by Emma Hart
“Fine.” She sighed. “Your father wanted to know who the truck belonged to. I have to say, I’m surprised.”
“Join the club,” I muttered, reaching for what was once my coffee. It already looked like it was congealing, so I tipped it straight into the sink, then turned to Jamie. “Look—I have to run home and change, all right?”
She glared daggers at me.
I hesitated before I kissed the side of her head. “I’ll see you in an hour?”
She continued to glare at me.
“Mrs. Bell, it was a pleasure.” I gave her an awkward wave and made sure I grabbed my keys out of my pocket before I’d even left the house.
That didn’t stop me hearing Jamie’s mom demand to know everything.
I ran into my truck and tore away from her house like if I didn’t, Jamie would follow me outside and drag me back in to finish that conversation.
That was not happening this morning.
I drove across town to my house. I’d barely pulled up behind my sister’s car when the front door opened, and Aunt Greta stood there, her surprisingly tiny frame seeming to fill the entire space.
“Where have you been?” she said before I’d even shut the car door.
“I stayed with a friend last night.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t have any friends.”
Thanks, Greta.
“I have a couple. Can I come and get changed? I have to go to work.”
Greta stretched her arms out and grabbed the doorframe. “Not until you tell me where you were last night.”
“Oh, Christ.” Roxy stopped behind her. “Aunt Greta, he had dinner with Jamie last night. Where do you think he stayed?”
Her eyes widened. “You took her to dinner and then slept with some hussy?”
I dropped my chin to my chest and shut my eyes.
“No, Aunt Greta,” Roxy said. “He slept with Jamie.”
“Thanks,” I snapped.
“Oh.” Aunt Greta tilted her head to the side. “As long as you used protection.”
“Yes,” I ground out. “We used protection.”
She paused. “All right. You come and get ready to work, dear.”
I slipped past her and headed straight for the stairs. First, Jamie’s Mom. Now, Aunt Greta. Was this indicative of how this day was going to go? Because I wasn’t a fan of it.
For the second time this morning, I took a set of stairs two at a time. Then I slammed the door to my bedroom so everyone would know to leave me alone.
Not that it stopped my sister barging in like it was her room.
I threw my shirt into my laundry basket. “What?”
“You really stayed at Jamie’s?”
“Nah, Rox, I slept in my truck on her drive.” I grabbed a clean t-shirt from the drawer and pulled it over my head. “Why? I didn’t realize my life was subject to being torn apart by everyone.”
“Jesus, what bit your balls this morning?”
“I just want to be left alone. Yes, I stayed at Jamie’s, and yes, I’m going straight to work to avoid more of this bullshit questioning. Now get out of my room before you see me naked.” I unbuttoned my jeans to emphasize my point, and it was all she needed. She bolted, shutting my door behind her.
Shit, I was hungry and I needed a coffee, since I’d been forced to abandon mine.
I changed my boxers and jeans and sat down on my bed. Resting my elbows on my knees, I leaned forward, clasping my hands and staring out of the window.
Questions. So many fucking questions. I didn’t need them from my family, because I had enough of my own to answer.
How did I really feel about Jamie?
That was the prevailing one. That was the one it all boiled down to, and the one I couldn’t answer, because I didn’t know how to put it into words. She’d gone from being the biggest pain in my ass to a source of amusement—from that, she’d been tolerable, but now…
I wanted her around. Both in and out of my garage, and that was the terrifying thing. It’d been two weeks, and I’d sworn I wouldn’t give in. I’d sworn I’d never hire her, but now, firing her seemed impossible. Not only was it cruel, it was unnecessary.
There was enough work for both of us.
She was fucking good at what she did.
And hell, I wanted her to want to be around me. I wasn’t the easiest person to get along with a lot of the time, but we’d already established that to be a shared trait.
I just…wanted her.
It was that simple. I wanted her. All of her. Not just what I already had. I wanted more of her.
Whatever it meant.
I grabbed my stuff from the bed and headed downstairs. I knew my sister would be in the kitchen, with Charley already on the bus to school at this time. Pops would still be sleeping, and Greta had likely gone back to bed because, well, this was too early for her to be awake.
I was right. It was completely silent except for the clink of Roxy’s spoon against the side of her bowl. She ignored me steadfastly as I moved to the coffee machine. Even when I glanced over at her, she never looked up from scrolling down her phone.
Guilt settled in. I’d let my frustration over my own inner thoughts get the better of me.
I finished making my coffee and sat down with her. “I’m sorry, Rox.”
She finally looked up at me. “Don’t be. I deserved it. You’re clearly in a bad mood.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you get caught half-naked in someone’s daughter’s kitchen.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Her dad?”
“Her mom. Thank God.” I explained the awkward encounter and how I’d escaped further questioning, but probably set myself up to feel Jamie’s wrath.
She laughed. “Then you’re definitely forgiven. Ouch. She’s going to kick your ass.”
I nodded with a grimace. “Yeah. But I couldn’t just stay there, you know? I had to run.”
