Instead he had been trained to fight, and kill, and kill… No, he wasn’t going to go there, play the endless loop of that one night he couldn’t take back. His shrink had worked hard with him to break the cycle of obsessive thoughts that had only seemed to leave before with enough alcohol. Now he tapped the forefinger of his right hand against his thumb in a surreptitious move to distract his thoughts, one of the techniques he had learned in therapy.
Diego took the bit of information as an invitation to keep chatting. “My cousin joined the army as a fast track to citizenship. It was a good deal for him. I thought about it, but,” he shrugged, “I didn’t want to have to live a lie, you know?”
Sean nodded as he slammed the door shut on the dishwasher and set it off. “Things have changed now. You could still join, although,” he wiped his sweaty brow with the back of his arm, “to be honest, I don’t think it would be something you’d like. Not that I know you well or anything.” He was quick to tack on the qualifier because really who was he to give anyone life advice?
Diego laughed. “Maybe not, but I think you’ve got me pegged pretty well. Olive drab and standing guard are not my thing. I like to dress sharp and dance the night away.” He did a quick twirl around, graceful and sexy even for another guy.
Sean smiled back. “Is that how you broke your arm, trying some fancy dance move?”
Diego’s smile dropped and for a second, there was sadness in his eyes. Then his grin was back and he shrugged. “Nah, that was me being clumsy with a set of stairs, not watching where I put my feet, you know?”
No, he didn’t. It seemed like a pretty lame story of what had happened, but he didn’t push it. The guy was entitled to his secrets, as was Sean. He finished tidying up the counter and tossed the dirty wash towel in the hamper. “What now?”
Diego’s smile morphed into a megawatt smile. “Now we eat. Things will be slow before the dinner crowd shows up.”
Sean tugged at his ear. “I, uh, didn’t plan on staying. I didn’t bring anything to eat.”
The other guy laughed out loud. “Man, we work at a diner, there’s food everywhere.”
“Is it cool with Mrs. Contos for us to eat what we want?” It’s Zoë. We don’t stand on ceremony here. Yeah, she probably hadn’t meant he should stand around daydreaming about making her wet, in all the meanings of the word. No, he’d stick with formality, thank you very much.
“Yeah, it’s cool,” Diego said as he led the way out. “Zoë’s great, kind of like a second mom, you know?”
No, actually once again he didn’t know. His thoughts about the woman were hardly of the maternal type. They were more of the make-him-hard-and-needy type, the kind that could get him fired fast if she even suspected. Although, hadn’t she let it slip only a few hours ago that he did similar things to her? Yeah, maybe. What difference did it make? So long as he worked for her, there would be no acting on the desire. He would stop thinking about her the way he stopped thinking about other things.
By the time this job was over, his finger and thumb would be worn down to nubs.
Chapter Two
“Pavlia Diner.”
“So?”
Zoë rolled her eyes as she wiped down the lunch counter, the phone tucked between her shoulder and ear. “So what, Grace?”
There was a windy sound over the phone as the good doctor blew out a strong breath. “So how’s Sean?”
Zoë tossed dirty dishes into the plastic container under the counter. The diner was almost empty, the dinner crowd mostly gone. In another hour or so, she’d lock up and call it a night. She moved closer to the front door to put distance between her and the kitchen area so she wouldn’t be overheard. “Sean’s fine, Grace. It’s only been a few days, but so far he comes in on time, works hard and goes home. I’ve got no complaints.”
The blowing sound came through again. “As glad as I am to hear it, that’s not what I meant. What do you think of him is what I’m fishing for here.”
Ah. Zoë got it and was tempted to act as if she didn’t, as if she didn’t think of Sean any more than any other employee. She was a terrible liar, so she settled for low-key. “He’s a very nice guy. I like him.”
“He’s a great guy, although I didn’t appreciate it at first because I met him at his worst. I should have known if Mark liked him, there was something worth liking.” There was a pause. “He’s also gorgeous, don’t you think?”
