Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,104

have no one to talk to about The Bachelor.”

Cody barked a laugh and raised his hands defensively. “I’m not going to say anything. We’ll keep Marcie’s lack of work ethic between us unless it’s a real problem. Besides, I’m not really one of the bosses, am I? I don’t feel like one. We share chef-maid confidentiality. I’m no boss.”

“Oh, please.” Jessie pointed a fork at him. “You are a Strauss brother. You own a quarter of the place just like your brothers even if you just run the kitchen. You have a vested interest and all that.”

She looked very proud of herself for making her point as she dug into her salad.

Cute, Cody thought. He felt something like a sigh if the heart itself could sigh.

“So I’m a quarter boss,” Cody said. “But not one hundred percent boss.”

“Okay fine,” Jessie said, chuckling. “Fair enough.”

Cody sat back in his chair and tried not to stare at Jessie while she ate, she had teased him about it before. Instead, he chewed his lip and wondered if now was the time to ask her out.

It was funny that Connor was encouraging him to do it really. He used to have problems with them going out with other staff or with guests. Things could get dicey that way. But Cody supposed that after Eric and Nathan had found their mates, maybe Connor was feeling more positive about that kind of thing. And Connor trusted him to make good decisions after all.

But Cody found himself hesitating.

He had an overwhelming hunch that Jessie was going to say no if he asked her out. It made no sense to him either. They flirted and chatted quite often and Jessie found excuses to go down to the kitchen to visit him just as often as he went looking for her. But though she had never mentioned a boyfriend or mate, she seemed like someone who was going home to something. She often mentioned needing to get home or being very busy but would never say why.

It was a mystery and it bothered Cody.

On the other hand, his brother was in his head, eyeing him skeptically and calling him a pussy under his breath. He might as well give it a shot, if only to shut up that stupid voice.

“Oh!” Jessie put down her fork and slapped the table just as he was about to ask her out. “I forgot to tell you. I read The Great Gatsby.”

“Did you!” He rubbed his chin to hide his smile. He’d brought it up. It was one of the classics on the bookshelf in the lobby that had always made him feel guilty for not reading more so he’d read it a few months ago and then he’d read it again and declared it his favorite book. “What did you think?”

“It was sad,” Jessie said. She reached out and grabbed his wrist and his heart raced as if he were a teenager again.

He thought he showed an epic amount of restraint in not kissing her right then, but he only raised an eyebrow and just as quickly she moved her and. That was disappointing.

“You told me you saw the movie?” Cody said.

“I did, but the book is much more... sad.” She narrowed her eyes. “You told me it was cynical and dark-”

“Well, that’s kind of how I read it, I guess.”

“Maybe you’re cynical and dark-”

“I am not!”

Cody opened his mouth, the invitation to a date on the tip of his tongue. But just as quickly he stopped himself. It wasn’t the right time. Maybe it was some sixth sense telling him not to risk it. He didn’t want things to get weird between them.

“What will you read next?” He asked instead.

He thought he might go ahead and read whatever she happened to be reading. He wondered if she had more to say about The Great Gatsby. He wanted to hear her every thought.

“Oh, I dunno,” she said. She ducked her head, looking shy as if it was such a crazy thought that she could be reading a book. He thought that was strange. “I really loved Gatsby even if it was sad. The writing was so beautiful and I cried at the end, how he just wanted to erase his past but at the same time he couldn’t let it go?’

“Yeah,” Cody said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Jessie never disappointed. She was absolutely fascinating to him. “It’s painful but beautiful.”

“Exactly!” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it