Page 29 of Secret Squirrel

“Nice,” I said for him, smiling up at her. “But Dukey made it pretty clear he didn’t want you.”

“Dukey?” Cash questioned.

I returned the kick under the table and continued smiling up at her.

“Only because you did something to him,” she screeched. “You may have won the war, but you will not win this battle,” she seethed.

I didn’t bother to correct her terrible analogy. She was too stupid to understand it anyway. And my warning glare at Cash shut him up quickly.

“I don’t suppose we can order some breakfast,” Cash said.

She shot me another warning glance, then turned back to him as if he was her next target. I had a feeling Cash was regretting escaping Eva right about now.

“Fine. What can I get for you?”

“Two breakfast specials,” he answered before I could say something snippy.

She nodded and smiled at me before turning and bouncing away. I didn’t let that sweet look fool me. She was planning something and thought she could somehow push me out of the way. She didn’t know that I already took myself out of the running. I only pulled that shit with Duke last night for fun.

That’s what I told myself.

“God, what does Duke see in her?” I said to myself.

“Besides sex appeal?”

If that was what men found attractive, it was no wonder so many people ended up divorced. Sex appeal only got you so far. What about the ability to fight for yourself or to have an intelligent conversation? Were those not redeemable qualities anymore?

“So, not only did you leave with Duke, you staked your claim on him last night,” he grinned.

“I was just fucking around.”

He considered this. “That doesn’t sound like you. I mean, you definitely fuck around, but not with a man like Duke. In fact, I’m pretty sure you’ve done your level best to avoid him at all costs. So, why the sudden need to ‘piss all over him’ as she said?”

I rolled my eyes at his grin. “It wasn’t like that. Not really. I woke up and…her voice is so fucking irritating. I just wanted her gone.”

He smirked at me, picking up his coffee and taking a sip. “Uh-huh.”

“I’m serious.”

“I believe you,” he said, but his smile told me something entirely different.

“Look, I practically had a brain injury. I wasn’t myself.”

“And you went to Duke for comfort.”

“He’s a mechanic,” I hissed. “No way am I getting involved with him.”

“Because he might rev your engine,” he retorted.

I shot him a scathing look. “Mind your own business.”

He huffed out a laugh at that. “Says the woman that stands outside the door listening in on private conversations.”

“It’s not private unless you go in a soundproof room,” I shot back.

“He’s good for you.”

“He’s a mechanic,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

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