Suppressing a sigh, Zoë moved even farther away from where anyone could hear her. “Yes, he is. Satisfied?”
Grace laughed. “Not yet. When you mentioned you needed temporary help, I immediately thought of Sean not only because he needed the work, but also because I realized he’d be perfect for you.”
Zoë groaned. “Grace, you evil woman. Why would you do this to me?”
“What? What’s the problem?”
“He works for me, that’s the problem. I can’t ask him out. Haven’t you ever heard of sexual harassment?”
“Oh please,” Grace scoffed. “He’s only going to work for you for a few weeks. I think you can take the risk.”
Zoë shook her head even though the other woman couldn’t see her. Just the thought of going out with Sean made her heart beat faster. Her body felt hot even though she leaned next to the wall with the air-conditioning vents. “I can’t, I really can’t. The last thing this guy needs is his first boss since the United States government making him uncomfortable with an unwelcome pass.”
“Hmm,” Grace replied. “I have it on good authority that Sean thinks you are hot and wouldn’t mind doing a little fraternization with his temporary boss.”
“Oh?” Zoë fanned herself with the dishcloth still clutched in her hand.
“Yes. Mark’s in town and he and Sean went out last night. They talked about you, and Mark got the distinct impression Sean wanted you to know because he didn’t think it would be appropriate to hit on you.”
Zoë closed her eyes. “Oh my God, what is this, high school? Are you supposed to pass me a note in homeroom?”
Grace laughed again. “I think that’s what I’m doing right now, metaphorically speaking. Come on, Zoë, this is the perfect chance to realize your fantasy. He’s young, hunky and interested. Where’s the downside?”
“The downside is we have a lousy time on our date and have to face each other the next couple of months at work.”
“Okay, so you have an awkward few weeks and then he’s gone. Big deal. Besides, I’m willing to bet you guys will be great together. I know you both and I think you’re a good fit.”
Zoë moaned in frustration. She knew it was a positively terrible idea to ask Sean out but her body signaled otherwise. Her nipples were already hard at the thought and her jeans were damp between her legs.
“Look,” Grace prodded, “come out on a double date with me and Mark this Friday. We’ll have dinner, that’s all. Mark and I will be the buffer if it turns out you and Sean are a bust. We eat, we part ways, end of story. What do you say?”
“I’ll say it again, you are an evil woman, Grace.” Zoë pushed away from the wall and headed for the kitchen.
“But you’ll do it.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Good. Let me know how it goes.”
“Will do. Bye.” Zoë hung up the phone and put it down on the counter. Picking up the container of dirty dishes, she girded her loins and headed for the dishwashing room.
“Hey, let me get that.” Sean pushed away from the sink and grabbed the heavy load of dishes Zoë had lugged in to him. “You should have called me. I’d have gotten it for you.” He heard a sigh and turned to see his boss lean against the counter and push damp tendrils of hair back behind her ear. She looked beat. She always worked long, hard days. The woman never stopped. It made him want to do his best for her.
She gave him a tired smile. “I figured you were busy and I’m not so old I can’t carry a bunch of dirty dishes.”
Sean rolled his eyes. “You know I didn’t mean to imply
you’re too old or weak to do it. Jeez, Zoë, you do too much. Don’t you know how to kick back and let someone else do the heavy lifting once in a while?” He turned to unload the dishes into the sink. He’d known the woman less than a week and he already felt comfortable around her. She had that effect on everyone, as well as a more electrifying one, at least where he was concerned. Good thing he wore a heavy apron around his waist so she couldn’t see how glad her proximity made him. Man, did he have it bad for his new and temporary boss. Her quiet presence enveloped his body, making him sweat more than the steam pouring out of the dishwasher.
She cleared her throat delicately but not so softly that he didn’t hear it over the sound of the water running in the sink. He looked over his shoulder and saw her staring back at him. Turning the water off, he asked, “Do you need something?” Like me? Please, Zoë, need me.
