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I’m listening to the soft song filtering through the sound system when I feel a steel hand lay upon my shoulder. Startled by the electrifying pulse that surges through me, I jump at the contact. Whipping my head to my right, I see Luke, with that melts my panties right off my ass smile of his. Obviously peanut butter fudge cheesecake ain’t the only pure sin in The Village Diner today.
“What’cha so jumpy for, doll face?”
“Didn’t expect to see you here. I didn’t see your bike in the lot.”
“So you were lookin’ for my bike, huh?”
Rolling my eyes, I huff at him loudly and say, “Honey, don’t you wish.”
“Hell yeah I do.” Luke says moving in closer to me. I can feel his heat from my toes to the top of my head. I feel like I’m literally burning from the bottom up.
“Awfully cocky now ain’t ya?”
Luke chuckles softly at my comment, but his stature never falters. He stands with confidence, inching in closer and closer by the second. “Not cocky beauts, just confident.” He replies, then sits down on the barstool next to me.
“Do you just randomly hang out here?” I snarl at him.
“Sometimes. Do you just randomly skip work to come get peanut butter fudge cheesecake?”
Rolling my eyes yet again, damn, everything is getting under my skin today. I may need to just barricade myself in my house and let no one in until I calm my tattered nerves. Ya know, take no hostages. If that’s the case I’m sure as hell gonna need more than just a slice of pie. Can I get a whole pie to go please?
I take a deep breath before turning to Luke and looking into his blue eyes. Holding up my fingers I snap at him, “Two things. I’m the frickin’ CEO, I’ll leave that shit hole any damn time I please. Hell, I’m ‘bout to run and never look back. And two, I’ll run to the damn ends of the earth for some peanut butter fudge cheesecake and you can believe that, honey.” I snap at him.
I motion for Mitzi to refill my tea, and ask her how much longer the to-go order will be. Luke huffs, pulling my attention back to him. He just looks down at me, his face void of emotion. Over the last month or so, we have become closer friends, learning more about each other. But with each interaction, Luke gets closer, friendlier. He can sense that I’m fraying at the edges. I can tell he is deciding on whether to proceed with caution, or bolt. Luke grabs the base of the barstool I’m sitting on, with one strong hand, and pulls me toward him.
“Talk to me.”
I stare up at him, behind confused eyes, “Bout what?”
“What’s botherin’ ya.” he states. He doesn’t question me, he is firm in wanting to know.
“Just your usual shitty day at Simon Energy. Nothing that warrants a conversation.”
He cups my face with is hand and leans in closer to me. “I mean it Carly, you know I’m here if you need to talk. Stop hidin’ behind that hard ass act.”
Just then, two bells ring, followed by an ‘Order Up’, and a shrilling bubbly voice. “Carly Jo! Daddy said that was your muscle in the parkin’ lot. You can eat dinner with me now. Daddy is that okay, can Carly Jo eat with us?” Heidi squeals, dancing around in front of Luke, Colton and me.
Colton doesn’t even acknowledge her question, he just keeps his deadpan gaze set on Luke. At first, Luke barely acknowledges Colton, but once the tension fills the room, Luke stands, towering over Colton, shielding me. Luke and Colton size each other up for a beat. Colton is rigid, his arms flexed tight at his waist as he grips his fists, rotating them in circles. His breathing is rough and his face is marred in anger. Colton is pissed. Luke stands relaxed, barely even acknowledging the aggression rolling off of Colton. Luke smiles and nods, “Weston.”
Colton steps forward and a frustrated roar begins to rattle in his chest. “What’d you call me? Who the hell are you?”
Luke chuckles to himself, then shakes his head. Colton is becoming a ticking time bomb by the second, and as much as I’m enjoying their pissin’ contest, Heidi Jo is getting scared from the scene that’s playing out before her. I don’t think she has ever seen her daddy react in such a harsh way.
I step between Luke and Colton, pressing my finger tips on both of their chests before giving a slight nudge. “Do I need to call the zoo keeper to wrangle up the lions and tigers?” I glance back and forth from Luke to Colton.
Luke throws his hands up in defeat, before sitting back down with a sly smirk splayed across his face. Colton doesn’t budge, his chest rattles with fierce roars threatening to escape.
“Piss contest is over, stud.” Colton’s eyes are dark, and trained on Luke, like an animal waiting to pounce on his prey. I snap my fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “Seriously, Colton, snap out of it. Look at how scared you have your daughter. Now can you please drop the whole alpha male He-Man shit and calm the hell down?”
Colton’s eyes flicker from Luke to me, to Heidi Jo who is standing in the center of the diner with her hands wrapped around her waist. Colton takes two strides to Heidi Jo and kneels in front of her, checking her over to make sure that she isn’t too startled. “Princess, I’m sorry. Daddy was just bein’ a butt head.” He kisses her on the forehead, before scooping her up in his arms. “Let’s just grab a pizza tonight, princess. That sound like a plan?”
“Only if Carly Jo can come too.”
“I think Carly Jo already has a dinner date tonight, maybe next time, ‘kay?” Colton spits the words in my direction, and it feels like vinegar on a fresh wound. With a pained look in his eyes, he turns on his heels and stomps out of the diner with Heidi Jo firmly on his hip.
Mitzi had left the to-go order on the counter and headed to the back, just before the circus act started. I place my hand on Luke’s shoulder and give him a small apology, before grabbing the bag of food and leaving.
I unlock the Camaro, and sit the to-go order in the back floor board along with my purse. Just as I squat to climb inside, Colton grabs me by the crook of my elbow, pulling me against his hard body.
