Read Online The Ranger's Passionate Love by Nicole Jordan - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicole Jordan
Ads: Link
me."
No. No, I don't want to deal with this right now, thought Kyara.
"Do you mind if I come in?" Jason asked through the door.
Kyara sighed. Better to get this over with now, and in private, I guess.
Kyara stood, crossed to the door, and opened it.
She'd never seen him in anything other than clothes for the trail or the farmers' market. This afternoon he was wearing a button down shirt, pale purple, and black slacks. He looked different – more professional – but still gorgeous. The pale purple made his skin seem almost to glow as he stepped into the cafe.
"Hey," he said, stepping around her, careful not to touch. "I got your message. I thought we should talk."
He stopped in the middle of the dining room floor, turning to face her directly. Kyara closed the door, but stayed next to it, her hand resting lightly on the door knob.
"OK," she said.
Silence stretched, each waiting for the other. Kyara spoke first.
"I don't think dating is such a good idea for me right now."
Jason stared at her, and she continued.
"It's just, the restaurant is really struggling, and it needs my full attention."
Jason gave a single, slow nod of his head as he spoke.
"Right. That's why I invited you out on restaurant-related dates. I thought it might help."
"So, I'm just another charity case, then?" Kyara shot back.
"That's not what I meant," Jason replied quickly.
"But it's what you believe," said Kyara.
"No," said Jason, "What I believe is that you won't go out with me unless I can also relate it to your work, so that's what I did." He paused then, as if something was just occurring to him. "Why are you picking a fight like this, anyway?" he asked. "This isn't like you."
"Well," Kyara answered. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."
Jason cocked his head to the side, considering her. Then he replied, his voice low and soft.
"What I know is that you're brave enough to start over in a new town, you're smart enough to run your own business, you're nice enough to let the kids in town hang out here, you're generous enough to give away what little you have, even when you're struggling, and you're beautiful enough to keep me up at night thinking about you." As he named them, he ticked off the virtues on his fingers, his eyes never leaving her.
Kyara felt a little warmer with each finger, wishing she could be the woman he was describing. When he reached the end of the hand, though, she knew she had to get him to stop. She wasn't the person he was describing.
"Look, that's very flattering, but it's kind of a whitewashed view," she said. "I'm also a workaholic orphan with a soon-to-be failed business and a history with men that would, quite frankly, make people run screaming from the room."
Jason stepped toward her, just a single step.
"I'm not talking about history, Kyara. I'm talking about the future. And from what I can see, you're going to be just fine." With that, he spun and crossed to the corner where she'd been eating. "This, for instance, smells amazing. If this is what you're serving, I'm pretty sure your business is going to be fine."
Kyara slumped, reluctantly crossing to join him at the plate.
"That's not cafe food. That's my lunch."
Jason looked at her with astonishment, then back at her plate.
"Why wouldn't you serve the food you like to eat?" he asked, sitting down where she had been eating. She sat across from him.
"Jason, this is soul food. It's pretty much poor Black people food. I don't know if you noticed, but there ain't a lot of that around here. I serve my customers, not me."
Jason shrugged, staring at the plate. "I don't know history, but I know what I like. And I like the way this smells. Can I ... can I try a bite?"
Kyara stared at him for a moment. This is insane. I'm breaking up with him and he wants to eat my lunch?
"It just smells way too good,"
No. No, I don't want to deal with this right now, thought Kyara.
"Do you mind if I come in?" Jason asked through the door.
Kyara sighed. Better to get this over with now, and in private, I guess.
Kyara stood, crossed to the door, and opened it.
She'd never seen him in anything other than clothes for the trail or the farmers' market. This afternoon he was wearing a button down shirt, pale purple, and black slacks. He looked different – more professional – but still gorgeous. The pale purple made his skin seem almost to glow as he stepped into the cafe.
"Hey," he said, stepping around her, careful not to touch. "I got your message. I thought we should talk."
He stopped in the middle of the dining room floor, turning to face her directly. Kyara closed the door, but stayed next to it, her hand resting lightly on the door knob.
"OK," she said.
Silence stretched, each waiting for the other. Kyara spoke first.
"I don't think dating is such a good idea for me right now."
Jason stared at her, and she continued.
"It's just, the restaurant is really struggling, and it needs my full attention."
Jason gave a single, slow nod of his head as he spoke.
"Right. That's why I invited you out on restaurant-related dates. I thought it might help."
"So, I'm just another charity case, then?" Kyara shot back.
"That's not what I meant," Jason replied quickly.
"But it's what you believe," said Kyara.
"No," said Jason, "What I believe is that you won't go out with me unless I can also relate it to your work, so that's what I did." He paused then, as if something was just occurring to him. "Why are you picking a fight like this, anyway?" he asked. "This isn't like you."
"Well," Kyara answered. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do."
Jason cocked his head to the side, considering her. Then he replied, his voice low and soft.
"What I know is that you're brave enough to start over in a new town, you're smart enough to run your own business, you're nice enough to let the kids in town hang out here, you're generous enough to give away what little you have, even when you're struggling, and you're beautiful enough to keep me up at night thinking about you." As he named them, he ticked off the virtues on his fingers, his eyes never leaving her.
Kyara felt a little warmer with each finger, wishing she could be the woman he was describing. When he reached the end of the hand, though, she knew she had to get him to stop. She wasn't the person he was describing.
"Look, that's very flattering, but it's kind of a whitewashed view," she said. "I'm also a workaholic orphan with a soon-to-be failed business and a history with men that would, quite frankly, make people run screaming from the room."
Jason stepped toward her, just a single step.
"I'm not talking about history, Kyara. I'm talking about the future. And from what I can see, you're going to be just fine." With that, he spun and crossed to the corner where she'd been eating. "This, for instance, smells amazing. If this is what you're serving, I'm pretty sure your business is going to be fine."
Kyara slumped, reluctantly crossing to join him at the plate.
"That's not cafe food. That's my lunch."
Jason looked at her with astonishment, then back at her plate.
"Why wouldn't you serve the food you like to eat?" he asked, sitting down where she had been eating. She sat across from him.
"Jason, this is soul food. It's pretty much poor Black people food. I don't know if you noticed, but there ain't a lot of that around here. I serve my customers, not me."
Jason shrugged, staring at the plate. "I don't know history, but I know what I like. And I like the way this smells. Can I ... can I try a bite?"
Kyara stared at him for a moment. This is insane. I'm breaking up with him and he wants to eat my lunch?
"It just smells way too good,"
Similar Books
