Page 22 of Taco Daddy

A popular place for happy hour and, coincidentally, the restaurant where one of his good friends was the executive chef.

“Well, then, ladies.”He stepped back just as they came up to the counter.Inside the truck, Owen was peering out, curious what Andres was doing there.Probably wondering why he was smiling since Andres had been a colossal grump for five days straight.“I hope you enjoy your lunch, and Iwillsee you later.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Oh, yes.Eden was downright wicked.Something for him to keep in mind in case she stopped being on his side.

Rita

“Let this meeting of the Naughty Book Club, Pittsburgh Chapter, commence!”Eden said, lifting her very pink drink.It matched her hair, which was probably half the reason she’d ordered it.

Despite herself and her mostly sour mood, Rita had to smile.Yeah, the weekend and trying out kink for real hadn’t turned out the way she wanted, but she still had her friends, and she still had her book boyfriends.She lifted her glass of white wine and carefully clinked it against Eden’s pink drink and Bree’s dry martini.

“So, what did we think about our newest Montana Daddy?”Bree asked after taking a sip of her martini and lowering the level of it a little, which was dangerously high to the edge of the glass.Rita had no idea how her friend managed to drink those things without spilling them everywhere.

“Fantastic,” Eden said with a little sigh, pressing one hand against her heart.“I don’t know how Laylah Roberts does it.I keep thinking each guy is my favorite, then I read a new book, andhe’smy favorite!”

“It was really good,” Rita said as enthusiastically as she could.She didn’t want to admit she hadn’t finished it.She’d only gotten about halfway through before Friday, and after Friday… well, she hadn’t been able to bring herself to read about a Daddy Dom.

Actually, she was hoping to convince them to read something other than a Daddy Dom book next to give her a little break.It sucked that she was this hurt and hung up on a guy she’d spent an hour with, but…

It had been one amazing hour.

An unforgettable hour.

The kind of hour that made her question all of her actions afterward.Made her wonder if she was too hasty when she decided he was an asshole.Made her think she’d made a mistake when she ran.

But she had run, and there was no way she could face him again without dying of embarrassment.What if that hour had meant nothing to him?What if he laughed in her face?Or what if she’d ruined any chance she had with him by running?

Yup, nope.Better to avoid, avoid, avoid.

Eventually, she’d forget about him.Find a new man.Maybe even a new Daddy.One she hadn’t insulted before knowing who he was.One who didn’t approachbecauseshe’d insulted him.That wasn’t too much to ask, was it?

“You know what I love most about these books?”Eden asked enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.She was perkier than usual, though it was possible Rita was just grumpier than usual.“How there’s always that part where the hero fucks up, then he makes it up to the heroine… even if she’s reluctant to give him another chance.”

“Especially when he’s messed up bad,” Bree agreed, grinning widely.

More widely than usual, or was Rita more sensitive than usual?This was starting to feel weird.Eden being perky was nothing new, but Bree was usually more subdued.She was a happy person but not usually as in-your-face upbeat as Eden.

“I do love a good groveling scene.”

Rita’s brain supplied the image of Andres on his knees in front of her, groveling for forgiveness.

Crap.She liked that image way too much.

“Rita.”

Dammit, now she was hallucinating his voice.She shook her head, then realized her friends were no longer looking at her.They were lookingbehindher.Over her shoulder.No longer grinning, they looked more nervous than anything else.

Oh, no.

Her brain was screaming alarms, but it was far too late.

She’d been set up.

Pressing her lips together, she turned around in her chair and looked up, craning her neck back to meet Andres’ gaze.Dammit.He was just as hot outside the club and in regular clothing.Why was he here?Why had her friends set her up?

Duh, like they didn’t give you all the clues you needed.He’s here because he knows he messed up, and he wants to fix it.

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