Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I glanced over her shoulder, biting back my smile. “Um, Cinnamon.”
“What?”
“Look.”
She turned and gasped. Dom was walking through the crowd, his hand firmly clasping the waist of a very disheveled Cherry Gallagher. Her hair was a mess, her lips swollen, and as they got closer, I saw the red mark on her neck. His hair was everywhere, his shirt untucked. The look on his face was intense and serious. He stopped at the table, grabbing her purse and his jacket.
“We’re going for coffee,” he said, his voice deep and rough. He looked at Hannah. “Don’t wait up.”
Cherry looked at her daughter, wide-eyed and blushing. “Just coffee,” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll be home soon.”
Dom’s laugh bellowed out loudly. “Don’t count on it.”
And they were gone.
Hannah turned around and blinked. She looked at me, the door to the bar, then back over her shoulder to the hall.
“That—that was my mom he was manhandling.”
“Woman-handling, I’d say,” I drawled, lifting my beer to my mouth. “But it’s just coffee—you know, Hannah. Chatting.”
“Her legs around his—” She swallowed. “He’s going… They’re going…”
I nodded.
“My mom. Oh God.” She met my eyes. “Chatting.”
“From the look of the two of them, I’d say some pretty intense chatting.”
She covered her face. “Oh God.”
“I think the only playing happening for Dom tonight is the age-old Italian game of hide the salami. I think Dom’s an expert.”
Hannah slapped my shoulder. “Stop it! That’s my mom!”
I grinned. “We can go home and play too if you want.”
“Do we know if she’s safe with him? What if he’s a degenerate?”
“What if Cherry wants a degenerate?”
“Chase! Stop it!”
I laughed and tugged her chair close, kissing her. “Dom is a great guy. Rough around the edges with a heart of gold. Stefano has known him for a long time. Maxx likes him. I think he is awesome. Your mom is in perfectly safe—and probably very capable—hands.” I winked.
“I can’t even think about my mom having sex.”
“Then think about us having sex. Loudly. Until she comes home—then we can tease the hell out of her.”
She fisted my shirt. “We should go now.”
“Oh. I ordered nachos and wings.”
Her eyes widened. “Ooh. Nachos.”
“With extra cheese.”
“Okay. Eat. Then home. Sex.” She grinned. “Lots of sex.”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Chase
We stumbled from the bar, laughing. I had my arm slung around Hannah’s shoulder, and her hand gripped my waist. I was pretty sure we were holding each other up. I looked up and down the street, surprised not to see any cabs waiting. She shivered, nestling closer. “We can just walk.”
“Where is your jacket?”
“In the truck.”
“Let’s get it. Then if no cabs show up, we’ll walk.”
We headed to the truck at the back of the bar, slightly weaving. I pulled the fob from my pocket, opening the door. I slid into the truck, looking around. It was colder than I expected it to be outside, and I decided we could sit in the truck and Hannah could get warm while we waited for a cab. I started the truck, and finally spotting the jacket on the floor behind the seats, I leaned over and grabbed it, rolling down the window. “Come get warm, and we’ll call a cab and wait here,” I instructed. Before she could move, bright lights hit my eyes, and I shielded them with my hand.
I cursed as I saw the police car in front of the truck. Hannah stopped walking, frowning. I turned off the truck, got out, and handed the jacket to her. An officer got out of the car, sauntering over, holding up a flashlight. There was no doubt who it was. I recognized the swagger.
He stopped in front of us, and Hannah waved her hand. “Get the light out of my face, Dan.”
“Where you two kids off to?”
“We’re heading home,” I informed him.
He tsked under his breath. “Driving while under the influence? Not a good idea.”
“I wasn’t driving,” I pointed out.
“You were in the truck. The engine was running.”
“I was getting her jacket and warming the truck so we could sit in it until the cab came. Not driving.”
“So you say.”
“It’s the truth.”
“From where I stand, looks to me like you were planning on driving.”
“We were waiting for a cab,” Hannah protested. “Just like Chase said.”
“You ordered one?”
“I was about to.”
He nodded, looking smug. “So you haven’t ordered a cab. You’ve been drinking. You were sitting behind the wheel of a running vehicle, and you expect me to believe it was to warm up.”
All the euphoria of the evening vanished. The slightly hazy feeling evaporated, and I was clearheaded and sober. Angry. “Yes,” I snapped. “Because it’s the truth.”
“I’m going to need you to step away from the vehicle, sir. I’m going to conduct a sobriety test.”
“There is no need to do that. I admit I’ve been drinking. I wasn’t going to drive.” Inwardly, I was cursing. I should never have started the truck. I had just given him the ammo he was looking for.