Reckless Entanglement: The Hunter Brothers Book # 1 Read online

  Reckless Entanglement

  Iona Rose

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  * * *

  Iona

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  Contents

  1. Callie

  2. Matt

  3. Callie

  4. Matt

  5. Callie

  6. Callie

  7. Callie

  8. Callie

  9. Matt

  10. Callie

  11. Matt

  12. Callie

  13. Matt

  14. Callie

  15. Callie

  16. Callie

  17. Callie

  18. Matt

  19. Callie

  20. Callie

  21. Callie

  22. Callie

  23. Callie

  24. Callie

  25. Callie

  26. Matt

  27. Callie

  28. Callie

  29. Matt

  30. Callie

  Epilogue

  Coming soon…

  31. Chapter 1

  32. Chapter 2

  About the Author

  Also by Iona Rose

  Reckless Entanglement

  * * *

  Copyright © 2021 Iona Rose

  The right of Iona Rose to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the copyright, designs and patent act 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious, any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  Publisher: Some Books

  ISBN- 978-1-913990-15-2

  Chapter One

  Callie

  I hurry across the parking lot, coming as close as I can to running without risking breaking an ankle. My skin tight pencil skirt and killer heels aren’t the kind of outfit a girl runs in. They aren’t the sort of outfit I ever pictured myself waitressing in either, but that’s the joy of working in La Trattoria. I can’t complain though. It’s high end enough that the tips from my part time job pay my bills and leave me with enough time to study for college.

  I check my watch as I burst through the back door and into the staff room, a grubby room filled with a scratched table and three broken chairs. A stark contrast to the restaurant floor where everything is immaculate, brand new and shiny.

  My heart sinks when I see Marco sitting in one of the chairs, his feet propped up on the table. As bosses go, he’s the worst. He’s by far the laziest man I’ve ever met, but his standards rival those of The Waldorf when it comes to us waitresses. He makes a show of looking at his watch. He tuts and shakes his head.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, already taking my coat off. “There was an accident on the way in and the diversion was crazy busy. I’ll make the time up I swear.”

  “See that you do Callie.” He gets up and saunters towards the door, blocking my path as I try to leave the room. “This is just unprofessional. I guess I shouldn’t expect better from a student though, huh?”

  With that, he’s gone, leaving me standing there open mouthed at the sheer audacity of him calling me unprofessional. All of this drama because I was two minutes late. Like literally two minutes. It’s not really about me being a few minutes late though. It’s about me rejecting his advances last week when he hit on me in his office.

  As if I could ever be attracted to him. I mean he’s not ugly or anything to look at, but boy is he ugly on the inside. Besides, sleeping with the boss is such a cliché, and I refuse to be one of those girls who is never quite sure if she’s kept around because she’s good at her job, or because she’s eye candy for the boss.

  I shake my head, telling myself to let it go. I won’t let that douchebag into my head. I hit the restaurant floor with my fake smile plastered on.

  “Callie? Table three is up,” the line chef shouts the second I appear.

  I rush forward and grab the two plates. They’re hot, burning my skin and I almost let them go, but I manage to hold onto them. I’m used to being burned by the plates, but the first time each night always gets me. I rush them to the table, slowing down at the last second and smiling once more. “One carbonara?” I say.

  The woman at the table smiles and gestures that it’s hers.

  I set the plate down in front of her and turn to the man. “And one lasagna.” I smile, placing the plate down in front of him. “Enjoy your meals.”

  They thank me, but as I walk away, I can hear them muttering under their breath about how long it’s taken. Great. That’s hardly my fault, I wasn’t even here when their order was taken, but it’ll be me who gets stiffed on the tip.

  As I rush back to the counter, Marco catches up with me. “Table three are not impressed with your service Callie, and frankly, neither am I. Get it together or you’re done here,” he says.

  I bite my tongue, determined not to let him get to me. He knows that order being late wasn’t my fault. Sasha, one of the other waitresses catches my eye and pulls a face behind Marco’s back, making me feel slightly better about the whole thing.

  I reach the counter and collect the next order, a single pizza. I turn around to deliver it and find Marco once more blocking my path.

  “Are you ignoring me?” he demands.

  “No,” I say, nodding towards the plate in my hand. “Just trying to get us caught up.”

  “Maybe we wouldn’t be in the weeds if you had shown up on time,” he says, but he moves out of my way.

  I can feel my temperature rising in anger at his tone of voice as I rush across the restaurant. My focus is on trying not to show my anger, and I’m not paying as much attention as I should be to the restaurant floor. Before I register what’s happening, I feel myself tripping.

