Page 74 of Badges
“Thank you.” Ialmostadd a daddy to the end.
There aren’t many people inside, so we have our choice of tables.
Wade leads me towards the far corner, then takes a seat where he can see the room.
Must be some sort of cop thing to always be watching?
“Howdy.” Val appears, sliding a plastic covered menu in front of each of us.
She offers me a wide smile with a hint of mischief twinkling in her green eyes. “Did Wade tell you I’m hiring? I told him if you get bored, I could use the help.”
Wade glances between the two of us.
“I appreciate the offer.” I don’t want to commit to anything.
“Since you’ve been staying at Wade’s, I hardly get to see him anymore. Maybe if you worked here, I’d get to see his handsome face a little more often.” She turns and throws him a blatant wink.
What. The. Fuck?
My pulse rages in my ears.
His neck turns a dark shade of violet as he reaches for a glass of water. “Funny, Val. I’ll take a Philly cheesesteak. Elena?”
He pierces me with his amber gaze.
I’ve forgotten how to read. The letters swim in front of me. “I’ll have the same,” I say curtly, then hand her my menu.
It’s a struggle to control my breathing watching her saunter away.
Wade shifts his chair closer until our knees brush. “You know she’s messing with you, right?”
My jaw clenches around my words. “Why would she do that?” I have the urge to kiss him in front of everyone.
He chuckles, draping his wrist on the back of my seat. “Because I told her the other day you were pissed at me. She said it was because you liked me. By the look on your face, I think she’s right.”
“So you and her never—”
He leans close enough that our shoulders touch. “Zero interest. If I had to be perfectly honest, Val scares the shit outta me.” The corner of his mouth rises in a smirk. “I don’t like to be bossed around as much as I like being in charge.”
“I like it when you do,” I admit quietly.
That lovely rumble vibrates deep in his chest that makes my thighs clench under the table. “When you listen.”
A tiny bell rings above the door, heralding the entrance of the devil.
Well, Paige.
Seeing her walk in and immediately land her eyes on Wade makes me want to jump up and yell at her to leave.
Then a tall, good looking cowboy with a trimmed beard follows her, and she turns to him.
They talk closely before choosing a table a few feet away.
“Who’s the guy?” I whisper to Wade.
“Her husband, Ollie.” Wade lets out a long exhale, then kicks his legs out in a relaxed recline. “He’s got a construction outfit so he’s gone a lot.”
I watch their stilted conversation for a moment. I didn’t expect her to land someone cute.
