Page 24 of A Little Naughty

“You’re tall.” She smiles, looking up at me.

Her teeth are really white, or her red lipstick makes them stand out more.

“I’m six-two.”

“I’m five-eleven, so most guys are my height. I can never wear high-heels—” She breaks off again, this time with a little laugh like she almost said too much.

“I like women in heels.”

“Good thing I like wearing them.” She gives me a little wink, and my dick jumps.

Fuck, I need to getthatunder control.

When I don’t speak, she exhales again, and I wonder if she’s as tense as I am. She always seems so relaxed and confident.

“I saw you have a little girl now.”

“Oh… Yes. Nikki.” She hesitates. “She’s the daughter of a friend of mine.”

We’re at the restaurant, and I grab the door, thinking about this new twist. Growing up with Bull, I’ve learned to tell when people aren’t being completely honest, and it appears Jemima’s hiding something.

“Where is she tonight?”

“She’s at Piper’s having dinner. Since I’m working.”

She walks ahead of me into El Rio, and my eyes trace her long legs leading up to that short skirt. I guess whatever she’s hiding isn’t really my business, but it’s a curious switch from her usual openness.

“I’ll get us some drinks.” I briefly touch her arm. “You want a beer?”

“Do you mind if I have a margarita?”

“Sure—it’s two for one, so you can have two.”

“Yay!” She does a little cheer, then quickly adds, “We’ll see how it goes. I don’t want to get drunk.”

“Right.” I don’t want that either.

Even if I have a feeling it might be cute, I want her fully aware of everything we do when we’re together.

The bartender is ready to go with margarita mix and bottle openers, moving so fast, he’s like one of those jugglers. I slide over the money and take our drinks.

She’s waiting when I arrive at the booth, and I place hers on the table and slide in across from her, feeling a little more relaxed. “How do we start this?”

“Tell me all about your idea…”

We speak at the same time, and she laughs. I exhale a smile, teasing the label on my bottle. Unlike the Buds we have at home, this one is gold and swirly with two lions holding up a medal.

“You go first.” She leans forward to sip her drink, sliding her pink tongue along the salt rim and causing my dick to twitch again.

I clear my throat, shifting in my seat. “My mom liked to say I’m a problem solver. When I come across something messed up, I’ll think about it until I find a solution.”

Her brow furrows, and she holds up a finger and her phone. “Do you mind if I record this? I’ll make notes too, but this helps me remember.”

My initial reaction is to say no, but I don’t. “Sure.”

“You were saying you’re a problem solver. Your solution is hunting and trapping these wild hogs, processing them, and using them to supply the free-range and specialty pork market.” She says it like she’s writing my backstory. “So what do you see as the problem? The growing demand for free-range and specialty meats? Or maybe the spike in wild hog attacks here in Eureka?”

“I didn’t know there was a spike in hog attacks. I just got tired of them rooting in our garbage.” The skin prickles on my neck, and I don’t like her thinking I live in garbage. “They’ve gotten pretty bold.”

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