Gemma sat back in her chair, staring. "You're serious? Higher education with no strings attached?"
That would be an amazing gesture. No one had ever believed in her. Well, maybe her mom, but...
"There are conditions," he clarified. "But nothing sexual. How are your grades?"
"Decent enough, but I can't accept more of your charity. And I don't want to start my life saddled with student loans. I'll just get a job and support myself."
"You don't need a loan, Gemma. And I'm not offering you charity. You'll work for me while you're going to school."
She blinked. This man barely knew her, and he was offering to save her. Why? As far as she could tell, he wasn't any sort of philanthropist or caped crusader taking troubled teens in off the street. Since he apparently hadn't offered her a roof because he wanted to get his kink on with her, what was his deal?
Gemma could only think of one other possibility; he pitied her. She swallowed a lump of frustration. No way would she ask him if he felt sorry for her. She didn't want to hear the answer.
"Axel..." To Gemma's horror, she started crying.
"Precious…" His voice was painfully soft. "Let me do this for you."
"Why?" She swiped a hand across her wet cheeks.
"It sounds like you haven't had many breaks in your short life. I can change that."
He wasn't wrong. How nice would it be to have one advantage?
She sighed. "What kind of work did you have in mind?"
"First" he looked slightly sheepish "you must have noticed I can't cook. At all."
That was the first time she'd heard Axel admit he sucked at something. And as far as she could tell, he never apologized for anything. He could be damn stubborn…but under his bluster, he could also be terribly kind.
She hid a smile. "Yeah, you nearly set the kitchen on fire the other morning. And you make lousy coffee."
"Well, I can count on you to be honest." He chuckled. "You're fantastic at both. So you can take on those responsibilities."
"That's easy. I like to cook. And I love to bake."
"I've noticed. Those apple spice muffins?" He all but groaned. "The best."
"Thanks." Her lips curled up with pride. She couldn't remember the last time someone had complimented her.
"It's good to see you smile, precious."
"You talked about a job, Axel. The going rate for a few home-cooked meals is next to nothing. School is way more expensive than that."
"I wasn't finished. I also need reliable help around here. Inventory and secretarial assistance are in short supply. I could use a hand preparing the club each night before opening, so tasks like stocking the coolers with chilled water and filling the bins with clean blankets. And the equipment must be sanitized and stored properly."
Okay, so he had more responsibility in mind than a little kitchen duty, but it still didn't sound like a fair exchange. Her considerable pride told her to refuse his handout. Except…what if he really did need help around here? He'd stuck his neck out for her when no one else had. He had faith in her when no one else did. He cared for her well-being when no one else would.
She owed him.
"Of course I'll do it. But how am I supposed to cook and tidy up for you from a dorm room?" A place like that honestly sounded horrible. The last thing she wanted to do was share space with vapid girls whose only worry was how their hair looked and which jock to flirt with. She would have nothing in common with them.
"You'll stay here."
"Really? I can?"
"Absolutely. I'll need you nearby. And it's not safe for you out there."
A smile spread across her face. This deal got better with every second. "That would be great. But are you sure you're getting your money's worth?"
"I will. You'll get a business degree with a focus on accounting and finance. I know my limitations; keeping the books is one of them. And if I never had to work on the club's taxes again, I would be thrilled. Trust me, you'd be doing me a favor."
Now he was talking. That was a real job people got paid decent money for. Maybe he didn't see her as merely a charity case.
"You've got a deal."
"Excellent. I expect you to take care of the paperwork to get your GED. Let me know when you need money and how much. You can start at the local community college while you figure out what four-year university around here you'd like to attend. Then we'll work on getting you accepted."
Suddenly, the future Gemma hadn't wanted to face because she'd merely been surviving looked lots brighter.
She had so much to be thankful for now, and she owed everything to Axel, who apparently wasn't like other guys.
Obviously he liked sex. Duh, he ran a kink club. But he wasn't demanding a piece of her ass. Maybe he wasn't into jailbait. After all, a statutory rape charge would be bad for business. Or maybe he just wasn't into her…though she'd thought she'd caught him looking once or twice.