Page 94 of Beautiful Dangerous

“Yeah, theywerepretty substantial, weren’t they?”

We look at each other, and we laugh, and once again I realize how much I like this guy. I really like him, and if the circumstances had been different…

If I hadn’t fallen in love with Lucca.

If Javier hadn’t come back…

“And we’ll probably pay for it later,” I sigh, straightening a display of menus on the corner of the bar.

“You keep dissing those burgers, but I’ll have you know they’re made from the best…” He raises an eyebrow, and shrugs. “Who knows what the hell they’re made of, I just know they taste damn good!”

I hand him another beer. “Stay for something to eat. Come on, you know you want to.”

He takes the beer and downs a long draft. “To be honest, Olivia, I don’t, want to.”

I frown, and I can’t hide my disappointment. “Why not?” I lean over the bar, breathing in the smell of leather and beer and cigarette smoke. “Was it something I said?”

The corner of his mouth once more lifts up into a slow smirk. “No. It’s nothing you said.”

“I thought you liked hanging out with me?”

He arches a brow. “Is that what we do now? Hang out?”

I smile and sink a mouthful of beer. “What wouldyoucall it?”

He just smiles and shakes his head, briefly dropping his gaze. “I should get back to the clubhouse.”

“You said you weren’t in any hurry before.” I start checking the optics, making sure all the bottles are full enough.

“I’m not, not really.”

“Then, why go?”

He looks at me, and he smiles again, and I love that this man makes me feel so comfortable. So safe.

“Come on. Let’s go grab some air.”

I signal to Nora to make sure the bar’s covered, and then Angel and I head out across the back terrace and down onto the street below. There’s a small park across from the restaurant, a pretty green area with benches and a tiny playground just big enough for a handful of kids to play in at any one time. All the bushes and trees are flowering now, adding more color to the greenery, and we sit down on one of the vacant benches overlooking a sprawling Jacaranda tree.

“Thank you, for this morning. I might not have looked it at the time, but I’m really grateful to you and Eddie.”

“I know.” He drops his gaze, his hands clasped together. “Sometimes we can be the good guys, too.” He looks up, his eyes locking on mine, and he smiles. “When we need to be.”

“Yeah.” I smile too. “I get that.”

He shifts his gaze to a small group of children playing by the tree, running around it, screeching in delight as they chase each other.

“Javier wants us to try for a baby.”

That causes Angel’s head to spin back around, his eyes narrowing slightly. “He does?”

“Yeah,” I sigh, sitting back and fiddling with my wedding band, twisting it round and around my finger. “He wants this brand new start for us, a whole new beginning.”

“And that’s the last thing you want, huh?”

He knows that’s a rhetorical question.

“If me and Lucca want to get out of this alive, Angel, we’re going to have to move fast.”

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