by Ward, Alice
CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CONNECT WITH ALICE WARD
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT AND DISCLAIMER
INTRODUCTION
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***
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Combine two hot guys and one lonely girl. Add a teaspoon of longing and a pinch of drama, and what do you get? The perfect recipe for lust.
My life had been one big comfort zone — long term boyfriend, long term friends, long term boring life. I wanted sizzle. Something new. Something different. When they say you better be careful what you wish for... believe me, you better.
I’m Claire Walker, and on a whim, I applied for the hot reality show, Extreme Cuisine, to launch my dream career as a chef. I soon found out I’d bit off more than I could chew when I was tossed into the pressure cooker of the show.
Over nine long weeks, I served up my best, even while cameras and everyone else watched my every move. So, how does a good girl from LA end up in the tabloids with a famous chef, surrounded by scandal and betrayal? Welcome to my life...
Remember Claire from Unraveling the Billionaire? If you loved Lauren and Asher, you’ll adore Claire and her journey to step out of her comfort zone, take a few risks, and discover love. Beware, it’s hot in the kitchen. 18+
This is a standalone book so even if you haven’t yet read Unraveling the Billionaire you can jump right into this one with no problems. HEA included.
*** Unraveling the Billionaire - The Complete Series is also included in this book as a FREE BONUS ***
CHAPTER ONE
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“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Lauren said calmly, but with hurt still shining in her eyes. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me sooner.”
I knew she was upset I hadn’t shared my audition details with her, but after a rough several months, life had finally returned to normal, and the only thing I wanted my friend worrying about was her own happiness.
“I honestly didn’t think I would be considered, let alone chosen,” I admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Seriously, Claire? You’re one of the best chefs I know,” Lauren insisted.
“I’m the only chef you know,” I added with a grin, then smiled wider when Lauren rolled her eyes.
My best friend picked up her half-empty glass of wine from the oak coffee table while I stared at the townhouse, realizing how much I’d miss it. It was my first place on my own. Mine. A single woman, free and finally living my dream, not Royce’s. It felt good here, but I knew Deacon would be returning soon from Australia, and I would have to move on anyway, so the sooner the better. Right?
I taped the thank you note to the fridge. I hoped the words inside came close to conveying how much I appreciated Deacon and his wife for letting me live here while they were away. I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I hadn’t had this soft place to land after the sudden explosion of my long term relationship.
“So, tell me… how did you hear about this competition? How did you get selected? What was your audition like?” Lauren pounded out questions faster than I could think.
“This calls for more wine,” I said, trying not to sound stressed by her inquisition.
I picked up my sunglasses from the kitchen counter and slid them to the top of my head for safe keeping before grabbing the wine bottle from the granite island.
“I’m a little scared,” I admitted, pouring another glass of wine for myself and topping off Lauren’s glass until she waved her hand to signal enough.
“Why? You’re amazing,” Lauren insisted, covering my hand with hers.
“I didn’t tell you about my audition process, well, because when I sent in the tape, I honestly didn’t think I would be considered, let alone selected, like I said. But, once it was submitted, I received a call from the program director and was questioned about my connection with you and Asher.” I gulped down half of my wine in one large swoop as I waited for Lauren’s reaction.
“Well, I doubt that had anything to do with your acceptance,” Lauren assured me. Her smile was kind and convincing, but I’d known her long enough to know when she was being protective. It was absolutely the reason I was selected. Maybe not the only reason, but certainly a factor in the decision process.
I decided not to argue and smiled graciously as I sipped more of the sweet red wine from my glass. Even if it was my connection to her and her husband that got my foot in the door, I’d work my ass off to make sure I deserved to be there on my own merit.
“So, how did you hear about the competition?” Lauren asked, seeming to be as eager to change the subject as I was.
“One of my clients left me the flyer when I served their luncheon a few months back,” I explained, remembering stuffing the paper in my back pocket and forgetting about it until later. I’d watched Extreme Cuisine since the show’s conception but had never dreamed or even thought about applying for the cooking competition for amateur chefs. “They were ready to air in Austin and were looking for contestants,” I continued, feeling a little embarrassed now. “It was a spur of the moment decision, probably fueled by this.” I lifted my glass to my lips again.
Lauren nodded along. “What was the audition process like? Was it tough?” She was sipping on her wine at a faster pace to match my own.
I lifted a shoulder. “I sent in a video, a few of my recipes, and then had the one-on-one with the program director by phone. It was simple.”
“I’m so proud of you, Claire,” Lauren gushed. “After all you’ve done for me and Asher, you deserve this.”
