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“While daddy buys you cars to wreck.”
That comment got her dander up, as her mother would say. Mainly because it hit too close to home. Her chin tipped. Unfortunately, her upbringing refused to allow the scathing reply she wanted to give. “I’m very tired. I’d like to go to bed now.” Regally she stood and walked to the front door.
Dozer chuckled and followed, getting her message clearly. He stopped and tipped her chin up with gentle fingers, forcing her eyes to meet his. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, princess.”
His gaze dropped to her lips and Janel felt herself lean in. She’d had a few kisses since James, but never had she craved a man’s lips on hers like she did now. She wet her lips, her gaze moved down to his mouth, and slowly she closed her eyes in anticipation.
It took her a few moments to understand that Dozer was softly laughing, and when she opened her eyes, he was halfway down the stairs. How humiliating. She closed the door and leaned back against it with a feeling she didn’t recognize burning her up inside.
A feeling that didn’t have anything to do with embarrassment, but with regret. She wished he’d kissed her.
* * *
The next day, Dozer had picked her up for work as if the night before never happened. When he dropped her off, he reminded her he’d be back around nine to pick her up.
Walter had been in a mood, and then the lunch rush kept her busy. She didn’t have time to think about the almost kiss that hadn’t been. She had dreamed about it, though.
The customers were extra talkative, which was fine. She enjoyed talking with them, and their orders seemed to have a lot of variations from what was on the menu. She didn’t mind, but she knew it threw Walter off his game.
Around two, things slowed down enough that she could clean and restock. Then at three, Walter handed her a plate of food and told her to sit down and eat. Her stomach growled at the mouth-watering smell of the burger and fries.
Just as she was taking her first bite, the bell above the door rang. She grinned when she looked up and found Luc headed for her table in another one of those custom suits that fit him perfectly. Today it was dark gray with a very fine silver pinstripe, so thin you didn’t at first notice until the light hit it. Luc was a very handsome man. Again her breath caught at the uncanny similarity he had to James.
“Don’t mind if I join you, do you?” he asked.
She smiled up at him, her tummy choosing that moment to do a happy flip. “Not at all. What can I get you and I’ll put your order in.” She started to rise, but he stopped her.
“Nope, you sit and eat, and I’ll go tell Walter.” He didn’t wait for her to answer before he was heading into the kitchen.
Janel wasn’t sure how Walter was going to feel about having a customer invade his kitchen. She dunked a fry in ketchup and chewed, waiting for either an eruption or Luc running out the door. Surprisingly, Luc reappeared with a plate in one hand and a glass of tea in the other. Strange.
* * *
Demonte
When Demonte took his seat in the opposite side of the booth, Janel asked, “How did you do that?”
He looked up, his brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
She motioned to the kitchen and then his food. “How did you work Walter? He doesn’t let just anyone back in his kitchen and you got food out of him.”
Luc chuckled and reached for the ketchup. Walter knew who he was and he wasn’t happy about him being there, but there was literally nothing he could or would do about it. Wearing an innocent expression, he shrugged. “He didn’t seem that difficult to me. I just asked for whatever was the fastest and here we are.”
Her head tilted to one side, but whether she believed him or not, she let it go. “What are you doing back? I thought you were just passing through yesterday.”
“I’ve asked myself that same question. I shouldn’t be here.” His gaze met hers and an odd feeling passed between them. A feeling that should have made him get up and leave and never return. He’d never wanted to spend time with a woman that didn’t involve fucking. Janel was like a damn virus that got under his skin and was hard to shake.
He took a bite of his hamburger and focused on that instead of why he’d come back. It had been years since he’d eaten such simple food. He’d forgotten how delicious the greasy flavor-packed sandwich could be.
He and the princess were alike in many ways. He’d had chef-prepared meals all his life and he knew she had as well. Even when he was at work, his meals were sent in. Whatever he wanted, he only had to ask. Being the number one son of the head of the most powerful “family” in the east had its perks. Unfortunately, it was the negatives that delivered the most impact. Like losing his brother senselessly and a tyrant of a father who was determined to run them all into the ground with his power-hungry, money-driven leadership.
“Then why are you?” she asked.
Why indeed. He wished he knew. Maybe he just wanted to be around something fresh and unspoiled. If he wanted her to stay that way, he needed to get his dirtiness far away from her. The fucked-up part was he was helpless to do so.
“It could be I just wanted a burger,” he said with a side grin, then he met her gaze head on and admitted, “Or it could be because I wanted to see you again.”
She grinned and her lashes fluttered downward over those fucking brown eyes. “I like honesty.”
