“Yes, please, let’s continue on this topic,” Blake grumbles, rolling his eyes.
“Yes, let’s,” Jazz says, leaning forward in eager anticipation.
“How did you know I have kids?” I interrupt, curious about his earlier comment.
He blinks at me, no doubt confused by the sudden change of topic. “A good boss should know these things about his employee. You’re forty-two, divorced, have two kids in college,recently relocated from Detroit—good choice, by the way. Former personal trainer, which explains why you’re still so fucking hot at your advanced age.”
I let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m straight. Get it through your head.”
“What? I can’t state a fact?” he asks, expression pure innocence. “You should be flattered.”
“I don’t exactly consider it flattering to be constantly hit on by a child.”
His brows fly up. “That’syour issue? Not that I’m a guy or that you work for me?” He taps his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe I should just wait a few years until you hit a mid-life crisis and can see the benefit in all this.”
“There are a lot of benefits, man,” Shay agrees, holding his palm up for Jamie to high-five.
Jazz smirks up at me, holding his hand out to Jamie and Shay as if presenting his statement as evidence for the defense. “See?”
I shrug, offering my own smirk in return. “Feel free to wait around if you want but it won’t get you anywhere. It’s not actually your age that I have an issue with—it’s really just you as a person.”
He scoffs. “Impossible. I’m fucking amazing.”
“You’re a dick.”
He shrugs. “I’m an amazing dick.”
“Fucking hell, your ego knows no bounds,” I huff, shaking my head.
“More importantly, Ihavean amazing dick,” Jazz says with a smirk. “Which you’re welcome to wrap your lips around anytime you’d like.”
“I’m good,” I grate out through a clenched jaw.
“Are you sure?” he goads. “What about the other way around then?” He unashamedly scans his gaze down my body, lingering on my crotch, before returning his eyes to my face, his lipscurved in a taunting grin. “Just let me know when and where. I bet I could make you go off like a rocket.”
If the heat hitting my cheeks is any indicator, they must be burning a furious shade of red right now, and I have no doubt Jazz is getting immense satisfaction out of it.
“Fuck, maybe you should do it just to shut him up,” Blake says with a chuckle.
Jazz’s eyes light up and he points a finger at Blake. “Thank you. That’s an excellent suggestion. I can tell you’re an innovative thinker.”
I send an arctic glare my brother’s way. Jazz doesnotneed any further encouragement.
“I’m getting back to work,” I mutter, turning away from the table.
As I walk away, I hear Blake saying, “You could give it a rest, you know. He’s clearly not interested and it makes him uncomfortable.”
“That’s what’s so hot,” Jazz says, confirming all of my suspicions that he gets off on making me squirm. “And I think he secretly likes it.”
“I think that might be wishful thinking, mate,” Jamie says wryly.
“Well, he hasn’t told me to stop yet,” Jazz says simply. “If he does, I’ll cut it out. But he won’t—like I said, he likes it.”
“Uh huh. If you say so,” Blake says.
I bypass the service area of the bar and head straight for the door that leads to the storage rooms, offices, and staff bathroom. I need a minute to breathe without what feels like the entire fucking world scrutinizing me, so I head into the bathroom and turn on the faucet, splashing some cool water on my face.
Jazz can’t be right. I can’t actuallylikethe way he’s always singling me out for attention. It’s uncomfortable. And unsettling. And humiliating.
