Page 19
R iley rested against the counter. Holy shit, what a busy lunch hour. Only a few customers remained, and it would likely be quiet until dinner. Jenny nudged Riley’s shoulder and poured herself a glass of water.
“Bet you wish you hadn’t switched your weekend shifts.” She eyed Riley, and then sipped her water. Riley hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jenny since she’d come in at eight-thirty. Josh dried his hands on a towel as he left the kitchen and entered the dining area.
“Did you see that fight that broke out at the Beach Bash Saturday night?” he asked.
Riley crossed one ankle over the other. She had witnessed a fight all right, but not the one Josh was referring to.
And it had been more of a beat down from Ethan than a fair fight from the creep who had tried to take her to the motel.
“No.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I didn’t end up staying that late.”
Jenny’s eyebrows rose. “How come?”
“Jen, can you top me up please?”
Riley narrowed her eyes at her, but Jenny swooped over to Charlie’s table and poured him more coffee before she could question her.
“Let me know if you need anything else,” she told him before making her way back behind the counter.
Her chilly blue eyes zeroed in on Riley. She was like a dog with a bone.
“As a matter of fact, Ethan showed up.” Riley crossed her arms over her chest. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that would you?”
Jenny’s eyes shifted to the floor. “Um…”
“Busted,” Josh snickered.
“Oh shush,” Jenny shot at him. Then to Riley, her tone softer, “He asked where you were, and I was worried. I didn’t know he was going to chase you down. But I’m glad he did.” A beat passed. “I’m sorry.”
Riley shrugged, and then pulled Jenny into a hug. “Don’t sweat it. It worked out.”
Jenny leaned close. “Tell me everything,” she whispered.
“I so don’t need to hear this.” Josh pushed away from the counter to head to the back.
Riley laughed and turned back to Jenny. “He’s an ex-FBI agent.”
“What?” Jenny hissed.
“Whoa.” Josh stopped in his tracks and turned around. “No shit.”
“Language,” Jenny snapped.
“Sorry.” He mouthed. “But for real? He’s an FBI agent? That’s dope.”
“What’s that now?” Charlie asked from behind them. Riley groaned and turned around.
“Nothing, Charlie. Just a friend of mine.” Riley smiled and waited as Jenny met him at the counter to ring him through. She scanned the tables and sure enough, another customer drummed his fingers on the counter. She grabbed the carafe and weaved through to their table.
“Good afternoon, would you like more coffee?” She asked the couple, her arm poised to pour. They smiled and slid their cups over. Her mind worked, but she didn’t remember them.
As she turned away from the couple, the chime on the front door sounded. Her eyes widened at the newcomer. Hadn’t he moved away? It had been years…
Brian, her ex-boyfriend from high school, hadn’t changed a bit. His sandy blond hair was gelled back, and he wore a dark T-shirt and cargo shorts. “Riley?” He pulled his sunglasses from his eyes, a warm smile stretched from his lips to his soft brown eyes.
“Brian, hi. It’s good to see you.” She set the carafe on the counter and he pulled her into a hug. The scent of strong cologne and hair product swarmed around her. She fought the urge to plug her nose. The door chimed again, but with Brian blocking her view, she couldn’t see who had entered.
She patted his back awkwardly. Her smile stiffened on her face as she pulled out of his reach and took a step back.
“I’ve been hoping to bump into you since I heard you were back in town. How are you?” He rocked back on his heels.
She rested her hands on the counter beside him. “I’m good. It’s weird being back, but so nice to see everyone.”
“I bet. I wish you came home under different circumstances.” His eyes darkened, and his tone lowered.
She swallowed and nodded.
“We should have coffee sometime to catch—”
“S’cuse me,” a deep voice sounded. Brian stepped aside and Ethan brushed past him.
His eyes landed on her. A shadow crossed over his deep blue irises.
His fingers gently circled her wrist, and then slid to catch her fingers.
He winked at her. Brian scratched his head and turned to look around the restaurant.
“Hey.” Ethan’s voice was as smooth as brandy as it slid out of his lips.
Her heart knocked into her rib cage. God, he looked good. The sun from yesterday had darkened his tan, accentuating the depths of his eyes. Dark drops littered his gray T-shirt from the rain that came down outside.
Her cheeks warmed. Her fingers tingled from the heat of his palm.
“Hi.” Her voice shook.
“Come see me when you get a break, okay?”
She nodded. His hand fell from hers and he disappeared behind her. She turned her attention back to Brian. “Sorry, Brian. What were you saying?”
