Page 2 of Cash's Treasure

“Freckles!” I snap out of my thoughts and blink dazedly at Cash, my cheeks flushing deeply when I realize that I have been staring at him since he sat down. “You seem distracted tonight.”

“I . . . Oh, right,” I stammer, trying and failing to gather my thoughts.

Lana snorts at my side, causing me to flush deeper. “You want your usual drink?” I manage, breaking eye contact with Cash.

“Just water,” he says as he reaches for his bag and takes out a bunch of files, laying them on the counter. “It’s tax season, and I have a shit ton of work to get through.”

Oh, that means he’ll be here for a while. “Isn’t this place a little too noisy?”

“I like it noisy.”

Right. He’s told me time and time again that he works better around chaos. At first, I thought he liked to work at the bar so he could keep an eye on things. I’ve just never understood why he would choose to work in such a raucous place when he has a private office in the back. He could even work from home. He lives in the one of the most peaceful and luxurious parts of the city, where he can enjoy the quiet. Especially with me on shift at the bar, he’d have the condo we share all to himself. But he insists on setting up camp on the same barstool nearly every night.

Speaking of which . . . “I’ve been thinking of moving out,” I say, holding my breath as I anticipate his reaction.

“Moving out . . .”

“Um, yeah. You’ve been letting me live in your condo rent-free for a year, and I think I’ve finally saved enough to rent my own place. I don’t want to keep imposing on you.”

Cash is silent for a long time, and I gnaw my bottom lip as I await his response. As much as the thought of leaving physically pains me, I can’t leech off Cash much longer.

The truth is, my attraction to Cash has only grown over the last year, and living so close to him but not being able to act on those feelings is becoming unbearable. I need some space if I have any hope of getting over this crush I have on him.

“The condo is your home too, Kayla. You living there isn’t a burden. I thought I made that clear.”

“You did, but—”

“There are no buts about it,” he says firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s as much your home as it is mine. True, you don’t pay rent, but you do all the cooking, cleaning, and laundry. You do more than your share, so you don’t need to feel guilty or like you’re imposing. Save your money for something else. You’re not moving out.”

“Okay,” I whisper, hoping the loud beat of my heart isn’t audible to him. Something about him telling me to stay, practically forbidding me from moving out in that warm, deep voice of his has my body warming all over. “If you’re sure you don’t mind, then . . . I’ll stay.” For now, I add to myself. I don’t want to argue with Cash, but I can’t keep living with him, feeling the way I do about him. But I’m at work, and this isn’t the place to start an argument that I’ll probably lose anyway. Cash has a way of getting what he wants, and for some reason, he seems to actually like living with me.

“Good. I’ll be working most of the night in my usual spot, bring the water over there please.”

I nod and watch as he gathers his things and moves to the table in the corner that is always reserved for him.

“Freckles, huh?” Lana teases once Cash is out of earshot. “Seriously, anyone listening to the two of you talk will think you’re a couple or something.”

“We’re just friends,” I say, grabbing a bottle of water and pouring it into a glass before adding a slice of lemon.

“You think it’s normal that you’re the only one he lets serve him his drink?”

I perk up at that, finally finding a loophole in her ‘boyfriend’ theory. “What about before I started working here? Huh? Surely, he got his drink served by someone else. Did you speculate he was dating that person too?”

Lana looks at me funny. “I have worked here for three years, and he only started working from here when you showed up. Before that, he’d just stop by a couple times a week to check on things.”

“What?”

“Kayla, it’s no secret that Cash manages all of the Steel Order’s businesses. Heck, that’s how he got his name, but he never casually interacted with the staff. He only came to collect the books and check in with management before leaving. Cash only started hanging out around the place when you showed up.”

Oh.

Her words leave me speechless, a state I am still in when I walk to Cash with his water. Surely, what Lana said can’t be right. Cash gives off an air about him that makes him feel unapproachable, but he spends so much time around this place that it’s hard to believe that wasn’t the case before.

My eyes are on him as I slowly approach his table. Although casually dressed, one can practically read the dollar signs written all over him. I guess it makes sense seeing that he deals with money for a living.

“Here’s your water,” I say, placing the glass on the table, careful not to spill it on any of his things. “Looks like you’ll be here for a while. Do you want me to get you something to eat?”

He glances up briefly before shifting his focus back to his work. “We can grab something after your shift.”

---