the McCoy crowd had stuck around for
longer than she expected. Something about a celebration although Lucie hadn’t
understood what they were celebrating. Nor did she ask.
As
she walked past the bar, half tempted to sneak out without talking to Kane, she
found herself stopping abruptly. The scene she was witnessing caused something
dark and bitter to flood her system.
There,
at the other end of the bar was Kane... and some blonde floozy who seemed to be
cozying up to him quite nicely. To his credit, it didn’t appear Kane was at all
interested in the overly intoxicated woman, but there was a jolt of
possessiveness that flooded through her, making her want to scratch the woman’s
eyes out.
Never
having been the catty type, Lucie smiled in spite of herself. After the night
Kane had stayed at her apartment, something had undoubtedly changed between the
two of them, yet they hadn’t spoken much since. He’d visited Haley just like
normal each day, but they still had yet to have the conversation that was
looming over both of them.
Feeling
a little bold, and a lot possessive, Lucie approached Kane and the woman just
to see what was going on.
“Let
me call you a cab,” Kane told the blonde, turning back to the bar.
“I’d
much prefer you to take me home,” the woman said, although the words were
jumbled together and slurred. When the woman grabbed his arm, effectively
stopping his efforts to reach the phone, Lucie interjected.
“I’ll
call for you,” Lucie offered, glaring at the woman and not looking at Kane.
“Thanks,
baby.” Kane’s words penetrated her brain and Lucie froze in place, a strange,
but not uncomfortable tingle just beneath her skin.
Did
he have any idea what he just said? A bright ember of hope bloomed in Lucie’s
chest, and a smile graced her lips. Reaching for the phone, she quickly dialed
the cab company’s number that was taped just beneath the bar.
A
minute later, she turned back to the woman who was still hanging on Kane,
although he looked more than a little irritated at this point. When their eyes
met, there was a plea for help in the turbulent gray orbs, and Lucie almost
smiled. Almost. It was comical to see the big, bad, surly Kane Steele needing
help to fend off a poor, helpless drunk woman.
Instead
of ignoring him, like she would do normally, Lucie moved closer. “Cab will be
here in five.”
“Thank
you,” Kane mouthed, his eyes glued to her lips, which made Lucie’s thighs
quiver. She subconsciously licked her lips and to her surprise, Kane groaned.
“You’re
killing me, baby.”
Lucie
had never considered herself the kind of woman that a man would want with the
type of desire she saw in Kane’s eyes. But she’d seen it before from him and
quite frankly, it empowered her.
Over
the last few years, Lucie had lost touch with herself, being more focused on
being Haley’s mom and nothing more. She worked, she slept, she took care of her
precious little girl, but beyond that, she’d become a shell of the woman she
had once been.
She’d
become the meek, timid woman that she hated, but when Kane looked at her like
that, she felt her old self deep down, begging to get out. Interestingly
enough, she reflected back on the night he had come to her apartment and all
but insisted she go down on him in her shower and her body flared to life once
more.
Not
that Lucie had ever been the flirty type, but she had been fairly popular with
both men and women. She knew what she looked like, knew that men hit on her
every single night at the bar, but she figured that was primarily the booze
talking. Except in high school, she had been sought after by the boys, but
she’d been the nerdy type, so she’d spent four years ignoring them in hopes of
making something of her life.
That
hadn’t happened though, but not because she didn’t try. The turn of events in
her life had sent her down a different path than she originally planned and
Lucie found herself taking care of her mother
longer than she expected. Something about a celebration although Lucie hadn’t
understood what they were celebrating. Nor did she ask.
As
she walked past the bar, half tempted to sneak out without talking to Kane, she
found herself stopping abruptly. The scene she was witnessing caused something
dark and bitter to flood her system.
There,
at the other end of the bar was Kane... and some blonde floozy who seemed to be
cozying up to him quite nicely. To his credit, it didn’t appear Kane was at all
interested in the overly intoxicated woman, but there was a jolt of
possessiveness that flooded through her, making her want to scratch the woman’s
eyes out.
Never
having been the catty type, Lucie smiled in spite of herself. After the night
Kane had stayed at her apartment, something had undoubtedly changed between the
two of them, yet they hadn’t spoken much since. He’d visited Haley just like
normal each day, but they still had yet to have the conversation that was
looming over both of them.
Feeling
a little bold, and a lot possessive, Lucie approached Kane and the woman just
to see what was going on.
“Let
me call you a cab,” Kane told the blonde, turning back to the bar.
“I’d
much prefer you to take me home,” the woman said, although the words were
jumbled together and slurred. When the woman grabbed his arm, effectively
stopping his efforts to reach the phone, Lucie interjected.
“I’ll
call for you,” Lucie offered, glaring at the woman and not looking at Kane.
“Thanks,
baby.” Kane’s words penetrated her brain and Lucie froze in place, a strange,
but not uncomfortable tingle just beneath her skin.
Did
he have any idea what he just said? A bright ember of hope bloomed in Lucie’s
chest, and a smile graced her lips. Reaching for the phone, she quickly dialed
the cab company’s number that was taped just beneath the bar.
A
minute later, she turned back to the woman who was still hanging on Kane,
although he looked more than a little irritated at this point. When their eyes
met, there was a plea for help in the turbulent gray orbs, and Lucie almost
smiled. Almost. It was comical to see the big, bad, surly Kane Steele needing
help to fend off a poor, helpless drunk woman.
Instead
of ignoring him, like she would do normally, Lucie moved closer. “Cab will be
here in five.”
“Thank
you,” Kane mouthed, his eyes glued to her lips, which made Lucie’s thighs
quiver. She subconsciously licked her lips and to her surprise, Kane groaned.
“You’re
killing me, baby.”
Lucie
had never considered herself the kind of woman that a man would want with the
type of desire she saw in Kane’s eyes. But she’d seen it before from him and
quite frankly, it empowered her.
Over
the last few years, Lucie had lost touch with herself, being more focused on
being Haley’s mom and nothing more. She worked, she slept, she took care of her
precious little girl, but beyond that, she’d become a shell of the woman she
had once been.
She’d
become the meek, timid woman that she hated, but when Kane looked at her like
that, she felt her old self deep down, begging to get out. Interestingly
enough, she reflected back on the night he had come to her apartment and all
but insisted she go down on him in her shower and her body flared to life once
more.
Not
that Lucie had ever been the flirty type, but she had been fairly popular with
both men and women. She knew what she looked like, knew that men hit on her
every single night at the bar, but she figured that was primarily the booze
talking. Except in high school, she had been sought after by the boys, but
she’d been the nerdy type, so she’d spent four years ignoring them in hopes of
making something of her life.
That
hadn’t happened though, but not because she didn’t try. The turn of events in
her life had sent her down a different path than she originally planned and
Lucie found herself taking care of her mother
Similar Books
