She was staring at him as if he’d just told her four more animal urine facts.
“You okay?” he asked after another few seconds.
“You’re intimidated by me?” she asked.
He laughed. “Yes. But not enough to get up, make an excuse, and leave you alone.”
She took that in. Then she slowly smiled. “Good. The not leaving me alone part, I mean. Not the intimidated part. You have nothing to be intimidated about.”
“I’m a guy who loved video games, accidentally made one that got popular, and now uses his money and success to drive his father crazy.”
“You’re also a guy who looks around and wants to make things better. A lot of people never even look around. Those who do, don’t feel personally responsible for changing things.”
“I bought a cappuccino machine.”
“Yeah. You did something.”
“That’s not much.”
“It’s something, Dax. It matters.”
“You didn’t think so at first.”
They’d been slowly leaning in closer to one another across the table.
“I was wrong. I was looking at the machine, not the guy behind it.”
Yeah, he was falling for her. That was interesting. He wasn’t sure that had happened to him since high school. And Bailey Conner didn’t really count. He’d liked her mostly because of her game controllers—not a euphemism—and love for Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed.
“Yeah, well, you deal with a lot of shit, and you’re still a wonderful friend and coworker and daughter and sister. You want your workplace to be a great place and your coworkers to be happy and appreciated and have what they deserve when you could be wallowing in all your own crap and not worrying about anyone else.”
She looked a little sad for a moment. “I try to do that,” she said. “But full confession. I want to go to work, do my job, and then go home. I want it to be simple. I’ve worked there for so long because it’s straightforward. I resented getting pulled into all the drama with you guys coming in and taking over and stirring everything up and scaring everyone.”
“But you still got involved,” he said with a shrug. “You didn’t want to, but you did it. Sorry, but that makes it even more admirable.”
“Come on. The fact that I don’t want to be involved, even for the great people I work with is admirable?”
“Yes. Because even if you just want to go home at the end of the day and forget about it all, you definitely know something about how important temporary reprieves can be,” he said. “Having someone to dog sit, having a simple ride to work… Those little things can make a few moments easier, and that can make an entire situation lighter.”
Jane stared at him. But he meant it. The things she did to lighten things up for the people around her were more meaningful than what he did, but they both liked making things easier for others. He loved having that in common with her.
“And you do even more than that,” he went on. “You’ve been pushing for better working conditions and to be sure the new management respects the workers and the things that are already in place.”
“I did not want to,” she insisted. “I would have loved to have someone else go up to Oliver’s office that first day.”
“Do you think the great warriors always want to charge into battle? Risk their lives? Face injury and possible death? Of course not. But they do it anyway. That’s what bravery is. Not wanting to fight. Fighting because it’s the right thing to do.”
Her eyes widened. He was on a roll. He made a video game full of warriors and battles. This was his shit.
“You’re not even really doing battle for your own treasure,” he said. “I mean, you don’t have kids and dependents. You don’t need certain work shifts or jobs. You’re healthy and able to do whatever. You have yourself to take care of. But you’re in there fighting so everyone else’s treasure chests and villages are also protected.” The analogies from Warriors of Easton were easy. He grinned, pleased. “Fighting to protect someone else’s village, when yours is pretty safe, is very heroic.”
There was a beat of silence. Then she said softly, “Aiden coached me.” But she was watching him, taking in every word.
“You went to Aiden for coaching. The warriors often go to mentors. The generals and wizards who have more knowledge and experience. That’s just a sign of intelligence and heart. You know what you know, but you want to know what you don’t know too so you’re as prepared as possible.”
She nodded slowly. “Wow. I do sound pretty great when you put it that way.”
He laughed. “See? My crush on you is very well placed.”
Jane lifted an eyebrow, interest sparking in her blue eyes. “Crush?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Still really into how I ate that first cake pop?” she asked.
Her voice was more playful now, and Dax felt his gut tighten.
“For sure. And dammit, me being cute and funny and charming isn’t good enough for you. All the stuff that’s worked on girls and teachers and marketing executives just doesn’t work with you.”
“You realize that, huh?”
“Yeah. You want me to actually fix something. To actually come to work every day and try at something.”
“I’m a hard-ass,” she agreed. But her voice was soft. And her gaze kept drifting to his mouth.
His body tightened more each time she did it.
“You want to know the best part of it?”
“My sexy work boots?” she asked.
“Well, the fact that you drive a forklift is not something I’ve forgotten,” he told her. He was serious.
She laughed. And her gaze dropped to his mouth again.
“What’s the best part?” she asked.
“That when you expect me to do something at work, to make a difference, you really believe I can.”
Jane’s tongue came out and wet her lips. “I do.”
“Thank you.”
They just looked at each other for several ticks. Then she asked, “No one else does that for you?”
“The guys do,” he said. “And Piper.”
“I liked her.”
“We all love Piper.”
“She makes you try?”
“She does.”
