Page 5 of Just Between Us

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“Okay,” he says, setting the lighter down, rolling the cigarette between his fingers. “Let’s say for tonight I don’t smoke. Just for you. What do I get in return?”

I lift a brow and hold up one finger. “First, my respect. You’re being inconsiderate of your patrons.” His face shifts, a flicker of guilt, so to soften my delivery, I add in a lighter tone, “I’ll also throw in the pleasure of my company. I promise you, I’m a delight.”

Look at me feeling bold tonight, flirting with this tall, dark, and handsome stranger.

He rumbles out a laugh that ignites a flame in my belly, slowly traveling lower. But I’m not about to let him know the effect he’s having on me.

Crossing my arms, I eye him down, until finally he puts the cigarette back in its pack and stretches an arm across the back of the booth. His fingers brush my bare shoulder as he does, and for one traitorous second, I go still. My breath hitches and I pray he doesn’t notice the goose bumps that spring up on my arms at the contact.

“What’s your name?”

I hesitate and look at my hands resting on the table. He’s still a stranger even if he is a gorgeous one.But it’s just a first name,I reason. And if he comes back and Dexter’s me with a name that screamsI have a collection of women’s hair in my freezer—something like Gary or Roger—I’ll find a way to bail.

“You first. What’s your name?”

“Liam,” he supplies, easy as you please.

“Liam,” I repeat. Okay, not a stalker name. A name that actually fits him perfectly. “Well, Liam, I’m Cassie.”

I stick out my hand and Liam envelopes it in his. “Cassie, short for Cassandra, I presume? You don’t know how glad I am to meet you.”

“No, you did not.”

She nods, and I go in for a second look at her phone screen. Not one to beat around the bush when it comes to pertinent information, I asked straight out if there’s a significant other in her life. I went from annoyed to highly amused as she described her last relationship. And I make a mental note to never piss her off.

This woman finds out she’s been cheated on and changes the sack of shit’s business website to announce his inability to rise to the occasion, if you know what I mean. Personally, I think it’s funny as hell. I’m sure the shart stain would disagree, though.

“Alan was as loyal as a tomcat,” she says. “He got what he deserved.”

And listen, I might fuck around a lot, but that’s a hard no for me. If you’re exclusive with someone, you break that shit off before moving on. My mama taught me better than that.

Plus, I’m not blind. Cassie is drop-dead gorgeous. When she’s not looking, I sneak glances, hoping she doesn’t notice. And each time she smiles, the cutest little dimple sinks into her cheek, stealing my attention. It’s her eyes that really hold me,though. They’re world weary. Something I’m all too familiar with.

Too fucking familiar with.

But when I say things that make her laugh, those same eyes light up and I feel a hit straight to the chest that I have no defenses for.

She’s everything Singing River has been missing. In a town this small, you’ve seen the same faces your whole life. Hers is a view I could get used to enjoying. Earlier when she went for the cherries, I couldn’t stop staring at those long, toned legs and her tiny cut off shorts. Then she had to stick that round ass out to tease me, and my dick was twitching against my zipper.

“But it’s his business. His website. Why can’t he fix it?”

Cassie gives a smug smile. “I handled his website and changed the password.” She pauses. “You could say Alan is a pastel.”

My face screws up. “A pastel?”

She nods. “Think about a box of markers. The primary colors? Well, those are the smartest in the bunch, right? Some of the darker colors are the quiet ones. But the pastels? Well, they’re dumb as rocks.”

I bark out a laugh, and right on cue, her phone lights up with the nameAlanon the screen. She lunges to grab it from me, but I’m already pressing the answer button.

“Cassandra’s phone.”

A second of silence follows before he spits out, “Who the fuck is this?”

Oh, this’ll be fun. I grind my jaw and respond.

“Name’s Liam. Who the fuck is this?”