Though that golden heart seems to be a little broken and bruised by the way she always has this crestfallen look about her lately when she thinks nobody is watching.
But I am always watching.
“Here’s a plate of crab for the lady.” A tall, tanned, and muscular man sets the plate down in front of Lucy, whose eyes widen. I’m pretty sure there’s drool at the corner of her mouth.
You thought I was describing her expression toward the food?
Nope.
She’s making heart-eyes at the man.
Maybe I’m not so far off on the assumption she’d flirt with another man in front of me…
But wait.
I’m not actually her boyfriend.
I’m not even her fake boyfriend.
Yet.
“I cooked this one myself, so if anything’s wrong, let me know. We are trying out new recipes.”
Lucy nods emphatically, twirling her hair around her finger. “Of course. It smells delicious. I’m sure it will taste even better.”
And then the woman has the audacity to wink!
Flames of jealousy lick my skin to a blackened crisp.
The man sets down my order of crawfish etouffee and walks away, Lucy’s eyes trailing after him.
When her gaze finally shifts and falls onto her plate, I clear my throat loudly, earning her attention.
“You okay?” She arches her brow and tilts her head.
“What’s he got that I don’t?” I try to sound teasing, but even I have to admit that I sound like a jealous punk. Not jealous of Lucy looking him over but jealous that she’s in my presence doing it.Cool it, Stone.
Lucy rolls her eyes. “He’s not my boss. And do you see this food he placed in front of me?” She gestures to the plate of crab. “Bet you can’t do this.”
I lower my voice and drop my gaze to her lips. “Say yes to dinner with me one night, and instead of taking you out, I’ll take youhome.”
She gasps, those cute pink lips forming an “o.” I shouldn’t tease her like that, especially if I’m going to get her to say yes to going to Dasher Valley with me for the weekend, but I don’t think I can help it. She’s too tempting. And when her face flushes because of me, it makes me feel some type of way.
“To cook you dinner,” I finish, satisfied with her reaction and also needing to redirect my thoughts. If she does agree to be my pretend girlfriend for the weekend, I’ll have to set up careful boundaries for myself. She’s my employee, after all.
Lucy scrunches her nose and knits her brows, but she doesn't respond, opting to focus on deshelling her crabs. She struggles pulling off the carapace, but man, she’s cute when she’s giving it her all…
“Let me get that for you.” I reach over the table to grab her plate, but as my hands wrap around the edges, hers wrap around mine.Our first touch…
I never understood what people meant by electric touches until that very moment. It was as if the static we’d acquired over every single year of our lives was transferred as her fingers brushed against mine.ZING!
It’s at the precise moment I’m imagining those petite fingers trailing down my chest that I’m pelted in the face with a plateful of crab. Salty juices run down my cheeks, mingling with salty tears, as my eyeballs cry out a desperate plea to escape from the hell inflicted upon them. I collapse back into my seat. My body tenses as crabsfall to the table with a hard plunk while others drop into my lap, the smell of butter and spicy seafood all encompassing. The plate must have fallen back to the table as I don’t hear shattering.
“Stone! Er—Mr. Harper, here. Take this.”
I grit my teeth and clench my fists on the table. “I can’t see a thing.”
“Oh, right.”
