Tempt Me - By Shiloh Walker Page 0,33

staring at the battered little leather notebook he carried in his jacket pocket. But she suspected he wasn’t paying any attention to the notes he’d made. His shoulders rose and fell on a sigh and then he looked up, his gaze locking with hers. “I know that, Rock. I just worry. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“I don’t want to see me hurt, either.” She forced herself to smile. “Hurt, bad. I get that.”

He skimmed a hand back through his hair. “Lady, I hope you do. Okay, then. So you’ll call if you need me, right? No matter how small a thing it seems?”

“Absolutely.” And she meant it. She was not going to be a victim again. It wasn’t going to happen.

“Alright. I don’t like this, not any of it. But alright.” He blew out a breath. A forced smile came and went on his face. “So. You still seeing that lawyer or did you at least wise up on that level?”

Until then, Lacey had kept quiet, but now she groaned and said, “Damn it, Clayton, leave her love life out of it.” She made a face at Rocki. “I think he’s still hung up on you and having issues. Just ignore him.”

Rocki tensed, the idea making her ridiculously uncomfortable. From the corner of her eye, she saw a red flush creeping up Clayton’s neck, across his face. His voice was easy enough as he said, “Oh, I’ve got all sorts of issues. My kid sister’s best friend is dating a lawyer—that would give anybody a complex.”

“Yeah, I’m still seeing the lawyer.” Absently, she toyed with her hair. She’d woven it into two long braids today. Unaware of the smile on her face, she stared out the window. “We’re going out tomorrow night.”

Third date. She could definitely have sex with him on their third date, she thought. His place? Hers? She didn’t know, didn’t care.

“Man. I gotta get out of here,” Clayton said, his voice brusque. “I can’t stand to see you standing there with that smile on your face...over a lawyer.”

As he left, Lacey shot Rocki a look, and they both started to laugh.

“I’d like to see you tonight.”

Gripping the phone in one hand, Rocki pressed her other hand to her belly. Slow it down …just a little. But out loud, she simply replied, “Tomorrow will be here before you know it. What happened to whatever thing you had going on tonight?”

“Fell apart.” Cole sighed. “I was supposed to be out of town, work stuff. Didn’t happen.”

“Ahhh.” She finished shutting down the computer and then stood up, began making a circuit around the shop. It had been a slow day. Usually things got slower after Valentine’s Day, then picked back up again sometime in March when people starting getting a lot more serious about weddings and stuff. She was used to it mostly, but slow days were still tedious.

“‘Ahhh’...what does that mean, exactly?”

“Just that.” She smiled as she paused by a table and straightened up the display there. Rocki was honest enough with herself to admit that she was tempted to tell Cole he could come over, but she was still a little leery. Two dates. And one wild night of sex.

And she was restless. Edgy. Plus, irritated as hell, still, from the discussion with Clayton earlier. Not exactly ideal company, really. And damn it, if he wanted to see her, couldn’t he just ask?

Well, he sort of did, a calm, rational voice pointed out. Rocki brushed it off. That hadn’t been asking. He’d just been mentioning it. He hadn’t asked.

“So, tomorrow, right? Six?” She needed to get off the phone now before she started clueing him in on her psycho mood swings.

“Six.” He hesitated, almost like he wanted to say something else. But then he sighed. “You have a good night, Rocki. Think about me.”

“Hmmm. I do that all too often, handsome.” Then she lowered the phone and disconnected, staring off into nothing.

If she’d wanted you to come over, she would have asked, he thought.

Cole figured he needed to turn around. Go back home. Spend the night alone.

But he didn’t.

He made a couple of stops. The liquor store for a bottle of wine. A small boutique that was open later than some, selling chocolate and flowers. She hadn’t had much of a Valentine’s Day, right? He could make up for that. And see her.

He just wanted to see her. No. Needed to.

And even if it was just for a few minutes, it was better than nothing.

Rocki finished