A Taste of Danger

The Ex-Boyfriend

Rose

Fucking A. How am I supposed to serve this customer ice cream when all the damn ice cream is gone from the small freezer? I’m s**t-outta luck!

I step away from the empty freezer, positing what other choice I have when a brilliant idea strikes down from the sky. What about the big freezer? Usually, it’s always locked, so there is no way of knowing what mysteries lay within. And what would you know? There is no lock on it this morning!

I walk over to the big freezer, placing my hand on the handle. But right when I’m about to open the door, a large hand clamps down on my shoulder, startling me.

I turn around and find myself face-to-face with Victor’s glittering eyes. They seem to convey a silent warning, though he remains calm on the surface as he effortlessly pulls me away from the freezer.

“It’s prohibited for members of my staff to enter the big freezer. I usually keep it locked at all times.”

“Oh?” I arch an eyebrow. “Why is it forbidden?” I ask, daring him to answer.

Victor’s lips twitch as if amused by my sassiness, and then he leans down, close enough that I can feel his hot breath on my ear. His deep voice is like velvet. “Haven’t you heard that curiosity killed the cat?”

I shiver in response to his deep voice, but I won’t back down even when I’m faced with his wolfish gaze.

I straighten my shoulders. “It’s just strange that we aren’t allowed in there while working at a restaurant. The freezer is part of this place.”

Victor leans back, now smiling, but although he looks calm and collected, he still carries a predatory air around him. “I keep my private things in the big freezer. I can do that. I’m the owner of this place, and I don’t want my staff to dirty my meat with their hands. I hope you understand.”

I swallow hard. Even though Victor is my childhood friend, he still makes me feel uneasy. His eyes linger on my face as if reading my thoughts, and then he suddenly backs away, taking a few steps toward the big freezer.

“So unless you want to get fired today, I suggest you stay away from the big freezer.” He pauses for a moment and then turns around, his voice sweet when he gives me another warning. “Keep your nose clean, Rose.”

I frown.

Victor’s possessiveness with rules is downright irritating, but I can’t deny that it’s incredibly sexy at the same time.

“Fine, I won’t try to enter your big freezer again,” I say while Victor is busy locking it. “But then you better tell me where to find ice cream because we have this important customer that demanded a big bowl of the Tiramisu special.”

“Important customer?” He asks without turning my way.

I shrug even though he isn’t looking. “They claimed to be a regular and said they knew you.”

“And what was their name?”

“I didn’t ask.”

He looks up, amused once more. “What did they look like? Or did you miss that too?”

Oh, he is messing with me. My eyes trail after him as he finishes locking the big freezer. “It was a…big woman with a black and white outfit with a large panda on the back of her hoodie, and she also had red-rimmed glasses.”

His lips twitch. “Big woman? Do you mean that she is tall, or are you implying that my customer is fat?”

For once in my life, I’m rendered speechless. I don’t know what the right answer is, and Victor seems to realize that. I can tell he is trying not to laugh, and I sigh. It’s not fair how he is my friend outside the kitchen but dangerous and bossy in it. He is dangerous yet seductive, and it pisses me off because I’m inappropriately turned on by his behavior.

If this keeps up, I will have to start bringing an extra set of panties to work—mine are already soaked. I want to climb Victor like a tree, but I also want to pout at him for messing with my head. s**t, when did I lose my mind? I was perfectly fine yesterday, but today it’s like I’ve been infected by Victor Giovanni.

I can’t get him out of my head.

“Rose?” Victor asks in a calm tone. He never uses my nickname around other people, and this time, I can tell his voice is more charged than usual. My head snaps up to meet his eyes, and a smile curls his lips. “I asked you a question. You better answer it.”

Something about how he says those words sends shivers down my spine. “I…umm…she wasn’t fat. I—I would never insult a customer and call them that!” Not to my boss, at least.

Victor smiles wider as he moves closer to me. A few seconds later, he stops in front of me, and I can feel the heat radiating from his body. My heart skips a beat, and my breath hitches, something that doesn’t escape Victor’s notice.

“Good girl,” he smirks at me in a knowing way before turning around, leaving me entirely out of breath. “I’ll get you the Tiramisu special. There should be some extra ice cream downstairs.”

I nod and watch him leave, my eyes glued to his strong back. What is happening to me? I thought I had better control of myself. But that one look from Victor Giovanni has completely disarmed me.

He’s dangerous, but he’s also the hottest thing in the kitchen right now—I’m having a tough time keeping my head straight. And when I leave to take the rest of the orders, I almost stumble over my own shoes.

Perfect.

A few other waitresses snicker at me, but I keep my eyes trained on the plates with steaks that I need to deliver outside. I can’t let myself be distracted. We are heavily understaffed tonight, and I’m currently needed both inside the restaurant and in the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, I begin to balance the plates while walking toward a table filled with loud and laughing people. At first, I feel on top of the world, but that emotion fades the second my eyes land on Steven.

