Page 3 of Devil's Dilemma

I glance up quickly, peering through my eyelashes, interested to see which of the women his eyes will zoom in on. I see his lips move, hear his voice, and it takes a moment for his words to filter through the jealousy that seems to have taken over my brain.

“Skull,” he offers, adding, “wasn’t anything at all. You’re Melissa’s friends.”

Chapter Two

Melissa

He said my name.

While I’m trying to process what he meant by his statement, taking care not to read more into it than it merits, Beth scoots her chair over, and the biker pulls up another and places it in the gap that’s appeared between hers and mine. As he sits, I glare at her, and receive an unapologetic shrug in return.

Skull takes a moment to look around the table, then grins. “You work together?”

“You can tell?” Macey queries, her eyebrow arched.

He chuckles. “It’s Friday night, the end of the work week. Six women and two men who don’t look to be in relationships with each other. Yeah, I deduced you share the same place of employment and are out to celebrate.”

Holly nods. “You’re right, and observant.”

“So, where do you work?” Skull’s words are spoken with a lazy confidence, showing no nervousness at having intruded in on a group of strangers, already sure of his welcome. But then he has just paid for an expensive round of drinks. Of course, everyone is going to be friendly.

“At the Clerk and Recorders office for Pueblo County.”

“Yeah? What doyoudo?” The first word was for Holly, but he even sounds interested as he pointedly directs the second question at me.

It would be rude to evade answering it. “I record land deeds. Nothing interesting.”

“Motor vehicle licenses,” Holly half raises her hand. It looks like she’s trying to regain his attention.

“Marriages, births and deaths,” Macey and Sian say together.

Beth chuckles. “I work with Melissa.”

Not to be left out, Carter indicates Brice and himself. “We clean up after everyone.”

“Yeah?” asks Skull. Then he adds with a chuckle, “I know a bit about clean up, myself.”

“What do you do?” Beth asks him, with a pointed look my way, clearly annoyed that I’m staying quiet.

“I work at our auto-shop and also turn my hand to a bit of this and that.”

It’s an odd answer, but I zip my mouth shut not wanting to show any interest or encourage him.

Brice finds his voice and starts asking about the type of bike Skull rides, and whether his club’s likeSons of Anarchy. I half-listen to the answers, and half ask myself why he’s sitting next to me. I keep sneaking sideways glances, but his attention doesn’t settle for long on anyone else, just briefly on the person who’s asked a question. Currently it’s Brice who’s querying the cc of his bike.

“Was an eight-eight-three, but I got it bored out to twelve hundred.” Skull pauses and shoots me a quick look. “I suppose I shouldn’t admit that to you lot.”

I raise and lower my shoulders. “It’s Friday night, we’re not at work.” And with the amount of alcohol the others have consumed, by Monday they’ll have forgotten.

“So, Melissa, do you like your job?”

Another shrug. “It’s a job. Boring like any other.”

“What do you like to do in your spare time?” He seems intent on dragging responses out of me.

I don’t even have to open my mouth to answer.

“She cooks,” informs Beth.

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