Page 14 of Average Joe

“How are you walking around today?” she continued taunting.

“Enough!” I half yelled, half laughed. “Get to work.” I pointed at the window. “You have a customer.”

Lilly stopped teasing during the morning rush but started again at the first lull in cars. “You got fucked raw, didn’t you?”

“Inappropriate.” I reached for my sweats and tugged them over my hips. “I’m your boss.”

The roar of a loud motor vibrated the windows. I glanced at the security camera, praying my rising pulse was for naught, but curse my luck, my neighbor and his beefy ride pulled up to the window.

Shit. Shit. Shit!I dropped to a squat. Why? Who knew? But there I was, and there I’d stay.

“Holy, hot tamale,” Lilly spewed under her breath. “Look at this guy.”

Oh, I’d looked. Touched. Swapped spit just yesterday. “Looks like trouble if you ask me.”

Lilly didn’t hear me, already leaned too far out the window. If I gave her a nudge, she’d fall right onto his bike. I busied myself in the corner, down low, where there were sure to be dust bunnies that needed sweeping. Sweet lord, why were my knees so sore? Oh yeah, sex on the stairs.Note to self: No more riding monster cocks without a cushion for your knees.

“Morning, sunshine,” Lilly purred. “What can I get for you?”

“Americano. Black. Two sugars.” Joe’s rough timber, even from a distance, vibrated my skin, licking every sore spot with white-hot regret.

Lilly worked the man, throwing her best lines his way before turning away to engage the coffee grinder. I duck walked to the closet, then stood hidden behind the door. I had a clear view of the security screen in the corner of the shop.

To Joe’s credit, he was a gentleman. No witty comebacks. No sexual innuendoes. He spoke few words to my master seductress other than telling her to keep the change. He hadn’t even ogled her 34DDs.

She watched him ride away, then turned to me, lips pursed, blowing a low whistle. “Did you see the size of those hands?”

Seen them, felt them. Wore their marks on my skin. I laughed, shaking my headno.

“You’re white as a ghost.” She pressed the back of her fingers to my forehead. “What’s wrong with you?”

Wasn’t that the million-dollar question? Tell ya what was wrong. I’d let that man penetrate my thick skin, and we’d only just met. Fucking old habits. The air grew dense, the walls closed in, and the space became too small for my stifling emotions. “I need to make my rounds. You good until Carmen shows up?”

“I’ll be fine.” She connected her cell to the speaker and pulled up her work playlist. “We’re hitting Georgetown for drinks tonight. Wanna join us?”

“Oh. Um.” I absolutely was not in the mood for drinks or hanging out with Marco and his buddies. In my line of work, being ogled and propositioned was par for the course. Hanging in a bar full of drunk, horny men while trying to relax? No, thank you. “Maybe.”

I rubbed the ache in my chest. Lilly knew I would decline, but that never discouraged her from extending the invitation. I hated being away from the house. One day, Dylan would come home. I needed to be there when he returned.

I grabbed my keys and handbag and slipped out, checking the periphery for ex-cons on growly bikes. “Lock up behind me,” I hollered.

* * *

“Morning, neighbor.” The rough greeting came from Alice’s side of the shrub hedge that separated her front yard from mine.

My insides betrayed me in disgusting, pitiful ways, heart racing, skin tingling. I stepped off my porch, tripped over a pebble, stumbled, then righted myself, thankful the sun had yet to rise. Jeez, I needed to cool my jets.

I offered a watered-down greeting. “Hey.”

Joe jogged around my front lawn, then down my driveway, a pair of loose-fitting lounge pants hanging off his waist and a rumpled T-shirt clinging to his chest. Even in his domestic disguise, the man looked threatening, larger than life, and so dangerously delicious.

For the love of God, what was wrong with me? Was my proclivity toward criminal elements a hereditary issue? Mental illness did run in the family. Maybe a visit to the shrink was in order.

Joe stalked closer, his gaze raking the length of me, wearing a satisfied grin like he’d already had me for breakfast. Beautiful, cocky bastard.

We reached my car at the same time.

Spine rod straight, I asked, “What are you doing up so early?”

---