Page 10 of You're All I Need

“You are?”

She gives me a hesitant grin. “Yeah. At the bar I used to work at, I did a lot of the office stuff for the owner. I paid his bills and did the payroll. I made him purchase an accounting software to make it easier. He was terrible with staying on top of that stuff, so he readily handed it over to me. I did it for him until I quit and moved here.”

Jack leans a little closer to the woman sitting across from him. “You know QuickBooks?”

“Yes, Jack, I know QuickBooks,” she replies with a toothy grin. “I used to work with his accountant to submit his taxes too.”

My friend and business partner glances my way, and I can tell he’s ready to make the decision. He knows Adrienne better than I do. He obviously trusts her, since she’s in his home and around his kids often. If he recommends we hire her to help out, I’d be on board with it too.

I fully expect him to offer her the job, but that’s not what he does. “Why don’t we talk later about some details, and then when Caden and I discuss the new on-call schedule, we can iron out the part-time position too.”

She shrugs, as if it’s no big deal to her either way, but I don’t miss the bubble of anticipation brightening her eyes. I don’t know why she volunteered to help us out, but I’m not going to complain. Plus, I really like the idea of seeing her a little more. She’s fun to be around and is very easy on the eyes.

Our food arrives, and we all dig in. Jack listens as Adrienne and Stevie return to the topic of the kitchen refresh. On top of painting the walls, the ladies plan to incorporate new curtains, rugs, tableware, and décor. Jack sends me a look, and even though I expect to see an eye roll or hear a dramatic sigh in boredom, I can tell he’s happy.

Happy to have Stevie in his life, redoing his shit and making it her own.

Their own.

Because despite the fact she’s making the changes, she’s constantly asking for his input. Jack is pretty laid-back though, and he keeps telling her to do whatever she wants. Not because he doesn’t care, but simply for the fact he wants her to be happy. And if painting the walls in the kitchen and making a few small cosmetic changes makes her that way, then he’s all for it.

My heart does this weird lurch in my chest.

I push it down, however. I never let that pesky organ get involved in anything. As long as he pumps blood and keeps me alive, that’s all I ask for. I no longer let my heart get involved where a woman is concerned. Not worth the pain.

Believe me, I know.

“Hey, there’s Jameson. I’m going to run over and say hello,” Stevie says as she’s pushing away her empty basket.

“I’ll go with you.” Jack drops his napkin on his empty basket and stands up. “Be right back,” he tells me.

I lean back in my chair and turn my attention to Adrienne. She’s watching me, her light-brown eyes twinkling with contemplation. “I just realized something, darlin’.”

Her eyebrows arch heavenward. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”

“We just had dinner.” I waggle my eyebrows suggestively and give her a wolfish grin.

She barks out a laugh and shakes her head. “Actually, we had lunch.”

Invading her personal space, I whisper, “I see your point. So, what does lunch get me?”

A slow, lazy smile takes over her entire face as she shifts closer. Our faces are practically touching as she murmurs, “It’s a short list, but you have a few options.”

“Does any of them involve one or both of us losing our pants?”

She snickers, her tongue slipping out between her lips and swiping against her very plump, very kissable bottom lip. My dick notices, as blood starts to pump south of the border. “We’ll just have to wait and see, cowboy.” She adds a wink, but the conversation is shut down before I can reply, as Jack and Stevie return to the table.

“Ready?” Jack asks, grabbing the check before I have the chance to.

With my eyes locked on Adrienne’s, I agree, “Oh, yeah. Definitely ready.”

Except it wasn’t just him I was speaking to.

It was her too.

Chapter Four

Adrienne

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