“Do you want me to absolve you of your sins?” It had probably taken him a few hours to write the review that destroyed what she’d built in four years. Comfort Zone wasn’t just a bakery to her. It was her home, her dream, and her freedom. Hot tears burned behind her lids, and she bit her lip till she tasted blood. If she cried in front of him, the last scrap of her pride would burn to cinders. “Come see me when you and I are the only survivors in a postapocalyptic, zombie-infested world. Maybe then…may-be.Who am I kidding? You can go straight to hell.”
“I’m not here to apologize.” He dragged a hand through his hair, showing signs of frayed nerves. “And I can’t write a second review.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Aubrey slumped into a chair, suddenly too tired to give a fuck.
“Won’t.” A hint of remorse flickered in his eyes. “Did you know who I was when you slept with me?”
She listened to her breath whooshing in and out, dumbstruck once more. Too bewildered to filter her thoughts, she said, “No, I didnotknow who the bloody hell you were. What the fuck are you implying?”
“I had to ask.” His long, thick lashes fluttered like the wings of a moth who’d strayed too close to the fire. “I had to be sure you didn’t sleep with me to extort a good review.”
“I slept with you for agoodreview? Are you out of your mind?” She shot out of her seat and reached him in a single, rage-fueled bound—close enough to spit on his handsome, arrogant mug. “News flash, asshole. You didn’t give me a good review.”
“Will you listen?” He leaned in so close that she had totilt her head back to continue glaring at him. “I had to ask. I needed to be certain before I could help you.”
“Help me? You. Ruined. Me.” Grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, she jerked him in time with each word. But she was the only one who rocked back and forth, while he stood like a stone wall. She roared with frustration. “You wrote a review thatdestroyedmy life. Just how did I benefit from sleeping with you?”
“You didn’t.” He raked his fingers through his hair, looking pained. “You said you didn’t sleep with me for a good review, and I believe you.”
“How very kind of you to acknowledge that. Now, turn around. Walk through that door.Disappear.” She released his shirt and shoved him toward the entrance, putting her weight into it. He stumbled back a step. “You are done insulting me.”
The cautious vulnerability that entered his eyes stopped her from knocking him across the head. The man was hopeless—a cynic and a clueless idiot—but she could tell he’d been used that way before.Well, tough shit.He was still an asshole.
“But the fact is we did sleep together,” he continued as though she hadn’t spoken. “If I write a favorable second review and someone finds out about that night, our reputations will be wrecked beyond repair. No one will believe it was a coincidence.”
“How will anyone find out?”
“Writing an unprecedented second review alone will raise suspicions. And…” He cringed a little, the tip of his ears turning pink. “And I’ve had some paparazzi ambushing me lately. They seem overly interested in my private life.”
“Is this about you being one of the most eligible bachelors of the year? Oh, my God. It is.” Shehadto choose a celebrityfood critic and most eligible bachelor to have a one-night-stand with.What shitty luck.“Can’t we just deny it? I don’t think anyone has proof that we slept together, right?”
“And we don’t have any proof that we didn’t sleep together. It’s impossible to prove a negative. Besides, we did sleep together.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “Gossip spreads like wildfire on social media and gossip sites. Unfortunately, celebrity gossip is presumed true until proven false. We won’t be able to convince anyone otherwise until it’s too late to salvage our reputations.”
Exhausted, Aubrey sat down once again. She understood the logic in his decision, but it changed nothing. “Just tell me why you’re here, then leave.”
“I’m here to make things right.” Any sign of regret, doubt, or vulnerability had disappeared, and his voice rang with steely determination. “You’re not going to lose Comfort Zone. Not without a fight.”
“I’m not? How?” She couldn’t feel her lips move. She reversed her posture and straddled the high-backed chair before she slid to the floor. He was going to write a second review after all.
“I tasted one of your other menu items, and I was blown away by it.” Landon ran his hand down his face.
“When?”
The fluttering in her stomach wasnothappiness. She didn’t care what he thought of her baking. She was supposed to hate him. He’d implied she’d seduced him for a good review. But her indignation wavered when she remembered the flash of worry and vulnerability in his eyes. It was still a dick move.
“Lily came to my office with your pretzel bread pudding. She said she was the one who’d made the mistake and begged for a second review. The kid really looks up to you.”
“Oh, Lily.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and she blinked away sudden tears. “I can’t believe she did that for me.”
“If all goes well with my business proposal, you could give her a big, fat raise.”
“Your business proposal?” Confusion and curiosity interrupted her attempt to radiate hostility.
“I want you to guest star on my friend’s cooking show,” he said in a low voice, studying her intently.
“A cooking show? On television?” She sounded dumb, but her wit had gone on leave without notice.
“That’s the usual medium for a cooking show nowadays.” His tone was dry, but his eyes twinkled with amusement.
