Chapter 1 #2
“You don’t have to pay for my drink,” Honey rushed to tell him.
“It’s not like we’re on a date or anything.
” Immediately, she could have kicked herself for even suggesting something so stupid.
She thanked the muted lighting for concealing the blush coloring her cheeks now.
Women must throw themselves at him every night.
She hadn’t meant to imply he might be interested in her.
“Or maybe we are. Take a drink and see how it tastes,” Razor suggested.
Flustered by his first statement, Honey gave herself a moment to think by following his directions. She lifted the red, frothy concoction to her lips and tasted it. “Mmm! This is wonderful. Thank you for suggesting it.”
“Have you eaten? Inferno has great food as well.”
“Oh, I came here after work. I usually grab something when I get home,” Honey assured him.
“Razor? Am I interrupting?” a female voice asked hesitantly.
Honey’s heart sank as Razor smiled fondly at the curvy blonde who stood next to their booth. Was she his girlfriend?
“Of course not, Caroline. This is Honey.”
“Hi, Honey. I love your name,” Caroline said.
“It’s nice to meet you. I should take off,” Honey said, shifting toward the edge of the seat. Surely, she had rested enough to make it back to her car.
“Oh, no. I didn’t mean to bother you. I can go away. Da… Wraith sent me over here because my stomach keeps growling,” Caroline said quickly and turned to leave.
“Freeze. Did you miss lunch again?” Razor said with a definite edge to his voice that made Honey halt as well.
Caroline nodded. “I just got busy with an important chapter.”
“Come sit down. We’ll order food. Honey hasn’t had dinner either,” Razor said as he stood up and waved Caroline into his side of the booth. He patted Honey on the shoulder. “Scoot over and I’ll join you.”
It took her a bit, but she slowly shifted across the vinyl seat.
Razor waved to the waitress before settling next to Honey.
His heat radiated toward her, making her very aware of his presence.
She moved closer to the back of the booth to give him room.
He wouldn’t want to rub arms with her. Razor’s hand clamped around her thigh above her knee, holding her in place.
Honey tried to squash the thrill of his touch and dominance.
She failed miserably as her heart rate increased, and a tingly warmth grew inside her abdomen.
“Hi! Can I join the party?”
Honey glanced up to see a slender brunette with sparkling eyes and a grin. Immediately, Caroline slid deeper into the booth, leaving space for the new arrival.
“Of course, Winnie. Did Scythe send you over for food?” Razor asked.
“Are you ordering nachos? I’d have a few if you are,” Winnie answered.
“You girls and those trashcan nachos,” Razor said, shaking his head.
“Trashcan nachos? What’s that?” Honey blurted.
Winnie settled next to Caroline and held out her hand.
“Hi. You look familiar, but we’ve never talked.
I’m Winnie! I belong to Scythe.” She turned and pointed to a handsome man who stood near the door.
His arms crossed over his chest displayed his bulging biceps.
“Caroline’s Da… guy is the bouncer on the stool. He’s Wraith.”
“Oh, I’ve seen them before.” Automatically, Honey held out her hand. Winnie had also changed something she’d started to say. Both women had switched from Da… to another term. What had they almost said? “Hi. I’m Honey.”
“Honey. I love your name,” Winnie told her.
“I said the same thing,” Caroline chimed in.
“You two are so sweet.” Honey liked them immediately. “Tell me about these nachos.”
“They’re the best. The guys in the kitchen layer chips with cheese, hot peppers, and hamburger. Razor always makes them add grilled veggies to make it healthy,” Caroline shared, stressing that last word.
“And healthy it will be again,” Razor said definitively as the waitress arrived.
“Let me guess. Nachos?” Sara asked with a smile.
“You’d think they’d get tired of them but, no. Add vegetables to the regular order like normal for me,” Razor requested.
“You’ve got it. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” The server darted off again, moving at a speed that Honey couldn’t help envying.
“You okay?” Razor asked her softly as the ladies on the other side of the booth chatted excitedly.
“Oh, yes. Thank you. Are you sure it’s fine if I join you all?”
“You have to try the nachos now. You’ll always wonder about them if you don’t.”
Honey smiled at him. How could he know her so well already? “You’re right. I’m totally intrigued.”
He nodded and squeezed her knee. “And you’re part of the group.”
Honey enjoyed the banter around the table. He was correct. They’d welcomed her in completely. She felt comfortable with them. The women didn’t flirt with Razor. They were completely enamored with the men they’d pointed out.
Winnie taught elementary school and had a lot of fun stories about her day. She also seemed extremely interested in chipmunks.
When the conversation hit a lull, Honey asked Caroline, “What do you do? You said something about a chapter? Are you a writer?”
“I am. It’s a fun career.”
“She’s amazing at it,” Winnie chimed in.
“I adore reading,” Honey shared. “It’s pure escapism for me. I just finished an MC romance.”
