Dax smiled, clearly used to this kind of reaction. “Well, you’ll have to let me know if they say anything interesting about Warriors.”

“I can’t believe you set up a way for them to talk to us,” Aspen said. “I didn’t even know Matt knew my name.”

“Well, I don’t want them calling me directly all the time,” Dax said with a laugh. “Plus I did them a huge favor.”

“Yeah, you’re going to set up a huge gaming con in Appleby for them,” Kelsey said with a laugh.

“I don’t know about that,” Dax said, chuckling. “But I do know I gave them all very good excuses to talk to two beautiful, fun, smart girls. They don’t have to come up with their own lame lines now.”

Aspen blushed and Kelsey laughed. “Yeah, they were just dying to talk to us.”

“Well, if they weren’t, they will be after a few conversations,” Dax said.

“I know nothing about Warriors of Easton,” Kelsey said. “Sorry,” she added.

“Me neither,” Aspen said.

“I can teach you anything you need to know,” Dax told them. “But I’m thinking they’ll find new topics to talk to you about after a bit.”

Kelsey smiled as if pleased and Aspen sighed. “That would be nice.”

“Is everyone done?” Jane asked. She was ready to get out of here. Really ready. Dax was…too clothed. And not close enough to kiss.

“Yeah, I guess,” Aspen said.

“Not quite,” Kelsey replied.

“Hurry up,” Jane told her.

“Hey. What’s your problem?”

“I’ve got…” She looked at Dax. “Stuff to do.”

He smirked at her and her inner muscles clenched. Wow. That was new. And not unpleasant.

She reached for her sister’s ice cream dish and headed for the garbage.

“Hey! There’s some left.”

“Then you can eat it in the car.” Jane turned toward the door, still carrying Kelsey’s ice cream.

“Oh my God!” But Kelsey scrambled after her.

By the time she was behind the steering wheel, Kelsey was in the back seat with her dish, and Aspen and Dax were climbing in as well.

She glanced at Dax. He looked smug.

Well, that was fine. He could be as smug as he wanted to be. As long as he kissed the hell out of her the second they were alone.

No, the second they were back at the Hot Cakes parking lot where no one would interrupt them.

She tried to focus on the girls in the back seat, talking happily about the guys that had called goodbye to them as they left the ice cream parlor. That did make her happy. Of course.

But maybe not as happy as kissing Dax would.

She pulled into the driveway. “Okay, ladies, good night. Love you.”

Aspen hesitated getting out. “Hey, Jane?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you for letting me come along.”

That caught Jane off guard. She smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Aspen nodded then looked at Dax. “And thanks. This was all really fun.”

“You bet,” he told her.

“Hey, Aspen,” Jane said as the girl got out of the car.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s make things better tomorrow too. You can help with that, right?”

It was clear Aspen knew exactly what Jane was talking about. “Yeah, I can.”

“Great.”

“’Night.” Kelsey leaned over the seat and kissed Jane’s cheek. Then she leaned over and kissed Dax’s cheek. “Nice to meet you.”

He chuckled. “Ditto. Work on your lip sync. We’ll enter the lip-sync competition in Chicago as a duo.”

Kelsey gasped. “Really?”

“Sure.”

“Okay!”

A minute later, both girls were finally out of the car and heading up the path to the front door. Once they were safely inside, Jane shifted into reverse. But before she moved the car, she looked over at Dax. “Have you ever had sex in a car that cost less than eight thousand dollars?”

His eyes were hot when he met her gaze, but he smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever even been in a car that cost less than eight thousand dollars.”

She grinned. “You don’t think?”

“I’m pretty sure. Maybe a guy in college or something.”

“Right.”

“In case you’re wondering,” he added, “I’m very okay with doing anything you want in this car. Or any other car. Or any other place for that matter.”

“That’s good,” she told him. “That’s very good.”

Then she backed out of the driveway and pointed the car toward Hot Cakes.

They didn’t talk on the short drive back to where Dax’s car was parked. The lot was much less full, but there was a third shift, so there were still cars in the lot.

She pulled in next to his roadster and shut off the ignition.

“Jane, I—”

She unhooked her seat belt and turned to face him. “Yes?”

He shook his head. There were tall lights around the lot that kept the interior of the car from being completely dark, but they weren’t directly under or next to one. In the dim light she saw him smile. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t remember what you were about to say?” she asked.

“I don’t know what I thought I was going to say,” he admitted. “I’m usually pretty good in these situations, but with you it’s different.”

He amused her. He was so confident, so used to charming everyone, that she knew he didn’t even have to try. It was natural that he'd never be at a loss for words and never actually nervous about anything. But his honesty and moments of self-deprecation always made her smile. He always seemed surprised to find himself less than completely in control.

“These situations?” she repeated. “What situations would those be?”

“Alone with a gorgeous woman.”

“Ah. I’m guessing you’re pretty good even when you and the gorgeous women aren’t alone. And with less-than-gorgeous women.” She knew that was true. Dax was used to fame and incredible privilege, but he honestly treated every person the same, no matter who he or she was, how they dressed, or what their job was.

“I’m very rarely off my game,” he admitted.

“But you are right now?”

“I don’t know that I’ve really been on my game with you for even one minute,” he said.

She liked that. “I don’t want this to be a game. I don’t want you to be playing around,” she said. Lip-syncing while cleaning the house, Ping-Pong in the break room, coloring books all seemed like playing around, but she could honestly say that as she got to know him, she realized more and more that those weren’t games either.

“Maybe that’s it,” he said after a moment, holding her gaze. “This isn’t a game. And I’m not used to that.”

She wet her lips. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I’m not used to any of this either.”

“Good.” He didn’t even hesitate with that answer. He unhooked his seat belt and leaned over the center console. He cupped the back of her head, sliding his fingers into her hair. “Thank you for tonight.”