Page 5

Cora

“For the last time, Burt, I’m not going out with you. There’s no reason we need to discuss the lease terms over dinner.” Balancing three plates along my left arm, I grabbed the carafe from the warmer with my right hand and refilled Mr. Peterson’s coffee. “I’m interested in the space for my business, not whatever you think might happen afterward.”

Burt Parker’s oily smile didn’t falter. He’d been camped out in my section for the last forty minutes nursing his coffee, which just so happened to be the cheapest thing on the menu while trying to leverage his position as property manager of the building I was interested in, into a date.

That shit was never going to happen. EVER.

“I’m just saying, Cora, we could discuss the paperwork somewhere more comfortable. I know a great little Italian place.”

“Order up!” Joey shouted through the pickup window, saving me from having to respond.

Thank the Gods.

“Excuse me,” I said, forcing myself to remain polite. “Duty calls.”

I delivered the three plates to the corner booth, two double cheeseburgers and a chicken sandwich, before swinging by the window to grab my next order.

The lunch rush was in full swing, and The Burger Shack was popping. Not that I was complaining. I desperately needed the money.

“Earl, where’s table seven’s tuna melt?” I called through the window.

“Coming up,” he tossed back, his freshly shaved bald head shining under the kitchen lights.

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t keep the smile from my face.

Working at the Burger Shack wasn’t glamorous, but Earl treated his staff like family, and the tips were always good.

“How’s it going with Creepy McGee?” Bethany asked as she sidled up next to me at the drink station, nodding toward Burt.

“Same song, different verse.” I shook my head as I loaded the chocolate shake and Diet Coke onto my tray. “He won’t lease me the space unless I go out with him, but he keeps pretending it’d only be a friendly business dinner.”

“Gross,” she huffed with the weary wisdom of someone twice her twenty-one years. “Want me to spill something on him?”

I laughed. “Tempting, but I need that storefront. It’s perfect. Right on the water, great foot traffic, and just the right size.”

“Your loss.” She shrugged, then froze, staring at the entrance. “Holy crap. Who is that?”

I turned to look, ready to tease her about getting all googly-eyed over the customers when my eyes landed on the one man I had hoped I would never see again.

Mason Sosa.

The asshole who stomped all over my heart.

And the bastard had the nerve to look just as good as the first time I saw him. Hell, maybe even better.

He was still impossibly tall and broad-shouldered, with those deep brown eyes. His dark hair was shorter now, with a little more gray at the temples.

Five years had been better to him than he deserved.

Bastard .

“Dibs,” Bethany whispered, smoothing out her apron.

“He’s too old for you,” I snapped. He was too old for me too, but the age gap had never bothered me.

She raised an eyebrow at my tone. “You know him?”

Biblically was on the tip of my tongue, but she didn’t need to know that.

“Unfortunately,” I found myself saying instead as I turned away, hoping he hadn’t spotted me yet.

No such luck.

When I turned back around after grabbing plates from the window, his eyes were locked onto mine. Something flashed across his face. Recognition, surprise, and then something darker I refused to acknowledge.

“Seat yourself,” I called out, deliberately looking away. “Someone will be right with you.”

Please don’t let him sit in my section. Please don’t let him sit in my section.

Did I take my time delivering drinks and jotting down orders?

Yes I did.

However, I couldn’t hide from the jerk forever. Especially seeing as it was clear he wasn’t going anywhere.

Sucking in a deep breath, I dug down deep and found my lady balls.

Turning around, there he was. Sitting at a booth in the back.

Smack dab in the middle of my section.

Did it annoy me that every woman was drooling at the sight of him leaning back with his big tattooed arms draped across the back of the booth and a sexy grin on his stupid handsome face.

Hell yes it did!

“I’ve got this one,” Bethany offered, clearly picking up on the murderous vibes rolling off me.

“No.” I shook my head. “He’s in my section. I can handle it.”

I was an adult, right? And five years was a long time.

Things had changed—I had changed.

Besides, what were the odds he even remembered me? We’d had one drunken night together.

Taking another deep breath, I blew it out and steeled my shoulders. How bad could it be?

With my order pad in hand, I approached his table and kept my expression neutral.

“What can I get you?” I asked, not making eye contact.

“Hello to you too, Cora.” The sound of his deep gravelly voice was like a dagger to the heart all over again.

“You’re holding up a table during lunch rush. Order or leave.” My jaw tightened. Okay, maybe I couldn’t handled it. All the same, I needed him gone.

He leaned forward, crossing his arms loosely on the table in front of him. “I’ll take a coffee. Black. And a few minutes of your time.”

“We’ve got plenty of coffee, but I’m fresh out of time.”

A hint of a smile played at his lips, and it pissed me off even more.

I’d forgotten how his face transformed when he smiled, how his eyes crinkled at the corners and how the one side of his mouth lifted higher than the other.

“I’ll wait,” he said with infuriating confidence.

I turned on my heel and headed for the coffee pot, trying to ignore the prickling along the back of my neck.

“He can wait until hell freezes over,” I muttered, filling a mug to overflowing with black coffee.

