Page 11 of Perfectly Leashed
That was understandable in his line of work, but a call to say he was running late would’ve been nice.
“From the look on your face, your lunch date isn’t here.” Percy gestured at the seat next to him. “You can wait with me, unless you wanna sit at the bar and watch Rafael scrolling through his phone.”
Darcy took a seat, eyeing those delicious nachos. He’d been a little hungry when Luca asked him to lunch. All Darcy had eaten so far today was a yogurt. But now that he was at Sin’s, with those wonderful smells lingering in the air, his stomach was trying to eat its way out.
“So, who’s your lunch friend?” Percy bit into a nacho, the crunch loud in the quiet room. There were two guys seated at the counter, a plate of food in front of each. Another table was occupied with a young couple and their toddler, who kept kicking his feet and turning his head, refusing every bite his dad tried to feed him.
“A guy named Luca, who I just met. He’s the one who suggested having lunch here.” Darcy really wanted some of those nachos. He bet they were salted just right. And the cup of melted cheese in the center of the plate looked like orange heaven.
Percy’s hand paused halfway to his open mouth. “Luca invited you here?”
“You know who I’m talking about?” Darcy sounded just as stunned. How often did Luca hang at Sin’s? And Percy must’ve frequented the tavern a lot if he knew who the guy was.
Or was their connection deeper than that? Darcy looked the blond over, wondering— It was none of his business if Percy and Luca had been intimate.
Then why are you so flipping jealous right now, hmm?
Because Darcy really liked the mechanic. Luca wasn’t just hot. He was also sweet and funny. A combination that seemed hard to come by lately. Luca listened to Darcy’s rambling, appearing genuinely interested. And he’d been a lifesaver with the dogs.
Darcy was still amazed at how Luca had taken instant charge of the pack of dogs like he was somehow attuned to them.
“Santiago?” Darcy shouldn’t have been surprised to see him. Everywhere Percy was, bet your ass Santiago was close by.
Percy’s boyfriend sauntered toward them. The reverent look in his eyes as he stared at Percy stole Darcy’s breath.
Why couldn’t someone look at him like he was their entire universe?
“Hey, Darce,” Santiago said. He was the only person who got away with calling him that. “Delivering pizza to someone here?”
“You know, I do have a life outside my weekend gig,” Darcy huffed then turned to Percy. “Not gonna lie, your nachos are torturing me. Can I please have a few?”
Screw salivating over them. Darcy was so hungry he had cold pains in his belly.
“Well, since you do bring me my favorite food, this bitch’ll share.” He grinned. “Un gato se sienta sobre cubos derretidos.”
Darcy forced himself not to grab a handful. “I don’t speak Spanish. You’ll have to tell me what you said.”
Oh god. The nacho was so freaking good. He wasn’t sure what flavor they were, but he’d never tasted any this flavorful. If Luca didn’t get there soon, Darcy just might eat all of Percy’s food.
“I said you’re welcome to my lunch,” Percy replied as Santiago looked like he was fighting a smile.
The tavern door opened, but it wasn’t Luca who walked inside. Just another muscled guy wearing a leather.
“Luca invited Darcy here for lunch.” Percy waved a casual hand at him as Darcy snatched another nacho, wishing he had something to wash it down with.
Santiago studied Darcy, those hazel eyes intense. “Luca personally invited you here?”
Why were the two of them acting like that was such a big deal? A sinking feeling settled in Darcy’s gut. “He’s not already involved with someone else, is he?”
The thought had never crossed his mind. Luca seemed so nice and genuine, but what if that was all an act just to get Darcy in his bed? Had he misread the guy? Darcy’s heart thumped wildly at the thought of being played for such a fool.
“No, he’s single,” Santiago answered, still studying Darcy. “He’s not scum, Darce. Luca’s one of the good guys.”
Relief never tasted so good. Even better than the nachos he was smashing. Hey, if Percy wasn’t objecting, Darcy wasn’t letting them go to waste.
But he did slide his phone from his pocket. No missed calls or texts. Darcy decided to send one to Luca.
You said an hour, right? Already here, waiting on my dog whisperer.
