Page 67 of Dining for Love

“Pretty sure you don’t need a partner to harass the tourists. I’ll finish my shift alone.” I pivot and walk away, already knowing I’ve behaved rashly and unable to give a shit.

He mutters a few words behind me that I don’t catch, but I keep going. If I spend another minute in his company, I’m liable to do something I’ll regret.

Chapter 21

Willa

SO IT TURNS out that I am a horn dog.

Horn. Dog.

That’s the only way I can accurately be described at this point. At the end of the day, it’s Reid’s fault. The man is a walking fantasy with his skin and his muscles and his beard and his eyes and dimples and mouth. He’s orgasmed me into a state of I don’t even know what, but I’m so happy about it that I can’t be bothered to care about his inevitable departure. I know he’s leaving, but my body is so addicted to his that it’s overriding all logic. I spend all day thinking of him, and I blame all the orgasms for the things that go through my mind.

Things like, will he let me use his cuffs? Probably not. And that’s why I’ve gotten a pair off Amazon and they’re in my bedside drawer.

Mom and Goldie don’t help matters, because they won’t shut up about me and Reid, despite me and Dad begging them to stop.

“Maybe you’ll go to Miami.” Mom pours Tom and Jerry more coffee.

“That girl’s not going anywhere,” Tom says.

“That girl can do what she wants, Tom,” Jerry shoots back.

“That girl is right here, guys,” I call through the window. It’s slow, so I’m tidying up the area where we garnish all the plates. “And I’ve said it a million times: I am not going anywhere.”

“But you could be so much bigger if you left,” Mom wheedles. “You need to leave. Explore. Discover the world. Discover yourself.”

“Barbara, leave her alone,” Dad says. “You act like you don’t want her around.”

I shoot him a grateful look as Mom sniffs, “I just think this town is too small for our Willa.”

“I like it here,” I insist.

“Because Reid is here?” Tom waggles his eyes.

I glare at him. “Not you, too.”

“Everyone can see how moony-eyed you get when he comes in,” Jerry points out.

I roll my eyes. “I give up. All of you can think what you want. I’m staying here. I’m not following Reid—oranyone—anywhere.”

“If you say so,” Mom singsongs.

I ignore her. There’s no talking her out of anything when she gets something in her head, and she’s convinced herself that Reid and I are going to live happily ever after in Miami. Then again, she’s been trying to push me out of town from the moment I graduated from high school, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

I go home after my shift, knowing full well that Reid’s waiting in his backyard for me, like most days. But I have plans for him, plans that I’m not sure I’ll even have the bravery to pull off, but I want to try anyway. So I ignore him and walk into my house, deliberately leaving the door unlocked and dropping a trail of clothes in my wake as I head to the shower.

I half expect him to join me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he’s waiting on the edge of my bed again, scowling, and it sends my heart rate soaring. I smirk to cover my nervousness. “You’re awfully cute when you’re mad, Reid.”

He’s unmoved. “Willa, you havegotto lock your door.”

I sigh and let my towel drop. His eyes go right to my breasts. “I knew you were coming,” I say, closing the distance between us and stepping between his legs, hoping the move will keep my own from shaking. “Otherwise, I assure you I would have.”

His hands skim up the backs of my legs, over my rear, and make their way to my waist. He pulls me close and presses his lips to my stomach. “Promise?” he asks, not breaking the contact.

Relaxing and reminding myself that he’s damn near perfect and will not, in fact, make fun of me, I thread my nails across his scalp the way I know he likes it. “Promise.” I reach to pull his shirt off. He lets me, then he lets me take his shorts and boxer briefs off as well. His dick is already half-hard. “You’re being awfully compliant, Officer Reid,” I tease.

He smiles, seeming to have pushed whatever was bothering him to the side. “I kind of like it when you take control.”

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