Page 48 of Disavowed

Oh, hell.

She might be a sucker, but she’d feel like shit if she didn’t give him the job. She really did need to hire someone, and fast, so why not him? Plus, as Jack had said, he has a CDL, and those don’t fall into her lap every day. But it was more than that, and she knew it.

As an eleven-year-old child she’d been on her own. Sure, she’d had a foster family to provide her with the essentials, but she fully understood what it was like to have nothing.

Letting out a loud breath, she shook her head, still in shock that she was even considering doing this. Still, there were questions that needed to be answered first.

Meeting his gaze, she said, “You once told me you’d been out of the army for nearly fifteen years.” One of the many things they’d talked about so long ago. “Have you and Jack been in touch all this time, or did you just happen to run into each other?”

“We only reconnected recently.” He leaned back in the chair, clasping his hands behind his head and stretching those long legs out in front of him. “I told him I was looking for work, and as an old friend, he said he might be able to get me a job with the company he was working for. I once did him a favor. This is his way of repaying it.”

Again Daisy found her eyes glued to his arms and the way they filled out his shirtsleeves so enticingly. All those bulging muscles were distracting as hell. It wouldn’t be easy having him around the shop every day, and if she hired him, she had to be prepared for that. And there were other things that had to be laid out on the table.

“You already know Jack and I are dating, so—”

“Have you gone out on a date with him yet?” he asked.

“Well, no but—”

“Then you’re not dating.” He smirked.

“You are positively exasperating.” She shut her eyes for a moment. “I’m assuming that when you implied the other night that there was something nefarious about how Jack came to work for me, you didn’t know that my Jack was your old buddy.”

“I didn’t.” The smirk on Dom’s face disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. “But I’ll still warn you to be careful with him.”

“Some friend you are.” She snorted. “Don’t you think it’s backstabbing to talk that way about your friend?”

“The guy’s my friend, doesn’t mean he’s a saint.” His mouth tightened. “He’s not good enough for you.”

“Who I date is my business, not yours.” She glared at him, praying to all that was holy that she wasn’t making the biggest—no, make that the second biggest—mistake of her life. “I’ll hire you on one condition.”

“Name it,” Dom said.

“Stay out of my personal business.”

“Agreed.”

“And you do whatever I tell you to.”

“That’s two conditions.” Dom grinned, clearly enjoying himself.

She ignored the jibe. “Do we have an agreement or not?”

“We do.” He stood and held out his hand.

Accepting the challenge, she stood and placed her hand in his. He surprised her by lifting it to his lips, locking gazes with her as he did. His lips were warm and gentle, eliciting an unwanted shiver somewhere inside her core. And dammit, she was powerless to look away. Until he grinned, reminding her what he was and always would be.

“Knock it off, Romeo.” She yanked her hand away, adding in a purposefully acidic tone, “There’s a third condition. You don’t get to touch me. Ever.”

He grinned. “Scared?”

“Of what?” She took a step back, which was silly considering the desk was between them. “Of you?”

“You tell me.” He crossed his arms.

“Payday is on Thursdays.” She gritted her teeth. “Now get out of my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Again he grinned at her, all perfect white teeth and twinkling eyes that reminded her of the ocean on a clear, calm day.