Read Online The Ranger's Passionate Love by Nicole Jordan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nicole Jordan
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business meeting. Nothing more."
The confident smile that had been playing around his lips withered away.
"May I ask why that's all this is?" he asked at last.
Kyara took a deep breath.
"It just is, okay? I came up here to get away from all of that, not to fall right back into it," she said. Plus, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anyone. Kyara kept her eyes firmly on her plate, not wanting to see his reaction. Even so, she could just see his chin as he nodded.
"Okay, then. This is business. But," he reached a hand across the table, lightly cupping it over her own, "when you're ready to be done with business, I'd like to be there for that, too."
With the tiniest of movement, Kyara nodded. Jason waited a moment more, then withdrew his arm. The back of Kyara's hand felt cold and exposed without his on top of it.
Kyara took a bite, really focusing on the taste of her food. Even with all the distractions, it still hit just the right note. Maybe he's right. Maybe this could work, Kyara realized. She heard the clink of his silverware as Jason resumed eating as well.
After a few more bites, Jason smiled and settle back.
"Well, the good news is that, if this is strictly a business relationship, I can write a new review after you re-open with this amazing food," he said.
Kyara looked up from her plate, staring at him.
Suddenly, she felt a little sick.
"A new review?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah," he said, clearly confused. "I mean, I know the last one wasn't great, but with this food, I could honestly rave about it."
A memory floated up through Kyara's mind. The first night, Mrs. Waite had been sitting with a younger man, his back to the kitchen. Jason's flashes of guilt the first time they had met. The name at the top of the article which had condemned her from opening night – Jay Hardison.
"You're Jay Hardison," she said.
His eyes were big. He sat very, very still.
"Jason," she said slowly. "Am I the only one who calls you by your full name?"
He flushed, confirming her suspicion.
"When we first met," she continued, "You started to introduce yourself as Jay, then changed your mind, didn't you?"
He swallowed.
"I wasn't sure you remembered that," he said at last.
"I remember everything we've ever said to each other," she said, the admission flying out of her before she could take it back. He looked like she'd slapped him across the face.
"And later, I thought you knew, that someone had told you," he tried to continue.
"Cut it," she spat, seeing him for the first time. "You made everything harder for me from the moment I got here. You did it, and you pretended to be my friend."
"I didn't pretend," he protested.
"Why did you come up to me that day in the farmers' market?" Kyara asked, trying to hold back tears. "Was it for the trail project, or did you just want to see if I'd make a scene?"
Jason was on the defensive now.
"I thought I’d give you the chance to confront me, was all," he said, "if you were mad, I figured you'd get it out then."
"But then you decided to, what, trick me? See if you could get everyone to think I'd forgiven you? That I clearly agreed with you so much that now we were friends?" attacked Kyara, knowing it was probably unfair, but not caring. Jason stared at her.
"Kyara, I really thought you knew," he said, his voice straining.
"Did you?" she asked, "Or did you just hope I did, because it meant you didn't have to feel like you were to blame?"
At that, his face reddened and his jaw squared.
"To blame?" he asked. "I didn't make you pick that menu, Kyara. I didn't make you move up here either. All I did was be honest." He was clearly getting just as angry as she was.
"Honest?" Kyara spat. "Like honestly telling me who you were from the beginning? That kind of honest?"
"I thought you knew," Jason roared back.
"And you made sure of that,
The confident smile that had been playing around his lips withered away.
"May I ask why that's all this is?" he asked at last.
Kyara took a deep breath.
"It just is, okay? I came up here to get away from all of that, not to fall right back into it," she said. Plus, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve anyone. Kyara kept her eyes firmly on her plate, not wanting to see his reaction. Even so, she could just see his chin as he nodded.
"Okay, then. This is business. But," he reached a hand across the table, lightly cupping it over her own, "when you're ready to be done with business, I'd like to be there for that, too."
With the tiniest of movement, Kyara nodded. Jason waited a moment more, then withdrew his arm. The back of Kyara's hand felt cold and exposed without his on top of it.
Kyara took a bite, really focusing on the taste of her food. Even with all the distractions, it still hit just the right note. Maybe he's right. Maybe this could work, Kyara realized. She heard the clink of his silverware as Jason resumed eating as well.
After a few more bites, Jason smiled and settle back.
"Well, the good news is that, if this is strictly a business relationship, I can write a new review after you re-open with this amazing food," he said.
Kyara looked up from her plate, staring at him.
Suddenly, she felt a little sick.
"A new review?" she asked carefully.
"Yeah," he said, clearly confused. "I mean, I know the last one wasn't great, but with this food, I could honestly rave about it."
A memory floated up through Kyara's mind. The first night, Mrs. Waite had been sitting with a younger man, his back to the kitchen. Jason's flashes of guilt the first time they had met. The name at the top of the article which had condemned her from opening night – Jay Hardison.
"You're Jay Hardison," she said.
His eyes were big. He sat very, very still.
"Jason," she said slowly. "Am I the only one who calls you by your full name?"
He flushed, confirming her suspicion.
"When we first met," she continued, "You started to introduce yourself as Jay, then changed your mind, didn't you?"
He swallowed.
"I wasn't sure you remembered that," he said at last.
"I remember everything we've ever said to each other," she said, the admission flying out of her before she could take it back. He looked like she'd slapped him across the face.
"And later, I thought you knew, that someone had told you," he tried to continue.
"Cut it," she spat, seeing him for the first time. "You made everything harder for me from the moment I got here. You did it, and you pretended to be my friend."
"I didn't pretend," he protested.
"Why did you come up to me that day in the farmers' market?" Kyara asked, trying to hold back tears. "Was it for the trail project, or did you just want to see if I'd make a scene?"
Jason was on the defensive now.
"I thought I’d give you the chance to confront me, was all," he said, "if you were mad, I figured you'd get it out then."
"But then you decided to, what, trick me? See if you could get everyone to think I'd forgiven you? That I clearly agreed with you so much that now we were friends?" attacked Kyara, knowing it was probably unfair, but not caring. Jason stared at her.
"Kyara, I really thought you knew," he said, his voice straining.
"Did you?" she asked, "Or did you just hope I did, because it meant you didn't have to feel like you were to blame?"
At that, his face reddened and his jaw squared.
"To blame?" he asked. "I didn't make you pick that menu, Kyara. I didn't make you move up here either. All I did was be honest." He was clearly getting just as angry as she was.
"Honest?" Kyara spat. "Like honestly telling me who you were from the beginning? That kind of honest?"
"I thought you knew," Jason roared back.
"And you made sure of that,
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