Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46875 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 234(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 156(@300wpm)
“And I can give you a place in my company. Your degree is your experience, Jade,” he says fervently.
“And having worked nowhere else, you shouldn’t have too many bad habits. But…,” Zak adds, stopping himself as he looks past me, thinking for a moment.
“But trust has been a big issue of mine.” He confides in me. “I guess you read the news?”
“I did follow the story about your…uh…the court thing,” I tell him clumsily, and he nods slowly.
“Well, I can’t go into too many details about that,” he’s quick to add, “but that whole experience did set me up in a better position,” he says confidently, holding my gaze again.
“I trust my team, Jade. And they trust me. I value that more than any skill or experience,” he says in a deep, serious tone.
“Little white lies, so we don’t hurt other people’s feelings? They’re fine. But I’m talking about something else, and it means more than just loyalty to a brand, game, or even a company,” he says with intensity.
Swallowing hard, I nod slowly. Not surprised that Zak’s so big on the one thing he never got in return from his former business partner, according to the news I heard about his past.
“If you’re on my team…you’re mine,” he says ominously, but his broadening smile and intense look make me wonder if he’s just passionate about his work or if something else is driving the man right now.
“But enough about me,” he says suddenly, shifting himself upright and laying his palms flat on the table.
His face is all business-like in a moment.
“Tell me all about Jade. Sell me the Jade story.”
And with an encouraging look from him, I stammer at first but end up telling him about what I worked on in college and what interests me now as a programmer and a gamer.
He listens intently and doesn’t say a word until I finally feel like I’m just blabbering nonsense, but he’s all ears.
I’ve never had anyone listen to me that looked so interested.
He smiles when I finally stop, running out of steam and mumbling something about not being very good at interviews.
“I didn’t just come here to talk to you about work, Jade,” he replies, making my heart stop in my chest before it starts to thrash against my ribs.
“Excuse me?” I squeak, but his pleased grin and a low growl of satisfaction match the sultry look he shoots me.
“I think…,” he says softly, “And correct me if I’m wrong, that gamers are kind of like kindred spirits,” he muses, cocking a brow and making me blush.
“Your friend Joey’s one hell of a gamer, but I was more interested in seeing you in person after our little video call earlier.
“Uh-huh.” I shiver, feeling my whole body starting to tremble with something that has nothing to do with being nervous.
“I guess what I’m trying to ask you is…,” he trails off.
“Yes?” I ask straight back, leaning forward with wide eyes, my heart in my throat by now.
Dying to know what he wants to ask me.
But the sound of the kitchen door banging open breaks the spell.
My mom, huffing in with armfuls of grocery bags, smiles with a grimace.
“Don’t mind me… Just. Carry on as if I’m not here,” she puffs, but Zak’s already on his feet, helping her with the bags and door, leaving his question unasked, and my mind spinning.
Great timing, Mom.
Just great freaking timing.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Zak
“I’m okay. It’s okay…” Jade’s mom, May, insists. Looking more than embarrassed once she catches the sour look that Jade shoots her for interrupting us.
But I’m equally insistent on helping her with those groceries.
I’d almost totally forgotten where we even were just now. My mouth running ahead of my mind again when I’m about to ask Jade something totally off topic from her employment prospects.
I owe May a solid for walking in on us. Seriously.
Another minute alone with Jade, and I wouldn’t have just come out and told her how I felt; I probably would’ve scared her off for good by showing her how hard she makes me.
“Mom, really?” Jade whines, not even trying to hide her own annoyance, but I’m quick to smooth things over.
My job interview angle was a way in, but now I’m looking for a way out of her mom’s house.
And I don’t plan on leaving without Jade either.
Getting to know her better in her mom’s kitchen isn’t quite what the ache in my jeans had in mind, so I use a little reverse psychology to try and get us both out of here in one piece.
“I should probably get going anyway,” I announce, setting the grocery bags down on the counter. “I’m the one interrupting,” I tell them both.
Jade’s fierce look softens to a pleading one as her eyes shift from her mom’s back to me.
“But I…?” she starts until her mom flushes a deep red and talks over both of us, letting me know she is just putting groceries away.