“Have you not eaten today?”
Her cheeks turn red as she covers her mouth. “Sorry, I’ll order—”
“No, it’s fine. You just said you were hungry.”
“Yeah. I’ve been going all day. I worked out this morning, had four classes today, and then I’m working now. Thankfully, I get off early.”
“You need to eat, Stella.”
“I know. I don’t usually do this. Though, I did have three cupcakes this morning.”
“That’s a balanced meal for sure,” I joke, and she laughs. “Though, your brother did tell me that cupcakes fix all emotions.”
She nods earnestly. “They sure as hell do. They are little bits of magic.”
I chuckle. “You guys and cupcakes are weird.”
“If you grew up with Audrey as your aunt, you’d be the same.”
“If only. I wish Tate were my uncle.”
She grins. “And see, I think Audrey is the better one of the pair.”
“I need to meet this lady. She’s apparently a badass.”
“Such a badass,” she gushes, a grin filling her sweet face. Her cheeks are so round when she grins hard like that. “But, yes, you obviously need a cupcake.”
“Maybe.”
“I think you do.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You look down.”
“I look down?”
“Yeah, like upset.”
Hm. I didn’t think I did. “Just a lot on my mind.”
She eyes me through her lashes. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Not here,” I admit, shaking my head. “It’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“Maybe you’d feel better if you talked about it.”
“It only makes me think more,” I say around the bite I just took. “I talked to my buddies today, and I still feel off.”
“That sucks. I’m sorry,” she says sweetly. “I hate being in my head.”
“It blows for sure,” I agree as she takes another bite.
“I am different, though. Maybe I can help? A woman’s perspective.”
I grin at her. “Maybe.”
“Let me check on people,” she says, wiping her mouth with her apron. “Do I have anything on my face?”
“Nope, but if you want a pair of lips…” I say with a wink, which makes her laugh.
“You’re ruthless.”
“You love it,” I accuse, and she scoffs.
“So you think,” she throws back at me, and now I’m the one laughing as she walks away. As I eat, I watch the TV above the bar to keep from staring at her. I kind of want to tell her what’s going on. Maybe a female point of view would help. I only talk to males, except for Noelle.
Really, I just want to talk to Stella. We could talk about the color of pasta, and I would be into it. I just want to be around her. I want to tease, I want to flirt, because I love the way she makes me feel. It’s stupid to be doing this. Some would say I am wasting my time since I know what Aiden would think, but I can’t help myself. I want to be around her. I’m tired of Instagram-stalking her. I’m tired of sitting at a bar, only getting bits of her.
Maybe I should talk to Aiden?
I’ll wait until after my face heals.
When Stella comes back, she reaches for her fork and eats my last broccoli spear. “I wanted that,” I say, and she snickers.
“I’m not sorry. It’s so good.”
“Agreed,” I say, wiping my mouth. “So, you get off early tonight?”
“I do,” she says happily. “First time in a while.”
“Big plans? A suitor waiting?”
She rolls her eyes. “Shut up. Actually, what are you doing tonight?”
You? No, don’t say that. This is innocent flirting. I know what she wants, unless that’s changed… “I could say so much right now. I have a sick mind, Stella.”
She laughs softly. “Get it under control, Wesley. Unless what is going on in that mind includes telling my brother.”
“That’s so rude.”
“It is, but we both know you’d take another punch before you’d tell him what you’re thinking.”
I eye her. “I didn’t know you watched the games.”
“Duh, my brother was playing.”
“Sure,” I tease, and she grins as her cheeks fill with color. “And I was actually waiting for my face to heal before I tell him I want to take you out.”
She gives me a dry look, not convinced at all. “You want to take me out—or take me to bed?”
I shrug. “Both?” I say innocently, and she laughs.
“You’re dangerous.”
“No, you are.”
“Maybe,” she laughs with a cute little grin. “Let me know if you grow some balls and do that, though.”
“Would you go?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe? You mean yes.”
“I mean maybe,” she says simply. “Anyway, there is a party at my friend’s tonight. You look like you need some fun. Wanna go?”
“Together?”
“Well, yeah. Though, not together-together since together-together would involve a lot more than you can give, but together as friends?”
I eye her skeptically since this is totally out of the blue. Though, I don’t mind one bit. “I don’t know if I can be friends with you.”
She giggles in a cute little way. “I don’t think you can either, but why not try? I don’t want to go to this thing alone, you look like you need some fun, so boom, we’re both getting what we want.”
What I want is her naked beneath me.
Or in a room with just us.
And then naked.
But a party with Stella?
Yeah, I want to do that.
“You sure?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t,” she says, eyeing me. “What, do you not want to go?”
“No, I do,” I say way too fast. “I just don’t want to get the wrong idea.”
“That’s why I’m being up front. We’re going out as friends.”
“But we’re not friends,” I remind her. “I’m friends with your brother. I’m attracted to you.”
“Do you want to go or not?” she asks, completely over my shit.
She strikes her hip, and I nod, licking my lips. “Yeah, I want to go.”
“That’s what I thought,” she calls to me as she walks away, and I feel a chill run down my spine.
I don’t know what is about to happen, but I am damn glad it’s happening. It’s dangerous and I could get in some serious trouble, but there is no way in hell I’m turning her down.
Chapter Eight
Stella
Oh Jesus, what am I doing?
I’m not entirely sure, but I just couldn’t let him go home. I could see it all over his face the moment he walked in. And I don’t mean the bruising; I mean the kicked-dog look. I knew he’d spent the day with Aiden and Boon Hoenes. I saw Snapchats of baby Zac lying on Wes’s chest. It was sweet and made my ovaries come to life. I don’t know why since I am not having kids anytime soon, but they did a little dance seeing him with a baby. When he came into the bar, though, he looked lonely, and it made me sad. I felt for him, and I really wanted to make his day better. I flirted a lot, teased, and then for some reason, I invited him to Lake’s.