Page 69 of Unexpected Hero

He presses his lips together.

“And that just makes me want you more.”

“Sorry.”

A tiny dimple appears on his lower cheek as a genuine smile snaps into place. Butter my biscuit. His smile is breathtaking. Wish he did it more often.

“Don’t apologize for being irresistible, Lettie Holt.”

Chapter 13

Sunset has nothing on you

TOMER

After finding a picnic table, we work together, spreading out the dinner I packed. Neither of us speaks, which suits me fine.

I’ve already fucked up the entire night. The more I talk, the worse I’ll make things. When it comes to me and people, it’s best I keep quiet.

I should have known better than to engage with her the way I did. It would have been safer to simply meet her somewhere, and as soon as she sat down, I could have told her about the position. Boom. Done. Nothing else.

Hell, a phone call might have been even smarter.

Not sure why I decided to make this seem like a date. I pride myself on my unwavering self-control. But with Lettie, I’m a walking, talking, deceiving disaster. I’m paper, and she’s an origami master. One touch and she makes me fold.

Once we’ve filled our plates with fried chicken, potato salad, and buttermilk biscuits with honey, she attempts to return us to friendly conversation.

Here’s to hoping I don’t fuck it up. Or worse, kiss her again.

Fuck. I want to kiss her again.

She smiles as she looks over her full plate. “This looks delicious. Thank you.”

“No problem. I figured that you might like this type of food. Since you’re from the south and all.”

Her nose twitches, suggesting she’s trying to hold back a smile. “I do like it. The food is one of the good memories of home.”

I strongly dislike how she keeps dropping hints that she wasn’t happy back in Georgia. It makes me wonder if I made the right call in keeping her a secret from Big Al over the last few years. Would he have made a difference in her life? Would she be happier?

While I ponder the many mistakes I’ve made with Violet, she redirects us to why we’re here. “So what’s the job opportunity?”

I drop the chicken breast and wipe my hands on a paper towel. “As I mentioned earlier, I’m a member of a kink club. And we need a reliable person to work in the reception area.”

When I pause for a sip of water, she asks, “What are the duties?”

“When members arrive, you’ll greet them and check their club identification. Do some scheduling and administrative tasks.” Her tentative nods turn more exuberant as I continue. “Answer phones and reply to emails to give prospective members information. That sort of thing.”

“Yeah. That sounds great. I can definitely do that.”

“The club isn’t open in the mornings, so you’d be working late. Would that be an issue?”

“Not at all. And I know beggars can’t be choosers, but how’s the pay?”

“I didn’t ask how much, but I’m sure it’d be enough to get you out of that hotel. And you’d be offered medical benefits after ninety days.”

“It’s full-time?”

I nod.

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