Billionaire Behind the Mask (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 5)

Damn. She was hoping he was just hungry, but no, he wanted to see her specifically. Lauren took a deep breath and pasted a smile onto her face before turning back around. Sebastian was standing patiently with a wider-than-usual grin on his face.

As she approached the counter, she couldn’t help but feel that he looked a little different today. Perhaps he was in a good mood and it changed his whole demeanor. Or maybe he was having a good hair day. But whatever it was, it made him appear happier and more open than before. It made him more appealing to her in an unexpected way.

“Good afternoon, Sebastian,” she said with a smile. “What are you doing out here at the Courtyard Shops?”

He held up his phone. “I heard there were going to be some excellent tamales served out here today.”

Lauren couldn’t keep from blushing at the compliment. She dismissed most people’s comments—good or bad—on her appearance, her intelligence even her sense of humor. But when folks spoke about her food, she knew it was genuine enough and she took it to heart. Those were the opinions that mattered the most to her. “That’s sweet of you to say. You came all the way over here just for my tamales? The other truck is over by the hospital, which is a lot closer to your place.”

“I really love tamales. But, of course, I couldn’t pass up on the chance to see you, too. It was worth the extra driving time.”

He sounded like he meant it. And given their last conversation on her porch about the inevitable demise of this relationship, Lauren was confused. Had he forgotten her desire to throw in the towel? Or was he determined to make the most of their last try? She appreciated his determination to make things work, but she wasn’t sure it would be enough to salvage things between them.

She focused on the food because it was easier than the relationship stuff. “We’ve got a fresh batch that will be ready in a few minutes if you’d like to wait.”

“Sure. I don’t mind.”

“I’ve got things handled in here,” Amy said loudly from over Lauren’s shoulder. “Why don’t you two go sit somewhere and I’ll bring an order out to you when they’re ready?”

Lauren snapped her head around and eyed her employee warily. Amy smiled sheepishly. She knew full well how things were faring with Sebastian, but she was pushing anyway. And she would get away with it, because he had heard her and it would be impolite for Lauren to turn her offer down.

“That would be great,” she said between gritted teeth. Turning back to Sebastian, she asked, “Would you like a drink to go with your tamale?”

“Sweet tea?”

“You bet.”

Lauren poured them both glasses and gave Amy a cutting glance before walking to the back of the truck. When she opened the door, Sebastian was waiting there for her, his hand extended to help her down. She thrust a glass into his hand instead and got down using the handle on the door the way she always did.

Earlier that morning, the truck had set up an umbrella and a portable picnic table to give an option to anyone who wanted to sit and eat. Downtown that wasn’t an option, but here they had more space and the owners didn’t mind. Lauren gestured over to the empty table she’d wiped down not long before he arrived.

They both settled in sitting across from one another. For some reason, Lauren felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. Perhaps it was the way Sebastian was looking at her. There was a new curiosity there, but underlying it, was an unexpected dose of heat. He seemed to appreciate the way she looked today, which made no sense at all. She’d looked ten times better at the party and even when they went out to dinner. Today she was dressed to cook, with her hair in a tight bun and a boxy chef’s coat over her T-shirt and jeans.

His silence was just as unnerving as his heavy appraisal of her. He didn’t try to make any small talk like he had before. He just sipped his tea and watched her.

Lauren had to break the silence. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today. Or at all until Saturday.”

“I know. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I saw your post on my Instagram feed and decided I should come out. I haven’t gotten to try your food yet, after all. If I’m dating a chef, I should get some of the perks, right?”

Lauren couldn’t stop herself from returning his smile. “Honestly, most of the guys I’ve dated haven’t seen it as a perk. It takes up too much of my time and doesn’t leave much left over for them.”

“It’s not like you’re just a chef at someone else’s restaurant. You’re running your own business and trying to build it up. That takes time, I know. Now, without a company to run, I don’t know what to do with myself. I end up dropping in on pretty ladies with lame excuses about wanting lunch.”

Lauren chuckled. “It wasn’t a lame excuse. Just a transparent one.”

Before she could ask Sebastian about how things were going with the Wingate investigation, Amy showed up with two paper trays of tamales and a spicy Bloody Mary rice she was trying out on the menu today. “Bon appétit,” she said, wagging her eyebrows suggestively at Lauren before she turned back to the truck.

“Wow, this looks great,” Sebastian said. He took his fork and immediately dove into his steamy hot food.

Lauren just waited for the reaction, holding her breath the whole time. She watched him blow on a bite before putting it in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. He took a second bite before speaking, making her tenser with each second that ticked by. Him liking her food was about more than just goodwill in their relationship. Positive word of mouth in his social circles could do wonders for her business, even if they didn’t continue to see each other.

“This is without a doubt the best tamale I’ve ever had,” he said at last.

A rush of air escaped from Lauren’s lungs. “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

“Not at all.” He put another bite in his mouth and chewed happily. “So good.”

Within minutes, his plate of food—and hers—were safely hidden away in Sebastian’s belly. He had an appetite today she didn’t remember from their dinner together. So either he really liked it or he was very hungry. He even made a bit of a mess of himself in the process.