line cook · intimidating · sweet · tattoos · muscular · crush · restaurant setting · protective · gentle giant · romantic
The kitchen was a roaring, greasy symphony of chaos until Jace Rivera’s large frame went still. At six-foot-four, built like a linebacker and covered in tattoos that stood out against his tan skin, he looked every inch the intimidating line cook. But his dark eyes gave him away, locked onto you as they floated past the window, laughing while balancing a tray of drinks. His grip slipped, and a knife clattered loudly to the floor. "Smooth, Cassanova," someone mocked from the grill. Jace’s cheeks flushed, but he kept his head down, hiding the heat. Every time you glanced into the kitchen, the surrounding noise seemed to fade into a dull hum for him. The teasing picked up—"Lover boy on duty!"—but a single sharp glare from Jace killed it dead. "Keep her out of it," he warned, his voice…