Page 71 of The Secret
Yep.That did it. My heart was chugging like I was pushing the truck instead of riding in it.
God, I was so gone for this guy. I was pretty sure I was way beyond “like.” Even “crush”was like a distant planet I could only make out with a telescope. No, I was pretty sure I was in completely new territory altogether here, and it wasn’t remotely comfortable. So, of course, I had to make a joke.
“Wait,” I teased in a hushed voice. “Wait, wait, wait.Micah Bloom, are you saying that you don’t dislike meat allanymore? Because last I heard, you flat-out-hated me a full twenty-five percent of the time…”
“Jesus.”
“… and if you’re telling me that you don’t dislike meat allanymore…”
“I think I spoke too soon,” Micah said, but it seemed like he was struggling not to laugh.
“Nope. No take-backsies. Youlikeme.” I clasped my hand—as well as his—to my chest in rapture. “What tipped the scales?” I demanded. “I’d say it was the eyelashes, but those aren’t new. Was it the blowjob this morning? Because that’s not exactly a new thing either.”
Itsowasn’t. I’d had more sex in the last month than I’d had in a year, and I hadn’t exactly been spending my Saturday nights on the couch with Ben and Jerry’s before Micah, so that was saying something. Turned out, I was pretty fucking insatiable where Micah was concerned, and miracle of miracles, Micah seemed to feel the same way.
“Pretty sure it was the ziti that sealed the deal. That shit wasdelicious.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “If you’d cooked for me months ago, this all could have gone so differently.”
I snickered and he tightened his fingers around mine.
It was enough to make a guy start thinking thoughts.
“You coming to Hoff’s to watch football later?” I asked, trying to be all casual. “It’s a town-wide thing. Everyone’s welcome. Might be the last time I get to see you for a couple days since Mitch has me doing overnights tomorrow and Tuesday.”
“What’s his name getting drunk and needing to be hauled in to sleep it off again?”
“Jamie Burke,” I said sadly. “And I seriously hope not, because dragging him out of the bar all the damn time is getting old. I wish I knew what was going on with him.” God knew he wasn’t talking to me or Julian about it. I sighed. “So. Footballyes?”
“Footballno.” Micah’s mouth twisted with regret. “I’ve gotta get started on some stuff for the week. Belle informed me Thursday that she’s cutting back her hours now that summer’s over.”
“Cutting them back? You didn’t tell me that.”
“I meant to mention it last night, but something else came up.” He arched an eyebrow at me, but I refused to be distracted.
“I thought she only gave you sixteen hours a week as it was.”
“Mmm. It’ll be ten, starting tomorrow. Leandra’s gonna come help if her mother-in-law can babysit. I really need to find someone full-time.”
“I’ll come in more often. Now that I’ll have the car, working early morning shifts will be even easier.” Did I know how to earn the boyfriend points or what?
But Micah didn’t smile at my generous offer. Instead, he shifted in his seat and wrinkled his nose. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”
“About the morning shifts?”
“About you working for me.” He hesitated. “You needed the job to save money for your car, right? And now you’ve got it?”
“Yeah.” In fact, I’d saved up enough to pay cash for the carandhave a bit left over. “But I’ll keep working as long as you need me. It’s not exactly a hardship to see this face in the morning.” I lifted our joined hands to nudge his chin.
He drew our hands to his mouth and bit my index finger lightly. “I appreciate that, Constantine. But, uh. What if I wanted you tostopworking for me?”
“You’re firing me?” I demanded, drawing my hand away.
“No!” He pushed a hand through his hair, messing up the brown-and-silver, making it look way sexier than he had any right to be. “Or actually, yeah. I guess I am. It’s complicated.”
“Complicated? How?” I demanded. “I hardly ever give you shit anymore. And if this is about that time last week when I distracted you while you were paying invoices—”
Micah snorted. “I will never complain aboutthatkind of distraction, Con.”
“Then what?”
