“Stick to the plan.”
“You got it.”
Ares ended the call and marched out of the dining room to see Josie putting on her boots in the back entranceway.
“I don’t want to go either.But I have two employees and customers depending on me.If I don’t make a break for it now, I’ll stay here forever.”
Her words were like a punch to his gut.Whatever was on his schedule today, he was going to blow off.He needed to make the leap and check on the house he bought.
“Tonight?”
“I want to but…it’s Maisy’s night off and I promised I’d go shopping with her and her mom.”
“I get it.”He twirled a piece of her silky hair around his finger.“I want you to work if that’s what you want.But what are the chances of you being okay with me buying you a restaurant?”
“No thanks.”
“I could be an investor,” Ares leaned down and kissed her.The vibration of her giggle tickled his lips.“I don’t want you there with Carter.”
“I’ll be fine.I don’t think he’s a threat.”
Ares bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood.He wasn’t going to mention it to Josie, but he was going to put a call in to Stone’s Security to have a guy on Josie, at least while she was at work.
“Let me know if the asshole gets too close.”He took her chin between his thumb and index finger.
“Promise.”
He didn’t like it, but without being a total overbearing ogre, he had to accept it.There were things about his job she wouldn’t like.
If you could call managing a team of professional cleaners a “job.”
“Tomorrow.We can grab a quick dinner.”
“Yes we can,” Josie stood, shoved her hands in her pockets as if she didn’t know what to do with them, then grabbed her cane.
“I’m going to walk you to your car.”
“Okay.”
Ares threw on his jacket, held the door for her and took his time walking down the driveway.A cool drizzle was falling.
“I could drive you to work.
“Ares, I’ll be fine.We can’t be joined at the hip.”
“I guess not.”
But the words were hollow because being joined to her was exactly what he wanted to do.
“But I can tie you in rope, show off those pretty breasts and feast on them until you’re begging me to stop.I can make us a pair of handcuffs out of rope.”
“That’d be awkward in the kitchen,” Josie grinned at him, her eyes shining.
He didn’t want her to get in her car.Didn’t want these beautiful nights to only have a dash off to the reality of the mornings.
He caged her against her car, cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her with all the possession he felt.The sweetest gasp escaped her mouth as she kissed him back.He kissed her until her lips were tingling, her pulse jumping.
Her cane fell to the ground, he broke off the kiss, tracing her top lip with his finger."I don't want to leave you."
