AllFreeNovel
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It’s only a little after one in the afternoon, but it feels later. Our morning turned out to be brutal. First, Alice didn’t want to cooperate with us, then she suffered a heart attack. We followed the ambulance to the hospital. She lost consciousness on the way, and sadly, they could not revive her.
After speaking to the local police, explaining why we were at Alice’s house in the first place, we were finally able to return to our hotel and wash off the cigarette stench. Starving, we decided to go to The Cellar again. It’s close, and the food is outstanding.
We walk in the door, and I immediately see Shawna behind the bar, talking to a customer. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail today. She’s even more beautiful than I remembered.
Stay focused, dipshit! Nothing can happen between Shawna and me. It would be completely unprofessional.
“Let’s sit at a booth today so we can have more privacy,” Rob says.
I nod. “Good idea. We have a lot to discuss.”
Plus, I don’t need the distraction of Shawna. If we sat at the bar again, I’d want to talk to her the whole time.
A sign near the door says Seat Yourself, so we head toward a booth in the corner. It’ll give us the privacy we need to discuss things moving forward without worrying about others listening.
As we walk past the bar, Shawna and I make eye contact. Her smile widens, and I can’t help but smile back.
“Hey, guys,” she says.
“Hello,” Rob says, waving as he continues to walk past.
But I stop. “Hi,” I say, leaning my elbows on the bar. “How are you today?”
Shawna blows air out of her mouth. “It’s been a busy day so far. I can’t complain, though. It’s good to be busy.”
“That’s true. Rob and I have had a busy day so far, too. We were craving your food, so we had to come here again as soon as we had the chance.”
“Is that right?” Shawna’s blue eyes seem to sparkle as she looks into mine. We hold each other’s gaze for a moment, and I feel my cock twitch.
Fuck. This isn't good. I need to keep this attraction I’m feeling toward her on lockdown.
Shawna clears her throat, breaking our eye contact for a brief second before saying, “How was your night at The Pioneer? Come across any ghosts?”
I chuckle, remembering my early morning wake-up. “I don’t think so, but a loud noise woke me up in the middle of the night. It’s possible I dreamed it, though.”
Shawna’s eyes widen. “That’s interesting. It was loud enough to wake you?”
“Yeah,” I say, suddenly feeling silly for telling her. Rubbing the back of my neck, I continue. “But, you know, I could’ve just dreamed the loud noise.”
“Hmm … Well, you’ll have to let me know if anything else happens while you’re staying there. What room are you in, anyway?”
Surprised she’s asking which room I’m in, I raise an eyebrow and smirk. “Why do you wanna know?”
Shawna blushes and shakes her head. “No, that’s not what I meant.” She brushes some loose hairs back, then smooths her ponytail. She’s adorable when she’s flustered. “I just asked because one of the rooms is named after one of my relatives.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, that’s really cool. I’m in Cecelia’s room. Rob’s in Abigail’s room.”
Nodding, Shawna replies, “Well, neither of those ladies are related to me, but if you see the room named for Cordelia, she’s one of my distant relatives.”
“That’s awesome.” I want to ask her how they chose who to name the rooms after, but I remember Rob is waiting for me. I look over at him sitting at the booth in the corner, and he waves me over. “I should go join Rob now. We have some work stuff to discuss.”
“Okay. Kayla will be over to serve you soon. Enjoy your lunch!”
“Thanks.”
Walking to the table, I see the annoyed look on Rob’s face. I know he doesn’t approve of me being so friendly with Shawna, and truthfully, I don’t blame him.
“Dude, what are you doing?” he asks as I slide into the booth.
“I know, I know. I’m just being friendly. Should I be a dick instead?”
Rob rolls his eyes. “No, but that didn’t look like you were just being friendly. The way you two interacted and your body language tells me you’re interested in her. Don’t go there, man.”
Stunned by his observation, I’m speechless for a moment. I don’t disagree with him, but at the same time, I have this desire for Shawna. I don’t know what it is, but I feel good being in her presence. She’s easy to talk to, and to top it off, she’s gorgeous.
But he’s right. She’s off-limits.
We’re in town to do a job, and now Rob and I need to develop a new action plan. I have to stop thinking with my dick and focus.