“Shit.” Quickly grabbing a towel, I cleaned up the mess.

Snap out of it! We’re not interested in anything he has to say.

Jacksonville wasn’t exactly a small town, and in the five years since I’d last seen him, not once had our paths crossed. Now suddenly he was in my diner, acting like nothing happened?

Hell-to-the-no!

Returning with his coffee, I placed it on the table harder than necessary, sending some of it sloshing over the rim.

“Sorry.” I smiled, saccharine sweet.

Lies. All lies. I wasn’t the least bit sorry. I hoped he fucking choked on it.

His dark brown eyes lifted from the mess on the table and locked on mine. “Your brother asked me to check on you.”

At the mention of my brother I froze. That was the last thing I’d expected him to say. “Braxton? Why would he?—”

“There’s been some... stuff going on. Club shit, nothing for you to worry about, but he wanted me to make sure you were okay.”

Crossing my arms, I studied his face. He wasn’t telling me everything. “What kind of stuff?”

“The kind that doesn’t concern you.”

“If it doesn’t concern me, then why are you here?”

Chief took a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving mine. “I told you. You’re brother wanted me to check in on you.”

Before I could respond, Earl shouted through the window. “Cora! Orders are piling up!”

“I have to work,” I said, already backing away. “Thanks for the warning. Consider me checked on.”

Without another look in his direction I threw myself back into the lunch rush, filling drinks, delivering food, and clearing tables. All the while, Chief remained in the back booth, his eyes following my every move.

After forty-five excruciating minutes, he still hadn’t left. He’d ordered a burger when Bethany passed by his table, and was nursing a second cup of coffee, seemingly content to wait me out.

Burt had finally left, but not before making one more attempt to secure a dinner date.

That would happen when hell froze over.

I approached Chief’s table again when I couldn’t reasonably avoid it any longer.

“Refill?” I asked, holding up the coffee pot.

“What time do you get off?” he countered.

“None of your business.”

“I’m driving you home.”

“Like hell you are.”

He leaned forward, his voice dropping. “Cora, don’t be a bitch. Your brother is worried. I promised him I’d keep an eye on you until shit settled down. Give me a fucking break, yeah?”

The nerve of this asshole.

Leaning in to match his fucking audacity, I growled, “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, buddy. Tonight won’t be any different. And don’t call me a bitch.”

The corner of his stupid sexy mouth twitched. “Humor me.”

“No.” I meant it. I didn’t need a damn babysitter. Especially if it was him. I was a big girl.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. “You’re still stubborn as hell.”

“And you’re an asshole who lied about being married!” The words spilled out before I could stop them.

The semi-playful gleam in his eyes shuttered and I instantly hated myself for it. “Haven’t been married for a long time.”

“I… I’m sorry,” I said genuinely meaning it.

“Four o’clock,” he said, completely ignoring my apology. “That’s when your shift ends, right? I’ll be waiting outside.”

My cheeks burned with indignation. “How do you?—”

“It’s posted on the door.” He pointed to the sign on the door that listed the The Burger Shack’s hours of operation. “I’ll be in my truck.”

“Do whatever you want. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Chief’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes suggested he found my defiance amusing rather than deterring.

The smug bastard. I hated him.

“We’ll see.” He laid a fifty on the table, way more than his meal cost, and slide out of his seat. Even after all these years, his sheer size caught me off guard.

“See you at four, Cora.”

I stared at the money on the table, fighting the urge to run after him and shove it down his throat.

Bastard .

* * *

At ten after four I hung up my apron in the kitchen and said goodbye to Earl and Bethany.

“Have fun with Mr. tall, dark, and handsome,” she teased, waggling her eyebrows.

“I’m not—” I started, then stopped. There was no use wasting my breath. Bethany had been teasing me about Chief since he’d left earlier. “See you tomorrow.”

When I shoved open the door and stepped out into the late afternoon heat, I was hoping he had gotten tired of waiting and left.

No such luck.

His big black pickup was parked directly across from the entrance and the engine was running.

Like the sophisticated woman I was, I lifted my hand and flipped him the bird. Then I turned and ran in the opposite direction.

I made it exactly half a block before I heard the rumble of the diesel engine pulling alongside me. “Get in the fucking truck, Cora.”

“I’m good, thanks.” I kept walking.

Surprisingly, he kept pace with me, rolling slowly beside the curb. “Don’t make this difficult.”

“I’m not making anything difficult. I’m walking home, like I do every day.”

“Do you want me to spank your ass?”

I whipped my head around and narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t!”

Chief’s sigh was audible even over the rumble of his engine. “Would you stop being stubborn for two fucking minutes and just get in the goddamn truck so I can drive you home?”

I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Why should I?”

“Because it’s a mile to your apartment, and there’s a storm coming.” He gestured to the darkening clouds gathering behind me. “And because I’m not going anywhere until I see you safely inside your place, so you might as well save us both some time.”

I glanced up at the sky. The weather forecast hadn’t mentioned rain, but the dark clouds definitely said something was brewing. The thought of Chief trying to talk to me for ten blocks didn’t really appeal either.