“If it wasn’t for you and Asher, I would have never found my calling,” I said sincerely as I held my glass in the air for a toast.
Lauren smiled and lifted hers, clinking it against mine. The chime was calming in the quiet townhouse as it echoed through the large room.
I shivered, remembering the time I’d spent in Asher’s kitchen, preparing food for the family, police, and security guards during that horrible time. I still had nightmares sometimes about Rachel, or Cynthia, the woman who nearly destroyed my best friend’s life.
Lauren’s eyes were still bright and cheerful, and that glow she used to have had finally returned, but the ordeal aged her a few years, pushing her to look closer to thirty than twenty.
I stood and placed my glass down on the table after taking that last delicious sip and looked around. The townhouse was cleaned, most of my items were packed, and it felt surre
al to be leaving.
“Maybe you’ll meet a hot cowboy out there in Austin,” Lauren teased.
Her words pulled me from the trance I’d been in as I stared around the townhouse that I’d called home for so many months. A man, yeah, no thanks. After Royce, I was done with men.
“This is not about anyone with a penis,” I insisted, knowing my face was giving away my distress at the thought.
Lauren laughed and her eyes softened as they gazed upon my dismay. “I know sweetie, but you’re so good at love.”
Love? What did I know about love?
I knew I fell in love too easily. I knew that I stayed in relationships even when they were bad. I knew my selection in men had not been great, even though only one had passed through my life at this point. I knew love hurt, love was scary, and I knew that I wanted it desperately.
Royce raced through my mind. Even though we’d split up and things had been somewhat amicable, thanks to me and my eternal penchant for kindness, the thought of him still enraged me. How could he have wasted so much of my life? I shuddered at the thought of how easy it was for him to fall into the arms of another woman. He had been my first everything — my only everything — but he had moved on, so now it was my turn to experience life and love on my own.
“Is that what you’re wearing to the airport?” Lauren asked, again pulling me from my trance.
“Yes, should I change?” I asked, now concerned my attire wasn’t professional enough to meet the production assistant at the airport.
“No, you look absolutely adorable. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I zipped you up.”
I shook my head and watched as she sat on my large suitcase, struggling to get the zipper to go all the way around. The suitcase was designer, expensive, and a gift from Kennedy and Jackson, another deliriously happy couple I was blessed to know. I felt a little pretentious carrying the bag that I knew cost more than my first car.
I’d never traveled before. Even when Lauren left for college, I stayed here. Wasting my life with the boy I fell in love with at the young age of twelve.
Look what that got me!
I smoothed the white capris to get rid of the wrinkles that had formed while kneeling on the floor and then moved to my silky green top. Even though it was sleeveless, which I wasn’t keen on, I loved how it brought out the green in my eyes. My long auburn hair fell past my shoulders to cover the parts of my arms I hated. Lauren had told me I was starting to show some muscle in my skinny arms from carrying those heavy trays of food into my client’s homes and offices. Maybe she was right, but to me, they still looked scrawny, so I was grateful for the long hair to hide them.
“I can’t wait to see you on TV,” Lauren squealed. “How exciting it will be to know a celebrity.”
A celebrity. I had to laugh at that comment. If anyone was a celebrity, it was Lauren, wife of the tech guru Asher Reynolds. Things had finally calmed down, and Asher’s company’s stock had returned to normal. His name was cleared, and their pictures were no longer plastered all over the television and every tabloid magazine, online or printed.
“I’m so scared I won’t make it through the first round,” I admitted. “How embarrassing it will be to come home after the first competition.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. I knew she hated it when I fell into my insecurity routine. It wasn’t that I thought my culinary skills were not on point. It was that I had no idea who I was going up against. There was so much I still needed to learn, so much I hadn’t done. “What if they ask me to prepare something I’ve never heard of?”
“Then fake it,” Lauren said with an encouraging grin. “If anyone can do this, it’s you.”
I moved through the townhouse and looked around to make sure everything was packed. I didn’t have much, so my nine-week trip, if I lasted that long, required me to bring practically everything I owned. Lauren was taking my small aquarium while a couple boxes that had personal items and sentimental keepsakes were already hauled to the studio and placed out of the way.
When I returned home, my plan was to find my own place, truly my own place, not one that was paid for by a friend out of the country. I needed my own furniture, my own decorations, my own bed.
It was time I finally grew up.
“Looks like I have everything,” I announced.
My hands fell to my sides, and my feet shifted back and forth as I began to feel the anxiety soar through my veins. This was all so new to me, so strange, so scary. I wasn’t sure I could do it.
“Hey, ladies, are we all packed and ready?” Asher asked as he walked through the front door.
