Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,43

somewhat scary-looking man, with shaggy hair and tattoos covering his arms can sing like a bird. Soft, beautiful, and on-key. I could stand here and listen to him for hours.

“Let’s get finished up and then we’ll head over and listen,” Duke says, placing his hand on my back and guiding me back into the room.

“Oh, uh, I can’t stay,” I tell him, heading over to finish the job I started earlier.

“No? Not even for a little bit?” he asks, closing down the iPad register and pulling the drawer. He takes it into the kitchen, presumably to Jasper, but I couldn’t be sure. When he returns, he stops and says, “One drink, Mallory. It’s your first evening shift and you did a damn good job. Let’s go celebrate with a drink.” He’s very insistent.

I’m about to tell him no, to maintain I head home to my daughter, but before I can answer, Walker is there. “You coming over?” he asks Duke and Shannon, who both nod. “You?” he asks, those blue eyes focused solely on me.

“Uhh, I probably shouldn’t.”

He steps up to where I stand. “Isaac has her. He says he’s working and wants you to stay.”

“You talked to him?”

He shrugs. “He texted to check on everything here. I told him we were fine and that you were listening to Jameson play. He insisted you stay.”

“I don’t know,” I stammer, trying to wrap my head around this. I haven’t been out since I got pregnant. If I went anywhere, it was work or dinner with Devon, baby in tow.

“Come on, Mal. I’ve got you,” he says, holding out his hand.

Without giving it a second thought, I place my hand in his and let him lead me down the hallway. I can feel Duke and Shannon behind me, but don’t catch what they’re saying. All I can focus on is the feel of his hand wrapped around mine, his fingers grazing against my palm. It’s the most electrifying, yet comforting feeling at the same time.

I want more.

Chapter Thirteen

Walker

I can’t stop wanting to touch her. Her hand in mine feels so fucking good, it’s messing with my brain, because all I want to do is pull her flush against my body and kiss her sweet mouth. Maybe it’s the song Jameson’s playing about finding someone and falling for them, or maybe it’s just having her in my domain. Either way, I’m getting hard as hell and completely turned on just holding her hand.

I guide them to the reserved seats at the end of the bar. This is where my partners usually sit later in the evening or after they finish with their job for the night. “What can I get you?” I ask the three as a whole, yet my eyes only for her.

“Pale ale draft for me,” Duke says.

“Malibu and pineapple juice,” Shannon adds.

“Oh, uh, just Coke or Sprite,” Mallory replies, glancing around.

“Nothing in that Coke or Sprite?”

She shakes her head. “I’m not a big drinker, and I’ll have to head home to Lizzie soon.”

I let go of her hand, missing the contact instantly, and tap on the bar top. “Coming right up.”

Mallory and Shannon take the two stools, while Duke practically hangs on Mallory’s arm. He’s way too close for my liking, but I force myself not to rush over there and make that fact known. Instead, I focus on their drinks. A tall, leggy brunette tries to grab my attention, but I hold up a finger. I quickly deliver their drinks, sliding Mallory’s Coke in front of her, earning me a smile. “Thank you,” she says, turning back to watch Jameson play.

“Holler if you need me.” Those words are for her, but also for Duke. I can see his interest written all over his young, acne-covered face, but I can also tell it’s not on hers. Years behind the bar has made me a pretty good people-reader, and though she smiles at him politely, I notice the way she gently pulls away from him. She’s not interested in Duke, and that’s the only reason I don’t stake my claim right here and now.

I head back over to the brunette, who practically throws her tits in my face. “Sex on the Beach,” she requests, her voice low and meant to be seductive. I ignore her unspoken offer and mix up her drink. When I reach for her card, her fingers stroke mine, and it takes everything I have not to roll my eyes. I’ve seen women like this a thousand times