Page 2 of Burn for You

And it’s not like I’ve got a guy waiting for me. I haven’t in a long time. I’ve made sure of that, not wanting to put myself in any serious situations with a guy again. Not for a while, anyway. Not after last time.

My heels clop against the cobblestone path that leads into town. I decided to walk tonight, but my feet are already screaming at me for my poor decision making.

With a sigh, I lean over to unclasp the buckle on my heels and slip them off my feet to continue my walk barefoot.

Much better. Not so classy, but far more practical.

As I walk through Ruby Cove, I can’t help but be glad that this is where I ended up. The sun is just about to slip below the horizon, casting a golden glow across the bay that makes it look like heaven.

When Isla and I first arrived in town, courtesy of her boyfriend Caio, I never thought this was how our girls’ trip would turn out. But then she fell in love, and going home seemed a lot duller than staying in the peaceful Italian coastal town.

Not that I had a place to call home. As a kid, I moved around a lot, following my mom whenever she ran from an ex-boyfriend, meaning that I never truly felt like I belongedanywhere. Until we came here. This tiny little town somehow drew me in, and it’s yet to let me go.

Now that Isla is working at an art studio in town full time, I’ve picked up her extra shifts at Marina’s. I’ve got a stable job at the local bar, a perfect little cottage all to myself, and a beautiful placeI get to call home. I don’t know how anything could kill the buzz I feel right now.

And then I remember where I’m headed.

When my date texted,asking to meet up at Olive&Vine, I literally texted back with:

Can we go anywhere but there?

But he had heard it was the best place in town, and none of my attempts to convince him that it was average at best worked. So here I am, walking up the curved path towards Rafael Deo’s restaurant.

I hope I haven’t pissed off karma lately. I’m really hoping the universe did me a favor and Rafael isn’t here tonight. I really can’t be bothered having my date ruined by his presence.

Rafael and I met about four months ago when I first arrived in town. That interaction ended in instant dislike, from both sides.

I mean, what kind of sane person loses their mind over a stranger eating their food “wrong?” How can you even eat food wrong? It was just a meatball, and I’d never admit it to him, but it was a bloody good meatball. But again, just a meatball. No big deal, right?

Wrong.

Ever since that day, it’s been back and forth between the two of us. The fact that my best friend fell in love with his best friend is insanely inconvenient for our situation.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Caio, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Isla happier than she is when she’s with him. Apparently he just lacks good judgment when it comes to his best friend.

It looks like my luck has run out because as soon as I open the door, the first set of eyes I connect with are his. Those dark browneyes that are always paired with a scowl when they’re looking at me. He runs a hand over his rough stubble and looks back down at whatever he’s doing before I can scowl back.

“May?” I feel a hand slide across my lower back. “Hi, it’s Dean.”

I suddenly remember why I said yes to a date with Dean when he approached me at the bar on the weekend.

Dean is fucking hot.

Like holy-mother-of-god sexy.

Like hand crafted.

Like I can feel my pussy tingling just at the sight of him.

“Dean, nice to see you again.” I run a hand up his toned arm.Hand crafted, alright.

“I already secured our table,” he replies, gently urging me forward with that hand on my back.

He steers me through the tables towards the back of the restaurant, closer to where I can feel Rafael’s prying eyes watching our every move, but I don’t even have it in me to look his way.

Dean walks around the table to pull out my chair. I thank him as I sit down. Hot as hellanda gentleman? Maybe I didn’t piss off karma as much as I thought.

“Have you been here before?” he asks, starting off the conversation.

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