“Ah, nothing.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I better grab a seat. See you around, Riley.” He gave her a tight smile and headed for one of the tables.
Jenny and Josh stood behind the counter staring at her. Jenny bobbed her eyebrows.
She made a face at them. “What?”
“Way to mark his territory, huh?” Josh shook his head, laughed and disappeared into the back. Riley frowned.
Jenny shrugged. “If I were you girl, I wouldn’t complain.” She leaned over the counter and nodded her head toward where Brian sat on the other side of the restaurant. “He’s a firefighter by the way. He just moved back last fall. You going on break now?”
Riley undid her apron, and Jenny reached for it. “I’ll take this to the back for you. Now hurry up and pick which one you’re going to talk to. The suspense is killing me,” she whispered.
Riley stuck her tongue out. “Don’t read too much into it.” But a smile tingled the corner of her mouth.
Jenny made a low whistle. Riley rolled her eyes, sauntered down the aisle, and took the seat across from Ethan. She pursed her lips. “What was that about?”
Ethan’s eyes rounded, his hand pressed to his chest. “Who, me?”
“Ha-ha, very funny. Why didn’t you just pee on me? Isn’t that how dogs mark their territory?”
He laughed, and pushed himself back in the booth. His arms folded across his chest. “I guess I could have, but that’s taking our relationship to another level, wouldn’t you say?”
She set her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. “Considering we don’t have a relationship, yes, I would have to agree.”
“Sorry babe, you don’t fool me. I saw the way your eyes lit up when I walked past you.” He wagged his index finger at her.
She clamped her hand around it to still it. His hand folded around hers and brought it down to the table. She swallowed.
“They did not light up.”
“Did too.” His thumb slid over her knuckles.
Her heart stalled. “You’re very bad at reading me.”
“Is that so? How come whenever I touch you, I can see your pulse jump right”—he brought his free hand to the tender spot on her throat—“here.” He grazed his finger over the spot.
She wet her lips.
“And, when I do something you like, you run your tongue over your bottom lip.” His thumb moved to slide beneath her lip.
She pulled out of his reach. Her body hummed with every teasing touch. “Ethan, you can’t do that here.”
One dark eyebrow rose. “So where can I?”
She pulled her hand free from his, and clasped them on her lap and out of his reach. “You said you were going to help me. I feel like things are taking a different turn.”
The laughter vanished from his eyes. “I am going to help, I promise. I was just teasing you. Mostly because I like irritating that dude that keeps looking over here.” He jerked his head in Brian’s direction.
Riley followed his gaze. Sure enough, Brian was staring. He shifted in his seat under her gaze, and swirled his coffee in front of him. Darn it.
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and back down. “You dick,” she ground out, but the words lacked venom. “For your information I dated him in high school and haven’t seen him since.”
Ethan’s brow arched. “That explains it.”
She scrunched her face at him and he leaned forward, his elbows planted on the table.
“What are your plans tonight?” he asked.
“I’m going to visit Hanna’s parents.”
His feet locked with hers under the table.
She tucked them back and scowled at him. Visiting them had been difficult since Hanna’s disappearance, but it was something she needed to do.
His gaze searched her eyes, drinking her in, exposing every dark corner of her soul. “Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s nice seeing them. But I don’t get done here until six, so it will be a late night.”
“Where do they live?”
“Not far, about fifteen minutes away near Wildwood.”
“Do you still have my number? If it’s not too late, maybe we can meet somewhere and go over things.”
She nodded. He didn’t need to know that she’d programmed it in her phone after he’d given her his card. “Okay.” She pressed her hands into the table and stood. “But I should grab a bite to eat before my break is over. Thanks for the chat.”
He smiled, and his eyes sparkled at her. “It was my pleasure.”
That smile curled its way around her heart, warming her insides.
A tingling sensation coursed down her thighs.
Her nipples tightened against the material of her bra.
She made her way to the back room before he noticed.
As she passed Brian’s line of vision, she lifted her hand in a silent wave.
He smiled, sipped his coffee, and brought his attention back to the cell phone in front of him.
Hours later, her feet ached and her stomach rumbled. At home, she changed out of her work clothes and pulled the fresh apple pie she’d bought from the diner out of the fridge. The rain that had started earlier was heavy now. It would be a yucky drive.
Table of Contents
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- Page 5
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- Page 9
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- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19 (Reading here)
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
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- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
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- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48