  I start to fall and everything slows down as my stomach turns over. I have time to imagine the clatter as I slam to the ground, the laughter, Marco’s anger that I’ve wasted the pizza. As if by a miraculous intervention warm hands catch the tops of my arms saving both me and the pizza from taking a dive.

  I look up to thank my savior but the words die on my lips as I take in the tousled rich brown hair, the square jaw, and the deep chocolate eyes I could easily lose myself in. I swallow hard, dragging my eyes away hurriedly as I feel my cheeks turning red. My eyes move downwards of their own accord, taking in a black shirt covering huge pecs and abs of steel.

  My stomach rolls again, but this time it’s nothing to do with me falling. It’s him. His hands are still on me and I can feel him watching me. I look back up to his face and once more I am assaulted by his eyes.

  “For God’s sake take the pizza to the damned customer,” Marco hisses in my ear.

  The moment is broken and the man pulls his hands away from me, although he still holds my gaze with his own. I try to thank him, but my voice is gone a
nd I just scurry away, thanking my lucky stars that the table is one of the ones in the patio area.

  The cool night air washes over me as I go outside and I feel the flush in my cheeks start to die down. I deliver the pizza uneventfully and take a moment to just breathe in a few deep breaths. I steel myself for Marco’s tirade and head back inside.

  A woman practically runs towards me when she sees me come back in. “I’m so sorry miss,” she says. “Are you ok?”

  “I-I’m fine,” I say with no idea who she is or what’s going on.

  She sees confusion written all over my face and she smiles sheepishly. “It was my bag you tripped over,” she explains.

  “Oh,” I say, forcing a soft laugh. “Don’t worry about it. Really, I should have been watching where I was going.” I excuse myself as soon as I can without looking rude and make my way back towards the counter.

  “Chef wants you to go and grab some ice from out back,” Sasha says as I approach.

  I nod, glad for the chance to get off the floor and take a moment to compose myself. I’ve been here less than half an hour and my shift is already spiralling. I hurry out the back and I spot him again. The man who saved me. He’s talking to Marco and my heart sinks for a moment. Is he complaining about me?

  I realize with a start the shirt he’s wearing isn’t any old black shirt. It’s one of ours. He must have started working here tonight. Great. So I have to see him every time I’m working now.

  I’ve allowed myself to become distracted again, and as I walk, I kick a trash can, hurting my toes so badly I curse out loud before I can stop myself.

  Marco and the hot guy both turn in my direction, but Marco might as well not be there. The guy’s eyes are on mine again, and I can see the lust in them. It’s like his eyes are burning through my clothes, stripping me naked.

  I feel myself get wet at the thought of where his hands might go, where his tongue might go. I want to look away, but I can’t. I am getting flustered, my skin flushing again, my heart racing and my palms sweating. He winks at me, a wink that sends a shiver through my body, and then he breaks eye contact and I can move again, think again.

  “Callie, get over here,” Marco shouts.

  Oh, wonderful. Now he’s going to embarrass me in front of the hot guy. Reluctantly, I head over. “Chef needs some ice,” I explain.

  “Chef can wait a moment,” Marco says. “I want to introduce you to Matt. He’s just transferred here from another branch. I want you to show him around, make him feel welcome. If that’s not too much trouble.” He walks away without another word.

  I shake my head. “Asshole,” I mutter under my breath.

  “I hope you mean him and not me.” Matt grins.

  I nod, confirming it to be the case, but I’m not so sure I’m not talking about both of them. Matt is hot and there’s no denying the effect he has on me, but no one should be this cool and arrogant on their first night in a new job.

  Something tells me Matt is going to be trouble and I vow then and there that I will keep my distance from him. I’ll show him the ropes, but that’s it. I’ll be cool and professional and leave it at that. I can do that. I can.

  Chapter Two

  Matt

  “The break room and restroom is that way, and as you know the restaurant floor is that way,” Callie says, pointing first one way and then the other.

  I nod, watching her with amusement as she tries and fails to keep her eyes off my chest. I guess I’m not one to talk. From the moment she fell into my arms, I knew there was something special about her.

  For starters, she’s beautiful. Her eyes are a stunning, vivid green, the color of emeralds. Her skin is flawless and I want to reach out and run my fingers down her cheek. Her long gold-brown hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, but I can see how long it is and I can’t help but imagine her pulling it loose, imagine myself pushing my hands into it, pulling her closer to me. My cock is getting hard just thinking about what I could do to this gorgeous creature.

  I allow my eyes to move lower, taking in her full breasts, the curve of her hips. She sure knows how to rock this uniform like no one I’ve ever met.

  She clears her throat and I know she’s caught me staring. That makes two of us then. I meet her eyes and smile at her. “And my tour is over?” I say.

