Free Double Dare by Melissa Whittle Page B

tone. “A huge help. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
    He placed the espresso down. No smile, but the same intensity and passion in his gaze like before. He’d undressed her in his mind, shook his head and put the clothes back on. She glanced down. The starched white shirt was buttoned up to the top. She undid the first two buttons. No cleavage but skin. If he stumbled she’d know, because that meant he wasn’t only paying attention to details but to her. And wouldn’t it be fun to see if she could stand in front of the freight train and make it stop? Would it hurt to get singed with another one of those looks?
    “In case you were wondering, today he’s coming in early to cover the store,” she said.
    “So soon?” He babysat the coffee maker and didn’t turn around to look at her.
    “You trained him well already. He can dance circles around me and it’s my store.”
    A muscle flexed beneath the black shirt. He was turning. Emma held her breath. Something flickered behind his gaze. Tobias’ hand slowed when he placed the plain cup of coffee onto the counter. Like there was a caution sign between them, he didn’t reply, instead he began to make her cup. It wasn’t enough of a tell to know if it were the change of details or Emma.
    Yeah, Emma could ask, but it had been awhile since she was the one in the driver’s seat. She’d become complacent in men asking her out. She forgot how nerves could make the steadiest of hands shake. For goodness sakes, the man had to have some sort of tell that said go ahead, ask for more. With his back to Emma again, she undid a third button and this time there was the barest hint of cleavage.
    Tobias never brought up their first meeting in a sexual manner. Maybe that’s why she was obsessed with getting a reaction. Even a mature man would have at least one dirty joke in his arsenal. He didn’t give her the nickname Bare. Or Jiggle, because no amount of exercise could ever truly offset taste-testing desserts on a daily basis. No. He got stuck on the reckless part of her being naked. Not the naked kiss part of her being naked.
    Seriously. After the passionate kiss he’d zipped right back into practical. He wanted to know why. The next question, given the time, would have been how. When she added up all the lack of sins it made sense why it was absolutely necessary the next time Tobias turned around he’d stumble, stare and stutter. Something had to yank him out of that calm. Then she would know if it was okay to say, “ You’re a man. I’m a woman. How about us dating as friends? ” No, not dating but being friends.
    He was turning. Emma held her breath.
    Tobias said, “Run him through the jargon and he’ll be set to go.” His eyes narrowed on the third button, but the rest of his body stilled. He shifted, put his weight on one foot and held her coffee. Tobias kept right on staring as though the button could confess to how it joined its friends on the open side. “Did you―”
    He shook his head and placed the cup down onto the counter. He shook his head harder when it became clear he’d been focused on her chest. The price popped up on the cash register and it was Emma’s turn to frown. She checked the prices on the blackboard above his head and did the math.
    “You didn’t charge me for my drink,” Emma pointed out.
    He crossed his arms but the light was there in his eyes. “You didn’t have three buttons unbuttoned.”
    “You counted.” She sucked in a breath and let it out before saying, “You don’t talk about the kiss.”
    “You don’t talk about the kiss.” His focus centered on her lips, looked away and then up to her eyes. “I don’t encroach on another man’s territory.”
    “I don’t consider myself another man’s territory. Ever.” She frowned at him. “Why would you think that?”
    He shrugged. “Josh mentioned something about a lunch.”
    Intrigued, she asked, “He talks?”
    “Quite chatty. But, you’re not