“Sure. You’re the guy that Patience has been running around town with?”
“Yeah.”
“Good luck. Her guys don’t last long.” She shrugged and gave me a flirtatious smile.
“And why do you think that is?” I asked, curious to see what she had to say about Patience. I honestly didn’t give a fuck what she thought, but I did want to know what other people thought about the woman I have an obsession with.
She smiled and leaned in closer, like she was telling me a secret. I backed up because I didn’t want anyone, especially Patience, getting the impression I wanted anything to do with this girl. “Well, there are rumors.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“There’s one theory that she uses them and casts them aside once she’s bored with them. So, the ones who believe that rumor, believe she’s the fastest girl in town; if you know what I mean?”
I gritted my teeth to keep from showing my anger. They had no fucking clue if they believed that bullshit about Patience. “And the other theory?”
“The other theory is she freezes up when it comes to getting close to a man physically. So, some believe she’s a ball buster and a tease.”
I sat back and looked over at Patience. She wasn’t smiling or talking to anyone. Instead, she was looking right at me. I held her gaze captive with my own. even as I spoke to the other server. “She’s neither of those things.”
The girl gave a sarcastic snort. “I know. I’m saying those are the rumors I’ve heard, not that I believe them. Besides, I’ve never seen that girl look at any other guy the way she looks at you.”
That comment caught my attention. “Really?”
“Yep, and the fact that you showed no interest in me when I all but had my boobs in your face tells me you are a good guy. Don’t hurt her.” She slid the Coke in front of me and gave me a smile that was no longer flirtatious, but friendly.
“Did Patience put you up to this little test?” I asked curiously.
“Nope. I did this all on my own. She’s my friend, and one of the best people I know.”
I nodded at the girl before she walked away. When Patience finally made her way over to me, I could see the trepidation in her eyes. She was so damn easy to read. “I didn’t know you were coming here tonight,” she whispered softly as she started making a few mixed drinks for the tables in her section.
“Yeah, I’m meeting someone and keeping an eye on you.”
“On me.” She arched a brow.
“Yeah, in case your ex comes in to cause trouble again.”
She smiled softly. “Back to being a knight in shining armor, I see.”
“I would be a prince already, but my princess has yet to kiss me.”
She laughed, and the sound of it had my heart pounding just a little harder in my chest. Patience didn’t know the effect she had on me. She had no clue how much I wanted and needed her, and I was barely starting to understand how deep this pull between her and myself went.
“Maybe you scare her?” she volunteered softly, and I knew that she was speaking the truth.
“Probably. She’s too sweet and innocent for a man like me, but I want her.”
“You do?”
“I thought it would be obvious to her by now that I do.”
“I think she knows. I think she might be worried about something else.”
“What’s got you running scared, Princess Patience?” I asked quietly, placing my elbows onto the high bar top and leaning in so nobody could overhear our conversation.
“I’m scared of needing you, Tucker. You’re here temporarily, and this is my home. I’m afraid of needing you and having to watch you walk away.”
Her worries were valid, and she wasn’t wrong. At some point, I would have to leave Brook Cove, and likely for an extended period of time, if not forever. My job alone would demand it. “Eventually, I will have to leave,” I told her simply, hating the words as they came out of my mouth.
