Clear as Glass, стр. 55

No wonder there was such a strong goodwill radiating from everyone in the room toward Mitch. Without fail, he put the people he cared about first. Jaye lowered her gaze and tried to think of a time when she felt such warm appreciation from her father’s employees. Maybe when the year-end bonuses were handed out.

Mitch finished his meal and settled back against the cushions. Under the crowded conditions, he pressed his solid shoulder against hers. Beneath the blare of the TV, he asked, “What will you do once you start working for your father? Write code?”

“No, I’d like to try something different.” She licked sauce off her fingers and put her empty plate atop his. “I’m buying a farm to raise whistle pigs.”

He didn’t smile at her answer. “You don’t talk much about your family. Why?”

Her cell phone vibrated in her back pocket. “If you wait a moment, I’ll show you why.” Sure enough, the text was from her father. She let Mitch see the message.

“Jayson, the meeting is rescheduled for tomorrow at noon. Get here early.”

She swiped the message off her screen. “I’d put you to sleep if I talked about my family. We’re all about business, nothing else. Pretty boring stuff.”

“Your Dad calls you Jayson?” Mitch murmured.

The quiet disbelief in his deep voice produced an unexpected sting in the back of her throat. Every time she heard her father use her given name, she remembered her first failure—being born without a stem on the apple. Sometimes, she wished her father would just accept her as she was, but she never complained. She’d grown up in an intact family where food was always on the table and a roof sheltered her head. There were millions of people who’d give anything to have her name…and her problems.

Jaye opened her phone’s browser to check the weather forecast. “Is snow coming tomorrow?”

“Who knows? The forecasters are never right. This storm could dump at least twenty more inches on Sunday morning.” He leaned close. “I think you’d better stay put.”

“I wish,” she murmured, loving how the gold hair on his forearm tickled her skin. She pointed to her screen. “According to this forecast, the snow trails off tonight. The roads should be fine by tomorrow.”

“So, you’ve been working on weekends when you visit family?”

She nodded. “Some people consider drafting marketing plans to be quality family time.”

He chuckled, reaching over to rest a hand on her leg.

The gesture was warm and loving, something Jaye rarely experienced in her ambitious, data-driven life. The soft stroke of Mitch’s thumb across her thigh melted her insides into gooey fondue. She tucked her hand around his bicep, loving the feel of his muscle in her palm.

Mitch gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “Doesn’t get any better than this. Good food, a great football game, and you beside me. No place I’d rather be.”

A smile burst out. He couldn’t have seduced her any better had he maneuvered her into a dark corner of the remote dining room and kissed her senseless.

Phil rose from his chair and glanced at Mitch. “I’m getting another beer. Want more?”

“No, thanks. I’m good with just one.”

“I know. Thought I’d ask, anyway.” Phil’s gaze dropped to Mitch’s hand on Jaye’s leg. A frown puckered his forehead. “Wait a minute. Are you two…together?”

“I’m working on it,” Mitch acknowledged.

Freddie leaned forward to peer around Mitch’s shoulder, caught sight of Mitch’s hold on Jaye, and groaned. “Darn. I was going to ask Jaye to the movies.”

“Don’t.” Mitch softened the command with a glower of good humor.

The man at the far end of the couch said, “I hate to tell you this, boss, but every single glassblower has been working up the courage to ask out Jaye. Including me.”

Jaye felt her jaw dropped open. She covered her mouth and muttered, “There must be some kind of mistake.”

Mitch patted her leg. “No mistake, just good taste.”

“I know what will help everyone feel better. How about some dessert?” Patti offered, shooting Jaye a playful look. “Cheesecake will take some of the pressure off you.”

“Sounds great. I’ll collect the empty plates.” Jaye rose and felt Mitch’s gaze land on her, searching her expression like he wanted to know how she felt about his blatant claim. His willingness to admit he pursued her made her feel special—worth fighting for. On impulse, she brushed her fingers along his hard jaw and pressed a simple kiss of gratitude on his mouth.

A deep red flush inched up the front of his thick neck. He leaned back against the cushions and grinned.

“Whoa. Mitch is smiling. Been too long since I’ve seen him happy.” Phil pulled out his cell phone. “Hold on, Jaye. Let me take a picture.”

“Good. Gives me an excuse to do this.” With an arm around her hips, Mitch pulled her into his lap.

She laughed and embraced his big shoulders. After Phil snapped the picture, she kissed Mitch’s cheek and stood.

Freddie tilted a mischievous grin her way. “Do I get a kiss, too? I’m his partner, after all.”

“Why not?” She stepped over Mitch’s long legs and planted a friendly peck on the freckles scattered across Freddie’s cheekbone.

Harry swallowed a mouthful of food and looked up at her with big hazel eyes. “Can I have one, too?”

Jaye thought he looked like a hopeful little boy on Christmas morning. Undaunted by the red puckers of acne scarring his round face, she framed his jaw in her hands and kissed his forehead.

He blinked like an owl and reached up to squeeze one of her hands. “Are all the girls from Richmond as sweet as you?”

“Only to glassblowers.” She grinned and picked up the empty plates sitting on the coffee table.

Harry looked at Freddie in open-mouthed astonishment. “Will she kiss us again?”

“If we’re lucky,” Freddie responded.

“Don’t get your hopes up, boys,” Mitch said. “She’s only here for two more weeks.”

A few hours later, Jaye headed for the bar in the corner of Phil’s living room.

“You look familiar,” a man said.

Alarm sank a row of sharp