Alphas & Millionaires Starter Set (2 page)

My mind wondered as I reached for a stainless steel pot on the highest shelf, thinking of all the things I have to do this weekend. I felt cool air from the ceiling vent blow against my cheek and send a shiver down my body. I stood on my tiptoes, reaching higher when an unfamiliar, raspy voice sounds behind me.

“Are you married?”

A harsh shiver tingled down my spine again, making me realize it wasn’t the vent that made my body react in the first place.

I quickly turned around, startled by the misplaced question, and blinked my eyes up to a tall man who screamed power and success.

It was Mr. Stagliano—
the
Drake Stagliano.

He looked intense, his dark brown eyes matching his tousled light brown hair. His lips curled up in a wicked grin, and I had to blink again just to make sure it really was him standing in front of me.

“No,” I replied in a little more than a whisper, my voice shaky and uneasy.

He jerked his angular jaw toward my left hand, questioning the diamond on my ring finger. I haven’t taken it off since the day Liam proposed four years ago. Even though we’re no longer getting married, I still wore it as a reminder of the love we once shared.

I continued staring nervously at him as he stood, looking completely flawless, with both hands in his front pants pockets. He’s dressed in a sleek, black suit and tie.

His intense stare knocked me out of my trance enough to finally answer him. “I was engaged a long time ago,” was the only explanation I could give him. I swallowed and turned back around, grabbing the pot and utensils I needed to finish my cooking assignment.

I turned back around, his stance even more rigid than before. “Then why do you still wear it?” he asked, keeping his eyes glued on me as I moved throughout the kitchen.

“As a reminder,” I said seriously, keeping my eyes down as I avoid his. “And to keep danger away,” I added, grinning to myself as I walked back to my counter.

“Danger, huh?” I heard him ask as he followed me.

“Keeps men away.” I shrugged, trying to keep a straight face. “Usually,” I drew out slowly. He wasn’t the first man since Liam to hit on me.

“That’s quite misleading, Miss Woods.” I brought my eyes up to his finally, his face as tense and serious as his tone.
How’d he know my name?
“Why not wear it on your right hand then?”

God, he’s intrusive.

“Molly,” I corrected. “I haven’t taken it off since—” My mind flashed to the moment Liam bent down on his knee, his palms sweaty and clammy, asking me to marry him. Of course, I cried and immediately agreed. We were expecting our first child together, and I was four months along already but only eighteen years old. We were young and in love and just starting our family. It was everything I had dreamed it would be.
Until he died.
“—the day it was put on,” I managed to finish.

“What happened?” he asked with a look of concern. It was nice of him to sound sympathetic, but I don’t know him, and I don’t open up to just anyone.

This was also the last place I wanted to talk about Liam. The kitchen was my safe place and cooking kept my mind free of pain. I could lose myself with detailed tasks and creating new ideas. I loved cooking in high school, and after I had Stella, I immediately started looking into culinary schools. I wanted to be a chef and make food appealing and desirable. Being in the kitchen was the one place where my mind felt
free
.

“I have to get back to my work if you don’t mind, Mr. Stagliano. I’m quite busy today,” I remarked, stammering over my own words. Heat rose up my neck and cheeks as he studied me longer. Mr. Stagliano wasn’t just Chicago’s most eligible and richest bachelor, he was my boss at the Riverside Hotel and Restaurant where I was currently doing my chef internship.

Today was the first day of my last semester, and the home stretch to graduation was in only four months.

I moved here almost three years ago, when Stella was only one year old. Chicago offered the best culinary schools in the country and when Kendall College granted me a scholarship, I jumped at the opportunity.

In addition to interning three times a week, I also attend classes twice a week. My best friend, Michael, moved here with me to help with Stella while he focused on his writing career.

On campus, we worked in professional-grade kitchens, learning different techniques about the science of food. In our last semester, we were given a choice of where to complete our internship. The Riverside Restaurant was one of the options this year, and since I’d hoped to work there someday, I applied for their program immediately.

“Sure, sorry to have imposed.” He nodded and flashed a genuine smile. “Have a pleasant day.” I felt my cheeks redden by the unexpected attention from him. I’d done my research before I accepted the internship and knew of the Stagliano family. I also knew Drake was a womanizer and a well-known name in Chicago.

But also, he was incredibly intimidating. And sexy-as-sin.

I wasn’t one to get this nervous around attractive guys, but Drake was so much more than that. He’s not just any guy off the street with good looks and charm. He’s every women’s wet fantasy and dangerously tempting rolled into one recipe for disaster.

I was lost in my thoughts until the pot dropped from my hand with a loud clatter to the floor. I realized I was watching him walk away, appreciating his solid body. A few of the other students glared over at me, annoyed that I disrupted them. I offered a small smile in a silent apology as I grabbed the pot off the floor and placed it back on the counter as quietly as I could.

I’m relieved that Mr. Cooper gave us an easy assignment for our first lesson. We were to create a new sauce for a dish the restaurant developed—Shrimp Pesto Fettuccini.

For the next three hours, I focused on my sauce. We had to follow the standard restaurant recipe but add in our own ingredients to taste.

Happy with my new creation, I packed up and headed to the freezer. I placed the containers of my sauce on the shelf toward the back when I heard the door slam shut behind me. Startled, I jumped and quickly spun around. My heart slammed into my chest as I saw who was in the freezer with me.

Drake.

“Hello…” I drew out softly, holding his intense stare.

Why is he even in the kitchen? Doesn’t he work in the finance and business offices? Better yet, why is he in the freezer?
I think to myself as I continue staring blankly at him.

