Page 34 of Austin

He stands up, reaches in his pocket, and produces a key.

“This is for you.” He hands me what I can only assume is Beckett’s car key. “I told you I wouldn’t keep the car, but I thought you might have your own plans for it.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, grabbing on to his hand.

He stills. His body, which was turned back toward where he was sitting, is now angling toward me.

I look up at him. “Austin, if you really want a truce, I want one of your secrets. One more, I mean.”

His brows are furrowed as he stares out toward the bay. The sun beats brightly on his face as he looks back at me with honesty. “I’m terrified we’re going to lose our company to Dad and Missy.”

I shake my head. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

He smiles. “So, the temp is going to save the company?”

“I’m gonna try to keep your name out of the races. I don’t understand how that works, but I already have my notes written up, and there’s no mention of Falcon.”

He raises my hand to his mouth and gives it a soft kiss. While I’m trying not to decode what that means, he carefully lowers it and takes a seat next to me on the chaise.

“Missy’s already figured out that I race. That was her way of threatening me with her knowledge. Thank you for offering your soul to the devil, but my grave has already been marked.”

“I hate that she can hold this over your head.”

“Me, too. That’s why this place is so special. I feel calm up here.”

“It’s beautiful,” I say about the rooftop even though my attention is fixed on him.

“I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to give you that key, and this was the perfect place to do it.”

I blink at his comment. “Why didn’t you just give me the key as soon as we got up here?”

“I wanted to see how long we could sit in silence. I’d say, we’re off to a good start.”

He winks, and my heart pounds out of my chest.

This is not what I need in my life right now.

9

AUSTIN

Being on friendly terms with Jalynn is both a blessing and a curse. While it’s nice not to have her scowl at me all the time, having her smile is worse.

Mostly because she’s so damn pretty when she smiles.

She also has to stop biting that damn lip. The way her teeth graze her plump, lower lip has me thinking about how bad I want to suck on it, and then I have to adjust myself in the middle of a meeting.

She was doing it this morning when I passed her in the copy room. I was on my way to a meeting and couldn’t stop to chat, which was a good thing because I might have decided to skip the meeting altogether just to talk to her and stare at that lip.

Yesterday, on the roof, the wind swept her hair to the side, exposing her long neck.

When she looked at me with those hazel eyes and Cupid’s bow mouth, saying how beautiful she thought it was up there, I almost replied, So are you.

Thank God I didn’t. She’s an employee and I have a strict rule against that, but I’m starting to think some rules are meant to be broken.

It’s rare for a girl to work her way into my thoughts the way she has. I think it’s her sass. Being a Sexton sometimes has its drawbacks, and hooking up with women can be sometimes too easy. Normally, they’re willing to drop their pants just to get in my wallet.

Not Jalynn.