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The server stopped at their table and put their orders down. They both declined needing anything else right now.
“You know what’s messed up.” Lacy held up a fry and pointed it at Jonah. “I didn’t even care if my crush had girlfriends. Even if a part of me held out hope someday he’d notice me, I didn’t really expect him to. Ergo, my lack of experience when it comes to guys. But honestly, I’m not sure I wanted them to shatter the illusion of who I thought they were.”
“I have a kid sister.” Jonah straightened to eat his food.
She lifted her head to look in his eyes. She honestly didn’t know much about Jonah. Last night had been the first time he’d actually answered her questions. She never expected him to, but now he volunteered information. She wanted more, greedy for anything more from him.
After finishing a bite, Jonah continued, “I probably wasn’t as protective as your brothers, but we pretty much only had each other sometimes. What with moving around all the time with my father’s job. You may not have dated, but as soon as I’d start to date someone, I’d have to leave. Long distance never worked out, especially in high school. It didn’t make sense to hold onto a girlfriend or even try to keep in touch with a guy friend. At some point, I just stopped trying.”
Her heart broke a little for young Jonah. Never having a home was one thing, but giving up on love because it just became too hard? That hurt deep in her chest.
Lacy cleared the lump from her throat. “I could see that. I should have stopped trying when Chet used me, but there was always another guy to obsess over. I did okay after college ended before I started at Taylor and King. It was easy to focus on work and not worry about guys, but my friends all seemed to have someone or some ones. And how was I to meet a guy when I never liked going out.”
“Then Wolverine walked into your life,” Jonah said with a crooked smile.
She returned his smile. “I don’t know why, but Logan just checked off a lot of what I thought I wanted in a guy. Even though I found out pretty quick he was a player. But he comes from a solid family and he’s good looking. He’s a nice guy.”
She thought she caught a glimpse of pain on Jonah’s face, but it vanished so fast she probably imagined it.
Jonah’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen.
“You can answer it.” Lacy picked up her sandwich. “I don’t mind.”
He nodded and picked up the call. “Dalton, what can I do for you?”
Lacy made a big show out of eating so he wouldn’t think she listened to every word he said, even though she was. And he probably knew it.
“Yeah, I got the email.” He listened to whoever was on the other end. “I could be convinced.”
Jonah’s gaze flicked to her briefly before he turned a little away. “Up the salary and benefits, but it would have to be pretty impressive to have another move make sense right now. I’m just settling into Taylor and King.”
She swallowed her chicken and felt it sink like lead in her stomach. Was Jonah looking for another job? He just got here.
His eyes found hers and she forced a smile, while taking another bite of her sandwich.
“Yes, let me know. Thanks, Dalton.”
He set his phone down and started eating. Lacy swallowed her bite and took a drink. How did she even approach this?
“Are you looking for another job?” The words slipped out before she could finish thinking it through.
“I like to keep my options open.” Jonah shrugged. “I’m hoping Taylor and King works out, but it’s always good to have feelers in the industry. Just in case.”
Did Jonah do that with everything? Was he even now scoping out the next woman to conquer? The only limit on what their situation was they wouldn’t do it with anyone else while they were doing it with each other. Maybe when women like the waitress gave him their number, he kept a stack next to his bed so when he finally got bored of Lacy, he had options.
She set down the last bit of her sandwich, no longer hungry, and took a drink. The waitress moved through the tables efficiently. Lacy figured the waitress would be more than willing to enter into a Candy-type relationship with Jonah. No strings, just amazing sex. She probably wouldn’t even make him settle on just one woman at a time.
The back of Lacy’s throat stung.
“Hey,” Jonah’s rough voice was soft.
She couldn’t resist looking at him. He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Where’d you go, little bird?”
Her heart pulsed, and in that instant, she realized it was too late. Her heart had done what it always did. It fell hard and fully for the guy who was unavailable and out of her league. She just hadn’t noticed it happening because she’d been so wrapped up in trying to get Logan to notice her.
“Lacy?” His finger tipped up her chin. “Everything okay?”
