Blake raised his hands in defeat. “Crystal. But—no, hear me out first—we’ll be working together for a while, and we have history. We don’t have a typical freelance relationship. I promise I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable, like try to kiss you—” Even though I want to. “—or braid your hair while we gossip over Chinese takeout—” He grinned when Farrah’s mouth edged up into a smile. “—but we can talk about stuff other than, I dunno, leather patterns.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Leather patterns?”
“Are they a thing? Doesn’t matter. All I’m saying is, there’s a big gap between professional and overly personal.” Blake’s voice softened. “I know we didn’t end things on a great note in Shanghai, but that was a long time ago. I’m not the jerk I used to be. We can have a fresh start.”
Farrah pressed her lips together. “Fine, as long as you’re aware of what the boundaries are.”
“I got the map drawn up and tattooed on my brain.”
“Good.”
Farrah’s phone buzzed right as they exited the bedroom. When she read the incoming message, her eyes lit up and a delighted smile stretched across her face.
Jealousy smashed into Blake—sudden, fierce, and potent. She used to smile like that for him. Who’s the fucker texting her?
Was it her boyfriend? She wasn’t married—he’d checked for a ring at The Aviary. But maybe she was dating someone. She was beautiful, smart, witty, kind. She must have men beating down her door.
Green smoke clogged his throat and made it hard to breathe. Blake couldn’t expect Farrah to have remained single and celibate all these years—it wasn’t like he had—but he still wanted to tear the head off any asshole who’d touched her or so much as breathed in her direction.
Irrational? Yes.
Did he care? Fuck no.
But asking her about her love life definitely crossed the boundaries they’d just discussed, so Blake fumed in silence while Farrah responded to Fuckface’s text.
“I have to go.” Farrah looked up, that smile still lingering on her lips, and the fire in him stoked hotter.
Don’t ask, you idiot. Do. Not. Ask.
“Date with your boyfriend?”
His question landed with the subtlety of a pile of bricks.
Farrah flashed him a warning glance but didn’t dignify his obvious fishing with an answer. “I’ll call you when the sketches are ready.”
It wasn’t a no.
The front door shut behind her, leaving silence and a seething, jealousy-riddled Blake in her wake.
Chapter Seven
The smell of booze and fries hit Farrah the second she entered Tavern 14, a happy hour favorite in the heart of the East Village. Per usual, it was packed with people eager to take advantage of half-off drink specials and $2 sliders.
Farrah pushed her way through the crowd and searched for her date. She was about to text and ask if he’d arrived yet when the group of beanie-wearing artist types in front of her parted, and she saw him at a high top in the corner, sipping a beer and scrolling through his phone.
A grin took over her face. It had been too long.
“Sammy!” Farrah raised her voice so he could hear her above the noise.
Happiness flooded Sammy Yu’s sculpted features when he saw her. “Farrah!” He stood up and walked around the table to hug her. He smelled like soap and fresh laundry, and the scent was so familiar she choked up. Nostalgia was getting the best of her these days. “It’s so good to see you.”
“Likewise. It’s been, gosh, two years since we last saw each other?” Farrah and Sammy kept in touch via text and social media, but he lived in San Francisco and in-person meetups were rare. The last time they’d caught up in person was when she flew to California to work on a boutique hotel project for KBI. Sammy had visited New York a few times since then, but they’d both been so busy they couldn’t align their schedules.
“Two years too long. How’ve you been?”
“Good. You? Still taking SF by storm?” Farrah teased.
Sammy’s cheeks colored. With his deep brown eyes, chiseled face, and tall, muscular body, he was as gorgeous as ever, but now he had an additional draw: his bakery, Crumble & Bake, had become a major attraction in San Francisco and had garnered him praise from foodies and celebrities alike. It was so popular he’d recently opened a branch in L.A., where the line on opening day wrapped around the block. Farrah saw photos of the spectacle online.