“So that’s good.”
“Yeah, but there’s something about you that the guys and Piper don’t have,” he said.
“The forklift?”
He grinned. “Okay, there are two things about you that the guys and Piper don’t have.”
Jane smiled back. “What’s the other thing?”
“I’ve never wanted to kiss any of them.”
Her smile disappeared as she sucked in a little breath. “Not even Piper?” she asked.
“Nope.”
He could have sworn she started to lean in again.
“Hi! Oh my God, I’m so sorry I’m late! I went to change, and I burned the cookies that were in the oven, and I had to start over because Lisa really need three dozen, and I’ve been texting you but you haven’t answered, and I called but your ringer is off, and then I called the bar and Dillon said that yes you were here and you were fine and that you seemed like you didn’t want to be interrupted.”
Jane and Dax both turned to look at the bubbly blond who’d just come up to their table, seemingly rambling and flustered. The appraising, narrow-eyed look she was giving them in return said otherwise.
“Hi, Josie,” Dax greeted, fighting a smile.
“Hey, Dax.” Josie turned her attention to Jane. “Hi, Jane.”
“Hi.”
“You forgot you asked me to come, didn’t you?” Josie asked.
“No.” Jane frowned and shook her head quickly. Too quickly to be convincing. “Of course not.”
“Uh-huh.”
“She asked you to come?” Dax asked Josie. He looked at Jane. “Why’s that?”
Josie leaned in, sort of, on the table between them. The petite woman had to stretch to
get her elbows onto the high tabletop and it hardly seemed like leaning when she was on tiptoe, but she pretended nonchalance. “Well, I think it was to keep this”—Josie waggled her finger back and forth between Jane and Dax—“from happening, actually.”
“That right?” Dax grinned and looked at Jane again. “What is this exactly? Pizza and tequila? Conversation?”
“It’s her looking at you the way she looked when Zoe told her she’d made strawberry pie in a jar,” Josie said.
“Josie!” Jane protested, her cheeks getting pink.
Dax laughed. “I don’t even know what that means exactly, but I like the blush.”
The blush got deeper. “It’s nothing.”
“She loves strawberry pie. Strawberry anything, really, but pie especially. And Zoe started making them in jars so they’re super portable and easy to keep so you can buy like—what Jane?—ten at a time and stack them in your fridge with no problem.”
“Josie,” Jane said through gritted teeth.
Josie just grinned. “So if she’s looking at you like she looked at those jar pies, it means she’s never seen anything quite so wonderful, and she’s not sure she’ll ever get enough.”
“Oh my God,” Jane groaned and covered her face. “I was not looking at him like that.”
“You totally were,” Josie said.
“You really were,” Dax agreed.
Josie laughed, and Jane shook her head, groaning.
“But in fairness, I was looking at you the same way,” Dax said, grinning so big he was sure he looked like an idiot. And he didn’t care.
“He definitely was looking at you like… something like that,” Josie said.
“Like what?” Dax wanted to know, noticing Josie’s pause. “What did you think?”
“Well, along the same lines as Jane and strawberry baked goods.” Josie got a sly look on her face and cast a glance at her friend.
Jane peeked between her fingers.
“Like you were thinking about eating it all up and then licking the plate clean to be sure you didn’t miss anything.”
Dax felt his mouth drop open. Then he snorted. “Jocelyn Asher… I really like you.”
Josie grinned as if very proud of herself.
Dax focused on Jane. Her cheeks were burning, and she was glaring at her best friend.
“For the record,” he said. “She’s right about what I was thinking.”
“Okay, you two are trouble,” Jane said. “I think we’re done here.” She leaned over and started to dig in her bag where it hung from the back of her chair.
It took Dax a second to realize she was going for her wallet. “You have to be kidding.”
“What?” She looked up, her red hair falling across her cheek.
“One perk of introducing a millionaire to some of the best pizza he’s ever had is having him pay, don’t you think?”
She sat up straight again. “That is a really excellent point.”
“Ooh, thanks.” Josie reached for one of the two pieces left.
“Hey,” Jane protested.
Josie lifted the slice. “I know better than to go for your pizza without permission, but this is Dax’s pizza now.”
Jane rolled her eyes and Dax laughed. He signaled to Riley, letting her know to add the pizza and their drinks to his overall tab for the evening. Which was covering pretty much everything being consumed inside the building.
“Well, since I’m clearly too late to keep the two of you from thinking naughty thoughts about each other,” Josie said, “I’m going over to talk to Stacey and Kara.”
“You show up late, don’t do your job, and then leave me alone with him?” Jane asked.
It was clear she was teasing. Dax loved that these women gave each other as much trouble as he and his friends gave one another.
Josie looked back and forth between them. “Well, if I’m sitting here, you’ll feel bad about asking him to walk you out to your car, and then how are you going to kiss him good night? You can’t do that in front of all these people.” She leaned in and said in a lower voice, “He is your boss after all.”
