Free Dark Awakening by T. A. Grey Page A

you. I'm sorry. The deadline for the project I'm working on is steadily creeping and I had to get to the office today to go over some things. Is that for me?" He looked down at the steaming plate in her hands. She nodded, struggling to remember why she was mad at him. "Smells great. Why don't we go eat?"
    Alison nodded and let him take her hand in his. He led her to one of her tables and put a plate in front of her, then asked her what she wanted to drink and got it for her .
    It was strange, Alison thought, being served in her own restaurant by a man who looked at her like she was the sexiest woman in the room.
    Everyone ate and finished their plates with a stream of enthusiastic compliment that had Alison blushing, then laughing. "If you think this is good, you should try my chocolate cake. It's to die for."
    Sarina's eyes widened . "Oh my god, don't tease. I need your chocolate cake now." Alison laughed and moved to clear everyone's plates .
    "I'll make you one, don't worry." With Rome's help, she cleared the dishes into the back washer. She heard the door chime ring from the front of the restaurant and went to see who was there.
    "May I help you?" Alison asked. The woman looked down at her from her insanely tall high heels. Her dress was short enough that if she were to bend over her entire ass would be in vi ew. Alison stifled a shudder and stared expectantly at her red, shiny lips.
    The woman's voice was soft and sexy. "I'm looking for Rome. Ah! There you are." She flounced over to him completely ignoring his look of disbelief, and then anger.
    "What are you doing here, Sandra?" He turned to look quickly at Alison, his jaw hardening. Alison swallowed, then went to work scrubbing the tables they'd eaten at. She made eyes with Sarina who was glaring bullets at the bitch in heels. She scrubbed the tables harder than necessary. There wasn't anything on them anyways except a few crumbs.
    "I came to see you, baby. It's been too long. I miss you so much. You haven't returned any of my phone calls." The woman trailed a long painted fingernail down his chest.
    "That's because I called things off between us and you know it. Don't act like there was anything more between us, ever." His voice was cold. He flicked her finger off him with a slap at her wrist.
    Finding the tables completely clean and not wanting to move past the fighting couple to go back into the kitchen, Alison settled down into a chair and turned to watch the show. She definitely won a point for being brave. Besides, she was relieved to know he really wasn’t seeing a woman on the side.
    "Things were hot between us, Roman. Come on, can't we just hook up? I'll let you tie me up again." She smiled widely at him . To Alison it looked like a predator baring its teeth before it lunged . Her teeth were shiny and impossibly white against the sharp red of her lipstick. Was anything on her not perfect?
    Rome unclenched his jaw. "Get out of here, Sandra. We're done, forever." He stepped away from her and crossed his arms, then nodded at the front door. "Take a hike."              
    The women's eyes glowed with the eerie light of her lykaen rising to the surface. She turned and growled at Alison. Her beast was at the surface, which would make her much stronger, quicker than usual. Alison felt her own surfacing. The idea of a fight didn’t sound too crazy either.
    "It's this little bitch, isn't it? You got a thin g for losers in glasses now, Rome?" She threw her head back and laughed huskily, then sauntered to the front door with her long-legged stride. " What kind of lykaen needs glasses? And here I thought you liked real women." She punctuated her comment with a cock of her hip. She looked once more at Alison and gave her a withering glare. "As for you bitch, Conlin wants you back for good...and he's not going to stop until he gets it."
    Everyone in the room tensed. Even the sound of breathing stopped. "He says he looks forward to making up for lost time with