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She flicked her hand in a dismissive gesture. “It was nothing I can’t handle.”
He stared at her for a moment before his lips quirked. “I believe that. What do you want to drink?”
“Can I just get a Coke? Thanks.” Opening the menu, she pretending to study it, not really seeing the print. “So… what’s up with her and Luke?”
Handing her the glass, he watched her, his slight grin staying in place. “Any reason in particular you want to know?”
“W-what?” she asked, almost choking on the drink she’d just been taking a sip of. “No, not really. She just acted very possessive of him when I first got here and asked her where I could find him. Told me he was taken so I could leave. I was just wondering if he’d mated since I saw him last.”
Expression sobering a bit, he shook his head. “No, he hasn’t. Georgie’s always had a thing for him, but he’s never reciprocated. Hasn’t stopped her from trying to keep any woman who walks in the door away from him, though.”
“Oh, that’s good,” she replied with forced casualness as she continued pretending to read the menu. He didn’t answer, and she looked up as she felt the weight of his stare, immediately catching the twinkle in his dark blue eyes.
“That’s good, huh?”
“No, I didn’t—not in that way, I just—” Cutting herself off, she took a deep breath before continuing. “I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t causing problems for anyone by being here. That’s all.”
“Yep. Sure.”
Rolling her eyes, she shut the menu with a snap. “I’ll take a cheeseburger with extra pickles and a side of onion rings.”
He nodded, a smirk playing on his lips, and left to give Liam her order. Blowing out a breath as he walked away, she shook her head ruefully at herself. Jeez, could she be more of a spaz? Or more obvious?
Wait, obvious? Obvious about what? There was nothing going on. No reason to get flustered about his questions, because she couldn’t care less about who Luke was mated to or chose to sleep with.
Even she could hear the untruth in that thought. Better to say that she shouldn’t care about any of that stuff.
You liiiiiike him, her tiger said in a sing-song voice.
Just shut up already, she muttered back.
“You getting dinner? Liam’s a good cook. You can’t go wrong with anything he serves.”
Stiffening at Luke’s voice behind her, she didn’t reply until he’d taken the stool next to hers. “Yeah, I’m getting dinner. I’m hungry.”
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he replied, clearly reacting to the defensiveness in her voice as he held his hands up.
“Maybe not, but let me add something else. I’m not getting dinner before hitting the road again. Because I’m not going home yet. I’m staying here, for a while. For however long it takes for my gift to stop screaming at me that something’s wrong. Best get used to it.”
“I know.” He must have caught her surprised look, because he exhaled as he thrust his fingers through his long hair, the strands falling perfectly back in place around his chin. “Blake already told me. Look, I won’t pretend I’m happy about you staying. But it’s only because I don’t want you in danger, and you being here puts you right in that position. And it’s basically because of me. I don’t like that at all.”
“What? You didn’t ask me to stay, Luke, even knowing the odds are much better for you if I’m here. You did the opposite and ordered me home. This is on me, not you.”
Before he could reply, Blake walked close, and Luke nodded toward her. “Can you order me whatever she’s having? Thanks.”
She raised her eyebrows at him as Blake nodded and went to place his order. “You don’t even know what I ordered.”
He shrugged. “I trust that you got something good. Besides, Liam doesn’t know how to make bad food, no matter what it is. I’m pretty sure he’d be a chef if he weren’t an Enforcer. You’d never expect the quality he serves from an MC clubhouses restaurant. Basically gourmet food served here.”
“Bold statement.”
“True statement. Back to what we were talking about, though. You might think this is on you, but it doesn’t feel like it. You said there’s a threat surrounding the Enforcers. That’s one count where it’s on me. Then you said I’m the one in the most danger. That counts for probably fifty strikes against me. Especially since you say you need to be here to basically save me. And I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you because you were trying to save me.”
“Because of Jamie?”
His eyes flicked away from hers for a moment and when he looked back at her, there were gold rings around his pupils—his lion showing himself. “Yeah. For Jameson.” His voice held a half-truth, but he continued speaking before she could call him on it. “And because I have a strong protective streak toward women. It’s my job to protect them. Not to cause them to put themselves in harms way for me.”
Again, there were more half truths in his voice. She studied him closely, but he wasn’t giving anything away. “Why do you think it’s your job? It’s not. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice concept, and I know there are a lot of men who wouldn’t give a shit. But why do you feel it so strongly?”
