Page 101 of Take It Offline

I’ve known hunger before, but never like this.

“Use silence to your advantage. Make them wait, and they’ll fill it for you. They’ll show their hand before they’re ready.”

I lick my lips, heart pounding in my chest as she drops her gaze and copies me. I swallow past the tightness in my throat.

“Another trick is to know when to give them no other options, even when there’s an alternative. If you know the best way, and we both know you usually do, present that and that alone. If they don’t like it? Makethemexplain why. Put them in the hot seat. It’s a great way to see their true intentions. Don’t be afraid to push back.”

How the hell does she not see just how powerful she is?

Emma doesn’t simply solve problems, she vaporizes them.

“Don’t shrink yourself for anyone,” I say, crowding in, dizzy with the heat pouring off her. “You’re damn good at what you do, and when you stop forgetting that, you’ll be fucking unstoppable.”

No wonder Roberts is scared of her. The entire world should cower at her feet.

If management knew what they had, he’d be reporting to her.

I run my fingers along her jaw. “With your words and my charm, we can do anything.”

There’s wonder in the look she’s giving me. Want and awe and all of it is dangerous to my resolve. When she licks her lips, I stop breathing.

If we don’t do something else, and soon, I’m going to mess up this friendship.

I step back. “Hey, do you want a beer?”

Her lips part, and her cheeks are a deep red. “I’d love one.”

“Good. I know just the place.”

CHAPTER 33

LET’S PLAY

CHARLIE

Reese discovered Rocky’s minutes after we moved here. What can I say? She’s got excellent radar for good music and cheap drinks. It’s served us well.

The story goes—at least, if you believe a word out of the man’s mouth—that the bar used to be called Rick’s, but the original owner lost a bet, and bam, Rocky’s was born. Apparently, when Rick retired, he signed the bar over to him “as was my birthright.”

Needless to say, Rocky’s tales are as long as his hair.

But the man serves a mean beer and never gave one shit when I hustled the occasional jackass for a few weeks’ rent.

In all the years I’ve been coming here, it hasn’t changed. It still smells like weed, still has the same jukebox with “old man music”—

“Hey,” I say. I will put up with a lot of things, but disrespecting Robert Plant is not one of them. “Watch your tone. These are classics.”

“I’m learning so much about you tonight,” Emma says, her smile the ultimate weapon to my state of mind.

—and it’s still run by Rocky himself. These days, he’s a lot quieter. He speaks almost exclusively in grunts, but he throwsme a friendly nod and a couple of cold ones when we approach the bar.

With our beers in hand, I guide Emma to the pool table in the back. We’re not the only ones here tonight, but it’s quiet enough to make our little corner feel intimate.

I pass Emma a cue. “Do you know how to play?”

“I know enough.”

If I had to guess by the glint in her eye, that’s a lie, but I let it slide for now. I want to see her moves before I show off.

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