Her frown deepened as she wiggled into her scrub bottoms. “I’ve gotta clean up before work.” She popped up, stuffed her feet into slippers, and turned. “That was Wendi.”
My ex’s name took care of my erection. The blood reversed direction, retreating to keep from having anything to do with Wendi. “Not good news?”
“Is it ever with her?” We shared a smile, then she glared at her phone. “Logan’s too busy this summer to come visit me.”
In other words, Wendi was controlling and likely jealous of her former sister-in-law. She might sense Damien still had some feelings for Madison. Or she might be jealous that Logan would be excited to see his aunt. Either way, it hurt Madison. “That’s fucked up. I’m sorry.”
“It is fucked.” She rubbed a spot between her brows. “I told her I could drive out there. But nope. Too busy.”
She disappeared. Moments later, the sound of a toilet flushing filled the silence. Then water running. Several minutes later, she returned, her hair in a refreshed braid. “I’m going to wake up early tomorrow since this is my last night for a week.”
I’d be happy to have her to myself for a while. “Maybe we can grab something to eat when you get up.”
Other than the cookies she’d made as part of our bet, I’d eaten like shit since she’d been working her six-day stretch of twelve-hour shifts. When she was off, she made oatmeal taste good with brown sugar and toasted pecans. For meals, she had tossed in roasts or cooked steaks. I’d thought Mama spoiled me. Madison took it to a new level. I could pay her back in more than orgasms.
“There’s nothing to grab but a coffee,” she said.
“We could go to Curly’s.”
She paused, grabbing her purse. “Like a date?”
“No,” I said quickly, and she drew back. Shit. We were messing around, but she balked at the thought of being official. The sting to my ego gave way to logic. I couldn’t assume with her. She was guarded for a reason. “It’d be more casual. We can ask Tenor and Ruby or something so it doesn’t look like a romantic night.”
She pursed her lips. “Wouldn’t want that.”
The more I was around her, the more I was certain that we weren’t a fluke. This thing between us was significant and real. Like nothing I’d ever experienced. Was she starting to feel the same? “It’s not that I don’t want that. Things didn’t work out with Wendi—thank God—but every girl after, it was the questions. How serious were we? Someone heard there would be a summer wedding. I heard I bought at least three engagement rings over a two-year span. The girls I was seeing would listen to rumors and get excited. Next thing I knew, I was in an argument about how callous I was.” I didn’t need those rumors getting back to Madison and muddling her thoughts about me, about us. There was an us. I was sure of it.
Her expression softened. “Sorry. I didn’t know it got that bad. I’d like to go to Curly’s. I haven’t been out in...” She frowned. “Well, a long time.”
She’d been scrimping her pennies. “Tomorrow. Let me know when you wake up.”
“I’m also going to meet with Sal.”
Another bite of hurt. She hadn’t told me. “What does that asshole have to say?”
“I don’t know yet.” She lifted a shoulder, but a mysterious smile lifted her lips. “I figured it was time to start asking questions about the sale and any conflicts of interest that could be benefitting him.”
I reclined on her makeshift bed. The comforter smelled like her fresh-linen scent. Why was it so hot that she listened to me? “I seem to recall saying something like that.”
“Did you?” she asked innocently. “I don’t remember.”
“I’ll spell the conversation out with my tongue next time.”
“Promise?” She kicked a hip out, looking cute and sexy in her scrubs. I’d never had a nurse fantasy after what my ex had done, but I was developing a CNA fetish.
She grinned and grabbed the lunch she’d packed, stopping to frown inside. “Did you buy me more jelly beans?”
“Red apple.”
This time, her smile was as sweet as the cookies she baked. “Thank you.”
Then she was gone. I had the bar to myself, which was fine, but I couldn’t walk through the place without memories of us stamped into every surface. Her open to me on the pool table. Against the back wall. Then there were the more tender moments. When I’d said the nickname she hated over and over until her pupils dilated and the pulse at the base of her throat fluttered. When I’d wanted to hold her so bad after the bricks smashed the windows.
So much of her was in the bar and it wasn’t even done. Once the cabinets, booths, and bar were installed and I finished the bathrooms, she’d be ready to open. By some miracle, we hadn’t had delays other than the windows, which were scheduled for installation in a couple of weeks.
I picked up my tool belt and got to work. After a couple of hours, there was rapping on the front door.
“Police! Open up!”
