Filthy Secret

Speaking of silver linings. “I met another veteran at a local thing and mentioned I was looking for work. His wife is the general manager here, and she just had a baby, so I moved out here last year.”

“Sounds like kismet,” Jo said.

Sawyer nodded. Gamble and Kennedy had saved his ass in more ways than one, Gamble especially. He was all too happy to give them the peace of mind of knowing her restaurant was in capable hands while they spent time with their son, Theo. Plus, Jo wasn’t wrong. Sawyer did love managing the place.

“What about you?” he asked, pulling a box of cocktail napkins from a nearby storage drawer and topping off the dwindling stack to his left. “Tell me about this not-exactly-soon-to-be-famous thing you’ve got going on.”

Jo took a sip of her wine that bordered on a gulp. “That’s okay. You don’t have to make small talk with me just because I’m here all alone.”

“I’m making small talk with you because I want to know more about you,” he said, prompting her tart little smile-and the bolt of heat it sent through Sawyer’s blood-to make a comeback.

“Ah, so flirting with your bar patrons is part of the job description, then.”

“Being polite is part of the job description,” he amended. “I only flirt when I mean it.”

“Which one are you doing right now?” Jo asked softly, and yeah, there was no fucking way he was going to leave that one untouched.

Sawyer braced both hands on the bar in front of her, leaning in just enough to cut the space between them but not so much that she couldn’t easily pull back if she wanted to. “I suppose that depends.”

Jo didn’t pull back. “On?”

“Which one you had in mind.”

“Oh.” It was more of a whisper than a word, yet it made his heart drum faster all the same. Especially when she said, “Flirting is good.”

Sawyer smiled. Single, then. “I couldn’t agree more. So, where were we?”

“Not exactly famous,” Jo said. “Which, when you’re an actress, isn’t an endorsement.”

A server appeared with Jo’s sandwich, perfectly plated beside a pile of golden-brown fries, and Sawyer nodded his thanks as he took the plate to put it in front of her. Her expression loosened in pleasure, likely at the scent of cumin-spiced pork and fresh-baked roll that even he could smell from the other side of the bar, and man, he loved feeding people.

“This looks incredible,” Jo murmured, unfurling her napkin and popping a fry into her mouth, smiling as she chewed.

“It’s one of my favorite things on the menu,” he agreed by way of an ‘I told you so’. He gave her a few minutes to eat in peace, although her happy little moans made him damned glad for the half-apron slung over his brewing hard-on.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Finally, in between bites, she said, “I’m actually in Remington to audition for a part in a pretty big new TV show. But it’s a long shot. I doubt I’ll even get a callback.”

“How come?” Sawyer had no clue how these things worked, but he was pretty sure they didn’t let just anyone audition for things like TV shows. Plus, she was fucking gorgeous, with that warm brown stare and those legs that went on for days, perfectly showcased by her dark jeans. They’d be crazy not to put her on screen.

Jo shrugged, her dark hair brushing her shoulders. “Well, I’ve spent most of the past five years single-parenting my daughter, so I don’t have any substantial experience on TV shows, especially in a regular role. But the real reason is that the part is pretty far outside my comfort zone.”

“So, it’s kind of like me trying to take care of Kellan and Isabella’s baby?” Sawyer asked.

Her smile was a nice nice try. “If you multiplied it by a thousand and put a cherry on top, you might be close. Honestly, it’s probably a horrible idea to do something this far from my norm.”

Sawyer could’ve let her off the hook. Hell, he probably should’ve. But he’d seen that fiery streak hiding beneath all her caution, and yeah, he’d learned the hard way how short life was.

“Oh, come on. It’s good to get outside your comfort zone every once in a while.”

Jo scooped up a French fry, pointing it at him before taking a bite. “I like my comfort zone. It never lets me down. It’s always exactly what I expect it to be. No shake-ups. No surprises.”

“Except you want a job that isn’t in your comfort zone,” Sawyer pointed out, and there-there was that spark she kept so well-covered. “So maybe that zone of yours is just a little too comfortable.”

Jo’s cheeks flushed. “And maybe risks like this role are just a little too

uncomfortable.”

An idea bloomed in Sawyer’s head, one that would probably end up in a crash and burn, but taking the gamble felt far too good. “Would it make you feel better if I took a risk, too?” he asked.

A startled laugh flew past her lips. “What, like, right now?” “Right this minute.” Sawyer nodded.

She looked at him, suddenly wary. “You’re not going to do something crazy that will turn into a viral Internet video, are you?”

“Not quite that drastic.” Reaching for a cocktail napkin with one hand and a pen with the other, he wrote out an address and handed it to her. “Be here tomorrow at six. Dress warm. Oh, and be prepared to get a little adventurous.”

Jo quirked a brow at him before sliding the napkin between her fingers. “I thought you were the one taking the risk.”

He looked at her, letting his smile have its way with him. “I asked you out, didn’t I? Now all you have to do is say yes.”