Her eyes widen, and then she snorts, trying to hide her smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
I flash her a wink, then walk straight out of the restaurant, head high and heart pounding, leaving Warren, Nancy, and the entire damn Mayfair staring after me.
WARREN
I watch her go, lips twitching when I see her hand the waitress a fifty.She’s got a pair of balls; I’ll give her that.And I’ve got a raging hard-on from a single fucking kiss.That’s never happened before.
“Jesus, Warren. You need better company,” Nancy snaps.
I grin, nodding. “You’re right.” I stand.
“Where are you going?” she demands.
I throw a handful of notes on the table to cover the bill. “To get better company.”
Outside, the chill air hits me like a slap as I shrug on my jacket. I scan the street; her coat clutched in my hand. There’s no sign of her, but she couldn’t have vanished that fast.
Then I spot her through the window of a small bar a few doors down, already perched on a stool with three shots lined up in front of her.
I enter, and the bartender clocks me instantly, nodding in recognition.Great.For once, I’d love to walk into a place where nobody knows my name.
I take the stool beside her and, without asking, steal one of her shots and down it in one.
“She’s tough to handle,” I say.
Leoni glances at me, and my chest tightens. Her eyes are red, rimmed with tears she’s clearly trying to blink away. I hatedrama. But seeing her like that—broken, angry, still holding herself together—does something to me.
“Why did you take me on that lunch date?” she asks quietly.
“First of all,” I say, “it wasn’t a date. Secondly, I figured Nancy might back off if she saw me with a gorgeous, sophisticated woman.”
Leoni snorts, downing another shot.
“I wasn’t prepared for you to turn up dressed like you’d crashed into JD Sports.”
“I wasn’t prepared for her to bethatawful. I like to give people a chance, but she’s just—” she exhales shakily, “—nasty.”
“Surprisingly, you’re not wrong. No one likes her, but she’s the police chief’s daughter, so she gets away with being a bitch.”
Leoni rolls her eyes. “Well, good luck with marryingthat. Your future kids don’t stand a chance.”
I laugh, shaking my head. The thought of kids makes me shudder.
“Why did you come dressed like that?” I ask, curious now rather than annoyed.
She stares into her empty glass. “To teach you a lesson,” she mutters. “It’s rude to tell someone to dress better and get their makeup done. I was insulted. I don’t need a man telling me I’m not good enough.”
Her words hit harder than I expect. I frown. “Leoni, that’s not what I meant. I just knew Nancy would be a complete cow.”
“Then you should’ve spared me by not taking me there,” she says softly. “I could’ve shown up in head-to-toe designer and she still would’ve hated me. She’s jealous, Warren. She likes you.”
I smirk. “Is that why you kissed me?”
Her lips curve slightly. “You said to make her think you were taken. I took the challenge into my own hands.”
I lean closer, eyes on her mouth. “You don’t know what you’ve started.”
Because she hasn’t just started something with Nancy, she’s started somethingin me.And I’m looking at her completely differently now… even in that ridiculous outfit.
