Page 42 of Romancing the Rumrunner
“You don’t have to—”
“I want to. So, what can I do?”
Jessie stared at him for a second and then smiled. “These all need to be wrapped. There’s a roll of paper behind you there.”
He nodded and got to work.
They worked together for a few hours, sometimes chitchatting, sometimes working in silence. She’d been right. It was relaxing. The cellar shut out all sounds of the outside world. It felt like there was no one for miles but just the two of them. All his cares slipped from his mind.
He watched her. She was such a mystery. A poor little orphan girl who’d been rescued by a lonely butcher and who’d grown up to be…what? A gangster’s girlfriend? A rumrunner or bootlegger in her own right? Or a simple butcher who donated her time, money, and talents to the orphanage that had taken her in? Could she be all three?
When they’d finally finished, Jessie leaned against the butcher block with a tired sigh. She glanced at the stacks of wrapped meat and turned a weary smile to Tony.
“Thank you for your help.”
He pulled the apron off over his head, leaning in close to her as he laid it across the butcher block. “It was my pleasure.”
She looked up at him through her dark lashes. “I’m sure you had a hundred other things to do today.”
He shook his head, pleased that she didn’t back away. “There is nowhere else I want to be.”
She licked her bottom lip and it was all Tony could do to keep from pulling her to him and following suit.
“Well, then. Charlie should be back any minute with the truck. Would you like to come with me to make the delivery?”
“I’m yours for as long as you need me,” he said, surprised that he meant every word.
She blinked up at him, her lips slightly parted, and he couldn’t resist anymore. He reached out, cupping her face, drawing his thumb along her lower lip, following the path her tongue had just taken. She tilted her face up, her breath coming in short little bursts that had his heart hammering out of his chest. He stepped closer, leaned down…
“Miss Jessie?” a young man’s voice called from upstairs.
Jessie jumped back out of Tony’s reach, her eyes as wide as tumbler glasses. “Down here, Charlie!”
Tony grudgingly backed away, inwardly cursing the kid. Charlie thundered down the stairs, coming to an abrupt halt when he saw Tony leaning against the wall.
“Did you need something, Charlie?”
The youth tore his eyes away from Tony and nodded at Jessie. “Yes, ma’am. The truck is all ready for you.”
“Oh wonderful, Charlie. You’re an absolute angel.”
Charlie blushed a deep crimson and Tony’s eyes narrowed. Charlie caught sight of his expression and backed up a step.
“I’ll, um…I’ll just start loading these up,” he said, grabbing a box of the meat Tony had wrapped.
“Thanks, Charlie. We’re right behind you.”
Tony didn’t take his eyes off the boy until he’d disappeared back up the stairs. Jessie walked over and slapped his arm.
“Ow,” he said, chuckling. “What was that for?”
“You! Glaring at poor Charlie! What’s wrong with you?”
Tony wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, inhaling her sweet jasmine sent. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
Jessie sputtered a bit, halfheartedly struggling against him, and he closed his eyes with a groan, pressing her closer. If she didn’t hold still, he’d lock them in and Charlie could be damned. She tried to frown at him but she couldn’t keep a smile from peeking through. “He’s just a kid. He’s harmless.”
“He’s not much younger than you, I’d bet, and I remember myself at that age. Trust me, he’s not harmless.”
