much deeper than then menu alone.
“Me too,” he whispered back. My cheeks flushed and a lump formed in my throat as I wanted more than anything to throw my arms around him. I wanted to feel his strength and protection surround me as his arms wrapped around me, refusing to let go. That was what I wanted, what I needed.
“Can I get you a beer?” Corey asked. I prayed my shocked expression at the question was solely in my head. My paranoid mind wondered if he knew. I wasn’t sure how he would but maybe he could just tell and this was a test.
I shook my head since my voice was currently M.I.A.
“I’ll take a cider beer if you have one,” Gabby chimed in, taking the heat of Corey’s eyes off of me for at least a minute.
He raised an eyebrow at her and cocked his head slightly. “What—no shots of tequila?” Gabby rolled her eyes as I couldn’t resist letting out a laugh.
Gabby’s glare switched from Corey over to me. “Hey! That was so not my idea!”
“I’m driving and it’s cold out, so do you have something warmer?” I quickly budded in before this conversation treaded into dangerous territory.
His eyes warmed as they turned my way again. “I can make you some hot chocolate, if you’d like?”
I nodded. “Yes, I would.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” With that he walked off, disappearing into the kitchen.
Gabby turned to me, a Cheshire grin on her face. “That was the cutest effing thing I’ve ever seen.”
I smiled, but didn’t respond. My arms wrapped around my stomach under the table, hoping my little bean felt the moment between us. Gabby thankfully didn’t press the issue further. Instead, she began reading through the menu I had memorized.
“What’s good here?” She asked.
“Everything,” I answered on a sigh, before I could stop myself. She shook her head with a smile on her face.
“You’ve got it bad, Babe.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Moments later, Corey was back with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, a scoop of cream on top and a Rolling Rock for Gabby.
“Know what you ladies want?”
“Well, I’ll go with your chicken Caesar salad, extra croutons. Oh, and a water with lemon.” Corey smirked and nodded.
“Sure, what about you bab … Dani.” He cleared his throat, as though that would erase the way he almost slipped out with calling me baby.
“Bacon cheeseburger and fries.”
“You got it,” he nodded. “Alex, you need anything before I go in the back?”
“Another beer.” I watched Corey as he moved around the bar, grabbed a beer and uncapped it for Alex. Alex reached out to take it, but Corey kept a firm grip and leaned in. He muttered something under his breath but the soft sound of his tense voice made me very curious about what was being said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Alex replied and waved him away. Corey sighed; probably realizing whatever he said fell on Deaf ears before he headed off to the kitchen. The instant the door swung shut Alex was on his feet and headed our way.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Gabby answered, fluttering her eyelashes for good measure. I kept my spot in the middle of the booth, forcing Gabby to be the one to slide over and give him room. It wasn’t as if I wanted to be mean to the man, but Corey and I had enough issues to work through without me getting cozy with what I assumed to be his friend.
She moved over and Alex scooted in, throwing his arm around the back of the booth.
“So, you’re the woman that broke my man’s heart.” It wasn’t a question, so I chose to ignore it.
“How do you know Corey? I’ve never seen you around or even heard of you before.” I snapped back. I’m sure Alex wasn’t trying to be quite the douche I was feeling he was, but I also didn’t enjoy the way he spoke so openly about such personal stuff.
“Retract those claws, sweet thing. I don’t mean to be insulting - let me rephrase. Danielle,
“Me too,” he whispered back. My cheeks flushed and a lump formed in my throat as I wanted more than anything to throw my arms around him. I wanted to feel his strength and protection surround me as his arms wrapped around me, refusing to let go. That was what I wanted, what I needed.
“Can I get you a beer?” Corey asked. I prayed my shocked expression at the question was solely in my head. My paranoid mind wondered if he knew. I wasn’t sure how he would but maybe he could just tell and this was a test.
I shook my head since my voice was currently M.I.A.
“I’ll take a cider beer if you have one,” Gabby chimed in, taking the heat of Corey’s eyes off of me for at least a minute.
He raised an eyebrow at her and cocked his head slightly. “What—no shots of tequila?” Gabby rolled her eyes as I couldn’t resist letting out a laugh.
Gabby’s glare switched from Corey over to me. “Hey! That was so not my idea!”
“I’m driving and it’s cold out, so do you have something warmer?” I quickly budded in before this conversation treaded into dangerous territory.
His eyes warmed as they turned my way again. “I can make you some hot chocolate, if you’d like?”
I nodded. “Yes, I would.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” With that he walked off, disappearing into the kitchen.
Gabby turned to me, a Cheshire grin on her face. “That was the cutest effing thing I’ve ever seen.”
I smiled, but didn’t respond. My arms wrapped around my stomach under the table, hoping my little bean felt the moment between us. Gabby thankfully didn’t press the issue further. Instead, she began reading through the menu I had memorized.
“What’s good here?” She asked.
“Everything,” I answered on a sigh, before I could stop myself. She shook her head with a smile on her face.
“You’ve got it bad, Babe.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Moments later, Corey was back with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, a scoop of cream on top and a Rolling Rock for Gabby.
“Know what you ladies want?”
“Well, I’ll go with your chicken Caesar salad, extra croutons. Oh, and a water with lemon.” Corey smirked and nodded.
“Sure, what about you bab … Dani.” He cleared his throat, as though that would erase the way he almost slipped out with calling me baby.
“Bacon cheeseburger and fries.”
“You got it,” he nodded. “Alex, you need anything before I go in the back?”
“Another beer.” I watched Corey as he moved around the bar, grabbed a beer and uncapped it for Alex. Alex reached out to take it, but Corey kept a firm grip and leaned in. He muttered something under his breath but the soft sound of his tense voice made me very curious about what was being said.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Alex replied and waved him away. Corey sighed; probably realizing whatever he said fell on Deaf ears before he headed off to the kitchen. The instant the door swung shut Alex was on his feet and headed our way.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Not at all,” Gabby answered, fluttering her eyelashes for good measure. I kept my spot in the middle of the booth, forcing Gabby to be the one to slide over and give him room. It wasn’t as if I wanted to be mean to the man, but Corey and I had enough issues to work through without me getting cozy with what I assumed to be his friend.
She moved over and Alex scooted in, throwing his arm around the back of the booth.
“So, you’re the woman that broke my man’s heart.” It wasn’t a question, so I chose to ignore it.
“How do you know Corey? I’ve never seen you around or even heard of you before.” I snapped back. I’m sure Alex wasn’t trying to be quite the douche I was feeling he was, but I also didn’t enjoy the way he spoke so openly about such personal stuff.
“Retract those claws, sweet thing. I don’t mean to be insulting - let me rephrase. Danielle,
Similar Books
