A Place to Rest Part 9

"I suspect you could do just about anything with melted chocolate and I'd enjoy it," Sawyer said, watching her face to gauge her reaction to the suggestive comment.

One corner of Jori's mouth lifted slightly, and her eyebrow arched. But her verbal response was at odds with the physical one. "It's getting late."

When she stood, Sawyer followed.

"I should go." Jori headed for the door, but Sawyer grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen.

* 79 *

"Come with me."

As they stepped inside the kitchen, Jori said, "What are we doing in here?"

Sawyer moved closer and Jori retreated a step. "I was thinking, nearly every other time you've fl irted with me, we've been in the kitchen. It's where you're most comfortable-most confi dent." She closed the distance between them, backing Jori up. She rested a hand on the counter on each side of Jori's hips, lightly, not quite embracing her. She leaned close, her body nearly trembling with the effort of holding back.

"Sawyer, I really didn't mean to fl irt with you." Jori's hands loosely clasped Sawyer's forearms.

When she lifted her eyes, Jori avoided them. "What did you mean to do?"

"I just couldn't help myself those times."

"Because I'm irresistible?"

Jori smiled. "Perhaps it's as you said, I'm comfortable in the kitchen-"

"You let your guard down."

"Yes," Jori whispered. She lightly caressed Sawyer's arms.

"So here we are." She leaned close until her lips were inches from Jori's ear. "In the kitchen. Where you're comfortable."

She saw the sharp intake of Jori's breath in the quick rise of her shoulders and knew she was bending her promise to Erica, but since she hadn't touched Jori yet, she still considered her word kept. "Let your guard down, Jori."

Jori felt the feathered breath against her ear and realized she only needed to turn her head slightly to capture Sawyer's lips.

She wanted to, but did she dare?

"I can't," she whispered. Since Sawyer's arms still trapped her, she rested her forehead against Sawyer's shoulder.

"Why?" Sawyer palmed her cheek.

"I can't get involved with someone I work for." Jori stopped herself before adding again. She'd been burned by mixing her professional and personal relationships, and she wouldn't allow * 80 *

it to happen again. She loved working at Drake's and she didn't want to do anything that could potentially jeopardize that.

"Well, luckily, you work for my sister." Sawyer trailed her fi ngers down Jori's neck and into the vee of her polo, toying with the gold clover.

"You know it's the same thing."

"I'll quit."

Jori straightened. "You'd quit your job so you could seduce me?"

"I'd quit my job so you could seduce me," Sawyer drawled.

"From what I hear, your interest in me wouldn't last much longer than your tenure at Drake's." She hadn't meant to state it so bluntly, but she was irritated that Sawyer didn't seem to take anything seriously and that she would have the gall to maneuver her into a situation like this, then try to blame it on her. On second thought, if she was blunt enough, she could keep Sawyer at a safe distance and not have to be brave enough to do what she'd really like to.

Sawyer jerked back and dropped her arms. Hurt fl ickered across her face before she brought it under control, and her short bark of laughter seemed forced. "Do you believe everything you hear?"

"Sawyer-"

"What else have you heard?"

"I-"

"Because whatever it is, I can a.s.sure you, at one time or another it was probably true."

Whatever Sawyer was really feeling was hidden behind a mask of indifference, and Jori was too unsure of her own emotions to attempt to sort through Sawyer's.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. I like you, Sawyer.

But I can't get involved with you."

When Sawyer nodded and moved aside, Jori left before she could change her mind. She spent the entire drive home trying to convince herself that leaving had been the right thing to do. Her * 81 *

skin still burned where Sawyer had touched her, and she could still see Sawyer's wounded expression at her rebuff. But she did have some nerve to orchestrate that little seduction scene in the kitchen.

Sawyer leaned on the balcony rail outside her apartment staring at the city lights in the distance, the empty wine bottle next to her elbow. She rolled a winegla.s.s between her hands, occasionally sipping from the last of the Shiraz.

She mentally reviewed the scene with Jori, feeling an echo of pleasure when she remembered standing close to her, almost kissing her. Jori's arousal had been evident in her widened pupils and the cadence of her breathing, but something had held Jori back, and though she'd been quick to throw up Sawyer's reputation, she suspected there was more to her resistance.

She fi gured Erica had warned Jori against getting involved with her. Despite Erica's opinion, she'd never considered her lack of a long-term relationship to be a big deal. She had a nice-enough time with the women she dated. But when it became apparent something was lacking, wasn't it best for all involved to end it so they could move on? Was it her fault she often came to this realization more quickly than the women she was involved with? Early attempts at a relationship had taught her how easy it was to get hurt. She had learned to read the lasting potential of a relationship as quickly as possible to minimize the risk.

