slim, and tall. Longest legs you’ve ever seen. And she’s got this beauty mark—”
“—on the left side of her upper lip.”
I blinked. “You’ve seen her.”
The girl nodded. “She works at the diner not too far up the road. She comes in sometimes to get—”
Hope filled my gut. “—two scoops of rocky road?”
“Yeah.”
“In a waffle cone?”
“Yeah! Exactly.”
“With sprinkles?”
The girl smiled. “She’s at the diner. I know that’s where she is.”
I gazed into that girl’s eyes. “You just saved her life. And mine. Thank you so much.”
I tore out of that joint like a bat out of hell and tossed my ice cream into the nearest trash can. Then, I took off in a dead sprint. I hauled ass as quickly as I could, running block after block after block. Sweat poured down the nape of my neck. The leather was much too hot for shit like this. But, once the neon sign for the diner came into view, I sprinted across the street.
Before busting through the double doors.
“Simone!?” I exclaimed.
Everyone turned to face me as I drew in a deep breath. “Simone! Where are you!?”
A woman hurried up to me. “Sir, you need to keep your voice down.”
My eyes fell to her nametag. “Well, Dani. You need to tell me where Simone is.”
“And if I don’t?”
Then, I finally heard it. That sweet, beautiful, sassy fucking voice of hers.
“About damn time, JayJay.”
My head panned over to the kitchen, and there she was. Standing next to a guy handing her plates of food as if she worked there. She wore an apron, as if she worked there.
And as my brow furrowed tightly, I brushed past whoever the hell “Dani” was and headed straight for her.
“Simone. It’s really you,” I said.
She dropped her tray to the floor. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
I scooped her into my arms. “And now that I have you, I’m never letting you go.”
Then, before I could even catch myself, I crashed my lips against hers. And my heart swelled with delight when I felt her tongue slide across the slit of my lips.
As she kissed me right back.
12
Simone
Even with my sarcastic response, I still couldn't believe it was him. Even when I heard him yelling my name, I couldn’t believe it was him. And even when his arms were around me, I kept convincing myself that I was dreaming. That this wasn’t real. That I honestly hadn’t gotten that lucky.
Until his lips fell against my own.
My arms tightened around his neck as I reveled in the feeling of his muscles wrapped around my back. His tongue tasted like sunshine on a warm summer’s eve, and I couldn't get enough. He closed the distance between us as my back fell against the wall, his pelvis attached to my own.
And when I felt his cock growing against me, I knew I had to have him.
“Justin,” I whispered.
He cupped my cheeks. “I’m here now. Everything’s going to be just fine. My God, I can’t believe you’re still alive.”
My lower lip quivered. “How—how did you find me?”
His eyes grew stern. “Skeleton’s made his way into the area. My guys pinged him off a traffic camera that caught him around here. I came as quickly as I could and a young girl in the ice cream shop identified you.”
My face grew pale. “Skeleton’s here?”
He nodded. “He’s telling everyone you’re his girlfriend and that he needs to find you.”
Dani’s voice rose behind JayJay’s back. “Well, that shit isn’t happening. Not on my watch. Where’s this Skeletal dude, anyway?”
JayJay furrowed his brow. “What?”
I giggled. “It’s fine. She’s okay. I’ve been renting a room from her ever since she gave me this job at the diner.”
He studied me. “So, you are working here.”
I nodded. “Yep.”
“How the hell did you get here in the first place?”
I took his hand. “Privacy first. Then, we talk. Dani?”
She giggled. “Get out of here, you two. And if this means you’re going to quit, just give me a heads up before you book it out of town.”
“I’d never leave you hanging like that. You know this.”
“Still. Just keep me afloat.”
“I will, girl. I will.”
I took Justin’s hand and led him out of the diner as Dani switched places with me in terms of my shift. And when I led him outside, his bike was nowhere to be found. I looked up at him with a curious gaze before he pointed down the road.
“Did you leave your bike at the ice cream parlor?” I asked.
He nodded. “When that girl told me