She Belongs to Me by Carmen DeSousa Read Free Book Online

given her his number. So he could have already left town, and she may never see him again. She couldn’t blame him if he decided to stand her up. After all, she ’d tried to warn him off.
    Her words hadn’t seemed to bother him. He even tried to make her feel better when he saw her eyes water up. He couldn’t have missed her reaction, and yet, he remained seated, even managed to turn the conversation to a more pleasant topic.
    Could Jordan be everything he seemed? How disappointed would she be when he returned to North Carolina? Her insides burned at the thought. The appropriate action was to put those ideas aside. Tomorrow wasn’t important. She would enjoy the moment, live for today and not worry about tomorrow.
    She drove to work in a daze, already resigned to forget about him. If he showed tonight , great, if not, oh well. She would just have to stumble through the next few hours and be acquiescent to whatever outcome developed.
    Jaynee had finished her prep work and had just started to roll silverware when Amy poked her head around the corner. An impish grin spilled across the hostess’ face.
    Powerless to stop herself, Jaynee smiled wide in response. “No…don’t tell me…he’s here, isn’t he?” She couldn’t contain the excitement in her voice.
    “Sure,” Amy sneered. “As if you didn’t already know. You haven’t worn makeup since you started here. You lucky dog, he’s a hunk, and did you see his pickup?” Jealousy seeped through her words, but deep down Jaynee knew Amy was tickled. She had been attempting to set her up for months.
    “No,” Jaynee answered honestly. She never cared about trivial things like vehicles. Moreover, she was too enthralled with him.
    Jaynee held her breath as she stepped out of the kitchen. Rounding the corner, she caught Jordan’s gaze, and a glorious smile spread across his face. Was it possible it was for her? She couldn’t contain her smile either , but a nondescript “Hi” was all she could choke out. Her mouth suddenly felt parched. Her heart also started acting up, thumping so loudly she was sure he would hear.
    “Hello, Jaynee,” he drawled, his voice seductive. W hether that was his intent ion, she couldn’t be certain. “I needed to eat, and the food here is good , and the service is incredible, so why experiment with something new.” He folded up the menu and returned it to the end of the table as carefree as could be, as if they were old friends. “ What do you recommend? ”
    Jaynee looked around the restaurant and then back at Jordan, shrugging. “Um…the grilled chicken & shrimp over fettuccini is my favorite,” she said in a casual tone, trying to imitate his relaxed behavior. It wasn’t working.
    “I’ll take that with a salad and sweet tea please. Did I liberate you from rolling silverware again?” His eyes brightened at the notion.
    Jaynee’s heart fluttered, attempting to resume its normal rhythm. “Yes, you did. I’ll order your dinner and be right back.”
    She placed the order, waited for his salad while she retrieved his beverage and grabbed a loaf of bread. She wouldn’t have to dart off until another customer arrived. Jordan was watching as she rounded the corner again. How could he be looking at her like that? He made her feel wanted. No one had ever looked at her the way Jordan did. As if he cared about her thoughts and dreams. The way he listened to her last night , as she rambled about her pathetic life made her believe he had a real interest in her as a person, not just an object to possess.
    After placing his beverage and food on the table, she took a seat opposite him again.
    “It’s nice you can sit down with your customers. I only wish you were staying and eating with me. I hate eating alone.” His words rang with sincerity.
    “Management actually encourages us to sit with our patrons, although not the eating part.” She gig gled at the thought but then leaned across the table. “Why are you really here?”