He wore khakis with too many pockets and a striped beach shirt with a v-neck. He looked casual, normal, not like a bazillionaire, or like someone who was caught up in a scandal. His smile was refreshing, and knowing his car was outside waiting made me realize this was it. No turning back now.
“We’re ready,” Lauren answered before I had a chance. She stood, grabbed both wine glasses from the table and carried them to the kitchen. I could hear them clinking together and against the stainless steel sink. Within seconds, she returned to the living room with a too-bright smile and a look in her eye that looked as though she was ready to cry.
Asher grabbed my suitcases and hauled them out the front door. Lauren grabbed the small bag, and I tossed my carry-on and my purse over my shoulder before taking one last look around the townhouse.
I fumbled with the keys as I locked the door and then handed them to Lauren. “You’ll make sure Deacon gets these back?”
“Of course,” Lauren said softly. Her voice started to choke and her eyes welled up with tears.
“No, don’t do that. I can’t handle it,” I insisted, holding out my hands as if to keep her emotion at bay.
“I can’t help it. I’m going to miss you so much,” she gasped.
I took a deep breath and fanned my face with my hand to dry up the tears that started to form. Asher leaned against the car, his body relaxed and his demeanor patient as he waited for his wife to pull herself together.
“If you’re going to do it, do it now,” I said, feeling myself begin to fall apart. “I can’t have you ruining my makeup at the airport.”
Her arms flung open and gripped me tightly around the shoulders as she pulled me in close. The smell of her perfume was soothing, lavender and vanilla, but it didn’t stop the tears from rolling down my face. “I’m so proud of you,” she sobbed.
“Come on, ladies,” Asher said, probably realizing that this could go on for a while if not stopped.
Lauren released her grip on me, and I let my hands fall away as I took a step back. “Great, now I look hideous,” I said through my tears, wiping the black from under my eyes.
Laughter fell from my lips as I watched Lauren’s expression turn playful. “Yes, you do look hideous,” she said with a snort.
Asher reached in his pocket and pulled out two handkerchiefs. “I came prepared,” he said proudly as he handed one to each of us.
I blew my nose and looked at Asher apologetically as he stepped back and waved his hand to let me know the handkerchief was now my personal property. I let out a chuckle and stepped into the car as he opened the back door.
I appreciated him so much more than he would ever truly know. He made my friend happy and protected her, even when we thought he couldn’t. He was always so kind to me and all of Lauren’s family and friends. I felt confident that Lauren would be fine with me leaving, she had Asher. It was me I was worried about. I knew that scared Lauren too.
Lauren pushed me across the leather seats as she climbed into the backseat with me. “You don’t have to ride back here with me,” I said, feeling bad that Asher was now being treated like a chauffeur.
“Someone has to fix that mess on your face,” she teased, pulling out a small Coach makeup bag.
The ride to the airport was almost an hour, but I felt like it flew by. Lauren held the mirror while I applied more foundation and p
owder to my puffy red skin and touched up my lipstick and mascara. “How’s that?” I asked as we pulled up to the airport drop off.
“Beautiful,” she said sweetly.
Asher was already out of the car and working the bags from the trunk as Lauren turned to me with an excited expression. “We have a surprise for you.”
“Lauren, you didn’t have to do anything,” I insisted.
“I know that, but we wanted to,” she said as she pulled a white envelope from her purse.
“What’s this?”
She beamed at me. “We upgraded your ticket to first class.”
I took the envelope from her hand and opened it to reveal the ticket. It was surreal to me. “I’ve never done anything first class.”
Lauren laughed and gripped me tightly for another short hug. “It’s about time you get used to it, Miss Celebrity Chef.”
“I hate to break this up, but you don’t want to miss your flight,” Asher announced with his head pushing into the open car door.
Lauren released me and scooted out of the back seat. I followed her out, placing my feet firmly on the California ground for the last time in nine weeks. “Austin, here I come!” I announced loud enough to cause a couple passing us to turn and look at me with a judgmental stare.
“Thank you, Asher, for everything,” I said. “Take care of our girl while I’m gone.”
“No, thank you, Claire, for everything you’ve done. And, of course I’ll take care of our girl.”
His arms felt safe and comforting as they wrapped around me. I didn’t want to let go. He had been there for me, even though he hadn’t realized it. His scandal made it easier for me to deal with my own.
Another set of arms wrapped around me and that familiar, soothing scent of lavender and vanilla wafted under my nose. I wanted to cry but held it together.
The man at the drop off area took my bags and escorted me inside where he left me at the airline counter. Asher and Lauren drove off. I could see Lauren’s face pressed to the window as she struggled to get one last look at me before they were gone.