“You’re such a pussy.”
“Shut up. It was awkward. She knew what had happened and, yeah.”
“What did happen?”
“I confused myself,” I admitted. “And I have no idea how she feels.”
Roxy pushed her phone to the side. “Are you admitting you have feelings for her?”
“There’s no need to look so shocked. I am capable of emotion, you know.”
“I know, but you two…” She paused. “Actually, now that I think about it, you make perfect sense.”
“I guess I have feelings for her. I don’t really know how to put it in a box. I just know that… I don’t know.”
“I know.” Her lips twitched up. “You smile a lot when you talk about her. Even now, and I bet you don’t even realize it.”
I covered my mouth with my hands. Shit, she was right. I was smiling.
“See? And, in the nicest possible way, you’ve been obsessed with her ever since you hired her. You’ve spoken about her just about every day, so I’m really not surprised that you’re falling in love with her.”
“Wait. I didn’t say I was falling in love with her.”
My sister propped her head up on her hand and said, “You don’t have to, Dex. It’s written all over your face.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Jamie
“How could you!” I shouted it before I’d even stepped foot in the garage. “How could you leave me alone with her?”
Dex jumped, banging his head on a car hood. “Hi to you, too.”
I tossed my purse to the side. “Don’t you “hi” me, Dexter Ryne! You left me alone with my mother!”
He turned around, rubbing his hand across the back of his head. “The horror.”
“Don’t start with that!” I stalked across the garage and jabbed my finger against his chest. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, you little shit.”
“Hey, hey! That hurts!” He grabbed my wrist.
“Good!” I jabbed him with my other hand. “Maybe you know how painful that conversation was after you ran out on me!”
“Oh, cut the bullshit,” I snapped. “You knew exactly what you were doing, and if I were a smarter woman, I’d have left with you to avoid that sweet hell!”
“It’s good to know we’re both traumatized by the events of this morning.”
“She asked me why you ran off. And I said, “Gee, Mom, maybe because you let yourself into my house and walked in on him practically naked?” and she didn’t see the problem. She didn’t see it, Dex!” I paused. “Can you let me go?”
He cast his gaze over my face. “No, I don’t think so. I think you might hurt yourself.”
I was pretty incensed.
“Then she shouted at me—at me!—because I demanded to take her key back and kicked her out.”
“You took back her key?”
“I forced her to give it back,” I corrected. “I told her that if she didn’t, next time, I’d make sure you were completely naked.”
“Next time!”
“If I forgive you for running out and leaving me to explain to my mother why the man who was naked in my kitchen is my boss!” I wrestled my hands free and smacked his chest.
Dex laughed and grabbed my hands again, this time linking his fingers between mine. “Well, if it helps, Aunt Greta was waiting for me at the front door and interrogated me.”
“Not at all.”
“My sister bugged the hell out of me.”
“I’d feel better if she didn’t do that on a daily basis.”
“I’m not going to get forgiven for this, am I?”
I stared at him. “There’s literally nothing you can do to make me feel better about the fact you abandoned me.” I pulled back from him, but his grip on my hands was too strong, and he pulled me right back against his body.
“Go to reception and look on the counter,” he said in a low voice.
I jerked back. “What? Why?”
“Don’t argue. Just do it.”
I eyed him for a moment, then pulled my hands out of his. He let me go, and I stared at him suspiciously before finally dragging my eyes away from him and walking into reception.
A large, brown envelope was sitting on the computer keyboard. My name was scrawled on the front in blocky capitals, and I picked the envelope up with a frown. It wasn’t particularly heavy or thick.
What the hell was inside?
I flipped it over to find that the flap was open. I hesitated for a second before I opened it and pulled the contents out halfway.
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
I dropped the envelope on the desk like it was on fire.
Was that—did that say what I thought it did?
I snatched it back up and looked. Yep. It did. It was a contract of employment.
And I was so confused.
I carried it back through to the workshop where Dex was waiting and staring at me already. “What is this?” I held it up.
He wiped his face with his shirt. “Exactly what it says it is.”
“Contract of employment? You’re hiring me?”
“I’m not firing you.”
“Is this how you’re going to get me to forgive you for abandoning me?”
“Wait, what?” He frowned, then his eyebrows shot up. “No—shit, no. The timing is a bit weird, I get it, but it’s coincidence, I promise.”
I frowned, looking at it and then back to him. “It’s not been three weeks.”
“I don’t think you need three weeks.” He held his hands out. “You proved me wrong. You belong here. Maybe more than I do.”
My heart thumped, and I looked down at the sheets in my hand. “Really?”
“Jamie.” Dex walked toward me and cupped my cheek. “I want you to work here. I want you to want to work here. I promise it’s just that simple. It has nothing to do with anything other than that.”
“I don’t know. I—”
“Cross my heart,” he said softly.
I opened my mouth but closed it again. I knew he was being honest. Those were his magic words, after all.
“Okay.” I smiled up at him.
