Page 80 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

“You do their books, huh?”

Siena smiled a little. “Something like that.”

“What’s what mean?”

“Someone does the main books for the businesses, sure.”

John nodded. “Let me guess, you go in and clean ‘em up.”

“Something like that,” she echoed.

His hazel eyes drifted to her, and then slowly looked her over. It was enough to make Siena heat up under the jeans, blouse, and tweed coat she had thrown on at her place. John wasn’t even ashamed of his staring when he smirked, and then went back to staring at the road.

“I wouldn’t have taken you for an accountant,” he admitted.

“No?”

“Maybe a school teacher, or nurse. Something like that.”

Siena snorted. “I like numbers, actually. I like facts. Things that add up, or work in the end. It’s just how my brain tries to see everything, I guess.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“My dad noticed that my grades in high school for math and sciences were high. I was taking college prep courses for those areas. Numbers make sense to me, if you get what I’m trying to say.”

John laughed under his breath. “Numbers make sense to me, too. You know, when I can add more zeroes behind the first number.”

Siena grinned. “I bet.”

“Yeah, but keep going with your story.”

“He had me doing books for some of the little businesses he owns when I was a senior in high school. He pushed me toward accounting degrees and whatnot after I graduated. I would have went in to something with math or science as a focus, anyway, but …”

John glanced over at her. “Does it feel like you didn’t get a choice?”

“Sometimes,” she admitted.

“So, you’re the one who handles the Calabrese numbers, huh?”

Siena wet her lips. “Not supposed to talk about business, John.”

His eyes glinted with amusement. “How good can you scrub and cook a book, Siena?”

Well …

“I haven’t found a dollar amount yet that I can’t hide, John.”

He whistled low.

“Damn, donna.”

Siena laughed right along with John. A second later, he reached over to find her thigh with his palm. He squeezed her inner thigh overtop her jeans, and shot her a wink. Then, just as quickly, his hand slid in with hers. Silently, he intertwined their fingers together, and held on tight.

John brought her hand up, leaned over, and pressed three light kisses across her knuckles. He didn’t say a thing while he did it, but he didn’t really need to, either.

It was such a small action.

A little bit of affection.