Sweet Deal Read Online Free Page B

on, the Baume & Mercier watch on his wrist, the hi-tech phone he carried. He was well spoken, confident, and dammit, sexy as hell.
    He looked up and spotted her, and the lost boy look changed into a warm, sexy smile that had her tummy fluttering.
    Uh-uh. So not happening.
    But she couldn’t help smiling in return as she dropped into the other chair at the table and hung her soft leather purse over the arm rest.
    “Hi.” He held a beer between two hands. “I already ordered, but we’ll find the waiter and get you something right away. What would you like?”
    “Um. A glass of wine, I guess. Chardonnay.”
    Jake lifted a hand, and someone came over immediately. A pretty waitress with an eager smile for him. Sure. Shelby would just bet he got great service wherever he went, especially from females.
    “So,” he said, after he’d ordered her wine. “I guess we need to get to know each other.”
    “Yes.” She glanced at her watch. “We should be able to cover a lot of the basics pretty quickly.”
    He grinned. “Efficient, aren’t you?”
    She gave him a pleased smile. “Yes I am. Efficient is my middle name.”
    “I’ll remember that tomorrow if someone asks me.”
    She laughed and held up her hands. “Okay, okay. My middle name is really Rose. What’s yours? And what’s your last name, by the way?”
    “Yeah, last names would be good to know.” He shook his head and smiled ruefully. “Jacob James Magill. I’m thirty years old; I’m a Senior Business Analyst and team leader at Coast Power Inc. Single, never married. I enjoy basketball and hockey—playing and watching—I’m a triathlete and I like to play Texas Hold’em with my friends.”
    She laughed again. “You sound like a singles ad.”
    He grinned. “Those are the basics. Now you.”
    “Shelby Rose Leighton. I’m a project manager, as you know. I’m twenty-eight years old, and I could probably kick your butt at Texas Hold’em.”
    His grin nearly melted her panties. “In your dreams, blondie.”
    She shifted in her seat, feeling very warm and charmed by his easy teasing and sexy smile. “There’s something we have in common if anyone asks.”
    “Favorite food?” he asked.
    “Ice cream. I live for ice cream. Butter pecan is my favorite. You?”
    “Steak. Well, any kind of beef. Rare.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “Eeew.”
    “Are you vegetarian?”
    “No, I eat meat, I just don’t like to see blood on my plate. Favorite drink?” She nodded at the beer in his hand.
    “Yup, this is it. Surf Coast Pale Ale. Yours?”
    She lifted her wine glass with a smile. “Though I’m pretty addicted to caffeine.”
    “Another thing in common,” he said. “So if anyone asks, that’s where we met, right? Java the Hut.”
    “Right. Over our mutual appreciation of fine coffee. Um…family? Parents? Brothers? Sisters?”
    A shadow darkened his eyes briefly, and she caught a glimpse of pain and vulnerability that made her insides soften and warm. Then the corners of his mouth turned up. “I have three sisters.”
    Her eyes widened. “Omigod. Really?”
    “You bet. I’m the youngest. They tortured me with unbelievable cruelty when we were kids. Curled my hair, painted my nails.”
    She choked on a laugh and eyed his large masculine shape. “That seems very unbelievable.”
    “I wasn’t always this size.” One big shoulder lifted and the smile still hovered on his lips. “There was a time when all three of them were bigger than me. No longer, I’m happy to say, and they don’t get away with that shit anymore.”
    She sensed the affection for his sisters in his tone and dammit, she liked it. She liked the confidence he had in himself and his masculinity to share something like that with her.
    “They’re all married now and I have eight nieces and nephews.”
    She tipped her head to one side. “Holy crap. That must make for some crazy family get-togethers.”
    “Well. We don’t get together that much.” He looked down at his beer,