The Winemaker's Dinner: Entrée (10 page)

Jaden felt a flash of irritation. Why would Ivan tell Stacey, of all people, Ms. Cougar herself, where they were going? She tried to brush off the unsettling feeling, but God, the woman irked her sometimes. She’d better not have her sights set on Ivan. Then she stopped herself and took a deep breath.
Stacey is not the enemy
.
She is a friend. The friend who gave you your amazing job,
she chanted silently, willing it to be true.

“It was magical,” Ivan finally responded, seeming to realize Jaden was not going to.

“I’m so glad you had such a wonderful time.” Stacey stumbled forward, and she raised her glass to wave it at a passing waiter. Then she turned her attention to Jaden. “Are you ready to meet your new partner?”

Partner?
Partner??
Screw that! He’s not my partner
, Jaden mentally screamed. But feeling Ivan’s hand on her shoulder, she drew strength from him and forced a smile to her face. “Yes, of course,” she replied.

Just then the crowd erupted in applause as Network President Kevin Gibbs made his way through the throngs of people to the front of the tent. Standing in the shadows behind him, Jaden could see the ominous outline of her new co-host.

“Oh my God, he’s here. He’s here!” Stacey squealed.

Jaden whispered in Ivan’s ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that worked up over someone I work with.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Kevin’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Thank you all for joining me here tonight. Now I know Sundays aren’t the best day of the week to be holding a party, but judging by the look of things, we’re doing just fine.”

The crowd burst into another round of cheers.

He raised his hands and motioned for them to hold their applause. “Tonight is a special night for the cast and crew of
One Hot Kitchen
, for tonight we embark on a new journey and welcome a new cast member to the program: a new co-host for the lovely and talented Chef Jaden Thorne.”

Jaden slunk back against Ivan as every set of eyes turned to her. Onstage Kevin raised his hand, waving to her over the heads of the crowd. She scowled to herself, but returned his wave.

“Now let’s all put our hands together for the man of the hour, the son of world-renowned Chef François Gris, and the new co-host of
One Hot Kitchen
…I give you Damian Gris!”

The crowd once more produced thunderous cheers, but Jaden stood silently as the shadowy figure crept forward into the orange glow of the lights. Damian’s all-too-perfect jaw line and bright blue eyes were topped with a mass of streaked blond hair that curled and fell into his eyes. His T-shirt and jeans left him wildly underdressed. The man didn’t have the decency to dress up for his own fucking party?

Though she’d suspected all along, Jaden now clearly understood why Kevin had brought Damian to join the show: more women viewers. Yes, the show would get a boost and yes, the ratings would go up, but she had a sinking feeling about the quality of her work environment. He had an air about him—one of cockiness, entitlement, and greed. She shivered at the thought of spending grueling hours working with this guy. Most women would die to be in her place, but she didn’t care. Damian Gris was trouble.

Tossing back his hair, he took the podium and began to speak. “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming tonight to welcome me to
One Hot Kitchen
. It’s an honor and a privilege to be here, and I am especially looking forward to working very,
very
closely with my co-host, Jade.”

Before she could even formulate a response to Damian’s fake familiarity and use of the name Jade—one she hated almost as much as she now hated the name Damian—she felt Ivan’s body go rigid. His fake laugh and half-cocked smile signaled his fury over Damian’s comment.

Somehow Ivan’s anger made her feel better. She stood tall and proud. “I’m not exactly sure what your definition of
close
is, Damian,” she called. “But welcome to the team.”

The crowd burst into cheers again—they’d cheer for anything, it seemed—and drowned out the last of her new co-host’s speech.

Returning to the podium, Kevin wrapped things up. “Be sure to say hello to Damian and introduce yourselves,” he told the audience. “We have a busy few months ahead of us, so let’s make this season even better than the last.”

“That was interesting,” Ivan snorted.

“What an ass! Jade? Really? I’ve never even met the guy, and he’s acting like we’re best friends. This is
not
going to be fun.”

Ivan turned her to look at him, and for a moment everything else faded away. He brought her lips to his for a furious, pineapple-flavored kiss. His breath was warm and heady as he whispered against her lips. “Baby, you’re a rock star. Never forget that. There’s nothing—”

“Jaden, I’d like to personally introduce you to Damian,” a voice behind them announced.

She broke the kiss and took a deep breath. Then together, she and Ivan turned to face Kevin and Damian.

As the lion observes the gazelle before it pounces, Damian studied her for a moment, his eyes bright with intent and mischief. “Wow! You’re even more stunning in person.”

“Umm…thanks?” She suppressed a laugh. This guy oozed cockiness. Biting her tongue and willing herself not to say something she’d regret, she shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“We’re going to have a lot of fun getting to know each other,” he continued with a smile. He seemed unaware of the fact that Ivan stood beside her, and he placed a hand on her arm as he leaned in. “We should grab a drink sometime soon and
really
get to know each other.”

“Thank you, but no,” she said quickly. She dared a glance at Ivan and could tell he was beyond furious. Trying to defuse the situation, she jumped right in to the introductions.

“Damian, I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriend,
Dr.
Ivan Rusilko.”

His smile faltered for just a moment as he extended his hand to Ivan. “Sorry about that, man. I didn’t see a ring, so I figured the little lady was single. No hard feelings, right?”

Little lady? Is it
1957
or something?

“Yeah, I know, I should probably take care of that soon—the ring, that is,” Ivan countered, his voice smooth and even. “With a girl this special there’s always going to be some pretty boy waiting to scoop her up. But I’m not worried. I mean, pretty boys are a dime a dozen…”

He paused to smile at Damian, then turned to Jaden and planted a firm kiss square on her lips, lingering perhaps a bit longer than he otherwise would have in a professional situation. She was thankful for him all over again.

