Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 285(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“What do you mean…what?” Robert gives me a skeptical look. “I think—”
The door bangs open again, and two guys from town come inside, laughing. “Robert!” one of them calls. Once again, I’m grateful for the interruption.
I know I should stay in my spot behind the bar, but the worried expression on Renee's face has me worried for her. If it's something I can help with, I should find out what it is. I should at least check in with her before she picks up any tables. That's just what a good boss should do, right?
“Be right back,” I tell Robert and offer a short wave to the two guys who just walked in. “One second,” I tell them, and they nod, smiles on their face as they chat it up with Robert.
I head to the back to the employee break room. Renee's standing at one of the cubbies, tugging on her uniform over her shirt.
She's gorgeous. Her auburn hair is pulled up in a high, sleek ponytail, and she's not wearing much makeup but enough to pink her cheeks and deepen the color of her lips. The sight of her body in the uniform as she tugs it over her waist is enough to make me hard, but I ignore it. She’s gorgeous head to toe, but from the way she's standing, something's off.
“Hey.”
Renee turns, her eyebrows going up. The worried expression stays on her face for a couple beats before she smiles. It’s forced and fake and the sight of it makes my heart race. “Hey,” she says.
“You doing okay?” I ask, keeping it light even though I’m sure she can see right through it.
“Of course.” Renee flips her ponytail and gives her uniform one last tug before giving herself a once-over in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the corner. She catches me looking in the mirror and smiles again. “Why wouldn't I be?”
I pause a beat, wondering if maybe I’m thinking too much into it. Maybe I was wrong?
I don't know what to say, because I want to say too much to her. Renee's eyes drop in the mirror. Her cheeks are flushed, and she's been inside for long enough that I know it's not just the cold.
“I like your hair like that,” I say and motion to her swinging ponytail. Instantly I feel foolish. It’s a freaking ponytail, man. I couldn't come up with anything better?
Renee turns around and smiles directly at me, which makes my heart race until it pounds. Her eyes are all lit up with the compliment and I don't think she's faking it anymore. It's a real smile. A warmth flows through me and I want to take her ponytail and twist it around my finger just to feel how sleek it is. I wonder if she'd laugh when I did that. Or maybe lean closer, her smile remaining until I tipped her face up so I could—
“Thank you,” she says graciously and with a hint of flirtation when her eyes settle on me. There’s a moment, but it ended just as quickly as it started. Then Renee's moving, approaching me slowly across the break room. I'm in deep trouble, because nobody should look that sexy when they're wearing a waitress uniform.
She steps carefully to the side when she reaches me, but it's not as careful as I thought. It doesn't leave enough room between us, and I don’t get out of the way in time, so when she passes by, her arm brushes against mine.
It’s electric and the tension immediately heightens between us.
Renee stops when we make contact, taking a short breath like she just remembered something. I didn't think my heart could beat any faster, but it does. Maybe she's going to tell me what was bothering her, or maybe—I'm not sure, but she's close enough that I can smell her shampoo and a light, sweet scent that’s all her. I want to lean down and breathe in so I can be sure, but I stand up tall, my body still but my heart beating a hundred miles an hour.
“You know...” Renee bites her lip and glances up at me through her lashes.
“What do I know?” I ask her, trying not to look like I'm breathing too deep. My face is definitely red. I can't deny it this time. Luckily there's nobody to see but Renee and she's blushing, too.
“I might be doing a little better now that I saw you,” she says softly, just for me to hear.
A pleased feeling rushes through me. I'm even warmer now, and it's hard to think with her so close. The way she looks into my eyes is flirtatious and teasing and yet serious at the same time.
Renee tilts her chin up a fraction of an inch. I can't move. A very small part of my head is warning me that I shouldn't have been in the break room with her for so long. I'm not supposed to be standing this close to one of my employees.