Tough Enough (Tall, Dark, and Dangerous, #2)(18)

My gut twists when I look at her. God, she’s . . . Hell, I don’t even know. Yeah, she’s beautiful in a clean and wholesome way, and yeah she’s sexy as hell on Sunday, but there’s just something about her that gets to me. Maybe it’s the shy way she keeps her chin down when she walks in, like if she doesn’t look up no one will notice her. Or maybe it’s the small smile that plays with her lips, like she wears this polite mask all the time. Or maybe it’s the glimpses I’ve been getting at what she’s really like, when the walls are down and she’s not quite so guarded. Damned if I know, but this girl is under my skin. In a big way.

I sneak glances at her as she and her friend are seated. I watch her laugh, albeit quietly, and I watch her lips move as she orders. She hasn’t seen me. She makes a point not to look around. God forbid someone notice her.

When her food comes, I find it even harder to pretend that I’m listening to Victoria. I’m not surprised when Katie orders real food in the form of a burger, fries and a milk shake. For some reason it fits. And watching her eat . . . Jesus H. Christ! She takes voracious bites, bites that make me want to strip her down, stretch her out up on the table, and enjoy eating her the way she’s ravenously enjoying her meal. Right in front of everyone. I wouldn’t care who was watching. She captivates me that much, dominates my thoughts to that degree.

And, evidently, it shows.

“What’s so interesting?” Victoria asks, a little ice in her tone.

“Huh?”

“You’re staring. What’s so interesting that you can’t even listen to what I’m saying?”

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about, uh, something I saw on television last night.”

Lie. Big, fat lie, but I’m not getting into this with Victoria of all people. Katie doesn’t deserve that kind of negative attention.

Her expression says she believes me Not. One. Bit.

But considering the level of her vanity, my distraction does absolutely nothing to dissuade her from continuing her one-sided conversation.

I try to pull myself back to the table a few times, but mostly I continue to watch the little witch across the room. I figure I’m about thirty percent successful until the waitress delivers a piece of pie to Katie’s table. That’s when I lose the battle.

Her eyes get wide and a real smile spreads across her face as the waitress sets it in front of her. She grabs her fork without even taking her eyes off the cream-covered triangle.

And then she digs in.

I can’t take my eyes off her when she brings a heap of pale green custard to her mouth. She slides it onto her tongue and then closes her lips around the fork, pulling it slowly from between them. She doesn’t chew for a few seconds; she just lets the pie sit in her mouth. Her eyes close in ecstasy and I can all but hear her moan of delight.

Blood rushes to my cock as that imaginary moan accompanies my previous thought of her lying naked beneath me.

Holy hell!

I’ve never thought food, or watching someone eat it for that matter, to be a particularly erotic activity, but I stand corrected.

I’m watching, waiting for Katie to take another bite, when I’m brought back to my own table by a loud, waspish, “Rogan!”

Irritated at the interruption, I bark at Victoria, “What?”

I manage to pull my eyes away from Katie long enough to focus on my ex’s furious expression. “What the hell are you so interested in over there?” She turns in her seat and scans the diner before swiveling back to me. “What? Did you spot Elvis or something? I don’t see what you find so fascinating.”

Even though she had to have seen her, Victoria obviously doesn’t find Katie a noteworthy sight and can’t imagine that I’d find her noteworthy either. I guess Katie has become so adept at being a wallflower that she has others overlooking her, too. I don’t see how. I don’t see how anyone can overlook her wavy auburn hair, her flawless skin, her perfectly round tits, tucked away under a shirt that screams TOUCH ME NOT and makes me want to touch so, so much.

Shiiit!

The strain of my hard-on against my zipper is a better wake-up call than ten pissed-off Victorias. I’m in a public place, for God’s sake. With my vicious ex. Not at all the time to let lurid thoughts of a hot-and-shy little makeup artist get to me. I can wait until tonight. Maybe then I’ll be able to taste what’s been keeping me awake at night.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat and nod toward Victoria’s half-eaten salad. “You done?”

I suppress my sneer. I’d much rather Victoria eat like an actual person than like a starving bird. I’d much rather she eat like Katie. But she’s no Katie. Not by a long shot.

“Yes,” Victoria replies in one petulant syllable.

I throw some bills onto the table. “Good. Let’s get out of here.”

I follow Victoria to the door, sparing one last glance in Katie’s direction. When I find her, her mouth is open and her fork is raised, but she’s not sliding the bite of pie onto her tongue. She’s stopped dead, mid-bite. Frozen. When I see her eyes, I don’t have to ask why she stopped. The wide, hurt orbs are burning right through me.





THIRTEEN


Katie

All afternoon I thought if I could just get home I’d feel better. I thought once I got away from work, away from where it seems I’m surrounded by thoughts and memories of Rogan, that I’d find a little peace. But I was wrong. Now that I’m here, I’m too restless to sit still.