“Well,” he announced, giving her a warm smile. “I’m going to grab us a drink. I’ll let the three of you get acquainted.”

With one final glance over his shoulder, he winked and disappeared into the crowd. Damian now looked decidedly less cocky, and Kevin looked dumbfounded and slightly perturbed. Jaden took a moment to compose herself, swallowing her laughter. This had been quite an introduction. Perhaps she could handle this guy after all. Without missing a beat, she jumped into conversation. “So, Damian, how do you like California so far?”

“Umm…” He seemed unsure how to respond. “It’s okay, I guess.”

She smirked.
Yeah, you just got handed your ass on a silver platter, didn’t you?

Then, thankfully, Kevin took over. They began a discussion of the changes the show needed to make in order to accommodate a co-host. Of course Jaden would have to sacrifice time on camera, but there was the potential for a huge jump in ratings, so she swallowed her pride and accepted the fact that this was a done deal. Damian was now an integral part of the show. At some point Ivan returned with the drinks he’d promised and stood close by, not once saying a word.

As they talked, her gaze wandered from Kevin to Ivan and then to Damian. If she were being honest with herself, she could see why women flocked to him. His aqua blue eyes contrasted with his sun-kissed hair and deep brown tan, and his angular jaw line emphasized boyishly handsome features. She could also tell that beneath his rumpled clothing was a well-toned body—and not the type of body you get by spending hours at the gym. It was more the physique you get spending your days in the ocean. But the fact that Damian managed to manipulate every conversation to revolve around him made her blood boil.
Confidence is sexy, cockiness isn’t
. He would
not
be fun to manage on camera.

The wind shifted and a pungent aroma wafted through the air, causing her to sneeze. It took her just a moment to realize the sickly sweet smell was Damian’s cologne.
Good God, I hope he doesn’t wear that every day
.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her blond former nemesis stalking the crowd, her eyes trained not on Ivan, but Damian. For the first time that night, Jaden was glad for Damian’s presence. If Stacey had her sights set on him, then maybe Jaden could stop worrying about her carrying a torch for Ivan. The crowd parted as Stacey headed toward them, seeming intent on joining the conversation. “Kevin, darling, do you really think it’s fair to keep this fine young man all to yourself?” she screeched with a too-loud laugh. “There are others waiting to meet our newest up-and-coming star.”

“You’re absolutely right, my dear, but we’ve been discussing the new plans for the show. Damian was just telling me he may be able to get his father to join us as a guest host.” Kevin’s face beamed with excitement and…something else, something Jaden couldn’t quite put her—ah!
Greed.
Kevin saw Damian and his father as a meal ticket. Of course! How could she not have seen it before? Having Damian on the show would not only boost ratings, it could also mean millions of dollars in sponsorships. This epiphany, fueled by several glasses of wine, was almost too much for her to process. This show she loved was just a business at the end of the day. She took this as her cue to excuse herself. She’d come to the party and met Damian, and now it was time to go home and enjoy her last evening with Ivan before he had to leave for Miami.

“I hate to interrupt,” she said, not paying much attention to whose conversation she was interrupting. “But Ivan and I have to get home. He has to work tomorrow, and his flight leaves first thing in the morning.”

A small smile crept over Damian’s face. “Oh, the two of you don’t live together?”

“Ivan lives in Miami,” she said, her voice like ice.

“Wow! That must be difficult. A guy like him living alone in Miami while his girlfriend is on the opposite side of the country? What did you say he was? Some sort of doctor, right?”

She knew the picture Damian was trying to paint, and she wasn’t about to help him. “It is tough, but when you love someone as much as Ivan and I love each other, you do everything in your power to make it work.” Taking her own turn at being overly familiar, she leaned in. “Every girl should date a doctor who specializes in women’s sexual health. The sex is fucking amazing.”

With that she turned and gave Ivan a little pat on the butt, startling him out of his conversation nearby. “Are you ready to go home?”

“I’m ready if you are,” he replied. “Kevin, next time I’m in LA, we’ll have to squeeze in that game of golf. And, Stacey, it was great seeing you again. Give me a call the next time you’re in Miami. I have a few business associates I’d like to introduce you to. Damian, the pleasure was all mine. Love the jeans.”

Hand in hand, Jaden and Ivan bid the group farewell and moved quickly to the exit, hoping to escape any delay from the rest of the party guests. With this huge burden off her shoulders, she could now focus her full attention on the night ahead. This fantastic weekend needed to be capped off with a bang. She’d give Ivan a going-away gift to keep him going for quite some time.

“Stereo Love”

“I K
EEP
M
EANING
T
O
A
SK
Y
OU
—when did you get this?” Ivan screamed from the driver’s seat over the roar of the wind.

“It’s a loaner,” Jaden yelled back. “Kevin had it sent over the day after he told me the studio was hiring a co-host for the show. Coincidence, huh?” She sank into the black leather seat of the silver Mercedes Roadster and cranked up the stereo. The sultry sounds of synthesizers blared through the speakers, the beat reverberating through her body like an erotic symphony.

With slow, purposeful movements, she reached across the seat and traced the inseam of Ivan’s pants, outlining his growing erection with the tip of her finger. It still amazed her that he was so receptive to her touch, that this alone was enough to make him rock hard. “Oops! Did I do that?” she teased. She toyed with the button on his pants. “Do you want me to take care of that for you?”