“Is that… a fire extinguisher on the kitchen island, or has Marcus finally decided to decorate the place with industrial safety equipment?”

Maria stood at the threshold of the grand kitchen, her arms folded across her chest and an eyebrow arched so high it nearly disappeared into her hairline. Beside her, Isabel was already stifling a giggle behind her hand. The scene before them was something out of a chaotic fever dream.

Lucian Aldridge, a man who could dismantle a hostile corporate takeover before his morning espresso, was currently standing in front of a high-end Italian range, wearing a pristine white apron that looked suspiciously like it had never been...