Page 53 of Reckless Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 7)

“I know. But we don’t need to talk about my miserable life. Tell me all about Australia.”

Her smile widens, her excitement palpable as she talks at a million miles an hour, telling me about all the things she and Jesse got up to during their travels.

“Jodie,” a deep voice booms behind me, startling me and making me realise that I totally lost track of time as I got absorbed in Sara’s stories about perfect golden beaches and warm blue seas.

I spin around, wincing at Matt standing behind me with his hands on his hips and a fierce look on his face.

“Shit. Sorry, boss.”

“Paula was meant to go home fifteen minutes ago.” The anger lacing his tone makes my stomach clench.

I barely look him in the eye as I quickly say goodbye to Sara and rush behind the counter, apologising profusely to Paula, who just smiles at me softly and says, “It’s not a problem, sweetie. I know she’s been away.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” I say, despite her argument that it’s not necessary.

Matt’s eyes still burn into my back as I take the next order and quickly fall back into routine until the small line is gone.

I was off Monday and was able to put off seeing him after the whole sex-on-the-counter episode, but we’ve worked together for the past two days and I’ve been waiting for him to bring it up, to drag me into his office and make me explain myself before throwing me out on my arse.

I can only hope that the reason he hasn’t done it yet is that the cameras don’t actually work and he has no idea anything went down on Saturday night after he left. The other option is that we’re already short-staffed and he can’t afford to do it yet.

With a sigh, I turn to face him, swallowing down any unease that he might have witnessed me bent over the counter getting railed exactly where I’m standing now.

Ignoring my brain’s demands, my cheeks burn bright red as I try to hold his eyes.

“I’m sorry, I lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”

“I expect better from you, Jodie,” he says, disappointment evident in his tone.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“You can lock up tonight.”

This time, it’s not just my cheeks that burn as my blood turns to fire.

“Y-yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”

He takes a step back, but I swear to God that his eyes drop to my lips very briefly before he turns around.

Oh my God, he’s watched the footage.

Internally, I scream as he disappears through the staff-only door toward his office.

“That was tense,” Sara says, stepping up to the empty counter now that the lunch rush has died down. “Think he might need to get laid.”

“Sara, that’s my boss,” I gasp.

“I know. He’s hot, though. He shouldn’t really have an issue getting female attention.”

“Oh my God. Jesse is a bad influence on you, girl.”

She blushes and flutters her eyelids innocently at me.

The two of us have always been polar opposites. I think it’s one of the reasons our friendship has lasted like it has. While I’ve always been happy to spend my Saturday nights out partying with Bri, who’s older and certainly a bad influence, Sara was always more than happy to stay at home and watch TV.

I always thought she would find herself a nice, sensible guy to settle down with, move out of the city, have two point five kids and a white picket fence and be more than happy.

But then she met Jesse, the bad boy of all bad boys and fell madly in love. Her innocence and inhibitions seemed to fly right out the window as she started riding around on the back of his bike and generally shaking up her average life.