“Do me a favor, don’t tell Renard I said he was right. He’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
“Where did you find him?”
Saxon sighed. “On a street corner.”
“What?”
“I was in the marines with him. Few years ago, I got word he’d been medically discharged. He was suffering from PTSD and living on the streets. Only thing that helps him with the stress is cooking. I found him, got him some help, and a job in a restaurant. He lasted about three months before he was fired.”
“No? Really? But he’s such a charmer.”
“While Renard is a damn good cook he is hopeless at dealing with people. He’s worked in several restaurants, and every head chef has fired him.”
“So now you’ve hired him as head chef here.”
“Figure the only way he’s going to be happy is if he’s running the show.”
“You set this restaurant up for him, didn’t you?” she asked in a flash of understanding.
Saxon’s expression was shuttered, giving away nothing. “I’m opening this restaurant because it’s a good financial move. There’s no fine dining around here, and we need it. It will attract more people to Haven, especially when they taste the food. And it might bring business to the club.”
“You need more business at the club?”
“Not really,” he admitted.
She knew he was wealthy. Any idiot could see that. But to open a restaurant just to help someone who was as unfriendly as Renard? That was the next level.
They finished their pieces of pie. “Renard was serious about hiring you, you know.”
Heat flushed her cheeks. “That’s very kind of him, but
—”
He snorted. “Kind is not a word I’d use to describe him. And it’s not really a favor he’s doing you. Working with him would be hell. He’s run off the last three pastry chefs I hired.”
Yeah, she could see how working with Renard would be hard on a person’s nerves.
“He really thought I was your sub, didn’t he? Which is why he said he’d send me to you for an . . . uh . . .”
“Spanking,” he said with some amusement. “You can say the word. It’s not a bad one. Although, we both know you don’t shy away from using bad words.”
That had the red in her cheeks deepening until she felt like she’d been out in the sun too long. “I’m trying to stop that bad habit.”
“Hmm, I’m good at helping naughty little subbies stop bad habits.”
Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her lungs. “Just as well I’m not submissive then.”
“Aren’t you?” he murmured.
“No. I’m not. And I really have to go.”
“Freeze.”
She stilled, and he smiled. When she realized she’d immediately obeyed him, she frowned and jumped to her feet.
He reached over and clasped her hand in his. “You’ve got real talent, Aspen. And you spent more than five minutes in Renard’s presence without running away screaming or hitting him over the head with a rolling pin, which puts you ahead of anyone else I’ve hired.”
“I thought about smashing my pie in his face.”