Page 4 of Blush

I have to work tonotstare at Jackson. He’s gorgeous—all chiseled jawline, sandy-brown stubble, and dark-blond hair that swoops over his forehead in a way he hates but only makes him more enticing. And those long-lashed eyes—sometimes they’re emerald green and sometimes they’re the light brown of cognac.

He calls them hazel.

I call them spectacular.

I could gaze into them forever and never tire of their beauty.

I clear my throat. “Yeah, really. Frankie just got engaged. I’m not getting any younger, Jack. I’m a virtual assistant. I sit behind a computer all day. When am I supposed to meet anyone?”

“Anywhere. How about here?” Jackson glances around the dining room at Sushi Palace and then nods to a table of three guys. “How about any of those guys?”

I follow Jack’s gaze and roll my eyes. “First of all, they all have gray in their hair. They’re too old for me.”

“I have a few gray hairs.”

“Not enough to matter. Those guys are in their late forties, I’d bet.”

Jackson takes a sip of his sake. “You don’t know that. They dress well, look interesting.”

“Exactly how can you tell they’re interesting by the way they dress?”

He smiles his dazzling smile—the one that makes my heart soar.

“They dress like I dress. And I happen to think I’m a very interesting person.”

The dazzling smile again.

My God, could I lust for this man more?

“I’m an introvert, Jack. Besides, what kind of woman walks up to a table of three men and starts flirting?”

He raises his eyebrows. “The kind of woman who’s looking for a date?”

“I’m not that woman. You’ve known me forever. You know how shy I am.”

He doesn’t reply. Instead, he focuses his attention on popping the beans out of an edamame pod.

Doesn’t matter. If I can’t have the man I want, I can find one exactly like him on Lustr. Right? It’s a virtual smorgasbord of eligible men, and one might be looking for Amanda Rose Thomas.

Chapter Two

Jackson

Mandy Cake on Lustr? I can’t see it. And then, when I think about it, I can’tunsee it.

She’s too sweet and innocent to get messed up in that hunting ground. I hate the idea. And I hate it even more when—

“So will you help me?”

I nearly spit out the mouthful of sake I just drank. I swallow quickly.

“Helpyou?”

“Yeah. Help me with my profile on Lustr.”

She’s got to be kidding.

“How canIhelp you?”

---