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Authors: Jocelyn Adams
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the cucumber, the smooth, earthy taste of the avocado, the sweetness of the crab, the heat of the wasabi, and the crunch of the pickled ginger all blended into a dazzling harmony. “Mmm. Oh, my freakin’ gawd, I can’t believe how good this is.”
“I told you,” he said with great satisfaction. “What’s your favorite food?”
Marveling at the display of exotic food before me, my spine went limp. “I’d be embarrassed to say.”
Ben leaned forward and stared at me hard enough to send me squirming back in my chair. “Now you’ve intrigued me.”
I shook my head, sighed, and speared another California roll. “No.”
“Please?” So much emotion and determination filled his one word I paused to savor it in my thoughts. My imagination inserted that plea into other activities we might do together. Naked. And sweaty. Stop it!
“Oh fine, but you’re going to laugh at me again. I love cinnamon toaster waffles, all right?” I glanced at him long enough to see a brief smile quirk his lips before he took another bite of California roll.
“Fascinating,” he said, his tone dripping with laughter and sarcasm.
Although I wanted to be annoyed with him, my mouth curved into a smile.
Squaring his shoulders as if preparing for more serious conversation, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Tell me. Are my Quality Engineers harassing you?”
I choked and coughed, pounding on my chest to dislodge the ball of shock caught there. “No. Where did you hear that?”
“When Dave Gibbons approached you, your whole demeanor changed. Has he threatened you in some way?”
My whole body went rigid as I calculated how he could have known that little tidbit. “You were spying on me?”
Face unreadable, Ben sat back in his chair and averted his eyes. “I have a right to monitor my own surveillance cameras whenever I choose.”
Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, huh? All of the hairs on my arms stood at attention. “So it was just a coincidence you happened to be watching the lunchroom camera during the five minutes I was in there? What, were you afraid I’d spill some corporate secrets?”
Silence for a moment. His stillness infuriated me.
“You told him you don’t date,” he said in a whisper. “Tell me why.”
I crossed my arms and leaned toward him, hoping my glare might hurt him somehow. “You might have a right to spy on your employees, Mr. Hathaway, but you don’t have a right to my personal life.” Stick that in your craw and choke, buddy.
Angling toward me, he squinted, studied me for so long every muscle in my body went rigid. “I’ve offended you again.”
“Your powers of observation are frightening.” I scowled at the table.
“You confound me like nobody I’ve ever met before. I’m simply curious about you.”
I met his gaze, but he leaped up and paced in front of the door where the shadows were darkest.
“You don’t answer any of my questions, so why should I answer any of yours?” I tapped my foot, waiting.
He stopped, something I took for hope lighting up his features. “If I answer a question for you, will you answer mine?”
The thought of sharing that part of my soul with him made my heart hurt, but my curiosity tempted me. “Do I get to ask anything?”
He remained silent for a moment before he nodded, though the hunch of his shoulders suggested he was either terribly nervous or afraid.
“And you’ll go first?” I asked.
“I suppose I deserve your distrust.” He gave a curt nod, sending that cute little curl shifting across his ear. “Very well, I’ll go first.”
I stood and stepped closer, studying his perfect profile, the utter masculine cut of his jaw. “Why don’t you like people to look at you?”
His eyes closed and crimped together.
My chest tightened at the sight of his unease, but I wanted to know. “At first I thought maybe you had a disfigurement or something you didn’t like to talk about, but then when I saw you and realized
“I told you,” he said with great satisfaction. “What’s your favorite food?”
Marveling at the display of exotic food before me, my spine went limp. “I’d be embarrassed to say.”
Ben leaned forward and stared at me hard enough to send me squirming back in my chair. “Now you’ve intrigued me.”
I shook my head, sighed, and speared another California roll. “No.”
“Please?” So much emotion and determination filled his one word I paused to savor it in my thoughts. My imagination inserted that plea into other activities we might do together. Naked. And sweaty. Stop it!
“Oh fine, but you’re going to laugh at me again. I love cinnamon toaster waffles, all right?” I glanced at him long enough to see a brief smile quirk his lips before he took another bite of California roll.
“Fascinating,” he said, his tone dripping with laughter and sarcasm.
Although I wanted to be annoyed with him, my mouth curved into a smile.
Squaring his shoulders as if preparing for more serious conversation, he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Tell me. Are my Quality Engineers harassing you?”
I choked and coughed, pounding on my chest to dislodge the ball of shock caught there. “No. Where did you hear that?”
“When Dave Gibbons approached you, your whole demeanor changed. Has he threatened you in some way?”
My whole body went rigid as I calculated how he could have known that little tidbit. “You were spying on me?”
Face unreadable, Ben sat back in his chair and averted his eyes. “I have a right to monitor my own surveillance cameras whenever I choose.”
Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be, huh? All of the hairs on my arms stood at attention. “So it was just a coincidence you happened to be watching the lunchroom camera during the five minutes I was in there? What, were you afraid I’d spill some corporate secrets?”
Silence for a moment. His stillness infuriated me.
“You told him you don’t date,” he said in a whisper. “Tell me why.”
I crossed my arms and leaned toward him, hoping my glare might hurt him somehow. “You might have a right to spy on your employees, Mr. Hathaway, but you don’t have a right to my personal life.” Stick that in your craw and choke, buddy.
Angling toward me, he squinted, studied me for so long every muscle in my body went rigid. “I’ve offended you again.”
“Your powers of observation are frightening.” I scowled at the table.
“You confound me like nobody I’ve ever met before. I’m simply curious about you.”
I met his gaze, but he leaped up and paced in front of the door where the shadows were darkest.
“You don’t answer any of my questions, so why should I answer any of yours?” I tapped my foot, waiting.
He stopped, something I took for hope lighting up his features. “If I answer a question for you, will you answer mine?”
The thought of sharing that part of my soul with him made my heart hurt, but my curiosity tempted me. “Do I get to ask anything?”
He remained silent for a moment before he nodded, though the hunch of his shoulders suggested he was either terribly nervous or afraid.
“And you’ll go first?” I asked.
“I suppose I deserve your distrust.” He gave a curt nod, sending that cute little curl shifting across his ear. “Very well, I’ll go first.”
I stood and stepped closer, studying his perfect profile, the utter masculine cut of his jaw. “Why don’t you like people to look at you?”
His eyes closed and crimped together.
My chest tightened at the sight of his unease, but I wanted to know. “At first I thought maybe you had a disfigurement or something you didn’t like to talk about, but then when I saw you and realized
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