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“I don’t get the point.”
Was she stalling? Trying to come up with something safe? “Humor me. What’s the first thing that pops into your mind?”
With her brows drawn together in exasperation, she blurted out, “I’d like to ride a camel across the desert and sleep in a tent.”
Ashton wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised by her outburst. “Seriously?” He laughed. “That’s not at all what I expected you to say. I thought you’d tell me you wanted to...” He trailed off. They’d worked together for nine months and he knew so little about her.
“Wanted to what?” she prompted, wary curiosity in her warm brown eyes.
“I’m not sure. You aren’t the sort of woman I imagine wanting to run off to Paris on a shopping spree or lounge on a yacht.” She was too driven by timetables to enjoy such frivolous pursuits. “M
aybe something more serious-minded. A visit to a museum, perhaps?”
His suggestion didn’t meet with her approval. “You know, I’m a little tired of everyone criticizing me for being too serious.”
Whoa, he’d definitely touched a nerve there. “Who is everyone?”
“My family. My classmates when I was in school. Friends. Life isn’t all about play, you know.” She glanced down at her smartphone and frowned.
“It’s also not all about work.”
Sharp irritation sliced through her voice. “Says the man who rarely does any.”
“Well, well, well.” He flashed her a big grin. “That’s some hellcat you keep bottled up.”
She stared at him in consternation before sputtering, “That’s ridiculous. There’s no hellcat here.”
“You didn’t see the bloodlust in your eyes just now.”
Her jaw worked as if she was grinding something particularly nasty between her teeth. “I’ll admit to being a little on edge. You are not the easiest man to work with.”
“Maybe not work with,” he agreed. “But when you’re ready to have some fun, give me a call.”
In the quiet of the restaurant, Harper stared at Ashton with raised brows and lips softly parted. His offer wasn’t sexual in nature, but when he spied the hope that flickered in her melted-chocolate eyes, his perception of her shifted dramatically.
“I don’t have time—”
“For fun.” He scrutinized her expression. “Yes, so you’ve said.”
As a teenager, he’d fallen in with some dangerous criminals. Learning to read micro expressions had helped him survive. That he’d not picked up on the passionate woman concealed beneath Harper’s professional exterior pointed out just how complacent he’d become.
Time to wake up and start paying attention.
She cleared her throat. “Getting back to Chef Cole...”
“I’ll hire him if you spend an evening with me.” This time he was deliberately hitting on her.
She set her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Five minutes ago you were ready to pass on him.”
“Five minutes ago I didn’t realize just how starved for adventure you were.”
“I’m very happy right where I am.”
“When the first thing on your bucket list is riding a camel in the desert and sleeping in a tent, forgive me if I don’t believe your life is as satisfying as you’d have people believe.”
“I don’t have a bucket list,” she retorted. “And if I did, that wouldn’t be the first thing on it. It was just something that popped into my head. I remember you doing that in an episode of The Culinary Wanderer.”
“You’re a fan?”
