Page 27 of Brutal Sin
Chapter Eight
Pamela handedthe carry-out coffee and muffin to the construction worker who had become a regular customer in her cafe. He was a nice guy. Always placed a generous tip in her jar. Constantly gave her a sweet grin. Never wavered with his manners. “Enjoy.”
He inclined his head, backtracking as he increased the sugary sweetness of his smile. “Thank you. Iwill.”
Her sister, Kim, groaned from her position in front of the coffee machine. “The studs are out in force today. I feel like we’ve hit the hot-guy jackpot.”
“He’s not that hot.” Pamela placed the glass dome back on top of the muffin display plate. “Too cute and sweet for my appetite.”
“I’m not talking about Muffin Man. I want to latch my nails into the guy out front. He’s been standing there on his cell for five minutes, and I’m dying to know if he’s going to come inside.”
Pamela swung her gaze to the door and swallowed over the gasp threatening to escape her throat. The man’s face was annoyingly familiar—the scowl even moreso.
Bryan. The asshole who’d kept her up all night pondering hatesex.
“Shit.” She scooted behind Kim, hiding from view. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him walk by her little café, but it was the first time he’d stopped.
“You knowhim?”
“Technically? No.”
“But…”
“That’s Bryan—the guy from the club I was telling you about.” She clutched her sister’s arm, dragging her along the counter like a shield.
“The one with superior hands and an unrivaled bad attitude?”
“Yes. Now get me out of here before he seesme.”
They shuffled in unison toward the swinging kitchen doors until she safely hid from view. Now all she had to deal with was the raised questioning brow coming from her mother behind the preparation bench.
“Who are we hiding from?” Her mom craned her neck, paused in her task of peeling carrots as she looked out the service window.
“Nobody.” Pamela smiled and crossed her hands behind her back. “I just wanted to see what you’re upto.”
The raised brow didn’t waver.
“You’re such a bad liar,” Kim whispered.
At this point, Pamela didn’t care. She just wanted to remain in hiding, not tempting fate, until Bryan continued down the street.
“I think he’s gone.” Kim nudged the door open, peeking out the small space. “I can’t see him anymore.”
Relief, thick and delicious, pulsated in Pamela’s chest. “Thank God.” She didn’t have the energy to deal with assholes today. Not even good-looking ones. But just to be sure, she glanced through the slight part of the doors and scanned the sidewalk.
Nope. Not there.
“Wait.” Her sister indicated a man at the counter, his back toward them. “Is thathim?”
The guy she pointed to had a similar build—broad shoulders covered in a tailored suit. Only the blond hair was all wrong. Too short. No beard.
“No. That’s nothim.”
“You sure? Isn’t he the guy who was out the front?”
“What guy out the front?” Their mom squeezed between them, her voice a conspiratorial whisper.
“Forget it.” Pamela stepped back from the door, her cheeks warming. Was she hallucinating now? She could’ve sworn she’d seen Bryan. Then again, her thoughts had been obsessed with him since he’d broken her non-masturbatory orgasm drought. Not even his nastiness had abated the X-rated daydreams.
