Tyler's Undoing (Gloves Off #1)(31)

“You’re looking for a job, right?”

Pursing my lips, I crossed my arms at the chest. “Yeah, why?”

“What would you say about working for me?”

“For you?” I gasped. “Doing what? And please don’t tell me it’s to be your maid.”

“No,” he chuckled. “Although I have to say that thought is very tempting. You in a maid’s uniform would be f*cking hot. I’d never let you leave my house.”

Just the thought made my temperature rise. We’d basically been together non-stop for the past week and a half, with zero physical contact other than a few kisses here and there. Each day was obviously more difficult than the last for him to keep his distance, but he did it without getting frustrated—it was a test many men had failed. Out of my twenty-five years of existence, I’d only slept with two men, both of whom I was in love with. One was my high school sweetheart, and the other was a guy I met in college.

“Okay, fine, I accept,” I stated boldly, sliding forward in the chair, playing with the front of his shirt. “Where’s the outfit, and when do I start?” I was just teasing, but the prospect was kind of exciting. I knew being his maid wasn’t what he wanted from me.

His mood grew dark. “Don’t tempt me, Kacey. I’m liable to say to hell with everything today and take you to my house right now. You have no idea how hard it’s been to give you your space.”

“I didn’t ask for it,” I whispered.

He brushed the hair off of my face and slid his fingers down the side of my cheek. “You may not have asked for it, but I gave it to you, beautiful. Your mind was on other things.”

“You’re right, it was,” I agreed, “but seriously though, what exactly do you mean by working for you?”

Smiling, he stood and turned toward the room, opening his arms wide. “Here,” he offered. “I want you to work here with me, until you save up the rest of the money for your restaurant. I know you’re not far from your goal.”

Which was true, I wasn’t. Between me and Bree, we only needed about twenty thousand more. After the extra money from Nana we actually had enough to get started, but we wanted to make sure we had plenty of money to keep us comfortable. We didn’t want to be bankrupt before we even got off the ground.

“What will I be doing? Answering phones?” Working with him could quite possibly be the smartest, or the stupidest decision ever. Seeing him every day would definitely be a perk.

Tyler smirked and winked at me. “Yeah, that . . . among other things. I figured you could also help some of the females who come in here, if they need help.”

“What about the men?” I interrupted him, teasing. “They might need help too.”

“Not from you they don’t,” he snarled, his jaw clenching tight.

“But what if they strained a muscle and needed it massaged? Am I supposed to just let them suffer? What kind of person would I be if I didn’t help?”

It took all I had not to smile or laugh, at least until the topic backfired and his mischievous grin came back. “Well, then I guess if one of the ladies comes in and needs a massage I’ll just have to rub them down, won’t I?”

“Ugh . . . fine, you win. I won’t touch any of the men.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear. So are you in?”

“How much will I get paid? I have to know you’re not going to be using me for free labor,” I joked.

Taking my hand, he pulled me up to my feet and put his arms around my waist, drawing me in. “Well, we might want to talk about that. I’m sure there’s going to be times when I need you to stay after hours to help me train.”

“Oh wow, then I’m going to request at least a thousand dollars a week. Not to mention the fifty extra dollars an hour I’m here after hours. Are you sure you can afford that?”

“Is that what you want?” he asked seriously.

When he didn’t smile, I felt like an idiot. “No, I was kidding. I don’t expect you to pay me that much. I want you to pay me what you would with any other employee in the same position.”

His deep chuckle in my ear sent shivers down my body. “Don’t worry, beautiful, you’ll be more than happy with the pay. And if not, I’ll personally make sure to supplement with some extra perks.” He bit his lower lip and pressed into my hips.

“And that right there has me sold. Something tells me I’m going to like your perks.” I stared at his lips and wiggled my hips against him. “So, are you going to show me what to do, you know, how you like things? I don’t want to screw up on my first day.”

Sliding his hands up and down my back, he smiled and let me go. “Don’t worry, I’ll train you well. Tonight, however, we’ll finish the afterhours stuff at my house. That is, if you’re ready. Does that sound good?”

My heart thudded unbelievably hard in my chest as Tyler stared down at me, with the promise of a passion-filled night in his eyes. Everything inside of me clenched, even the spot between my legs that hadn’t been touched by a man in almost two years. I was nervous and terrified, but also excited to take the next step. I wanted him and he wanted me.

“Yes,” I breathed. “I’m ready.”