But then there was a scream, so ear splitting that they both quickly broke apart.
It was coming from outside.
Chapter 22
Lucas
The shout was brief but loud and enough to break Lucas away from Willow. He wasn’t quite sure how becoming entangled with Willow had happened but however it did, it was amazing. He hadn’t wanted to stop. All he wanted to do was pull off Willow’s clothes, push her onto the table and fuck her.
It was almost as if time stood still and everything else was forgotten. It was just the two of them in the room, kissing, holding, exploring and it was going to move onto more. They both wanted it.
Didn’t they?
But then that scream interrupted them, loud and piercing. Willow immediately pulled away, her face pale, her eyes wide.
‘What the hell was that?’
Lucas moved quickly. It sounded like it had come from right outside The Diner. He got up and pushed open the door, his hands fumbling for a second or two on the lock. The stupid stiff lock. His breath was caught in his throat.
The first thing he saw was Mia and immediately heatraced to his head. Was she hurt? But then he saw she was crouched down next to someone.
‘Mia?’ He approached gingerly. ‘What’s going on?’
Willow was right behind him; her body practically pressed against his. She was peering over his shoulder, breathing hard. He still felt aroused and had to move away slightly to try and fight it.
‘Oh my God,’ she cried. ‘Is that Eric?’
Lucas’s eyes were finally able to adjust to the scene in front of him. It was indeed Eric, who was now pulling himself up from a slumped position on the floor. He was rubbing his head and muttering under his breath.
‘He scared me to death,’ Mia said. ‘He was just on the floor there. I thought he was—’
‘Dead? Is that what you thought?’ Eric half shouted as he continued to pull himself up. ‘I’m fine. I just tripped, that’s all …’
Lucas could smell the booze on him as he reached forward and helped the man to his feet. He staggered a little, touching his head as if a bit dazed.
‘Did you hit your head?’ Lucas asked, trying to lean forward to see better. ‘We should take you to get checked out.’
‘I’m fine!’ Eric spat, lurching forward. ‘I just tripped, that’s all. Stop fussing.’
Willow stepped out. ‘Eric, maybe you should let us—’
But Eric was already walking away, moving in his awkwardly slumped way and muttering under his breath. Lucas shook his head, but there was nothing they could do now. That man was beyond help.
‘I’m sorry I screamed, but he really did scare me,’ Mia said. ‘I thought he was dead just lying there like that.’
Willow was still staring in the direction he left. ‘He was around the wagon earlier. He couldn’t have gone far. He must have been drinking near here.’
‘Maybe he had more to say to you …’ Lucas said quietly. ‘Although you’re not the person who should be speaking to him …’
He was going to say more but he noticed Mia was looking at them both with a strange look on her face.
‘So, are you going to explain to me why you were both in The Diner when it was closed up?’
Lucas felt his cheeks heat. ‘I only closed for a little while, before the evening rush. Willow just came to talk through some business stuff.’
‘And we were discussing Sapphire’s social media post,’ Willow added, looking awkward. ‘And how happy we both were that the town at least had some decent coverage.’
He was about to correct her. To say, ‘No actually – I wasn’t happy, and that’s why we had a disagreement and then we nearly had sex’, but then he saw the look in Willow’s eyes. There was a warning there. He pulled back. After all, he couldn’t risk Mia knowing that he nearly made a fool of himself.
