Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Finally, Dutch joined Christian, pulling to a stop quietly down the road. They met near the first unit.
Dutch took a deep breath. “We’ll go one by one to interview folks, and let me flash my badge. Just look scary.”
That would be no problem. Just how close had Amka been to a murderer last night? Fire blasted through Christian, and he locked that shit down. Hard.
For now.
Chapter 20
Amka handed off another breakfast platter to Nixi. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thanks for covering this week.”
Nixi grinned, a spark in her blue eyes. “I like it here. Who knows? Maybe after I win that fifty grand, I’ll come back and do some influencing. I’ve always wanted to write a book.”
“Great idea.” Amka forced a smile. Her head still throbbed at the base of her skull—last night’s tequila hadn’t done her any favors. “This would be a good place for that. You could pick up shifts here part-time.”
“I’d like that.” Nixi spun off toward the far table, plates balanced in one hand. She moved like she’d already claimed the place. She definitely had too much energy for this early, but the customers loved her.
Lucas Landom pushed away from the bar with his to-go bag already in hand.
“One of these days, you need to try something else,” Amka suggested.
The tanker chief grinned. “Maybe I will. So long as it looks and tastes like a breakfast burrito.” Humming, the man strode across the bar and right out the door.
Daisy stepped out of the kitchen, flushed, a damp rag in her hand, watching him go. “He’s a good-looking dude, but nobody knows a lot about him.”
Amka shrugged. “Maybe most writers are like that?”
“Dunno.” Daisy looked back at the kitchen door. “It’s hotter than sin in there.”
A flicker of unease hit Amka. She turned, opened the kitchen door, and leaned inside. Rudolph stood at the grill, pink in the cheeks, humming low. He didn’t look up.
“You drinking water?” she asked.
“Don’t start.”
She scanned the counter. The water bottle was full, unopened. Of course it was. “If that’s not gone when I’m back, I’ll stand here and watch you drink it.”
He grunted, but she was already shutting the door.
Mumbling about the stubborn fool, she reached beneath the bar and took out two ibuprofen to suck down with her own water. Her jaw still ached from clenching it all morning. Her chest felt tight. Her legs, restless. Last night hadn’t gone away. Not the kiss. Not the way Christian had looked at her after, like he’d lost control and wasn’t sure he wanted it back.
He wanted her. She knew it now. Not just a maybe. Not curiosity. That kiss had said everything he hadn’t. And she’d felt it. Low in her stomach. Hot between her thighs. She still felt his mouth on hers. Her body wouldn’t calm down. Her skin was jumpy and her lips burned. She’d pressed her fingers there twice this morning like it might shake the memory loose. It hadn’t.
She didn’t want to be thinking about him. Not while she was working. Not while eggs were burning and toast needed butter. But he was in her system now. In her mouth, her skin, even her bloodstream.
While she was still engaged to a jackass. Even if she wasn’t, Christian had been more than clear that he wasn’t the staying type. Sure, they could burn up the sheets, if she ever got free of Jarod, but what then?
Then she’d be left with a broken heart.
Her phone dinged and she glanced down at a reminder. Darn it. Rudolph was due for his blood pressure refill. She’d meant to check with the pharmacy yesterday and forgot. She made a mental note to call it in before lunch. The man wouldn’t say a word until his heart threatened to quit on him.
The bar was finally quiet with only a handful of stragglers nursing coffee or staring into phones. Over by the pool table, the steady tap-tap-tap of a calculator filled the silence. The insurance rep in the corner booth hadn't looked up once. Helene had scraped her shiny dark hair into a too-tight ponytail and now had a pile of folders spread around her like she was planning to gut a fish with paperwork. Every once in a while she’d look up at Amka with a thoughtful glance.
Amka sighed. She did not destroy her storage building for the insurance, darn it. But who had planted that explosive?
Daisy stepped up beside her, wiping her hands on a rag. “Wild breakfast rush.”
“Yeah. But it’s slowed down since most of the locals headed out to fish.”
“Reports of the new dead guy has everyone twitchy.” Daisy crouched behind the bar and pulled out a pale-pink folder. “Special delivery. Prenup, will, and your LLC information, which includes an operating agreement with Ace.”
Amka blinked. “That was fast.”