“Is that what inspired you to come here tonight?” Caroline asked.
“No. I love it here. It’s another escape for me.”
“That’s a lot of escaping, Honey,” Razor said.
Honey could feel his gaze focused on her.
Quickly, she added. “Oh, everyone needs a place to have fun. The energy here is addictive. So much so, I picked up a motorcycle club romance to live vicariously through the story. Probably everyone does this to you, but do you know C. Sweets? C is an initial. I loved her story.”
“That’s Caroline! She’s C. Sweets!” Winnie said eagerly. “I devoured that book as well. She needs to finish the next one,” Winnie added, looking pointedly at Caroline.
“Really? That’s you? You’re so talented,” Honey told her. She’d never met an author before—much less one who crafted such incredible novels. What a fun night!
“You guys are too nice. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ve written in a few different romance genres. MC seems to be my niche. And yes, Winnie. I’m almost done. Be patient!”
“As you can tell, this isn’t the first time Winnie has tried to speed up Caroline’s progress.”
The pieces clicked together in Honey’s head.
Da… Caroline’s book had registered with strong Daddy vibes.
Could both these women be Little girls? She wanted to ask but knew she shouldn’t.
Thoughts and questions tumbled around in her mind as she celebrated that Littles might actually exist in real life.
“The nachos have arrived!” Sara announced at the side of the table. She set a tray with a large, upside-down bucket on top in the center of the table. “Who wants to unleash the nachos?”
“Me!” Winnie said quickly.
“Go for it,” Sara encouraged.
Carefully, Winnie lifted the bucket from the tray, allowing all the chips to tumble free. The gorgeous mess of cheese, hamburger, black olives, jalapenos, and grilled veggies made her lean in closer. Honey’s mouth watered at the delicious sight and aroma.
“Dig in,” Sara told them, rescuing the container from Winnie’s hands.
Honey hadn’t eaten anything so decadent in forever.
Her doctor was a stickler for good nutrition and wanted Honey to follow a carefully balanced diet.
As the others heaped food on the small plates Sara had brought, Honey helped herself to a few tempting chips.
She’d try the jumbled treat. Anything else would be rude, right?
When her plate sat empty for a few minutes as she wrestled with her self-control, Razor leaned closer to whisper, “I should have asked if you had any allergies. Would you like something else?”
“Oh, no. I don’t have anything that makes me ill. I’m prone to gaining weight, so I don’t indulge too much,” she explained.
“Eat whatever you wish. Can I trust you to let me know if there’s something else you’d rather have?”
“Of course. I’ll tell you.” It surprised her. Sharing anything with Razor felt possible. Maybe not the most serious stuff. He wouldn’t need to know that. Honey smiled and jumped back into the animated conversation.
Several long, delicious moments later, a thick figure blocked out the light, sending a shadow over the table. “Caught you,” a deep voice announced, waving a hand over the almost empty platter.
Honey glanced up to see the bouncer. She searched her brain for his name. Wraith? The gigantic man stood next to Winnie. Caroline appeared instantly guilty.
“She wasn’t supposed to have nachos?” Razor guessed, turning to give Caroline a piercing look as well.
“Not at all. This is the third time this week. Caroline’s tummy was upset last night. We’d discussed having something easier on her stomach,” Wraith shared.
“They sounded really good,” Caroline said quickly. “Sorry, Razor. I should have asked for a hamburger.”
“I wasn’t supposed to have them either,” Winnie confessed as Scythe appeared by the booth.
Honey stifled a laugh as Razor turned to stare at the slight brunette in disbelief. “You too? I’m going to make you bring me a written note from—” He stopped himself and finished, “next time.”
“They pulled a fast one on you,” Scythe guessed.
“We were bad,” Winnie whispered.
“Time to go home, Chipmunk,” Scythe said sternly. “Wraith, Street, and Pirate have taken over at the door.”
“Guess I’m going home too,” Caroline said.
“I think that’s best, Precious,” Wraith told her.
“I should go as well,” Honey said quickly. “Thanks for letting me join you tonight. I had fun.”
“Will you come again?” Winnie asked with a hopeful expression. She stood to wrap her arms around Scythe.
“Of course,” Honey said, crossing her fingers that she’d make it back here. While she’d enjoyed herself tremendously, Honey had run out of energy. She hoped she’d make it home safely. Her vision was getting murky.
“Yay! I’ve enjoyed chatting with you,” Caroline told her as she slid from the seat.
“Finish that book for Winnie and me,” Honey teased.
“Will do.” With a wave, Caroline allowed Wraith to escort her to the door.
Honey missed them as soon as they vanished from sight.
She couldn’t consider them friends after one dinner together, could she?
Honey crossed her fingers under the table.
Please let me run into them again. She raised her gaze to meet Razor’s and added a silent request to spend more time with him as well.