Jane opened her mouth, shut it, shook her head, then said, “You’re the worst.”
“Because I’ve now told Dax you want to kiss him or because I reminded you that he’s your boss?” Josie asked, batting her eyes.
“All of it,” Jane told her.
Josie went up on tiptoe again and kissed Jane’s cheek. “Love you.” Then she started for the far side of the bar.
“Love you too,” Jane muttered, watching her friend go.
Dax waited until she finally turned back and looked at him. Almost reluctantly.
“You called for reinforcements?” he asked.
“I tried to call for reinforcements. Unfortunately, my reinforcements were elbow deep in cookie dough at the time.”
He grinned. “You can just say no to me, Jane.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think I can.”
He leaned in. “Have I given you the impression that you can’t say no to me if you don’t want to be with me?”
“Not at all.”
“Has anyone at Hot Cakes, especially in management, ever given you that impression?” he asked with a frown. A sudden, hot bolt of protectiveness went through his chest. That was weird. He didn’t get protective.
“No. Never.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I needed someone to remind me that this is a bad idea.”
Relief washed through him. He gave her a slow smile. “Ah. The irresistible thing again.”
“Did you look up incorrigible?” she asked.
He laughed. “I texted Piper about it, but she disagrees, just so you know.”
“Does she?”
“She said incorrigible means beyond reform, and she reminded me Grant has been successful in correcting my behavior on more than one occasion.”
“How’s he do that?” Jane asked, her lips curling up as though she was fighting a smile. And losing.
“Sinatra memorabilia, mostly,” Dax said. “He gets some great pieces and then dangles them like carrots.”
“Wow, expensive carrots.”
“He tried rationing my gummy bears, but I mean, those are really easy to get. It had to be something I couldn’t get for myself.”
She nodded. “Should have known that correcting your behavior was out of my price range.”
“Well…” Dax leaned in. “You do have some things to offer me that I can’t get anywhere else.”
Both of her eyebrows went up. “Tell me you don’t mean anything by that that would be inappropriate for a boss to suggest to his employee.”
He shook his head, his desire for this woman growing by the minute. “Can’t do that. But,” he added, “if it’s any comfort, Cam is an excellent attorney, and he’d love to sue me for sexual harassment.”
She laughed. “You’re trouble.”
He smiled. “And you’re a good girl?”
She tipped her head. “Actually, I think I’m just too busy and tired to be bad.”
He chuckled. “There’s a lot there for me to think about.”
Jane pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, watching him, then said, “Speaking of tired, I really do need to get going.”
“Okay.” Disappointment jabbed him in the chest, but it wasn’t realistic to think he could keep her here talking all night.
The urge was so unusual he thought maybe it was good for them to have a little space too. Maybe it was the tequila. Or something they put in the pizza. How could he be falling for a woman with so much going on in her life that he couldn’t even touch? And so quickly?
“But… would you walk me out to my car?”
Fuck yeah. Josie seemed to know Jane well, and she’d thought Jane would want him to walk her out to her car so she could kiss him good night.
He’d do just about anything to have her kiss him. To have her let him kiss her. To slide his hand into her hair, hold her head, a
nd taste her. Really taste her.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever wanted anything more than to walk you to your car,” he told her. “And I really wanted that napkin from the Sands with Frank’s signature on it.”
“That’s a big deal?”
“The Sands Casino in Vegas was where the Rat Pack performed together in the sixties,” he said, his hand over his heart. “The casino doesn’t even exist anymore. So that napkin is… everything.”
She laughed. “I’m going to need to read up on Frank Sinatra.”
“I can tell you anything you want to know.” Dax stretched to his feet. “In fact, we should go back to your place right now and get started. I know a lot.”
“Nice try.” She slid off her tall chair. “But I have to work at the factory tomorrow. New bosses. Have to impress them.”
He stepped close. “Consider that done.”
She blew out a breath. “Yeah, see… about that boss thing…”
“Shit,” he said. He grabbed her hand and started for the door. “Forget about that. I didn’t say a thing. That’s nothing.”
She tugged her hand free but kept walking with him. He pushed the door open and let her step through.
As she passed him, she said, “It’s not nothing.”
“It’s…” It was going to be nothing. He was going to talk to the guys in the morning. “Jane…”
“How about for right now we just… stop talking completely?” she asked.
He could do that. Probably.
He walked with her to her car. A very basic, blue Nissan sedan.
She opened the driver’s side door and tossed her purse onto the passenger seat, then she shut it again, and turned to face him.
“I had a really great time talking with you tonight,” he said. “Thank you for telling me about your dad. Thank you for coming out tonight.”
“The no-talking thing is pretty tough for you, huh?” she asked.
He nodded. “Really is.”
“Maybe this will help.” She took the tiny step forward that brought her right in front of him then took the front of his shirt in her hand and tugged him down, putting her lips against his.
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