Lark strode toward me with her purse bouncing against her hip, and she stopped a few feet from the bike with her hand planted on her hip.“What the hell are you doing?”
I flicked ash off the cigarette and gave her an easy look.“Want to make sure Ever makes it home okay on the spare.”
Lark narrowed her eyes.“I planned on following her home.”
I smiled because that one had answers built in.“Well, now you don’t need to since I’m here.”
She studied me way too closely.Not flirting.Not curious.More like she was trying to decide whether I had murder in my heart and she needed to alert the authorities.“Be very careful with Ever, Jude,” she said.“I will cut your balls off if you hurt her.”
I barked out a laugh before I could stop it.“Jesus, Lark.I’m just going to make sure she gets home safe.”
She made a noise low in her throat that said she didn’t believe me for a second.“Yeah,” she said.“I’m sure that’s all you’re going to do.”Then she turned and headed for her car like the conversation was over.
I watched her go, more annoyed than I should’ve been.
Lark had always been decent with me.Smart mouth, sure, but good people.Now she was acting like I was one bad decision away from ruining Ever’s life.
She yanked her door open, then paused and looked back at me.Two fingers came up to point at her own eyes, then swung toward me.“I’m watching you, Jude.”She dropped into the driver’s seat and rolled the window down before starting the car.“Always watching!”she called.
Then she backed out and left, tires crunching over the gravel before her headlights disappeared around the side of the building.
I stared after her for a second, then took the last drag of my cigarette and ground it out under my boot.
The back door opened again, and this time, it was Ever.
She stepped out into the wash of yellow light over the doorway with her purse over one shoulder and her keys in her hand.
Jeans hugged her hips and legs, worn soft from real life instead of bought that way.The pink tank top she had on clung to her curves, simple and tight, doing absolutely nothing to help me think straight.Her dark hair was pulled back, a few loose pieces curled around her face from the heat of the kitchen and a long shift.Even from where I sat, I could see the shine on her lips and the flush high in her cheeks from working.
She wasn’t trying.She justwasbeautiful.
Ever froze when she saw me.
I lifted both hands a little, palms out.“I’m just here to make sure you make it home okay.You really shouldn’t be driving much on that spare.”
Her eyes moved from me to the bike to her car and back again.“Uh, Lark was supposed to follow me home,” she said.
I nodded once.“I told her I got you.”
That did something to her.
Her cheeks went warm all over again, deeper this time, and I clocked it instantly.
I also liked it too much.“Also wanted to tell you to bring the car by the clubhouse tomorrow,” I said.“I’ll get a new tire put on.”
She looked at her car, then back at me.“You don’t need to do that.”
No, I didn’t, but I wanted to.More than I should’ve.
“I got you, babe,” I said.“You don’t need to worry about it.”
Her fingers tightened around her keys, then she started toward the driver’s side door, quick and almost clipped, like she was trying to outrun the whole conversation.
“Don’t you need to lock up?”I asked.
She stopped dead.“Good Lord,” she muttered.
I watched her turn around and head right back to the door.She dug through her purse, muttering something under her breath that I couldn’t make out, then found her keys and locked the door properly.
