Page 26 of Hothead

Was she being serious right now? The look he threw her said as much.

When he didn’t bother to reply, Bella was the one to speak next, elbowing him at the same time. “Um, hey, I’m Bella.”

“Hi, Bella,” Rachel beamed. “Nice to finally meet you. I’m Rachel, and this is my fiancé, Hunter.”

Pleasantries exchanged, Rachel didn’t stop there.

“So, Bella, the girls and I were wondering if you wanted to join us for drinks tomorrow night? We’re hitting the Tipsy Cow in town.”

That was when Luke snapped. He knew exactly what was going on. “No, Rach,” he replied through gritted teeth. “She’snotgoing for drinks with you.”

The big man emitted a growl. Likely because he didn’t say no to his woman, so he didn’t like it when anyone else did either.

Luke watched as Rachel ran a hand up and down Hunter’s arm, clearly in an attempt to soothe him.

“Uh,actually, Rachel, I think drinks sound like a great idea. I’d love to come,” Bella piped.

“Excellent,” his ex-friend chirped as she did a little bounce. “We’re meeting down there at six—here, let me give you my number in case you need to get in touch with me.”

Luke’s eyes went to Hunter as the two women pulled out their phones. His friend simply shrugged. Where was the loyalty? Ten years he’d known his giant ass, been a good friend, and this was how he was repaid?

Feeling no less wound up as the couple said their goodbyes and went to rejoin the others, it was Bella who reaped the rewards of his bad mood.

“Why did you agree to go?” His head whipped back around to face her. “You know why she was inviting you, right? To get the gossip, find out what’s going on between us.”

“Well, she’ll be shit out of luck, Luke, ’cause, quite honestly, I have no fucking clue!” She threw up her arms in frustration before pinning him with a look that in no way should turn him on. Yet it did. “Oh, and if you dare try and answer for meeveragain, my knee and your balls are gonna get real familiar, really damn quickly.”

Stepping into her space again, he took a deep berry-filled breath. “Noted.”

“Noted,” she mocked. “Oh, I get it, you’ve gone back to monosyllabic communication. Well, that’s just fan-fucking-tastic.”

He felt a smile break out. This woman was something else. Something he just couldn’t get enough of.

“I’m picking you up tomorrow night,” he announced, ignoring her glare.

“No, Cappelli, you’re not.”

“This isn’t up for discussion.”

“I agree, it’s not. I’m a thirty-year-old woman, I don’t need picking up after a night out.”

“I never said youneededit,” he clarified.

“Fine. Still doesn’t change the fact that you’re not doing it though.” Her arms came up and crossed over her chest.

“These nights usually go on until closing, so I’ll come by then.”

Bella stomped her foot this time. “No, you will not, Cappelli. I mean it. You show up tomorrow, and youwill notbe getting a warm welcome.”

“Because all of my welcomes so far have been warm and fuzzy?” His eyebrow lifted as his smile upgraded into a smirk.

He watched her huff through pursed lips, lips he needed one last taste of if he had any hope of getting some sleep tonight.

“You’re impossible.”

One more footstep and he was back where he was supposed to be. Her breath hitting his lips and his body close enough to encourage her crossed arms back down to her sides. “And you’re fucking beautiful.”

Her eyes flashed, and that’s when he knew he had her. Neither of them could deny this connection. They easily generated enough electricity to power the whole damn town.

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