Free Willow: June by Brandy Walker Page B
Authors: Brandy Walker
date,” she paused and licked her lips. “And I wondered if you wanted to go out again. My shift ends in a couple hours, and I’m free tonight if that works for you.”
An odd sound came from Willow. It sounded somewhere between a snort and a chuckle. He cast a glance in her direction and saw her shoulders shake behind the menu she’d pulled up to cover her face. Reaching over, he plucked the menu from her hands.
Indignation played across her face. Her mouth popped open. “Hey, I wasn’t done looking.”
“You have the same thing every time you come here.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I know everything about you, love,” he smirked.
She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.
He turned back to the hostess, pasting a placating smile on his face. “I’m sorry,” his gaze dropped to her nametag then back to her face. “Tiffany. I’m here with my girlfriend and we’re pretty serious. I won’t be going out with anyone else.”
The girl blinked rapidly, her mouth dropping open. “It’s never stopped you before. And you weren’t with her two weeks ago, how serious could it be after such a short time?” She eyed Willow dubiously, and it pissed him off.
Tiffany made him sound bad, and his tendency to date one woman after another was not something he needed Willow to be reminded of. “We’re very serious,” he said, putting some force behind the word. He thrust the menus at her. “Please, send our waiter over, we’re ready to order.”
The girl gasped, obviously hurt that he wasn’t tossing Willow aside for her, then spun away.
“You didn’t need to be mean about it, Ric .” Willow snickered, and he pinned her with a glare. He didn’t like her calling him that.
“I wasn’t. And what is with people? That’s twice today someone assumed we weren’t together.”
“Twice?”
“Yeah, Tiffany and Aaron. Don’t think I didn’t see him kiss you. As a matter of fact.” He grabbed the arm of her chair and yanked her closer. As soon as she was within range, he wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and kissed her. Her lips softened against his instantly, parting slightly on a sigh. He took advantage and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nipping it lightly, then soothing it with his tongue. He pulled away and she moaned. Her eyes fluttered open and lust radiated from within.
Someone coughed next to him, bringing his attention back to where they were. Cedric turned his head and found the waiter waiting, notepad in hand. His eyes were as big as saucers.
“She’ll have the Chicken Pecan Salad with the raspberry vinaigrette, and I’ll have the Chicken Carbonara.”
The man hurried away and Willow laughed. “I think he’s scarred for life.”
“Or jealous as hell.”
“Maybe he wanted to be the one you were kissing. I bet he’s in there relaying what he just saw to Tiffany.”
“She’ll get over it.” He shrugged and took a sip of water. He looked out on the street and watched as people walked by. They stared at them. Some not caring. Some, people he knew, clearly surprised.
He felt Willow regarding him steadily.
“I’m not your girlfriend, just so you know,” she said, running a finger back and forth over the tablecloth. The saltshaker started to dance, and he felt her anxiety like a living, breathing thing.
“Maybe I want you to be.” He did, and so much more.
“No one would ever believe that.”
That caught his attention. “Why not?”
The shaker he was keeping an eye on started hopping up and down in tune with her now tapping finger. “Everyone would be waiting for you to pull the rug out from underneath me and have a good laugh.”
“Why would they ever think that?” He rested his hand on top of hers, the shaker stopped moving. He turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. A part of him was soothed by the intimacy, no matter how innocent it was.
She tilted her head and her forehead wrinkled. “Because that’s
An odd sound came from Willow. It sounded somewhere between a snort and a chuckle. He cast a glance in her direction and saw her shoulders shake behind the menu she’d pulled up to cover her face. Reaching over, he plucked the menu from her hands.
Indignation played across her face. Her mouth popped open. “Hey, I wasn’t done looking.”
“You have the same thing every time you come here.”
“How would you know?”
“Because I know everything about you, love,” he smirked.
She harrumphed and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting.
He turned back to the hostess, pasting a placating smile on his face. “I’m sorry,” his gaze dropped to her nametag then back to her face. “Tiffany. I’m here with my girlfriend and we’re pretty serious. I won’t be going out with anyone else.”
The girl blinked rapidly, her mouth dropping open. “It’s never stopped you before. And you weren’t with her two weeks ago, how serious could it be after such a short time?” She eyed Willow dubiously, and it pissed him off.
Tiffany made him sound bad, and his tendency to date one woman after another was not something he needed Willow to be reminded of. “We’re very serious,” he said, putting some force behind the word. He thrust the menus at her. “Please, send our waiter over, we’re ready to order.”
The girl gasped, obviously hurt that he wasn’t tossing Willow aside for her, then spun away.
“You didn’t need to be mean about it, Ric .” Willow snickered, and he pinned her with a glare. He didn’t like her calling him that.
“I wasn’t. And what is with people? That’s twice today someone assumed we weren’t together.”
“Twice?”
“Yeah, Tiffany and Aaron. Don’t think I didn’t see him kiss you. As a matter of fact.” He grabbed the arm of her chair and yanked her closer. As soon as she was within range, he wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and kissed her. Her lips softened against his instantly, parting slightly on a sigh. He took advantage and sucked her bottom lip into his mouth, nipping it lightly, then soothing it with his tongue. He pulled away and she moaned. Her eyes fluttered open and lust radiated from within.
Someone coughed next to him, bringing his attention back to where they were. Cedric turned his head and found the waiter waiting, notepad in hand. His eyes were as big as saucers.
“She’ll have the Chicken Pecan Salad with the raspberry vinaigrette, and I’ll have the Chicken Carbonara.”
The man hurried away and Willow laughed. “I think he’s scarred for life.”
“Or jealous as hell.”
“Maybe he wanted to be the one you were kissing. I bet he’s in there relaying what he just saw to Tiffany.”
“She’ll get over it.” He shrugged and took a sip of water. He looked out on the street and watched as people walked by. They stared at them. Some not caring. Some, people he knew, clearly surprised.
He felt Willow regarding him steadily.
“I’m not your girlfriend, just so you know,” she said, running a finger back and forth over the tablecloth. The saltshaker started to dance, and he felt her anxiety like a living, breathing thing.
“Maybe I want you to be.” He did, and so much more.
“No one would ever believe that.”
That caught his attention. “Why not?”
The shaker he was keeping an eye on started hopping up and down in tune with her now tapping finger. “Everyone would be waiting for you to pull the rug out from underneath me and have a good laugh.”
“Why would they ever think that?” He rested his hand on top of hers, the shaker stopped moving. He turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. A part of him was soothed by the intimacy, no matter how innocent it was.
She tilted her head and her forehead wrinkled. “Because that’s