Page 10 of Stella
“Not in front of the customers, T.” She smiles sweetly at Amanda.
Just to piss him off, I say; “Thanks, Stella, that’s awful nice of you.”
She gives me a wink and flounces off to the back.
Amanda hands over the keys to Tag, and he takes them without saying another word.
When he’s out of earshot, Amanda says, “Is he okay? He seems kinda grouchy.”
I chuckle. “He’s fine. Not a people person. I promise he’ll do a good job, why don’t you give your boyfriend a call and see if he’d prefer to come here, or I can drop you home.”
“Okay, thanks.” She takes off out the front to make the phone call.
I head toward the back to see if I can help Stella, Calli trots next to me. As I pass Hawk, he gives me a grimacing stare that I ignore and keep walking. He’s probably one of the quietest in the group, but he still doesn’t like me.
I stop in the doorway of the small lunchroom. Stella is bending over in those tight coveralls talking to herself, and my dick just about leaps out of my jeans.Why the fuck am I reacting to her like this?Goddamn. I’ve seen Stella a bunch of times over the years, and while I’m not blind, I haven’t reacted to her like Iam this morning. It’s those fucking coveralls and her long, dark hair and pretty eyes, and just, well,her.
Maybe I need to get laid. And not with Stella, I mean, somebody else. I don’t want to be feeling this way about a woman involved with the NOLA Rebels MC. For one, her dad would skin me alive, and second, Tag would make me eat my own eyeballs before skinning me alive if I so much as looked at her like I am now.
Hazel eyes meet mine and I’m caught staring at her ass.Fuck.
“Hey, pretty boy,” she laughs. “So how do you take your coffee?”
My mouth feels dry, like I’m struggling to find words. And this just won’t do. This is why being mean to everyone is probably the easier way to go in life, a lot like Tag, that way, nobody will assume you’re a nice guy and you won’t have to cover your tracks when you’re caught staring.
“Cream, with no sugar.”
“Sweet enough?” She smirks, turning her back on me, and I don’t know if she does it on purpose, but those hips shimmy just a little.
Do not stare at her ass. In fact, don’t stare at all…I look over her shoulder at the wall.
Jesus. It’s like I’m a teenager again and can’t control my thoughts, or my body parts.
This woman will be the death of me, and the sooner I high-tail it outta here — after trying to be a Good Samaritan — the better.
3
STELLA
My back turned to Cale,I bite my lip at finding him staring at my ass. Oh, I don’t mind, I’ve had one too many hot dreams about him and his handcuffs since as long as I can remember. The fact I caught him looking just makes it that much sweeter. I know I’m a flirt, and I don’t do it with every guy I look at, just the ones I like. And I like Cale Callaghan more than I should.
His dark blonde short hair, those piercing blue eyes that send me to Heaven every time they land on me, and his tall, muscular body tick all the boxes. Every last one.
My crush isn’t a secret to the women of the MC — and Manny — but none of them think it’s going to go anywhere, and it probably isn’t. I’m living in Dreamland if I honestly think that anything could. For one, he’s a cop. A very bad mixture when you’re NOLA Rebels MC. I smile at the idea, and at the fact I’m a prospect now.
“That was nice of you to help out the girl,” I say. I’ve completely forgotten her name, and I admit, when he first introduced her, a wave of jealousy swept through me like hot, burning lava until I realized she was just someone he was helping out.
I’ve never had a serious relationship, but I am a hot-headed person, and if I like you, you’ll know about it. I have to be very careful though with Cale, because if Tag or my dad even suspect how far my crush goes, they’ll crush his skull. Tag has his suspicions, but my dad is completely clueless. Bless him.
“All in a day’s work,” Cale says.
“I’m sorry about Tag,” I go on, always feeling as if I have to apologize for his rudeness. “You know how he is.”
I turn and Cale smiles softly. Holy fuck. He’s so much cuter when he smiles. Whenever he comes around here, he doesn’t have a whole lot to smile about, and one can’t blame him. The boys are horrific to the police, especially Cale. But not me. I don’t share their sentiments. He’s just doing his job, and if they can’t see that, that’s on them. Of course, I won’t be telling them that. I’m only on day one of being a prospect, I don’t want to rock the boat just yet. I am also going to have to tell Cale, and I don’t know how well that will go down.
Dread washes over me when he says, “Whose is this?”
I finish adding creamer to his cup, wondering if I should’ve asked the chick if she wanted any, and my eyes flick to where he’s pointing.