He is sitting with three of his friends, probably assholes by the looks of it. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were members of that private chatroom where Steven shared my videos and pictures with anyone to see.

My chest constricts at the thought. Most of all, I want to run tail and run back into the kitchen, where I’m safe from my abusive ex-boyfriend. But Steven has already seen me, and he is standing up from the seat, his eyes locked on mine.

A sense of dread passes over me when Steven swans over the floor, and I can’t move. He is going to hurt me again. My hands tremble, and I nearly drop the plates of food, but luckily I manage to stay upright even as Steven pauses in front of me, his eyes daring me to say something.

Many moments of awkward, tense silence passes between us, and when he realizes I won’t talk, he grins.

“Hey, Rose.” His words are a sharp jab in my chest, and I shiver when he tilts his head to see my eyes better. “How have you been? I haven’t seen you since you ran away from home without even leaving a note.”

I bite my tongue, trying to keep my composure in front of him. “I’ve been busy,” I say through gritted teeth, my eyes darting around to see if anyone is watching.

“Well, I’m glad I can finally catch you,” Steven says with a grin. “I’m in the mood for some steak. Why don’t you bring me your best one, Rose?”

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Of course, he would order steak, the same thing he ordered every time we went out to eat. But I don’t have the luxury of denying him since I’m technically on the clock.

“Sure,” I say, plastering a fake smile on my face. “I’ll bring it out as soon as it’s ready.”

His eyes dart down to the plates I’m holding. “Those are steaks right there,” his grin widens. “Why can’t you give us those ones?”

I want to tell him to f**k off, but I can’t do that. Steven is a customer right now.

“These are for another customer,” I deliver my words in a sharp tone but keep the fake smile on my face. I’m one step from blowing, but so far, I’m doing a good job keeping my temper in check. “I’ll take your order in a few moments. Why don’t you get seated? You’re blocking my path.”

Steven’s eyebrows shoot up at my tone, but to my surprise, he walks away, his friends laughing behind him. I can feel their eyes on me, and it takes everything in me not to shrink away from their gaze.

I deliver the plates in my hands to another table and then head over to Steven’s table to take his order. The second I’m near my asshole of an ex, he grabs my wrist, pulling me into his lap while his friends laugh.

“This is the girl I’ve been talking about,” Steven says, and when I try to leave, his fingers dig into my thighs. “Her name is Rose, and she is such a good little slut. She does everything I tell her to, isn’t that right, Rose?”

My stomach churns with disgust as Steven’s words wash over me. Is he really that delusional?

“Let me go. I’m not interested in hanging out with you, Steven,” I say coldly, trying to keep my voice steady even though his friends are all leering at me.

“Oh, she is a feisty one!” One of them says.

Another raises a toast. “Spicy!”

“I like her a lot!”

“Will there be any new videos of her?”

Tears claw behind my eyelids, but unfortunately, Steven doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of my words. He is still forcing me to sit in his lap, not bothered about the fact my legs are hovering above the ground and that my entire weight is resting over his thighs.

I turn around to glare at him, and he smirks. “I thought you would be happier to see me, Rose.”

“Let. Me. Go. Now.” I growl.

“Aww, don’t be like that, Rose,” he sneers, his hand reaching out to grip my arm tightly so that I can’t hit him. “I just want to talk, catch up on old times. Maybe we can go somewhere quiet and have a drink together?”

“I said no,” I hiss, my eyes flashing with anger. “And let go of my arm!”

Steven only laughs, tightening his grip even more. “Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend, Rose? You know, you really shouldn’t be working here. It’s not safe for a pretty little thing like you. You need someone to take care of you, and I’m just the man for the job. Come back home with me.”

My stomach churns with disgust as Steven’s words wash over me. Is he really that delusional? Does he really think that I would come home with him after everything he has done?!

“No,” I say firmly, trying to pull away from his grip as hard as I can. He doesn’t budge, yet I dare to growl. “I’m not getting back together with you. And I sure as hell don’t need you to take care of me. I can take care of myself, thank you very much!”

Steven’s face turns red with anger, and I can feel his grip on my arm intensify. “You’re mine, Rose,” he hisses. “No one can take you away from me. Not even you.”

His words ignite a fire within me, and suddenly, all the fear and anxiety dissolve into thin air. In their place, a fierce determination burns through every fiber of my being. Steven is wrong. He has no hold on me anymore!

“I am not yours, Steven,” I grit out. “I am my own person, and I will do whatever I damn well please. You can’t control me anymore!”

With that, I pull away from him with all my strength, causing him to stumble backward in his chair. His friends are now silent, watching our exchange with interest. Actually, I think the whole damn restaurant is watching us, which I use to my advantage.

“Goodbye, Steven!”

I race for the kitchen, but before I can reach it, Steven grabs my arm. He pulls me to his chest, and my heart stops in my chest when I notice his eyes are blazing with fury.

“I might not be able to do anything here while there are so many people watching us,” he whispers, and I can feel his hand slowly moving to grip my throat. “But once you’re outside these doors, I will come for you, Rose.”