“You went to Aiden for coaching. The warriors often go to mentors. The generals and wizards who have more knowledge and experience. That’s just a sign of intelligence and heart. You know what you know, but you want to know what you don’t know too so you’re as prepared as possible.”

She nodded slowly. “Wow. I do sound pretty great when you put it that way.”

He laughed. “See? My crush on you is very well placed.”

Jane lifted an eyebrow, interest sparking in her blue eyes. “Crush?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Still really into how I ate that first cake pop?” she asked.

Her voice was more playful now, and Dax felt his gut tighten.

“For sure. And dammit, me being cute and funny and charming isn’t good enough for you. All the stuff that’s worked on girls and teachers and marketing executives just doesn’t work with you.”

“You realize that, huh?”

“Yeah. You want me to actually fix something. To actually come to work every day and try at something.”

“I’m a hard-ass,” she agreed. But her voice was soft. And her gaze kept drifting to his mouth.

His body tightened more each time she did it.

“You want to know the best part of it?”

“My sexy work boots?” she asked.

“Well, the fact that you drive a forklift is not something I’ve forgotten,” he told her. He was serious.

She laughed. And her gaze dropped to his mouth again.

“What’s the best part?” she asked.

“That when you expect me to do something at work, to make a difference, you really believe I can.”

Jane’s tongue came out and wet her lips. “I do.”

“Thank you.”

They just looked at each other for several ticks. Then she asked, “No one else does that for you?”

“The guys do,” he said. “And Piper.”

“I liked her.”

“We all love Piper.”

“She makes you try?”

“She does.”

“So that’s good.”

“Yeah, but there’s something about you that the guys and Piper don’t have,” he said.

“The forklift?”

He grinned. “Okay, there are two things about you that the guys and Piper don’t have.”

Jane smiled back. “What’s the other thing?”

“I’ve never wanted to kiss any of them.”

Her smile disappeared as she sucked in a little breath. “Not even Piper?” she asked.

“Nope.”

He could have sworn she started to lean in again.

“Hi! Oh my God, I’m so sorry I’m late! I went to change, and I burned the cookies that were in the oven, and I had to start over because Lisa really need three dozen, and I’ve been texting you but you haven’t answered, and I called but your ringer is off, and then I called the bar and Dillon said that yes you were here and you were fine and that you seemed like you didn’t want to be interrupted.”

Jane and Dax both turned to look at the bubbly blond who’d just come up to their table, seemingly rambling and flustered. The appraising, narrow-eyed look she was giving them in return said otherwise.

“Hi, Josie,” Dax greeted, fighting a smile.

“Hey, Dax.” Josie turned her attention to Jane. “Hi, Jane.”

“Hi.”

“You forgot you asked me to come, didn’t you?” Josie asked.

“No.” Jane frowned and shook her head quickly. Too quickly to be convincing. “Of course not.”

“Uh-huh.”

“She asked you to come?” Dax asked Josie. He looked at Jane. “Why’s that?”

Josie leaned in, sort of, on the table between them. The petite woman had to stretch to get her elbows onto the high tabletop and it hardly seemed like leaning when she was on tiptoe, but she pretended nonchalance. “Well, I think it was to keep this”—Josie waggled her finger back and forth between Jane and Dax—“from happening, actually.”

“That right?” Dax grinned and looked at Jane again. “What is this exactly? Pizza and tequila? Conversation?”

“It’s her looking at you the way she looked when Zoe told her she’d made strawberry pie in a jar,” Josie said.

“Josie!” Jane protested, her cheeks getting pink.

Dax laughed. “I don’t even know what that means exactly, but I like the blush.”

The blush got deeper. “It’s nothing.”

“She loves strawberry pie. Strawberry anything, really, but pie especially. And Zoe started making them in jars so they’re super portable and easy to keep so you can buy like—what Jane?—ten at a time and stack them in your fridge with no problem.”

“Josie,” Jane said through gritted teeth.

Josie just grinned. “So if she’s looking at you like she looked at those jar pies, it means she’s never seen anything quite so wonderful, and she’s not sure she’ll ever get enough.”

“Oh my God,” Jane groaned and covered her face. “I was not looking at him like that.”

“You totally were,” Josie said.

“You really were,” Dax agreed.

Josie laughed, and Jane shook her head, groaning.

“But in fairness, I was looking at you the same way,” Dax said, grinning so big he was sure he looked like an idiot. And he didn’t care.

“He definitely was looking at you like… something like that,” Josie said.

“Like what?” Dax wanted to know, noticing Josie’s pause. “What did you think?”

“Well, along the same lines as Jane and strawberry baked goods.” Josie got a sly look on her face and cast a glance at her friend.

Jane peeked between her fingers.

“Like you were thinking about eating it all up and then licking the plate clean to be sure you didn’t miss anything.”

Dax felt his mouth drop open. Then he snorted. “Jocelyn Asher… I really like you.”

Josie grinned as if very proud of herself.

Dax focused on Jane. Her cheeks were burning, and she was glaring at her best friend.

“For the record,” he said. “She’s right about what I was thinking.”

“Okay, you two are trouble,” Jane said. “I think we’re done here.” She leaned over and started to dig in her bag where it hung from the back of her chair.

It took Dax a second to realize she was going for her wallet. “You have to be kidding.”

“What?” She looked up, her red hair falling across her cheek.

“One perk of introducing a millionaire to some of the best pizza he’s ever had is having him pay, don’t you think?”

She sat up straight again. “That is a really excellent point.”

“Ooh, thanks.” Josie reached for one of the two pieces left.

“Hey,” Jane protested.

Josie lifted the slice. “I know better than to go for your pizza without permission, but this is Dax’s pizza now.”

Jane rolled her eyes and Dax laughed. He signaled to Riley, letting her know to add the pizza and their drinks to his overall tab for the evening. Which was covering pretty much everything being consumed inside the building.