talking to you.”

“What did I do?” he asked, having the gall to act offended.

“You have a big mouth,” she accused, looking from Josh to her brother. “Now, both of you, stay here.”

With that, Rachel rushed around the prep tables and over to the doors to the main dining room. Pushing through the frosted double doors, it took her only seconds to spot Cole.

He was seated at a table in the center of the restaurant, facing her, and he was dressed in the same immaculate black suit, white shirt, and blue tie he had left the condo in this morning. He had one arm resting flat on the white linen tablecloth, and the other, his left, was propped up on his elbow with his fingers and thumb at his chin. He looked like he was in deep thought, and as his eyes met hers across the dimly lit dining room space, she knew she was at least a part of those musings.

After he had seen her home this morning, which was completely out of his way, Rachel had changed into a pair of flared black dress pants and a purple turtleneck pullover. Now that she was at work, she was dressed in her purple smock and black pants.

Smoothing her palms down her sides, she thought, Breathe. Remember, you were just with him this morning.

The only problem with reminding herself of that little tidbit was the fact that she was still completely frustrated, and she wanted his hands down her pants pronto. He had been spot-on about one thing: Just his look alone was bringing her perilously close to the edge.

Walking through tables that were starting to fill, she was aware of him tracking her every move. Pushing her shoulders back, she walked as confidently as she could to his table. She stopped behind the seat that was opposite him, placing her hands on the back of the chair.

“Good evening, Mr. Madison. I heard you requested to speak to me.”

* * *

Taking a good long look at the woman standing on the other side of the table to him, Cole decided he liked what he saw. He was almost positive that most chefs wore black-and-white checker pants with a white top, but not Rachel. No, Rachel, as usual, was making a statement, and on her, it worked.

“I did.” He replied, tracing his fingers along the pattern in the tablecloth.

“Well, here I am. What can I do for you?”

Cole tilted his head to the side. “Well, first things first, how are you feeling right now, Rachel?”

She looked around to make sure no one was within hearing distance. With a tight-lipped smile, she informed him, “I feel like if you touched me, I’d explode.”

“Is that why you are all the way over there?”

“Yes,” she confirmed quickly. “I thought, for the time being, it was the safest place to be.”

“You’re probably right, especially with how I’m feeling.” Sitting up straight in his seat, Cole had to hold back a laugh at the way she gripped the back of the chair she was using as a shield. “Relax, Rachel. Despite how hungry I am, I’m not into sharing my meals.”

He was about to add something else, but then he spotted Josh and the man he knew was her brother, making their way through the restaurant toward them. Shifting his eyes to just behind them, he also saw the two women he had seen at both Whipped and the Halloween party.

Ahh, I see the women are smarter than their men, Cole thought as the two finally flanked by each side of Rachel.

Immediately, he noticed Rachel’s spine stiffen as her fingers grasped the chair to the point of turning her knuckles white. Cole wasn’t quite sure what she was so worried about. As far as he was concerned, this was just a blip on his radar, and his radar was fixed directly on her.

“Evening, Josh,” he greeted his friend and colleague first.

Cole couldn’t decide what emotion had crossed his usually easygoing friend’s face, but he didn’t look pleased, so Cole decided to focus on the tall, dark hair guy who had an expression Cole knew very well. That look screamed, Meet me outside. You and I need to talk.

Cole decided he needed to be on equal footing, so he pushed his chair back from the table and rose. He was pleased his stature met with Rachel’s brother as he held out his hand toward him across the table. “You must be Mason. I’m Cole Madison.”

Cole studied the look that flashed over the big guy’s face as Mason reached forward and shook his hand.

“Yeah, I’m Mason, Rachel’s big brother.”

At that announcement, Cole removed his hand as it seemed the silently seething Rachel lost her shit.

* * *

“Are you kidding me?” Rachel demanded as she turned on her brother. “My big brother? What am I? Fifteen?”

Mason was about to say something when Cole’s voice interrupted smoothly.

“You are definitely not fifteen, Rachel.”

“Cole, cut it out,” Josh warned in a voice that shocked even her.

Rachel was surprised by the attitude Josh was throwing off, especially since he had originally wanted to set them up.

Turning to face Cole, Rachel was about to tell him he wasn’t helping the issue, but the way his eyes were focused on her rendered her speechless. Always so flipping intense.

Instead, she tore her gaze from his and looked at Josh, who was also glaring at Cole.

Stupid men and their testosterone.

Spinning back to her infuriating brother, she clenched her teeth. “I thought I told you both to wait in the kitchen.”

“Well, I wanted to meet the man who has all your attention these days, Rach,” Mason told her, eyes still focused on the man standing opposite them all.

What an absolute nightmare. Three guys standing around a table, all glaring at one another, ready to engage in a pissing match.

“Well, great, Mason. You’ve seen him, met him, managed to embarrass me, and have now drawn all of our customers’ attention.”

Mason still hadn’t bothered to look at her. His eyes were still on the calm and put-together Cole, and Cole now had his hands in his pants pockets and was refusing to drop his own eyes from her brother’s.

“How did you two meet?” Mason probed.

“Mason!” Rachel exclaimed. She swung her eyes to Cole’s, pleading with him to keep his mouth shut.

The message must have been received because cool-as-you-please Cole replied, “I don’t think that’s really any of your business unless Rachel wants to tell you. Now, is this over with? Or should I go and grab my dueling pistols and meet you out back at high noon?”

“Cole,” Josh warned again.

“Yes, Joshua?” Cole questioned.

Rachel was just trying to keep up with everything that was going on.

“Cool it, man. Mason’s just worried about his sister.”

Cole nodded slowly before he asked pointedly, “And you? Who are you concerned about? His sister, your friend, or your business partner?”

“You know what?” Rachel finally cut in. “You two are acting like overprotective jerks. I am a grown woman, and if I want to date someone, I do not need permission from either of you. And as for you,” she stressed, turning to look at Cole across the table.

She had been feeling extremely confident until she saw an expression that screamed, Remember who you are talking to, cross his face.

Deciding she was already screwed, she thought, To hell with it. Bluntly, she stated, “You promised me something, and I want it!”

“Rachel, calm down,” Mason muttered.

Spinning on her brother, she poked him in the chest and glared up at him. “I will not calm down! I asked you for space, and I asked you to wait back there. I did not ask you to come out here and act like my father—who, by the way, would have never embarrassed me!”

“That’s not true, Rach. He was just more discreet than Mason. He pulled me aside and read me the riot act before I took you to the formal that year.”