Page 30 of Bet On Me, Daddy

“Uh, everything okay, Ruby?”

White-hot embarrassment flooded her body as she turned to face Jay. His brows were drawn together with concern and she immediately felt like an ass for worrying him and for making a scene.

But Dr. Jenn’s voice popped into her head.Fear is your body’s way of trying to protect you from a threat, either real or perceived. Try not to attach a moral judgment to your fear. It is neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, it simply is.

Forcing a smile, Ruby nodded. “Sorry. Just needed a moment.”

Jay glanced behind him before pulling the door shut and stepping closer, but not so close as to crowd her for which she was grateful. “Did something happen with you and that guy last night? Did he hurt you?”

Warmth spread through her chest, erasing the last of the panic. “No. It wasn’t him.”

“Someone else, then.”

Normally, she wouldn’t bring her personal life to work. But seeing as how her personal life had already made a rather dramatic entrance, she didn’t have much of a choice. And she considered Jay more than just a co-worker. Hell, she’d spent Christmas with him and his husband. So she owed him the truth, or at least as much of it as she was able to give just then. “Someone else. But it was a long time ago. He can’t hurt me anymore.”

He can’t hurt me anymore.

“Okay.” Still not looking convinced, Jay took another step closer. “Will you tell me what triggered it? Is there something I can do to prevent it from happening again?”

And that was why, even if she was offered a better paying position somewhere, she knew she’d never leave Charleston Brews. Jay and the owners genuinely cared about their employees’ well-being in ways that were rare to find in the hellscape that was late-stage capitalism in America.

“The guy that was just here? He left us a huge fucking tip. Like, enough to pay your rent huge.”

It was worth telling him, just for the hilarity of watching Jay’s eyes go so wide she thought they might pop right out of his head. “Holy shit. And you’re like, seeing him? Good for you.”

“I’m not seeing him. I don’t date rich guys.” Her own rule, and she’d been on the verge of breaking it without a second thought for Beckett.

She knew better. She fuckingknewbetter.

“Well, don’t tell him that. We just need like, five or six more tips like that.”

He smiled when he said it, letting her know she was teasing. And yet, the panic still beat at her throat, threatening tooverwhelm her again if she wasn’t careful. “I can’t make any promises.”

“Ah, well. It was worth a shot.” Glancing down at his wrist, Jay grimaced. “I need to get back inside. You take as much time as you need. But seriously, if I need to put his face on one of those old-fashioned ‘Wanted’ signs and make sure everyone knows he’s not welcome here, I’ll do it. I take care of my people.”

Because she knew he’d do it in a heartbeat, her smile was less forced this time. “Thanks. I don’t think that will be necessary, but thanks.”

“All right. See you inside.”

Jay stepped back into the shop, the door swinging shut slowly behind him, and Ruby gave herself a few minutes to simplybe. She’d have to face Beckett again tonight, and before then she needed to figure out what the fuck to actually say to him, but for now, she was here, and she was present.

And she was safe.

CHAPTER 11

BECKETT

For the first time in his memory, Beckett’s mind wasn’t on work. The numbers on the screen in front of him held exactly zero interest, and the longer he stared at them, the less sense they made.

Switching over to his email, he clicked on one that Sonja had flagged for him to read. Nothing pressing, but it gave him something to do other than sit at his desk and obsess over Ruby and her wide brown eyes with that hint of mischief in them.

Had she heeded his wishes last night and kept her hands off that pretty pussy of hers? Had she lain awake as he had, staring at the ceiling and wishing she’d been just a little less naughty so she could have gotten an orgasm out of the deal?

The thought of her lying awake thinking of him was a double-edged sword. It appeased the darker parts of him, those parts ruled totally by instinct and need, to think he might have any claim on her when she wasn’t with him.

The Daddy side of him, however, worried. She worked two jobs that he knew of and if she was opening the coffee shop she likely had to be there exceptionally early.

Was she getting enough sleep? Was she working at Club BDE because she needed the money or just for the discount? Eitherway, maybe he should talk to Braden about making sure she wasn’t closing up at the club when she had work in the morning.

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