Joker (Hell's Ankhor #8) - Aiden Bates Page 0,25

now. His eyes were glued to my chest, where my shirt clung to my sternum. I pushed my sweaty hair off my forehead, and his eyes tracked that motion, too, from the line of my bicep up my arm, then across my face.

I’d been ogled a lot in my life, but never did it make me feel like this. It took all of my self-control not to step a little closer. I wanted him to touch me. Looking wasn’t enough.

But it was his decision. I wasn’t going to beg for his attention, even if he was making it so clear he wanted me. He needed to tell me.

He cleared his throat pointedly. “Hey. So. We’re cutting down that tree.”

“Yeah?” I asked.

Joker shook his head a little bit, like he was clearing away a daze. The gesture was almost cute. I bit back a grin.

“If you want to come with us,” Joker said. “Not to do the work. But it’s turned into a whole thing.”

“A whole thing?” I asked.

“Basically a party,” Joker said with a fond roll of his eyes. “The guys are excited about it. So. Thought you might want to tag along.”

“Guys,” I said over my shoulder. “Let’s call it an early day, all right?”

My crewmates looked a little stunned—I wasn’t one to call it early very often. But they nodded and started packing up their bags before I could change my mind.

“Sure,” I said. “Will there be beer?”

“Of course there will be beer,” Joker said as he led me up the stairs. As we walked across the property, side by side, Joker steeled himself, and then sighed. “Sorry. About the other night.”

I glanced at him. “It’s not a big deal.”

“I know, it’s just…” He paused, then pressed his lips together hard. “Just want to make sure things are okay between us.”

I had no idea what he meant. Did he mean—as coworkers? As friends? As something more? But it was obvious from the tense line of his shoulders that I wasn’t likely to get much clarification out of him. Just saying those words sounded like it was physically painful.

I waited for him to say more, but he didn’t. And despite how badly I wanted him, I wasn’t going to solve his problems for him, I told myself over and over. I deserved more than that—deserved to be with someone who wanted to be with me, and wasn’t afraid to go for it.

So why couldn’t I stop hoping he’d get his head out of his ass? There was something undeniable between us, and yet, every time I tried to bring it up, he bolted like a frightened rabbit.

“Sure,” I said easily.

Joker didn’t look convinced, but if he had something to say, he couldn’t find the words.

“Are you busy tomorrow?” I asked. “Since we’re getting the wood, you could come by to the shop tomorrow and start the carving.”

Some of the tension bled out of Joker’s posture. “Yeah, that’d be great,” he said, and threw me a small smile.

I tried to ignore the way my heart clenched at that sweet expression.

“So how are things at the shop?” Joker asked a little tentatively, obviously trying to keep the conversation going.

I grinned at the opening. “Good. Dad bought me another electric sander. He found ‘a great deal online’ yet again.”

Joker chuckled. “He the type that can’t resist a good deal?”

“You have no idea,” I said with a fond shake of my head. “It’s not just me, either. He’s kitted out Dawson’s tool belt, too.”

“I bet Dawson loves that,” Joker said.

“Dad basically treats him like a son,” I said.

“That’s like Priest with all of us,” Joker said. “Except now that Grace is in the picture, all his doting is spent on her.”

“And yours, too, apparently,” I said, nudging him a little. “All those figurines.”

“Can’t help it.” Joker shrugged. “She’s too damn cute.”

We spent the rest of the walk in easy, light conversation—about the workshop, my business, Joker’s role at the club. Work stuff. Nothing deeper. And even though it was work stuff, it was surprisingly easy to talk to him, when he wasn’t being closed-off and cagey.

The tree Joker had chosen was at the edge of the property—a big, old river red gum tree with a trunk wider than my wingspan. It was a great choice for the sign, and I nodded, impressed, as we approached it.

“This is great,” I said. “We’ll have some lumber for the sign, and then more for the remodel.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Joker said with a nod. “Don’t