  “I’m sorry. I have a lot to do. No offense Matt, but if you need hand holding, you’re not going to last two minutes here,” she says.

  “Got it,” I say, pushing myself up from the wall I’ve been leaning on. “Thank you for making me feel so welcome.” I walk away, heading for the restaurant floor, grinning to myself. I don’t need to look back to know that Callie is watching me walk away, her jaw hanging open in shock.

  She’s made it clear to me that her plan is to avoid contact with me as much as possible. It should raise my suspicions, yet strangely, it doesn’t. I’m not blind. I saw the way she was looking at me. And I have a feeling that’s why she wants to avoid me. Maybe she’s one of those girls who don’t date colleagues.

  In one sense, I’m upset that Callie doesn’t want to be around me. I would be more than happy to have her around me all day, every day. But in another sense, I think it’s a good thing, because I can’t allow my focus to slip, and at least this way, I don’t have to be the one to push her away.

  I’m here for one reason and one reason only, and that reason is too important to spend my time flirting with Callie. I came here to do what needs to be done. Not to make friends, and most certainly not to fall for one of the waitresses.

  I’ll play along with Callie’s avoidance of me. That way, I can’t become distracted from the real reason I’m here.

  Chapter Three

  Callie

  The walk for ice does me good. By the time I return with it to the kitchen, I’ve managed to push thoughts of Matt out of my mind altogether. I’m not thinking about his deep brown eyes. I’m not thinking about what I want him to do to me. I’m not thinking about that accent – my God that accent. Well ok, I’m thinking about Matt just a little bit, but I’ve also accepted that I’m going to stay well away from him.

  His attitude makes me think he’s a player and I just don’t need that shit in my life. And if Marco got wind of anything happening between us, he would make my life hell. Like even worse than he makes it now. And I really don’t need that.

  I dump the ice out of the bags and head back to the restaurant floor. I manage to run a few tables without incident, and I’m starting to think that my bad luck has left me. They say it comes in threes. So I was late, I tripped and then I stubbed my toe on a trash can. So yeah, I’ve had my share of bad luck for the day.

  As the rush begins to tail off and the restaurant moves at a more sedentary pace, Sasha makes her way over to me. “Who’s the new guy?” she asks.

  “His name’s Matt,” I say, careful to keep my voice neutral.

  “Matt, right. Cute, isn’t he?” she says.

  “Sure,” I reply. She would never buy it if I told her I hadn’t noticed. No one with eyes would buy that, and especially not Sasha who knows me pretty well.

  “You two might want to keep your distance from him,” James, another waiter, says as he comes to join us.

  “I’m a happily married woman.” Sasha laughs. “It’s only Callie you have to worry about.”

  I feel my face flush and I want to move the conversation onto something else, but James’ words have me intrigued. “What makes you say that? You jealous because he’s getting all of the attention?” I tease him.

  “Actually, it’s nice to have a break from all of the attention,” James jokes. “Seriously though, I heard he’s trouble. Rumor has it he’s the youngest manager the chain has ever had. Twenty-four I heard. And he screwed up big time. That’s why he’s here. Got demoted and sent here as punishment I guess.”

  Sasha rolls her eyes. “God James, where do you get this shit from? I swear you’re worse than us girls for gossiping. How much of that did you make up?”<
br />
  “None of it, I swear,” he says with a laugh.

  “So who told you?” she demands.

  “I have my sources,” James says.

  A man sitting at one of his tables catches James’ eye and he scuttles away.

  I turn to Sasha. “What have you heard?”

  She shrugs. “Nothing much. You’re the one who got the formal introduction. What did Marco tell you?”

  “Just his name and that he’s been transferred here from another branch. He only wanted me to show him around because he thought I’d get less done and he’d have another reason to berate me.”

  “You know what he’s like. Don’t let him get to you Callie. And to be fair, if that’s your punishment, well I might start acting out myself.” she laughs.

  I laugh and shake my head. “Seriously though, it’s probably not what James said. Surely, if he’d done something that bad, they’d just fire him. I guess we give Matt the benefit of the doubt until we get to know him.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Sasha nods.

  The head chef calls from the counter and I hurry over to collect desserts for one of my tables. I know I told Sasha to give Matt the benefit of the doubt, and I meant it, but I can’t help mulling over James’ words. What he said would make sense. It would explain Matt’s cocky arrogance. How he acted like he was above being a waiter. And it would explain why he seemed to be eyeing Marco with suspicion at one point. He could be jealous that Marco holds the job he threw away. Maybe his screw up wasn’t quite bad enough to get fired for. They probably sent him to Marco on purpose, figuring after putting up with him for a week or two, he might quit of his own accord.