“If you won’t take my money, what about asking Nick?” He leans back as the server arrives with our pizza, setting it in the middle of the table and handing each of us a plate.

Pulling a slice from the pie, I slide it onto my plate quickly before the crust has a chance to burn my fingers. “Mixing friendship and business is almost as bad as mixing sex and business.”

Jack pauses in the middle of freeing his own slice. “I really hope you aren’t suggesting this is just sex, sweet pea.”

Rolling my eyes and huffing out a breath at the same time doesn’t hide the small smile tugging on my lips at his declaration. “It’s obviously more than sex, Jack of Hearts.”

“You’ve really run out of new nickname options, huh?”

“I happen to like Jack of Hearts, and it fits in the moment, thank you very much.” Blowing on the still-hot pizza, I take a large bite.

We both sit in silence for a minute. My mind keeps wandering back to the storefront, and I keep swigging my wine, trying to erase all images of it from my brain.

“Look.” Jack finally breaks the silence after the waiter comes around to refill our wineglasses. “I don’t want to push you into something you’re truly not ready for. But I’ve seen you attack this business with a ferocity that leaves me with no doubt you’d make a storefront a success. You’re unstoppable, Sadie, and it doesn’t seem like you to hold back when you really want something.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. “If you really don’t want it, then this is the last time I’ll mention it. But if you do think there’s even a chance you want to go for it, I can put out some feelers, talk to my financial guy and see if he knows anyone who might be interested in becoming a silent partner.”

I’m tempted to just shoot him down right now and put us all out of our misery. But he’s trying, and he’s just so damn nice, I don’t want to put a damper on the evening. “I’ll think about it.”

“And if you need to skip rent for a few months, or more than a few months—”

“Jack. Stop.” I set down my slice of pizza. “We’ve been together five minutes. You’re my first boyfriend in fifteen years. You’re going to need to slow shit down, like several notches.”

He grins, his green eyes sparkling even behind the lenses of his glasses. “At the risk of sounding like a total sap, I really like it when you call me your boyfriend.”