Page 84 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

“Lock up,” Lara calls as I untie my apron.

“I always do.”

“You say that like I haven’t caught you leaving the back door open before.”

“That was one time.”

“It was three.”

“Allegedly.”

She snorts and disappears back into the kitchen, leaving me alone with the quiet aftermath of the diner.

The buzz of the fridge. The faint smell of coffee soaked into everything.

My feet ache, my shoulders are tight, and I swear if one more person had asked for extra syrup, I might have snapped.

I grab my bag, a couple of beers from the fridge stashed inside, push the door open, and stop dead.

Is that…?

Yup. Leaning against the hood of his car like this is the most normal thing in the world.

Xander.

He’s not in a suit this time. Dark jeans. Black T-shirt. Sleeves pushed up just enough to show the tattoos curling down his arms.

He looks less polished. More dangerous.

“Seriously?”

He straightens when he sees me, like he’s been waiting. “You’re done?”

“That’s how closing a shift works, yes.”

His mouth shifts. “I thought we could go somewhere.”

I blink at him. “You thought?”

“Yes.”

“Did it occur to you that I might have other plans?”

“You don’t.”

I stare at him.

“Wow,” I say. “The confidence. Truly inspiring.”

“It’s not confidence,” he replies. “It’s observation.”

“That’s somehow worse.”

I step past him, because I refuse to stand here and let him derail my entire evening just by existing.

He falls into step beside me.

“I’m tired,” I tell him.