Page 38 of Baited

“Come see me when you get a break, okay?”

She nodded. His hand fell from hers and he disappeared behind her. She turned her attention back to Brian. “Sorry, Brian. What were you saying?”

“Ah, nothing.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I better grab a seat. See you around, Riley.” He gave her a tight smile and headed for one of the tables.

Jenny and Josh stood behind the counter staring at her. Jenny bobbed her eyebrows.

She made a face at them. “What?”

“Way to mark his territory, huh?” Josh shook his head, laughed and disappeared into the back. Riley frowned.

Jenny shrugged. “If I were you girl, I wouldn’t complain.” She leaned over the counter and nodded her head toward where Brian sat on the other side of the restaurant. “He’s a firefighter by the way. He just moved back last fall. You going on break now?”

Riley undid her apron, and Jenny reached for it. “I’ll take this to the back for you. Now hurry up and pick which one you’re going to talk to. The suspense is killing me,” she whispered.

Riley stuck her tongue out. “Don’t read too much into it.” But a smile tingled the corner of her mouth.

Jenny made a low whistle. Riley rolled her eyes, sauntered down the aisle, and took the seat across from Ethan. She pursed her lips. “What was that about?”

Ethan’s eyes rounded, his hand pressed to his chest. “Who, me?”

“Ha-ha, very funny. Why didn’t you just pee on me? Isn’t that how dogs mark their territory?”

He laughed, and pushed himself back in the booth. His arms folded across his chest. “I guess I could have, but that’s taking our relationship to another level, wouldn’t you say?”

She set her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. “Considering we don’t have a relationship, yes, I would have to agree.”

“Sorry babe, you don’t fool me. I saw the way your eyes lit up when I walked past you.” He wagged his index finger at her.

She clamped her hand around it to still it. His hand folded around hers and brought it down to the table. She swallowed.

“They did not light up.”

“Did too.” His thumb slid over her knuckles.

Her heart stalled. “You’re very bad at reading me.”

“Is that so? How come whenever I touch you, I can see your pulse jump right”—he brought his free hand to the tender spot on her throat—“here.” He grazed his finger over the spot.

She wet her lips.

“And, when I do something you like, you run your tongue over your bottom lip.” His thumb moved to slide beneath her lip.

She pulled out of his reach. Her body hummed with every teasing touch. “Ethan, you can’t do that here.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “So where can I?”

She pulled her hand free from his, and clasped them on her lap and out of his reach. “You said you were going to help me. I feel like things are taking a different turn.”

The laughter vanished from his eyes. “I am going to help, I promise. I was just teasing you. Mostly because I like irritating that dude that keeps looking over here.” He jerked his head in Brian’s direction.

Riley followed his gaze. Sure enough, Brian was staring. He shifted in his seat under her gaze, and swirled his coffee in front of him. Darn it.

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and back down. “You dick,” she ground out, but the words lacked venom. “For your information I dated him in high school and haven’t seen him since.”

Ethan’s brow arched. “That explains it.”

She scrunched her face at him and he leaned forward, his elbows planted on the table.

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