Captivated (Club Destiny #6) by Nicole Edwards Page B

for a few years right after high
school. Thankfully, they had found some truly excellent doctors who managed to
get her mother back on her feet, after four successful back surgeries to repair
her spine after a horrible car accident had all but paralyzed her. It had been
a long recovery, but her mother was a different woman today than she was back
then.
    However,
it had come at Lucie’s expense, though she would never admit it to her mother.
Instead, once her mother was back on her feet, Lucie had come to work at Club
Destiny, hoping to make enough money to save for college.
    Then
another turn of events – namely Kane – had altered her course yet again and here
she was standing before him, almost six years later still employed as a
bartender slash waitress and doing everything to raise her beautiful little
girl who’d been her miracle in a particularly dark time. And still, she had let
the dark cloud of her life take over. Until recently. Until that night when
Kane finally came to her, finally insisted that they give in to whatever was
still brewing between them. And now she felt like a different person.
    Feeling
even more brazen than before, Lucie approached Kane. Placing her hand on his
chest she successfully inserted herself between him and the floozy who was barely
balancing on those four inch heels. Letting her eyes skim his mouth briefly,
Lucie then met his gaze and smiled. “Let me walk her out and then we can talk.”
    It
was Kane’s turn to nod, not saying a word, but she could see the heat reflected
in his eyes.
    “Come
on, honey,” Lucie told the woman, gently touching her arm. “The cab should be
here now.”
    As
Lucie walked the woman out, she managed to get her address so she could tell
the taxi driver where to take her. After a somewhat teary goodbye on the other woman’s
part, the way too intoxicated woman flopped into the cab and was on her way.
That’s why Lucie didn’t drink anymore. That and what happened between her and
Kane that one night so many years ago.
    Once
back inside, Lucie ventured over to the bar, watching Kane as he quickly ran
through a list of items in front of him before their eyes met again.
    “Thanks,”
he said as she approached.
    She could
only smile. “I really need to get home. I promise I’ll call when I get there.”
    “I
want to take you and Haley somewhere,” Kane blurted, and Lucie had to think
hard to process what he was saying.
    “It’s
the middle of the night,” she replied, figuring he already realized that, but
she had to state the obvious anyway.
    Then
he laughed, and the dark, rich sound of it rumbled through her making her want
things she never thought she’d want again.
    “I
wasn’t talking about tonight,” he clarified, grinning from ear to ear.
    “Oh.”
She knew that.
    “Tomorrow,”
he stated, taking a step closer and putting one hand on her hip.
    Lucie
glanced around nervously, making sure no one saw them. She clearly didn’t have
any problem with Kane touching her, but she certainly wasn’t interested in
letting the other employees see them.
    “Where
are we going?” she inquired. She was tired, her feet hurt, and she was sure
Haley would be up early, but Lucie wouldn’t deny wanting to see Kane.
    “Hawaii,”
he said, his eyes locked with hers.
    Lucie
expected to see the humor on his face, but what she saw surprised her. He was serious.
    “I
can’t miss work, Kane. You know that,” she told him.
    Although
he was paying child support now, Lucie was still trying to make ends meet. She
was saving up money so that she could move her and Haley to another apartment
in another part of town before her daughter started kindergarten. The area they
were in wasn’t safe, and Lucie was eager to start over somewhere else. Soon.
    “Your
time off has already been approved. With pay,” Kane stated and Lucie jerked
away from him.
    “ What? ”
How could he? Did he actually ask Luke to give her time off with pay?
    “I
told Luke that we both