Piece by Piece (The Riggins Brothers #2) - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,27
freely. I could spend days doing nothing but kissing him. The scratchiness of his beard, the way his hands cradle my face, I feel protected. And the need he claims to have for me, I feel that too. From my head to my toes, I feel his need, his desire, and I want more.
“Layla, are you even listening to me?” Linda chuckles.
“Sorry, Linda,” I say sheepishly.
“What on earth has gotten into you?” she asks.
I bite down on my bottom lip, debating on how much I should tell her. “I met someone,” I blurt out.
“Oh, I heard. Rumor has it Mr. Tall, Bearded, and Handsome has been in here a lot on the nights you work.” She winks.
My face is hot from embarrassment. “He has. He always asks for me, and well, we’ve been spending some time together.”
“Why the long face?”
“He offered me a job,” I confess.
“Order up!” Johnny, one of the cooks, yells.
“That’s mine,” I tell Linda.
“Tonight, you and I are going to chat, sooner if we can both get a break later. I want all the details.” She offers me a warm smile, something I’ve come to accept with her.
“Okay.” I easily agree to her terms, because I need someone to talk to about this. Owen gave me Sawyer’s number, but she’s too close to him, to the situation. I guess Linda is too, but I trust her to give me her honest feedback to help me make my decision.
He goes home tomorrow. I feel a knot twist in my belly when I think about never seeing him again. Then, there is the home and the life I’ve made for myself here in Florida. It might not be a sprawling five-bedroom, but I have a place to lay my head at night. Sure, times are tight, but I’m making it on my own.
By the time the lunch rush is over, my feet are begging me for a break. I’m just about to clock out when I hear a familiar sexy voice from behind me at the bar.
“You taking a break?” he asks.
Turning, I see Owen standing at the bar, looking as handsome as ever. “Yes. We just finished the lunch rush. I was going to grab something to eat.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“You hungry?” I ask him.
His eyes rake over my body. “Sure. Whatever you’re having is fine. Oh, and it’s on me.”
“I get a discount because I work here. It’s my treat this time,” I tell him.
“Layla,” he warns.
That makes my smile grow. “Go sit.” I point to a small corner booth where the staff eats out of the view of customers. “I’ll be right over.” He shakes his head but does as I ask and heads toward the small corner booth.
“Linda, how about a couple of burgers and a plate of fries?” I ask sweetly.
“Was that him?” she asks, nodding toward the bar where I was just talking with Owen.
“That’s him,” I confirm.
“He’s a looker.” She wags her eyebrows.
“Linda!” I pretend to scold her. “What would Ronnie say?”
“I’m married, not dead. Now, help me get this fixed up so you can have lunch with your man.”
“He’s not my man.”
“No? Sure looks that way to me.”
“What makes you say that?”
“It’s all in the eyes. He didn’t take his off you.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s mine.”
“Maybe not yet, but you want him to be.” I open my mouth to object, but she stops me. “Don’t try denying it. You and I are still going to have that chat.” She points at me before pulling down three plates.
“I’m going to grab us some drinks. I’ll be right back.” I rush to the bar area and make us both a glass of sweet tea, and drop it off at the booth. “Our food is almost ready,” I tell him, placing our glasses on the table.
“Hey.” Reaching out, he grabs my arm. “Come here.” He gives my arm a gentle tug so I’m leaning into him and presses his lips to mine. “I missed you.”
“You dropped me off this morning, and we spent the day together yesterday.”
He shrugs. “I want all your time, Lay.” He winks and releases me.
I stumble back to the kitchen on shaking legs. As soon as Linda sees me, a huge grin lights up her face. “He’s yours all right.” She grabs a serving tray and places two small plates, each holding a juicy burger and another filled with more than one order of fries. “Go on. You only get thirty minutes. You don’t want to keep your man