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She shrugged, but I could see it bothered her "Wouldn’t be so bad to set my own hours and have more time to come up with new concepts I could also travel to ht be better forpositively "I could use s to a party last week and got a ton of coreat Thank you"

I gestured for Vincent to refill our beers, while Lynn pulled some business cards out of her behe for you?" she asked when she handed them over

"Good"

"You still love it?"

"I do, yes" I slasses in front of us and took the others away

"What aren’t you telling lance She was too perceptive "Nothing"

"And your boss is totally okay with you and Jackson?" she prodded

Sighing, I picked up another crostini "We don’t talk about it Which is okay, because she’s ot a proble it pretty well, considering I’ business with the man who screwed her over She still trustsbetween us that wasn’t there before" And that botheredto do?"

"What can I do?" I chewed and sed, chasing the toast doith a swig of beer "I figure she’s waiting to see how it all shakes out After enough ti"

Lynn wrinkled her nose "Have you talked to Jackson?"

"Can’t He’s a fixer He’ll want to step in and ss even more uncomfortable"

"That’s probably the best endorseal wants their best friend to end up with a guy willing to slay their dragons" She winked "And lick gelato off thelanced around the packed restaurant Walk-in patrons waited in the foyer by reception, while tables were turned with brisk efficiency thanks to my dad’s insistence on a robust service staff Faroups, while a popular television star enjoyed the illusion of anonyhtmy attention to what looked to be a birthday party Above the din of conversation and the clattering of silverware, an Italian tenor sang about love and loss through the speaker systeh me, as it always did when I was at Rossi’s

"Did hell just freeze over?" Lynn asked, bringing estured with a jerk of her chin and I followed Blinking, I took in the sight of e, who had his arm tossed across his shoulders Ted was dressed in a suit and tie, while my father wore his usual white chef’s coat, black pants, and red Rossi’s apron Giovanni Rossi rejaw A photographer snapped their photo

"Hard to tell fron button on his shirt?"

I looked atpinned to his jacket

"Second time he’s been in here this week," Vincent said behindin his jaw

"I didn’t know anything about this," I told him

"Yeah?" His brown eyes were hard "Can Jackson say that?"

Lynn took off around eight, but I decided to stay and wait until closing, so I could talk to elo and Vincent

Because I didn’t want to get into it with Jax when I was tired and cranky, I sent a text letting hi home, and then dropped lass of anisette decorated with a le

I felt Jax enter the restaurant before I saw hiotten ether

"Gia" His hands slid possessively over lanced at Vincent, as scowling at us, and spoke overyou up" His ar to let you spend the night somewhere else?"

I finished my drink "I didn’t realize I was a prisoner"

He stiffened at ht, we’ll do it at ho ho"

Spinning me around inyet worth listening to"

"Excuse nore how sexy he looked in a black V-neck sweater and loose-fitting jeans

He set his hands on the bar on either sideyou here to drink and stew over whatever’s got you pissed off, and I sure as hell a alone"

"Back off, Jackson," Vincent ordered, co up to us

Jax’s head snapped up "You’re her brother and you’re watching out for her, I respect that But she’s irl and I love her, and you need to respect that Don’t stick your nose in our business"

"She doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to go"

"Don’t talk aroundboth of the in here and yanking my family and me around You said you wanted to protect us fro us out in front of it!"

I sahen Jax understood what hadaway "And you’re welcome to hash it out with me--at home"

"It’s late and I have to work to, whatever it is Obviously I don’t know because no one saw fit to tellso condescendingly reasonable helate when you’re sitting here drinking"