She dropped her gaze a second before looking him in the eye. “Um, actually, yes.” Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath. “I was talking to Grace McKinnon earlier, and ah, she said Mark’s back in town.”
Sean shifted so that he faced her fully and, leaning against the edge of the sink, feigned nonchalance. “Yeah, he’s back from deployment and has a few weeks’ leave.” His heartbeat increased with the hope this topic was headed in the direction he wanted. He’d felt like a freaking teenager the previous night, dropping not so subtle hints to his old friend about his interest in Zoë. He was dying to ask her out but circumstances dictated she do the asking. At least, that was how he saw things. The question was did Zoë? Please, God.
Zoë cleared her throat again. “So we, Grace and I, thought it might be fun to have dinner on Friday night. The four of us. Kind of a double date, I guess, if, you know, you’re interested.”
Sean swallowed hard and grabbed the towel around his apron strings to wipe his hands as if they were wet from the dishes. Of course it was sweat because, holy crap, it had been a year since his last date, if picking a woman up in a bar could be called a date. This particular woman asking him out had starred in his nighttime and daytime fantasies for days now. She stared at him wide-eyed, the question that had not quite been asked in her expression. Apparently he hesitated a little too long because she was talking again before he could respond.
“Of course, this might be a little too awkward given I’m your boss. I’d understand completely if you beg off. No hard feelings, really.”
“Yes,” he blurted out before she could talk herself and him out of the date. “I’d love to go out with you. Really,” he added because he didn’t want to fuck this up. He figured it had been hard for her to ask him under the circumstances, including the differences in their ages. God knew if it had been up to him, he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to screw up the courage to ask.
Her face lit up with a megawatt smile that zapped him right in the balls. His cock throbbed with anticipation. “Great. I, um, have no idea where we’re going.” She chuckled. “I guess I’ll let Grace decide.”
Sean grinned and nodded. “Cool. She’ll pick a place Mark likes. I know what the guy’s been eating for the last year. He deserves the meal of his choice.”
“I agree and it’s fun for me to eat at someone else’s place, so I’ll be happy no matter what.”
“Me too.” They stood grinning awkwardly at each other before Zoë had the good sense to call it a night.
“Okay then,” she said, backing up. “I’ll let you finish. Good night and see you Friday.” She turned, paused and turned back. “Actually I’ll see you tomorrow first, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes ma’am.”
She winced. “You’re not going to call me that Friday night, are you?”
He grimaced. “No, no I am not.”
“Good.”
When she was out of sight, Sean let out a groan, bent over and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. Fuck, he needed to get his act together. He’d always been pretty smooth with women. Why was he such a dope with this one, someone who had the potential to really matter to him? Probably because she wasn’t some bar chick he’d picked up for a quick lay. She was a class act and deserved to be treated well. He straightened up and went back to work.
He could do this thing. He was going out on a date with Zoë and they were going to have fun. If he was really lucky and she was very generous, she’d agree to go out with him again. Maybe it would lead to more, something meaningful. A year ago, he’d made fun of Mark’s efforts to form a lasting relationship with any woman, let alone an older one. Now that he’d met Zoë, Sean knew it was he who had been the idiot. He hoped he hadn’t learned the lesson too late.
* * * * *
Mark grabbed Sean’s arm and pulled him aside before he could open the door to the restaurant. “The women are here already. Hey, Zoë’s a knockout.”
Sean raised his eyebrows at his friend. If possible, Mark was even more nervous about the night than he was. “Yeah, she is, so how come we’re standing out here?” Not that he minded a few more seconds to steady his nerves.
“Ah, I realized we haven’t discussed the bill yet.”
“What about it?”
“Well, if I know Grace, and I do, she’ll want to go dutch. Zoë will probably feel the same way. It’s how strong women roll.”
“But we’re not going to let them. You and I will split the bill between us, right?”
“Right.”
“So, I repeat, why are we standing out here?”
