Free Street Safe by W. Lynn Chantale Page A

stung from the contact. “Stay away from me.”
    He rubbed his cheek. “What?”
    With a huff, she shook her head and stalked out the front door.
    ****
    Street stared at the closed door. Had she really expected him to believe her? He replayed the events of the last day or so. The phone call. That’s probably the date she was setting up when they were together. He should’ve known a woman like her wouldn’t want a man like him, wounded, limping, broken Still it cut deep and jagged like a rusty dull blade.
    He spun away from the door only to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. Disgusted with the faded scar he picked up the electric pencil sharpener and hurled it at the reflective glass. It shattered and fell to the floor.
    The door opened. “Are you okay?”
    Street jerked the man up by his lapels. “All the women at your disposal and you couldn’t leave her alone?”
    Auggie’s eyes widened and he grabbed the hands holding him upright. “What the hell are you talking about?”
    He shook his uncle. “You always do this.”
    “Do what?”
    “Just get out of my office and stay away from me.” Street released Auggie and he fell to the floor with a grunt.
    Realization dawned. “Is this about Na’arah?”
    “Get. Out.”
    Auggie shook his head and held out a hand palm up. “Street. You got this all wrong.”
    Unwilling to listen, Street shoved the other man out the office and slammed the door. He didn’t want to hear anymore lies or explanations. He was through with his uncle and women.
     

 

Chapter Seven
    A few days later Na’arah did her best to ignore the weighty stare Auggie leveled on her from the entrance of the back room. He leaned against the doorjamb, thumbs hooked in the belt loops of his well-worn jeans.
    “Remind me not to piss you off again.” There was a teasing note in his voice as well as humor in his sparkling blue eyes. “You pack a wallop.”
    “I’m not speaking to you, Auggie.” She resumed shoving folders haphazardly in a drawer. Since she’d fired Kyle, she had to reshuffle the schedule and that meant working with Auggie on a daily basis until she could hire another massage therapist.
    He pushed off the door and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me.”
    She shrugged him off. “Don’t.”
    “What happened?”
    This was utterly ridiculous. Ever since she walked out of the bar on Sunday, she couldn’t quite stop the heaviness from weighing her heart. How could she have formed a connection to the bartender in so short a time? She shook her head.
    “Does this have anything to do with my nephew?” Auggie planted a hip on the corner of the wooden desk. “He hasn’t spoken to me in days and will not pour me a drink. I have to get Beau to give me anything stronger than water in a dirty glass.”
    A smile teased her lips. “Serves you right.”
    “I, at least, like to know why I can’t get alcohol and a pretty girl slaps me without the benefit of oil and dinner.”
    She tossed him a glare.
    “Did you two have a fight?”
    “And it’s all your fault.”
    She stood and moved to a shelf. There was a stack of resumes she wanted to go through before she left for the day. Maybe a call to a temp agency would expedite things.
    “My fault? What did I do?”
    “Had sex in one of the spa rooms. Really?”
    “Oh.”
    She stared at him. “Oh. That’s all you have to say?”
    “You’d already left and I didn’t think you would mind if I indulge in a little massage therapy of my own.”
    Na’arah folded her arms and tapped her foot.
    “Laying in a hospital bed with only male or elderly nurses just is not a good get well practice.”
    She rolled her eyes.
    “It will never happen again.”
    She spun on her heel and stalked to the main showroom. “I’m sure it will. You have absolutely no regard for anyone but yourself and your...needs.”
    “Are you saying you saw me and Trecie?”
    She skidded to a halt. “Trecie!”
    Auggie grinned. “Yeah, you thought I