Cullen stood, grabbed their empty glasses. “Want another beer? I’ll challenge you to a game of pool.”
“Deal,” Josh said. “Check out the woman at the bar. If you have a thing for the old-fashion movie starlet, she fits the type to a T. See you at the pool tables.”
Cullen whirled around to stare and did a double-take as he watched Grace down an amber-liquid—perhaps her favored Scottish whisky—and shove her glass toward the barman for a refill. Long strides took him to Grace’s side before he even realized what he was doing.
“Grace?” When he saw her earlier, she’d worn her checked chef trousers and a baggy white T-shirt. His gaze skimmed her body, taking in her tight denim skirt and the form-fitting black-and-white T-shirt. He smiled on spotting her flat, practical shoes—the ones she wore to work, if he wasn’t mistaken.
She swiveled on her barstool and almost fell off. Cullen grasped her by the waist to right her, her flesh burning his palms through the thin fabric. As she recovered her balance, her strawberry blonde hair brushed against his cheek. “Cullen?”
Her beautiful green eyes widened, and he stilled upon seeing the evidence of tears.
“What’s wrong?”
Her backbone straightened, and her expression froze. “Nothing.”
She didn’t seem confident of the fact. “Have you eaten?”
“Not hungry,” she snapped, lifting her dainty nose a fraction as if to say none of your business.
“If you keep drinking that way, you’ll need food inside you.” He kept his tone reasonable and non-judgmental. Hell, he’d deadened his woes with alcohol a time or two.
She averted her gaze, her shoulders and tits rising as she inhaled and exhaled in a heavy sigh. “After I saw you, I was in my kitchen unpacking the groceries. I heard a strange noise, and for a moment, I thought I had an intruder. The front door was ajar, but nothing seemed out of place. I assumed I hadn’t shut it properly because it’s happened before.”
“Did you call the cops?” Cullen demanded. “What did they say?”
“I started to call them, but I heard moaning and groaning. I went into my bedroom and found Jeff and the neighbor.”
“Jeff?”
“My fiancé. Ex-fiancé.”
“And Julia—the neighbor on your other side? Is she still living there?”
“Yes, that Julia.”
“What were they doing?”
“What do you think they were doing? They were doing the naked mambo in my bed.”
That was a great excerpt. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Mary!