He gripped my hand tighter. “Memory as in she’s not here anymore?”
Usually this conversation was awkward, but with Bash, the words didn’t get stuck in my throat waiting for the discomfort from whoever I was talking to. “She died when I was seven.”
He stopped us short and turned me to face him. “I’m sorry, love. I can’t imagine losing my mother. She’s a tough old thing and I think she’s decided never to die so I don’t have to—” He stopped himself short. “Well, anyway. I’m sorry about your mum.”
“Thanks.” Most people gave me this kind of condolence by rote, but Bash seemed genuinely sad about it for me. He wassweet and I couldn’t believe I was about to say this, but I was falling for him.
No, ridiculous. It was the accent. It had to be. That and the way he kissed, and held my hand, and called me love.
“Is this it?” Bash pointed to the front door of the Wolves’ Den.
“Yeah. I’d better hurry in. Don’t want to get fired.” The last thing I wanted to do was leave his side.
Selena stuck her head out the front door of the bookshop. She gave me a sideways glare, like she was waiting to chastise me about something. Oh. Ha-ha. Her threat about firing me. Well, fire this, Selena.
I grabbed Bash around the neck and laid a big old smooch on him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and gave back as good as he was getting until we were both breathless. Now I really wanted to skip work and drag him back to my place for the night. Ooh. I bet he was good at talking dirty. But to be fair, he could recite Dr. Seuss and I would still get all swoony.
I broke the kiss much sooner than I wanted to, but for real I didn’t want to get fired for being late two days in a row. “Come by later for dinner? I don’t get off until closing, but I’d love if you were there when I’m done for the night.”
“When you’re done for the evening, we’ll just be getting started.” His eyes were dark like a stormy sky and his voice was rough and husky.
Yas. See? Swooning. I touched his lips with a finger just to keep myself from tackling him there on the sidewalk and having my way with him. “See you later.”
Later could not come soon enough. But the night flew by, busy as all get out. Mostly because Ty called in sick. That guy was never ill a day in his life. I’m sure he was in bed, but not with the flu. Unless the flu was also known as his girlfriend, Hunter.
I was excited to see Bash walk in the door late into the dinner rush, but all I could do was wave and blow him a kiss. He figured out pretty quick that I wasn’t going to have much time for him. As soon as I could, I popped over to the pool table where he was hanging out with some of the football players.
“Can I get you boys anything?” I asked them all but directed my best smile at Bash.
He licked his lips, and I knew what he really wanted. I mouthed the word ‘later’ to him.
He grinned and adjusted his glasses. “I’m afraid I’m a bit skint, love.”
What? Poor guy couldn’t afford a beer? Too bad he hadn’t come in on coin night for a quarter beer. “I got you.”
He made a funny little face. That was the second time I offered to pay for something for him, and I got the distinct feeling he didn’t like it. That gave me a little tickle. Welcome to America. Making independent women, since 1776.
I brought the round of beers the players ordered and set a mug down for Bash too. He shook his head but smiled. As I walked away I heard him say, “You gents in for a game of billiards?”
By the time I made it back to them with another round, Bash laid a twenty-dollar bill on my tray. “That should cover it.”
“I thought you didn’t have any money.” I wasn’t going to take his last dollar.
“Your boyfriend here is a shark when it comes to pool. He’s won his weight in beer, so I thought it would be easier to pay him off,” one of the football guys groaned.
My boyfriend. Is that what he’d told them? I think my heart ka-thumped right out of my chest. “Uh, okay, well, I’ll just, uh, be over here... if you need more girlfriends. Ack, I mean drinks.”
No one but Bash seemed to notice my verbal diarrhea, and he pursed his lips together like he was trying hard not to laugh. Butsomehow I knew he wasn’t laughing at me, but with me. Gah. I was such a dork.
A dork in love.
As I walked away, one of the football guys started jingling his keys anxiously.
“Hey, I’m just going to check on my bike.”
“Why?” Another guy looked up from the shot he was about to take, grinning. “Do you think it ran away?”
“No, jackass. But a lot of cars and bikes have been getting boosted near campus, and I don’t want to lose my ride.”