Mark’s gaze shifted down and he fumbled with his pocket. “I wasn’t sure if you had enough money. I know you’ve only been working a week.”
Sean chuckled and slapped his good friend on the back. “Thanks, man, but money’s not a problem. I still have savings and now a paying job. Besides, my parents won’t take any rent, so my expenses are pretty low.”
He inwardly rolled his eyes at his entire living situation. His parents had insisted he move back home once he’d been discharged from the hospital. He had acquiesced out of guilt because he knew his hospitalization had been hard on them. He didn’t want them to worry any more than necessary. Still, the idea of moving back into his childhood bedroom had rankled. Occupying the empty apartment over their garage had seemed like a good compromise solution. He couldn’t wait to move though, when classes started in a few weeks.
Mark grinned. “Okay, fair enough. Ready?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this thing.”
The butterflies cocooned within Zoë’s stomach took flight the moment she spied Sean coming into the restaurant. He was dressed nicely just as he had been for the interview, in khaki pants and a button-down shirt. A conservative outfit by anyone’s estimation, yet she felt the sexual kick to her gut as if he were standing there buck naked. The guy was truly too sexy for his clothes. She grabbed her iced tea to offset the growing heat in her body.
Their gazes met immediately. He homed right in on her, which meant he had scoped out the restaurant before coming in. He smiled at her and again, tension rose within her. If he affected her this much within a few seconds, she’d never survive dinner. She tamped her arousal down and schooled her expression to one of pleasantness. No sense in scaring the guy away by showing her growing hunger for him.
“Hi, Zoë. Hi, Grace,” Sean said as the guys arrived at the table. He grinned at Zoë as they watched Mark greet his girlfriend with exuberance. The lucky woman was half out of her chair and completely out of breath before he let her go. Sean sat down across from Zoë. “Have you met Mark?”
Zoë shifted her attention to the gorgeous man sitting next to Sean. She could easily see what had attracted Grace, but given the choice Zoë would have picked Sean nevertheless. “No, although I’ve seen pictures, lots of pictures,” she replied.
Mark rolled his eyes and Grace ducked her face with fake embarrassment. “Nice to finally meet you, Zoë,” the soldier said. Picking up one of the menus lying on the table, he asked, “Have you two ordered?”
“No, w
e waited for you,” Grace answered. As she said it, the server came up to take drink orders from the men.
Sean went first. “I’ll have an iced tea.”
“Great choice,” Zoë confirmed. “It’s excellent.” And non-alcoholic. That’s why she and Grace had ordered it.
“I’ll have a Sam Adams, please.” The server had already turned away when Mark jumped and yelped. “What?” he demanded of Grace, who had obviously kicked him under the table. “Sean got on my case when I tried to not order beer the other night.”
“It’s true,” Sean agreed with a quick nod. His gaze met Zoë’s. “Really, you don’t have to abstain just because I am. I’m fine.”
Taking a long swallow of her drink, Zoë leveled her gaze. “I happen to love iced tea. The only alcohol I drink is retsina wine, Metaxa brandy and ouzo. I doubt the restaurant carries any of those.”
“Okay.” Sean didn’t press the point but he didn’t look convinced either. “What looks good, and please don’t say the chicken or the pasta.”
“Here we go,” muttered Grace. She shot a peeved look at Mark.
“Why not?” Zoë asked. “I happen to like chicken and pasta.”
Sean looked at her over his menu. “Because they’re the cheapest things listed, and as this is my treat, I want you to have something special.”
Zoë shared a look with Grace. Before the guys had arrived, they had discussed how the bill would be paid. They were pretty sure the men were going to grab it, so they had intended to keep the cost low. So much for that plan. She tried a different tack. “I own a diner; food is never particularly special. I mean, I can get most of this anytime.”
“How about a filet? You don’t serve that at your place.”
Rats, he had her there, and she did love a good cut of meat. She shifted again. “Why don’t we split one?”
He shook his head. “Sorry, I have a big appetite. I want one all to myself.”
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