Page 20 of Big Trouble
“Hi,” he murmured.
I shoved my hands in my pockets, rocking awkwardly on my heels. “Hi.”
“Um, I wanted to apologize. And I didn’t know how else to do it, so here we are.”
“Right.”
“You could sit down?”
“I could.” But if I did, that could leave me open to all sorts of abuse. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face it.
“Come on, Lo, please. Let me buy you lunch.”
It was already a quarter after twelve. If I didn’t eat now, I wouldn’t eat until I got home. And knowing what delights awaited me in Ciara’s refrigerator, even a muffin would be better than nothing. Even though my stomach was in knots, I pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. His blue eyes fixed me with a hopeful look.
“What do you want?” he asked.
Part of me wanted to teach him a lesson and order the entire menu. I’d pick at a couple of dishes, then leave the rest. He’d have to pick up the bill and be left with heaps of uneaten food. But I couldn’t do that to the cafe owners.
“Just a coffee. And a slice of carrot cake.” I kept it simple. I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to eat anything in front of him.
“You got it.” He pushed his chair back and limped over to the counter.
Despite myself, I couldn’t help but admire his ass in his tight blue jeans. His thighs, even from the back, were something else. I guessed they had to be strong to control a beast of a motorbike at over a hundred miles an hour. I shook my head. What was I thinking? He was a patient. And not a very good one at that.
When he came back, a smiling woman carrying a tray with our drinks followed him.
Oh great, another stranger who would never speak to me.
“Here you go, two coffees and two slices of carrot cake.” She placed the tray on the table and dished out our food and drink. Why had Jack chosen exactly the same as me – could he be as nervous as I was?
“Thanks, Carla. I’ll be sure to tell Mom you said hi.” Jack beamed, his blue eyes sparkling as he sat back in the chair opposite me.
“Why am I here?” I asked as I dumped two packets of sugar into my coffee. There wasn’t really time to be beating around the bush.
“I asked Ciara for help,” said Jack. “I didn’t think you’d see me otherwise.”
“You weren’t wrong,” I muttered. For a second, I wondered how he knew to contact Ciara. Then I remembered; this was Cali Cross. Everyone knew everyone. Unless they were from out of town.
“I was a complete jerk yesterday,” he began.
I quirked an eyebrow. “No shit.”
“I over-reacted and I shouldn’t have talked to you like I did. You didn’t deserve it.” He looked down at the table. “I… it’s been difficult.”
“Still doesn’t give you the right to go around verbally abusing someone you’ve only just met.” I pushed my fork into my cake, taking the tiniest nibble. “Particularly when that person is trying to help you.”
“I know. And I want to make things right. I want a do-over. I want…”
“And what about what I want?” I cut in on his monologue. “I’m in trouble with my boss because of you. We probably won’t get paid by your insurance company because you cut out of the appointment so soon. I could lose my job.” That wasn’t entirely true, but I wanted him to feel bad. Really bad.
“Seriously? Lo, I’m so sorry.” His hand snaked across the table and covered mine.
The feel of his skin on mine made me burn. My cheeks flushed as the butterflies already in my stomach decided to flutter all at the same time. I should pull away, he shouldn’t be touching me, I shouldn’t be letting him.
All rational thought left my head as I concentrated on the feeling of his thumb gently caressing my knuckles.
“I’ll be better at tomorrow’s session.” His tone became serious. “I’ll stay for the whole time. I’ll do everything you ask.”