But that didn't mean she wasn't willing to give it a shot with Jori. She'd only just begun to get Jori to open up, to know her. But from the fi rst day they met, something about Jori had attracted her. She would have been willing to go up against Erica, to stand up for her right to date Jori. But it seemed Jori didn't want that.

Was she teasing her, was she shy, or did she have an altogether different reason for keeping her distance?

* 82 *

So where did that leave her? She didn't want to wait tables.

Erica's constant need to control her decisions got on her nerves.

Her younger sister had rarely had the chance to do that while they were growing up, so she was taking full advantage of her opportunity now. And now she'd have to face the inevitable awkwardness with Jori, not to mention the raging arousal she inspired.

Yeah, I'm in great shape, she thought, feeling the urge to fl ee beginning to claw at her as she quickly drained her gla.s.s.

It always started like that, a subtle itch to move, soon followed by restlessness that made her feel as if she couldn't sit still, like marbles rolling beneath her skin. And she would fi nd no relief until she made a change.

* 83 *

* 84 *

CHAPTER EIGHT.

For the second time in a month, Sawyer found herself sitting in Erica's offi ce wondering if she was about to make a big mistake. She wasn't a waitress, of that she had no doubt. So if this wasn't the job for her and Jori seemed intent on rejecting her, why should she stick around? She'd never had a problem walking away before.

Erica came in and, barely glancing at her, circled the desk.

"Sawyer, you're not scheduled to work today."

"I know. How are you feeling?"

Erica seemed tired, but aside from that one afternoon, she hadn't missed a day at the restaurant.

"I feel fi ne." She twirled a pencil between her fi ngers and fl ipped through several sheets of paper. "What's up? I've got to fi nish the payroll."

"Do you need help with that?" Sawyer was stalling and she didn't know why.

"What I need is-" Erica glanced up and paused, then studied her more closely. "What are you doing here, Sawyer?"

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

She watched comprehension sweep across Erica's face.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"d.a.m.n it." Erica slammed her hand down on the desk.

* 85 *

"This just isn't what I'm supposed to be doing."

"I really needed you to be reliable for once in your life, Sawyer. What are you expecting me to offer you to get you to stay?"

"Nothing. It's not about you."

"No, of course not. Because it's always about you, isn't it?

Because you always come fi rst, no matter what else is going on.

It's been that way as long as I can remember."

Erica stood and left the offi ce.

"s.h.i.t," Sawyer muttered as she rose slowly. She stepped into the hallway and stopped short. Jori leaned against the wall just outside the door.

"I-uh, I didn't mean to overhear. I was coming to talk to Erica."

Sawyer didn't bother trying to excuse her behavior. She headed for the back door, pa.s.sing Jori in the narrow hall.

"You're leaving?" Jori asked when she was just a few steps away.

She stopped, but she didn't turn to look at Jori. She didn't want to have this conversation, she just wanted to go. "It was always supposed to be temporary."

"Does this have anything to do with-what happened in your kitchen?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Because if it does, there's no reason we can't keep working together. I just won't let you put me in that position again."

"This doesn't have anything to do with you," Sawyer repeated, facing her.

"What are you going to do?"

She shrugged. "I'll fi nd something. I know a guy who owns a limo service. He'd probably let me drive for him."

"You hate it here that much?" Though she knew it wasn't logical, Jori was hurt. She'd been fi ghting her attraction to Sawyer * 86 *

from the day they met, but more than that, she'd enjoyed getting to know her and had thought the feeling was mutual. And though she had put the brakes on Sawyer's advance the night before, it still stung that Sawyer could simply walk away.

"Jori, I'm not a waitress."

"But you're a chauffeur?"

"I don't know."

She looked so confused Jori almost felt sorry for her. But she didn't understand how someone who had such a supportive family could just abandon them. Sawyer had the one thing she had always wished for, and she thought nothing of tossing it aside on a whim. Sawyer was pouting, Jori realized, and she couldn't respect that behavior.

"You need to fi nd yourself, so you just say 'screw you' to everyone who needs you?" Though not normally confrontational, she didn't give a second thought to calling Sawyer on her egocentricity.

"Jori." Sawyer reached for her hand, but she jerked it away.

"Erica is working herself sick."

"She's fi ne. She doesn't want my help. Brady will-"