And she was smart, too. Normally that wasn’t a requirement of Luke’s, but he was liking that she had a little something different. The chase hadn’t lasted as long as he thought it might, but hell, he wasn’t going to turn down a slice of her pie.
They talked over dinner, but not about anything personal. Luke got the feeling that she wasn’t willing to share, which was fine because neither was he. His life was messy. Complicated. And he wasn’t sure yet just how much he wanted to throw Shayla into the deep end of it. He assumed she had similar hang ups. Either that, or she was afraid he’d somehow use her personal details against her. That wasn’t something he did, but he’d seen it done before.
When the check finally came, complete with the waitress’ phone number and a little heart, Luke swatted away Shayla’s outstretched hand.
“I thought you wanted me to pay,” she said sourly.
He grinned and swiped the paper off of the table. “I wanted you to think I wanted you to pay.”
“Why the hell would you do that?”
He rose, grabbing his jacket from the cushion beside him. “Because then you’d feel obligated to come.”
She gave him a blank look.
“What? You’re telling me that if I had offered to take you out for dinner, you would have accepted?”
Her blue eyes darted over him again. “Good point.”
He paid at the front and made a show of throwing the balled up receipt into the trash. Shayla smiled, then wiped her expression clean when she caught him looking at her.
“Where to now?” Luke asked, sliding into his jacket. The leather crinkled warmly. He loved that sound.
“What bar do you usually drink at?”
“You would never go there, little one.”
She wheeled on him, doing her best tough face. “How can you be so sure?”
He stalked toward her, reaching for her arms and turning her gently on the spot. His hands were nearly able to wrap around her arms. He wanted to hold her in place and kiss her, hard, but he was being patient. Instead he simply directed her attention to the bar across the street.
As expected, she froze.
The Bark was one of those places that a person went when they wanted to forget. It didn’t matter what specifically needed to be wiped away—worries, woes, entire lives. The shadowy corners ate up the offerings of the forlorn patrons, and spewed up a false sense of happiness and a razor-tip camaraderie. The kind that can only be found in shitty dive bars with broken neon signs and beer taps that almost never got cleaned.
For Luke, it was home.
“Point one for Luke, I think,” Shayla conceded.
“There’s a first time for everything.” He nudged her toward the street, but Shaya pushed back against him.
“I’m not really looking to get stabbed tonight.”
Luke pressed his lips to her ear from behind her. “And here I was thinking that’s exactly what you were looking for.”
He felt the shiver that coursed through her, and it was as sweet as candy to him. Shayla turned her head ever so slightly, just enough for Luke to feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek.
And then he swept around the side of her and began to cross the street. “Come on,” he called over his shoulder. “Be brave.”
For whatever reason, that worked like a charm. Hurried footsteps announced her arrival next to him.
“If something happens to me, I will be avenged.”
Luke’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Of course. Don’t worry, little one. I’ll protect you.”
The bar was filled with the same kind of people that were there every night. They were nearly as permanent as the smoke stains on the walls and the broken ceiling fan over the bar. Luke nodded at a couple of the guys he knew, and they gave him a curt nod back. Shayla watched these exchanges with wide eyes, as if her whole world had been turned on its end.
Was she really that sheltered? If
They talked over dinner, but not about anything personal. Luke got the feeling that she wasn’t willing to share, which was fine because neither was he. His life was messy. Complicated. And he wasn’t sure yet just how much he wanted to throw Shayla into the deep end of it. He assumed she had similar hang ups. Either that, or she was afraid he’d somehow use her personal details against her. That wasn’t something he did, but he’d seen it done before.
When the check finally came, complete with the waitress’ phone number and a little heart, Luke swatted away Shayla’s outstretched hand.
“I thought you wanted me to pay,” she said sourly.
He grinned and swiped the paper off of the table. “I wanted you to think I wanted you to pay.”
“Why the hell would you do that?”
He rose, grabbing his jacket from the cushion beside him. “Because then you’d feel obligated to come.”
She gave him a blank look.
“What? You’re telling me that if I had offered to take you out for dinner, you would have accepted?”
Her blue eyes darted over him again. “Good point.”
He paid at the front and made a show of throwing the balled up receipt into the trash. Shayla smiled, then wiped her expression clean when she caught him looking at her.
“Where to now?” Luke asked, sliding into his jacket. The leather crinkled warmly. He loved that sound.
“What bar do you usually drink at?”
“You would never go there, little one.”
She wheeled on him, doing her best tough face. “How can you be so sure?”
He stalked toward her, reaching for her arms and turning her gently on the spot. His hands were nearly able to wrap around her arms. He wanted to hold her in place and kiss her, hard, but he was being patient. Instead he simply directed her attention to the bar across the street.
As expected, she froze.
The Bark was one of those places that a person went when they wanted to forget. It didn’t matter what specifically needed to be wiped away—worries, woes, entire lives. The shadowy corners ate up the offerings of the forlorn patrons, and spewed up a false sense of happiness and a razor-tip camaraderie. The kind that can only be found in shitty dive bars with broken neon signs and beer taps that almost never got cleaned.
For Luke, it was home.
“Point one for Luke, I think,” Shayla conceded.
“There’s a first time for everything.” He nudged her toward the street, but Shaya pushed back against him.
“I’m not really looking to get stabbed tonight.”
Luke pressed his lips to her ear from behind her. “And here I was thinking that’s exactly what you were looking for.”
He felt the shiver that coursed through her, and it was as sweet as candy to him. Shayla turned her head ever so slightly, just enough for Luke to feel the warmth of her breath on his cheek.
And then he swept around the side of her and began to cross the street. “Come on,” he called over his shoulder. “Be brave.”
For whatever reason, that worked like a charm. Hurried footsteps announced her arrival next to him.
“If something happens to me, I will be avenged.”
Luke’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Of course. Don’t worry, little one. I’ll protect you.”
The bar was filled with the same kind of people that were there every night. They were nearly as permanent as the smoke stains on the walls and the broken ceiling fan over the bar. Luke nodded at a couple of the guys he knew, and they gave him a curt nod back. Shayla watched these exchanges with wide eyes, as if her whole world had been turned on its end.
Was she really that sheltered? If
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