Her mouth swung open. Shit! What had he said wrong?
“I’m just … And you’re …” she stammered. Hailey Bailey was a knockout, but a flustered Hailey Bailey? Adorable.
He cocked an eyebrow.
“All right,” she acquiesced. “I’ll have dinner with you at your place Friday night … because I really want to see Lex Luthor.”
Yes!He executed an inner fist pump.
His inner victory lap came to an abrupt halt. Friday was days away, and he didn’t want to wait that long. “I’m pretty open this week. If your plans change before Friday, you let me know, yeah?”
Eyes shifting from side to side, she gave him a noncommittal “Okay” that made his hopes pull back in disappointment. Then she shoved the envelope across the table. “But you have to take this back.”
“I can’t take it back.” He wasn’t going to win this argument, if the determined set of her chin was any indication. An idea blazed in his brain. “But Icandonate it to an animal shelter instead.”
Her eyes softened in a way that made him feel like a superhero. “Yes, you could,” she agreed.
Why did her words make him want to beat his chest? The answer came swiftly. He’d had toearnthat look from her, which made it that much sweeter. Whether she knew it or not, this girl was motivating him to chase her, and helikedthe challenge. He likedher.The reasons why were irrelevant.
Chapter 18
The Bosshole
Hailey’s doubts about Noahebbed like the waves at low tide. How sweet was it that he had offered to donate the money to a shelter? She had nearly launched herself at him. And knowing what Ursula had done to him only made Hailey want to hold him. Ursula Jones was an idiot, and the realization gave Hailey a lift of the catty variety.
Tearing her eyes from Noah’s handsome face, she glanced at her watch to check the time, deflating when she noticed the direction Mickey Mouse’s gloved fingers pointed. She needed to prepare for the inspection later this morning with Cliff, and it was time to leave … which was probably a good thing. While she could sit here for hours and bask in Noah’s heated gaze, endlessly replaying the kiss that had melted her panties, she needed to escape his scrutiny.
As he’d quizzed her about her job, his busy brows had nearly touched in the middle. She hated being cagey, and after he’d confided in her about Ursula, she felt even more obligated to tell him the truth. And she would. Friday night, she would lay out her cards. Meanwhile, she would cross herfingers that he didn’t hear it from someone else. But what were the chances? Sure, she’d be inspecting Dell’s later today, but after the way Noah and Bruno had faced off last night, she doubted Miami Vice Thor would be rushing over to the Miners Tavern to share notes about the inspection. Of course, if Dell’s got slapped with infractions, he might storm over and accuse Noah of leveraging “the waitress in the obscene wench costume” against him.
While she’d been hoping that arrogant dickhead would get caught with a dirty kitchen so they could flunk him, her inner voice warned her to be careful what she wished for.
Suddenly, Cliff’s presence unveiled a silver lining. He could deflect Bruno’s wrath and keep her from being outed before she could out herself. Maybe. Knowing did nothing to soothe the apprehensions turning cartwheels in her stomach, though.
Yeah, she was walking along a fraying tightrope here.
She gathered up her coat. “Until Friday night, then. I’ll clean the, um, last night’s outfit and return it to you then.”
His eyebrows climbed his forehead. “Will you be in it?”
“What? No!”
“That’s too bad,” he murmured. “Then again, now I won’t need to ask you to keep your coat on the entire time.”
“Why would you ask me to keep my coat on?”
“I wouldn’t be able to think straight, and I’d probably end up burning dinner.” One corner of his mouth twitched mischievously.
Heat flooded her, and she shot to her feet. “I … Oh.”
“Is returning the outfit the only reason you agreed to dinner?” Now he was just toying with her.
Two could play this game. “No, I have an ulterior motive to see Lex Luthor again.”
A chuckle rumbled through his chest. He stood, leaned in, and lowered his voice. “Between you and me”—he waved two fingers between them—“he’s Chance now.” She must have broadcast her surprise because he continued, explaining, “The name came to me while I was talking to Reece last night, but I didn’t want to let anyone know because folks seemed to be having fun with your contest, and I didn’t want to take that away. You and Reece and Chance are the only ones who know.”
Being in on the secret gave her a hit of warm fuzzies. She let out a snicker. “I knew you didn’t like the name, but how’s that going to work with the contest? Nobody wins?”
“I’ll bet you a bag of blue M&Ms someone suggests it. And if no one does, I’ll just say Dixie picked the name and she’s giving her prize to someone else because she gets to eat at the tavern all the time.” He grinned with the pride of a little boy who’d caught his first frog, and her knees wobbled a bit.
