There was a huge chance I’d screw something up, though. Leo might be very forgiving about me spilling water at his table, or splashing coffee over the edge of his cup, or dropping my order pad nearly every time I served him, but I didn’t think he take it as well if I did something that jeopardized his business reputation. How quickly did he expect me to figure it all out?
“You can always ask me—or anyone else here—if you’re not sure about something.”
I frowned. “How did you know what I was thinking?”
“You looked lost.”
I wanted him to find me.
When I didn’t respond, he collected a folder from the desk and motioned for me to join him in the small waiting area. We sat next to each other on a couch, and even though we weren’t touching, I was sure I could feel the heat coming off his big body.
I wanted to reach out and touch his thigh to find out if his muscles were as firm as they looked. When I glanced up, he was smiling at me. I really hoped he couldn’t tell what I was thinking.
He handed me a folder. “Here are the documents you need to fill out and sign.”
“You’re really hiring me on the spot? You’re not going to interview other people?”
“You’re the one I want.”
Jesus, I wish that were true. “I…” Was Cathy truly all right with this?
“It’s a good job, Ezra. It’s better for you, and if you hate it, you can go back to the café.”
“What if Cathy hires someone, and—”
“I would really like you to work here.”
How the hell was I supposed to say no to that? I supposed I should be offended by his high-handedness. I shouldn’t let him push me into this job like he’d decided for me that I should make a major life change. And yet, that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to give into him, to surrender.
I’d been wanting to find a better job for me since my first week at the café, but working for Cathy was easy enough, and I’d just stayed. Leo was giving me a chance to push myself out of my comfort zone. That was supposed to be what this break from school was all about.
“Thank you. I want to work for you.”
His smile was enough to make me dizzy. How the hell was I going to survive being in the shop with him every day?
4
Leo
I watched Ezra open the folder with shaky hands. When I held out a pen, he took it, then immediately dropped it. We reached for it at the same time, and our hands brushed. The jolt of electricity that ran up my arm surprised me.
Static. It had to be static.
I was absolutely not going to get involved with this boy. He was going to work for me because I trusted him and Cathy. I needed to know that the person I invited into my shop wasn’t going to turn on me. That was all. In no way was I hiring him because I wanted something more.
He stared at me with his gorgeous blue eyes, and I knew he’d felt whatever it was that passed between us. He’d been crushing on me since we’d met. Seeing me day after day would help him get over it, right? We had a lot of great clients. Maybe he would meet someone more appropriate.
Ezra scanned through the employment documents, then looked back up at me. “You’re serious about this?”
“I don’t offer jobs to people I’m not serious about hiring.”
“I know. I mean, I assumed that, but all this just happened so fast.”
I was being an asshole, pushing Ezra into this, but once I decided I wanted something, I got it. I’d learned all kinds of skills in the CIA, but persuasion and command were the two that came most naturally. “Do you really want to keep working at the café?”
“Um… I get free coffee there.”
“Are you negotiating my offer?”
He went all deer in headlights, and I wanted to pull him to me and kiss him until he forgot he was nervous.
I was absolutely not going to do that, but I also wasn’t going to let him walk away. I wanted him here even if he dropped things and took a while to learn what I needed. Surely he couldn’t cause much damage behind a counter.
Until I’d had him seated across from me in my regular booth, I hadn’t let myself admit how much I looked forward to seeing him when I went to the café. Getting stellar service at Bacon and Bakin’ was way less fun than having Ezra trip over himself on the way to my table, not that I would ever admit that to Niall or Giorgio. No way in hell did they need more ammunition to play matchmaker for me.
I watched Ezra as he filled out the paperwork. I’d already watched him so much that I’d learned a lot about him. Hell, I’d assessed him before he spilled that water on my table all those months ago, another skill I’d learned as an operative.
He was left-handed. The index finger on his right hand had been broken. He’d sprained his right ankle, possibly multiple times. He could move quickly, but he needed more confidence. His clumsiness came from nerves rather than anything physical. He was much smarter than most people thought when first meeting him. He had a dimple in his left cheek I wanted to run my tongue over. His ears were pierced. He had no other visible piercings, but damn if I didn’t want to rip his clothes off to find out what other secrets he had to reveal.
Ezra chose that moment to look up. Our eyes met. I kept my expression neutral, something I’d learned to do to protect myself. But Ezra couldn’t hide anything from me. His cheeks were deeply pink, his lips parted, his eyes nearly glazed over. “I…”
“Do you have a question?”
He stared at me for another moment. “Um… it asks for my driver’s license number, but I don’t have a driver’s license.”
“That’s fine. Just leave it blank.” I didn’t need his license number to find out anything I needed to know about him. I’d done a background check on him months ago when I realized he always served my table if he was working.
Ezra’s gaze dropped back to the paper, and I wanted to cup his chin and make him look at me again. I was absolutely playing with fire. I had plenty of things to do before the shop opened for the day, and I was sure Ezra would be far less nervous if I left him alone. I just didn’t want to.
He fascinated me. His vulnerability made me want to hold and protect him. I hadn’t felt that way about anyone since I’d joined the CIA. I’d only had one actual boyfriend. I’d met him in a criminology class my last year of college. I’d been fascinated by his deduction skills and by how smooth and soft his skin was.
We’d left class, and he’d hurried on ahead of me. I made him nervous the same way I made Ezra nervous. I was nowhere near as scary back then, but I’d still been big, and I never let anyone intimidate me. Some asshole frat boys started picking on him. He’d watched, stunned, as I easily knocked both of them to the ground and warned them not to get up until I was out of their sight. I’d put my arm around his shoulders and guided him away.
We were close from then on, and I always made sure he was safe. After graduation, we never saw each other again. He took a job in California, and I headed to CIA training. We texted each other at first, but the messages became fewer and farther between. A year later, I found out he’d met someone else, someone much better suited to the quiet man he was, and I tried to forget how good it had felt to have a man who needed me the way he had.