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spent a few months studying Mexican cooking at a restaurant in Mazatlán. I learned about wine while working for a woman who owned a little hole-in-the-wall place just outside of Rio de Janeiro and I learned to wash dishes all by myself.” Verity smiled. “I told you, you aren’t the only one who’s had a well-rounded education. I just don’t have any formal degrees to go along with mine.”
    “What did your father do? Drag you around the world behind him?”
    “Ever since my mother died when I was eight,” Verity confirmed. “Sequence Springs is the first real home I’ve ever had. When I settled here three years ago I decided it would take an act of God or an economic disaster to uproot me. What about you, Jonas? Think you’ll ever settle down?”
    “I don’t think about it much,” he said, his voice becoming surprisingly rough without any warning. His eyes opened and he looked directly at her. “I take it you didn’t go to college?”
    Verity gave him a wry glance. “Dad didn’t think much of the formal education process. He thought he could do a better job of educating me himself. You want to know the truth? I don’t even have a high school diploma, let alone a college degree.”
    He gave her a quizzical look. “Does that bother you?”
    Verity shrugged. “No, not really. I could have gotten my GED, I suppose, and applied to college, but the truth is, by the time that occurred to me I had already decided to open a restaurant and I didn’t need any formal degrees for that.”
    “You know something? You’re one of the more interesting employers I’ve had in the past few years, Verity.”
    “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
    Jonas’s leg idly brushed against Verity’s in the water and she felt a tiny thrill along her nerve endings. She took another swallow of beer and discreetly moved her leg out of the way. The last thing she wanted to do was give the hired help any ideas, she told herself. Then her sense of humor took hold. The thought of seducing her dishwasher was unexpectedly intriguing. It was also amusing.
    “Why the smile?” Jonas asked. “Think of something funny?”
    Verity shook her head quickly. “No. I was just relaxing.”
    “The restaurant business is hard on the feet.” Jonas reached beneath the water and pulled Verity’s foot onto his thigh before she realized his intention. He began a deep, slow massage of her calf and the sole of her foot. In fact, I’ve been meaning to tell you that you work too hard. I think you need a little fattening up, too. You’re eating too much vegetarian health food for your own good. You need to introduce a little grease into your diet.”
    She bristled. “My diet is a heck of a lot healthier than yours. Do you know how much pure animal fat was in that hamburger I saw you eating this afternoon? Have you any idea what that stuff does to your insides?”
    “No, but I have a feeling that if I let you, you’ll tell me exactly what it does, and I don’t think I want to hear it tonight. I’m trying to unwind from a hard day’s work. So are you. Relax, boss lady.” His thumbs probed deeply.
    Verity started to argue but suddenly she was overwhelmed by the wonderful sensations Jonas was creating with his hands. She couldn’t remember anything ever feeling as wonderful as his touch on the sore muscles of her calf. “Jonas…”
    His heavy leg settled across her lap. “You do me while I do you. Fair enough?”
    A wave of pure physical pleasure that had its origin in her toes moved through Verity. There was nothing wrong with a massage. It was very therapeutic. Heaven knew they had both worked hard during the weekend. So why did his question have such sensual overtones? she wondered. Or was her mind simply running wild?
    “Fair enough.”
    Tentatively she stroked his hairy leg, seeking the feel of the long muscles there. When she had one shaped beneath her palms she carefully squeezed her fingers.
    “Ah, yes, that’s it.” Jonas’s hand