“Miss Woods, pleasant seeing you again.” He stood tall and confident, towering over me.

“Molly,” I corrected him once
again
. It was all I could think of to say, before I cleared my throat and took a step toward him. “Excuse me,” I pressed, hoping he would move out of my way. He didn’t get the hint, so I shifted my body to walk around him, but he stepped right into me. His body was so close to mine, I could inhale his fresh and musky scent

“Wait…” He grabbed my attention, my feet stalling in front of him. “I was wondering if you would have dinner with me?” His angular jaw relaxed and once I didn’t respond, he added, “Tonight.”

I blinked up at him, wondering if I’d heard him correctly. “I’m sorry,
what
?” My body shivered as I tried processing what he just asked me.

“Dinner. I’d like to have dinner with you.”

Is he asking me out on a date?
I thought to myself, my heart pounding faster. No way. He isn’t. He can’t be.
Why would he be asking
me
on a date?

I was drowning in my thoughts before I realized he was still waiting for my answer. “Sorry, I can’t.”

He took another step closer, giving me absolutely no way to dodge him. “That’s a shame. Another time then.” He finally shifted his body, giving me room to maneuver around him and push the door open. I glanced over my shoulder at him with a straight expression, making sure I hadn’t just imagined the entire conversation happened. The corner of his lips tilted up in amusement as he followed me out the door and back into the kitchen.

Walking back to my station, I felt his eyes on me and wondered what a man like him was actually capable of.

* * *

I unlocked the door to my apartment and saw Michael and Stella playing a game of Twister. She’s laughing and Michael is losing terribly to a four-year-old. “Hello!” I greeted, placing my purse and keys on the kitchen island.

Nothing beats coming home to my sweet little girl.

“Mommy!” she squealed, running with her arms open to hug me. I felt so blessed to have such a remarkable daughter. She’s been through so much in her short, little life. She didn’t have a dad, but Michael did a terrific job making up for that. I didn’t know what I’d do without him.

“What’s going on here, baby girl?” I grabbed her for a close hug and kissed her.

“Uncle Michael is losing!” Stella grinned as she stuck her tongue out, clearly proud she was beating him.

“That’s wonderful, baby.” I smiled. “What have you guys been up to? How was school?”

Stella attended preschool while I was at school. She was exceptionally smart for her age. I gave props to her father for passing her that gene. Liam was in his third year of studying psychology when he died. I used to edit his papers for him while he studied and ended up learning more about psychology than I wanted to know. Although I teased Liam for studying psychology, I truly admired his hard work and dedication. He wanted to become an addictions counselor, since he came from a home where his mother abused drugs and his dad was too ignorant to notice. He wanted to make a career out of helping people . Secretly, I think he just wanted to make up for not being able to save his mother before it was too late. But I was always proud of him nonetheless.

“Great, Mom! I drew a picture for you.” She ran to the refrigerator where her picture was hanging neatly. She brought it over to me, beaming with pride.

It was moments like these where I truly wished Liam was around. As she grew older and developed her own little personality, I noticed characteristics of Liam in her. She would do ridiculous facial expressions that were identical to his. I would then scoop her up and kiss her senseless at the reminder of him.

Stella played in her room while I helped Michael prepare dinner. He had been working so hard lately; we barely had time to chat anymore.

Michael and I met the first day of high school. I was the quiet girl with braces and long, frizzy hair. My parents had just announced their separation and my mom moved to the other side of town, putting me in a new school district. Michael and I were in homeroom together, and when he first set eyes on me, he asked if he could give me a makeover. That was when I knew he would be my new best friend.

“So what’s new, girl?” Michael asked cheerfully through his beautiful, bright smile. “Tell me the deets from your first day.”

“Not much to tell. Pretty standard boring stuff,” I said, taking off my white chef’s coat and apron. “Got an easy assignment of creating a new sauce for a new entrée and then I was accosted by Drake Stagliano in the freezer,” I answered casually, hoping he didn’t notice that last part.

“Um, I’m sorry. What?” he asked, staring at me, not letting it go. He stood with his hands on his hips, eyebrows arched and waiting for answers.

“First, he asked if I was married and when I told him I wasn’t, he cornered me in the freezer and me to dinner. It was weird. Not sure what it was about,” I said, facing away from him so he wouldn’t see my flushed cheeks.

“That’s my girl!” he exclaimed, smacking me hard on the ass.

I glared at him. “No, thanks.” I turned and continued making dinner.

As I was mixing the sauce for a basic pasta dish, I remembered a time I was cooking for Liam. He was at the kitchen table studying for his Freud exam and was reading Freud’s childhood history aloud. Freud was in love with his mother and felt a sexual pull to her. I remember laughing and teasing Liam for having to study theorists that were obsessed with sexual development and their mothers.

“Babe, our daughter will know all about Freud before first grade!” Liam teased. He read his textbooks to my stomach almost every night. It was so adorable. However, I certainly did not want our child growing up knowing psychoanalyst theories before kindergarten.

“Let’s just stick to numbers and ABCs.” I smiled back.

Liam was so excited to become a daddy. He lost his mother when he was only thirteen years old, and it affected him deeply. His mother was a drug addict and his dad tried to be there for him, but he was also grieving his own loss. Liam was ready for the responsibility even though we were young. We were in love and ready to start our family together.

* * *

Stella was in bed by eight, so I poured myself a glass of white wine. Drake flooded through my mind. Confusion overwhelmed me as I thought about all the personal questions he had asked me. It’s not like there wasn’t an attraction—any female would be attracted to that man. What was there not to like?