He smiled right back.
“But I’m still not forgiving you for running out on me.”
He dropped his hand and groaned. “And here I was hoping you might take mercy on me.”
I slid the contract back inside the envelope, folded it, and whacked his arm with it. “No mercy. I might never forgive you for it.”
“Would another orgasm help?”
“Doesn’t this,” I waved the contract, “stop any inappropriateness?”
Dex snatched it off me. “Let me go rewrite that.”
I took it right back. “Nope. I saw something about tacos. I don’t want you to accidentally take that back. I can live without shenanigans.”
“Do you actually think I’d remove your right to have tacos twice a week for lunch? I’d be taking away my own. That would be counterproductive.”
“Twice a week, huh? Who’s driving to get them?”
“Both of us. We go once a week.”
I tilted my head to the side. “I’ll let you add in shenanigans if you do both the taco trips.”
He stared at me. “Man, you drive a hard bargain.”
“You can’t have everything.”
“You’re the one who gets shenanigans and doesn’t have to drive to the next town over to get tacos twice a week.”
“And I’ll forgive you for abandoning me.”
“For the last time, I didn’t abandon you. And I got my own ass-kicking from my aunt.”
I folded my arms. “My mother saw you pretty much naked. That means I win.”
He groaned and held out a hand. “Fine. I’ll write that all in.”
I handed it to him. “Thank you.” I waited until he was basically in the staff room before I said, “And, by the way, my mother wants to talk to you.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh, shit. Is that the phone?” I ran to reception where I knew it wasn’t ringing.
“Jamie! Goddamn it!”
Revenge was a dish best served…well, usually cold, but this was red-hot.
And so, so satisfying.
***
“And what, exactly, are your intentions with my daughter?”
Dex blinked at my father. “I’m sorry, sir?”
Dad quirked an eyebrow. “You hired her past the trial today, did you not?”
“Yes. I did.”
I hid my smile behind my hand and scratched beneath Barbie’s ear with the other.
“Well? What are your intentions? Is this full-time? Will she get freedom in the garage?”
Dex visibly relaxed. “It’ll be a continuation of what she’s been doing for the past two weeks.”
“Which is?”
“Kicking his ass,” I replied.
“Yeah,” Dex agreed. “That’s pretty much as close as we’re gonna get to the truth.”
Dad looked at me with a smile. “That’s my girl.”
I returned the smile with a grin of my own. “Like you’d ever doubt that.”
“Of course not. But it’s nice to see you with someone who seems like a decent guy and obviously respects you.”
Now. Respects me now. But better late than never, right?
“Oh.” Mom’s voice came from the doorway. “So, you told your father you’re seeing each other?”
And just like that, you could hear a pin drop.
No, seriously, my dad even muted the TV.
Dex stared at me. I met his eyes briefly before looking at my mom. She still had her floral oven mitts on her hands.
“Mom,” I said wearily.
“Who’s seeing who?” asked Dad.
Mom started speaking before I could say a word. “I went to see Jamie this morning and young Dex here was a...visitor.”
I scooped Barbie off my lap onto the cushion next to me. “I knew this was a bad idea. I knew it.”
“Jamie—”
“Mrs. Bell, do you mind if I go?” I heard Dex ask before I slammed the back door.
I stepped out onto the porch and zipped up my sweater. I’d only gone along with my mom’s idea for dinner because I never expected her to blurt that out.
And, I mean, technically, we weren’t seeing each other. Not officially. Not really. I’d certainly never said anything like that to make her feel like we were.
Right now, as far as I was concerned, we were two people who were attracted to each other, who happened to work together, and who happened to act on that attraction a couple times.
It didn’t really matter if I got butterflies whenever our eyes met or if my stomach flipped every time he touched me. It didn’t matter at all that my heart beat crazy fast more often than it was normal when it was around.
And it most definitely didn’t matter that there was nothing better than falling asleep in his arms last night.
And because of all that, it really, really didn’t matter that my feelings toward him had changed from something twisted and angry to something softer and more consuming than anything I’d ever felt.
No, it didn’t matter at all.
Not even a little bit.
“Jamie?” Dex stepped out onto the porch.
I looked back at him but said nothing, wrapping my arms around my waist.
The door clicked shut and he came to stand next to me. Nudging me with his elbow, he leaned in slightly and said, “Hey. I don’t think I mix well with your family.”
I quietly laughed and dipped my face down to look at the ground. “I don’t mix well with my family. I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“My mom. If you want to go…Nobody would blame you.”
“Nah, you’re all good. After all, everything happens in threes. I figure she’s already embarrassed me twice today, so what’s one more time?”
I groaned and looked over at him. “Don’t tempt fate. Please. This has been bad enough.”
He put his hands in his pockets. “Well, if it makes a difference, your dad was more annoyed that your mom has been meddling than anything else.”
“It’s a habit.” I moved back to sit on the swinging seat.
Dex joined me. “Yeah. I got that from the whole salt and sugar story thing.”