“Fine,” I relented. “But I’m only doing this because it looks like it’s going to rain.”

A satisfied smile played at the corner of his mouth as I climbed into his truck.

“Address?” he asked, watching as I buckled my seatbelt.

“You don’t know where I live?” I honestly was surprised he didn’t know already since he was so damn insistent about invading my life today.

“You’re brother texted it to me earlier, but I didn’t open the message. I was trying not to invade your privacy. And I wanted you to tell me yourself, baby.”

I ignored the endearment and gave him my address, then set my sights on the clouds rolling in as he pulled away from the curb. “Are you going to tell me what is going on that has my brother so worried?” I glanced over.

His eyes were on the road. “Like I said, it’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“I’m not supposed to worry, yet whatever it is has my brother worried enough to send you to check up on me?”

His hands tightened around the steering wheel. “Had some shit go down with another club here in town. We’ve handled it… mostly. That’s all you need to know.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and scoffed. “You couldn’t have sent someone else to do the checking up on me?”

Chief glanced at me, his brows pulled down low. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I looked away. “It means, I meant it when I said that I never wanted to see you again.”

“Cora…” he started.

“Forget it. Just take me home.” I stared out the window, watching as big raindrops started to spatter against the glass. The gloomy weather was the perfect backdrop to my mood.

In no time the rain started coming down harder, drumming against the roof of the truck. I had to admit, I was grateful I wasn’t out there getting drenched.

“Turn right at the next light. It’s the third building on the left.”

Chief navigated through the rain, pulling up in front of my apartment building. It was one of the nicer places on this side of town, though I was stretching my budget to afford it.

“Nice place,” he commented as he shifted his truck into park.

“Thanks.” I reached for the door handle, eager to escape. “Well, thanks for the ride. You can tell my brother, mission accomplished.”

“I’ll walk you up.” He shut off the truck.

Like hell. “That’s really not necessary.”

“Stop busting my balls, Cora.”

Before I could tell him to kick rocks, he was out of the truck and rounding the hood. I sighed and pushed open my door, just as he appeared, offering me his hand. I glanced at it then back to him. Yeah right.

I wasn’t accepting any more help from him. Not today. Not ever.

Relax, Cora. He’ll be gone soon and then you can go back to pretending he doesn’t exist.

I made my way to the building entrance without sparing him another look. As far as I was concerned his promise to my brother was fulfilled. “Well. This is me. Bye.”

I heard him sigh as I punched in my access code, and the door buzzed open.

“I’m walking you to your door.” Without being invited inside, he followed me in.

“Like I said before. That’s not necessary.” I headed for the elevator and tagged the button. The doors opened and the jerk who clearly wasn’t listening to a word I said stepped in behind me.

When the doors opened on my floor, I stepped out quickly, fishing my keys from my bag. And of course, Chief was right on my heels.

“Well, you walked me to my door,” I said, doing nothing to hide my annoyance as I fit my key into the lock.

Do you think the asshole had the good grace to beat feet?

That would be a big fat negative.

Instead of leaving, he leaned against the wall next to my door and crossed his big sexy arms over his chest.

Did I mention he’s a bastard?

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked, clearly enjoying that he was pissing me off

Key half-turned in the lock, I glanced over at him. “Why in the hell would I do that?”

“So I can check the place out. Make sure it’s secure.”

I couldn’t help it. I really couldn’t. The asshole had jokes and made me laugh. “Please listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth.” I waited until I had full attention. “I would rather boil rice one grain at a time than let you into my home.”

He pressed one of his meaty palms against his heart. “Ouch.”

“You deserve far worse,” I said under my breath as I pushed open my door. “Thank you for the ride. Goodbye, Chief.”

He straightened, towering over me. For a moment, I thought he might try to push past me, but instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

“Put your number in,” he said, holding it out to me.

I wrinkled my nose. “What for?”

His eyes dropped to my lips then darted back up. “Because until whatever’s happening blows over, I need a way to check on you.”

I stared at him, trying to read between the bullshit.

He shook the phone. “Humor me.”

There was something in his eyes—concern, yes, but something else too. Something that made my pulse quicken despite knowing what a bad idea this all was.

“Fine.” I snatched the phone from his hand and typed in my number, then handed it back. If he had my number then there was no need for him to show up again. “Happy now?”

“Ecstatic.” He didn’t sound ecstatic as he pocketed the phone, but I couldn’t be bothered to care. “Lock your door when you go in and don’t open it for anyone you don’t know. And answer your damn phone if I call.”

Not only was he an asshole, he was a bossy bastard, too. I narrowed my eyes. “Yes, Sir. Anything else?”

The hint of a smile appeared again. “Sir? Like that, baby.”

“Stop calling me that.”

He turned to leave, then paused, glancing back over his shoulder at me. “It was good seeing you, Cora”.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I didn’t know what to say to that. It didn’t feel good to me. Seeing him again hurt.

When I didn’t reply, he tipped his head and continued down the hall.

As I stood there, watching him walk away, one question kept going through my mind.

What the hell just happened?