“Tempting,” she murmured. “But I don’t quit easy.”
That did somethin’ to me, right center mass. “Good. We’re short on women who don’t scare easy.”
She looked at me for a beat longer than she meant to. “I’ve had enough of people trying to break me. I’m not giving anyone the chance again.”
My jaw tightened. She wasn’t tellin’ me a secret, just laying down rules. But the honesty hit like she meant me to hear it.
“You won’t find that here,” I said. “Least of all from me.”
Her eyes flickered. Barely. But I caught it.
“This job has to work,” she said, steady but too controlled.
“Yeah,” I murmured. “I can hear that.”
Her brow lifted. “Hear what?”
“The fear under it.”
Her breath stilled, not offended, just caught. “There’s no fear.”
“Right,” I said, leanin’ an inch closer. “And I don’t notice things I’m not supposed to.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Darlin’… I’m real bad at not noticin’ you.”
Her lips almost curved. “You always talk like that to new employees?”
“Only the ones who make my pulse do somethin’ stupid.”
She looked away, but not fast enough to hide the blush that spread across her cheeks.
“You really think this charm of yours works on everyone?”.
“I don’t think,” I said. “I know.”
“Well,” she said lightly, “it’s about time you learned disappointment.”
I leaned in, just an inch, enough to send a little heat across the space. “You plannin’ to be my lesson?”
She didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. “If it keeps you honest.”
A rough laugh slipped out before I could stop it. “Sweetheart, nobody’s accused me of lyin’ when it comes to women.”
“Figures.” She turned back toward the window, but that ghost of a smile didn’t go anywhere.
“You’re somethin’ else,” I said.
“So I’ve heard.”
“I mean it.”
She angled her face back toward me, eyes narrowin’ just a touch. “I bet you mean a lot of things.”
“Only when it’s true.”
For a heartbeat, the bar noise dimmed. Just the two of us hangin’ in a quiet so tight it felt like any wrong word could snap it straight into somethin’ hotter.
