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The waitress came by and Marley asked for a box before she answered him. Once she was gone, Marley shook her head.
“Look, I knew this was going to be a temporary fling when you first flirted with me, but now, with the wedding and how busy we’re both going to be, I think I’d rather just end it before one of us gets hurt and we ruin Sonora and Brent’s special day.”
Un-fucking believable. He’d been walking around like a sappy, frolicking idiot all day and she was just bailing?
“Don’t I get a say in this? How did you know things were going to be just temporary? Maybe I’d fall madly in love with you and follow you back to New York.”
“Please,” she scoffed. “Don’t make this into something it’s not. We had one date and as nice as it was, I don’t believe for one second that you were ever planning on falling in love with me, just like I wasn’t going to fall for you.”
“Gee, you’re such a sweetheart.”
“Don’t call me sweetheart.”
Their gazes clashed, and Luke was tempted to lean in and kiss her, just to feel her melt against him.
Instead, he turned away and took a long pull of his beer.
The waitress came back and handed Marley her box. As she was packing up her food, Sonora, Brent, and Kendall sat down, Sonora sulking as she was squished between them.
“Luke, have you met Sonora’s sister, Kendall?”
He shook the cute blonde’s hand and flashed her a smile, aware of Marley stiffening beside him. Did she think he was flirting?
I hope so.
Instead, she gave Kendall a sunny smile. “Here Kendall, you can take my spot. You guys look like a pack of sardines over there. I need to get home anyway.”
“But we’re not done talking about the wedding,” Sonora protested.
“We can talk about it tomorrow. We’ll head out to breakfast and go over everything somewhere a little less loud. Don’t worry, I’ve got you, girl.”
Sonora shot her a withering look. “I hate being called girl.”
Luke glanced between them. Something didn’t fit. If the two of them were such good friends, wouldn’t there be more warmth?
Marley’s smile tightened, and he wondered if she was gritting her teeth. “Sorry, I forgot.”
Luke slid out of the booth, but he didn’t move back far enough. When Marley passed by him, she rubbed against his chest. He ignored the fact that his skin prickled with goosebumps and nodded at the rest of the table. “I’m going to walk Marley out.”
She held her box of food in front of her like a shield. “That’s not necessary.”
“Yeah, it is, so let’s go.”
Marley rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh and after wishing the table another polite goodbye, headed for the exit. Luke followed her across the bar and out the door. The parking lot was filling up pretty fast for a Monday night, and as they reached her car, he put his hand on the door to keep her from opening it.
She turned toward him, but for the first time, this straightforward girl was avoiding
his gaze.
“I don’t know what is going on or what she has on you, but I’m not a guy to beg. You don’t want to see me anymore, fine, but I know it’s not some bullshit about sparing Sonora’s feelings. The least you could do is be honest.”
Finally, she looked up at him in the fading light and glared. “Ever think I’m just not that into you?”
He stiffened at her cutting words, and then relaxed, a slow grin spreading across his face. He boxed her in with his hands against the top of her car, leaning in. He heard the sharp intake of her breath as his lips descended toward hers, hovering there. His nose nuzzled her cheek, sliding up until his mouth brushed her ear. He felt her sway towards him, her breathing rapid and sexy as hell.
“Nah, that ain’t it.”
Pushing away from her, he turned and headed back into the bar. He was going to figure out what Marley was hiding, especially if it was something that could hurt his best friend.
