Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

“We were supposed to go hiking and see these gorgeous crystal caves today, too. I’m so
bummed.”
My lips turn down in sympathy. “Aw, that sucks. I’m sorry.”
She sighs heavily. “Yeah. So, how are things going there?”
Since I can’t tell her the truth, I say, “Well, I haven’t twisted any ankles.”
“Rub it in, why don’t you?”
“Of course, I also don’t have an ocean view, so you’re definitely winning on that front.”
“Now that I’m maimed, I may have to live here forever,” she says dramatically.
“You can’t live there forever. How will you set me up with some awful guy if you never come
back to New York?”
It doesn’t occur to me how that might sound to Chef Ryan until he glances at me, surprise written
all across his features.
I finish up my call with Charity, but I’m distracted after that, the majority of my focus on getting
off the phone before he finishes cleaning up and leaves.
When I do and I set the phone aside, I wait until he meets my gaze, then I tell him, “Calvin isn’t
my boyfriend.”
Ryan shakes his head. “Didn’t say anything.”
“I know, but you obviously heard me on the phone and you looked… surprised.”
“Not my business,” he says, but he doesn’t seem to believe it.
“I can see why you would think Calvin is my boyfriend.” My brain tells me to stop, that it
doesn’t matter, that I don’t owe this man I’ll never see again any explanations about why I would be
going on dates with men other than Calvin, but I can’t seem to let it go. “But honestly, he isn’t. He
never was. He never will be. It’s not like that.”
Offering a flaccid smile, he nods his head. “All right.”
His refusal to let me off the hook keeps me feeling… well, on the hook. “I feel like you don’t
believe me.”
He shrugs. “I don’t get many jobs like this where someone is paying me to cook for a romantic
interest who isn’t their girlfriend or boyfriend, but again, it isn’t my business. Your relationship,
however you like to define it, is your business and yours alone. I’m not here to spy for Calvin, I’m
here to cook you breakfast and make you lunch so you can focus on your work today.” He shoulders
the canvas bag he brought with him. It looks a lot lighter than it must have when he brought it in
stuffed with groceries and the cooking accessories he needed.
I’m still a bit uncomfortable with his opinion of things, but I know I can’t fully express why I’m