I glare.
揝ure. I抦 trying to think of a time where you抳e been anything less than blunt…？A breeze blows around us, fluttering more of my hair loose for him to fix.
揑 don抰 care that you followed me. I care about your safety. You came here once when I knew you抎 have somebody around and I was expecting you. I wouldn抰 have let anything happen. But if I don抰 know you抮e here and you come snooping around棓
My laugh cuts him off. 揅抦on. I抦 not some damsel in distress who needs Burns-man to the rescue.?
Again, his mahogany eyes darken with an overprotective look that makes me shudder.
揑t抯 not funny. You can take care of yourself, but you抮e from a small town and you don抰 spend much time in places like this. There are lot of good people here and a few fucking rats.?I should be touched at how uptight he gets about my well-being, I guess.
揃ut you just said it. I can take care of myself. You抮e also my boss梟ot my freaking bodyguard梥o what does it matter if I decide to take my chances??I smile up at him sweetly.
He doesn抰 roll his eyes, even if I can feel his frustration curdling the air around us.
揇akota, coming here alone after dark to spy on me isn抰 a choice. It抯 dumb as hell,?he says bluntly.
Harsh. But I can抰 say he抯 wrong.
I knew this was a bad move the minute I rushed down the elevator.
揥ould you walk in front of a charging bull for kicks too??he asks. 揧ou抮e too smart for that shit. Too intelligent to get hurt, all because you have something to prove. That isn抰 the woman I know梩he one I hired who thinks before she trips over her own feet.?
He抯 scowling, practically grinding his words, and it抯 so hilariously intense I feel weirdly touched. Dallas was mostly a sleepy town growing up, and nobody ever got growly about my decisions or my safety. Not even Jay.
揂re you listening??he bites off, his eyes still drilling through me.
揧eah, daddy dearest. I heard you loud and clear through all that grumping.?I抦 blushing the second it抯 out, realizing how I抳e butchered my choice of words.
If there抯 one man on the planet I should not be calling daddy, it抯 the beast in front of me who has my entire future in his hands.
揑抣l show you real grumping, if I need to,?he says, scratching his face to hide a slight, adorable redness under his scruff. 揑f my right hand needs a lesson on common sense, so be it.?
揟emporary right hand. And I抦 thinking the one that抯 attached to you is just fine unless you抮e like, into a sock or a fleshlight or something.?
He snorts and his lips almost turn up in a smile.
揇ammit, Nevermore. Are sex and murders all you think about??He snorts again, shaking his head sharply. 揂nd for your information, I only need to worry about one right hand. The other works just fine and it doesn抰 fly solo. I put it to work on whoever抯 getting me off.?
Gah.
My face is on fire. My next breath shakes me to my core.
How did we wind up talking about Lincoln抯 sex life again?
I抦 just grateful he doesn抰 extend the torture when he glances around the park, looks at me again, and says, 揝ince you抮e already here, come on.?
揥here are we going??I ask, trying to catch up since he抯 already moving.
揧ou抣l see.?
I follow Lincoln to the familiar row of tents spaced apart, but this time we stop before we get to Wyatt抯。 We抮e in front of a faded pink tent instead.
He bends down and places the flowers in an empty coffee can in front of it. As they抮e settling, I notice there抯 a tiny note attached to the wrapping paper.
揥hat are you doing??I whisper, my brows pulling together.
In the distance, a grinning Wyatt waves to us.
揃urns? It really is you. Come on over. I brewed up something good,?he says.
I give Lincoln a puzzled look.
揇on抰 say anything. They抮e for Meadow, the only person besides me who bothers to check in on Wyatt. She抯 young and kind of cute. I know he likes her, so what抯 the harm in dropping a few flowers on his behalf??He shrugs. 揝he likes plants. He calls her Miss Green Thumb.?
My lips turn up in a smile and I almost fall over.
揧ou…you big idiot. You抮e playing matchmaker??My lips quiver because I still can抰 believe it.
Every time I think I have this man figured out, he bowls me right over again.
換uiet. Don抰 let Wyatt hear,?he grumbles.
I nod and don抰 mention it again as we walk, still trying to bite back a smile.
揅ome on already. Damn, you guys are slower than snails and that抯 coming from the guy on one leg.?Wyatt sits on a few stacked wooden beams in front of his makeshift campfire.
揌e抯 impatient today,?I say.
揌e抯 in a good mood if he抯 brewing coffee. I haven抰 seen that in months. We抮e going to have to pick up the pace.?Lincoln抯 steps grow into a jog.
I struggle to keep pace.
He reaches the campfire before me and drops down on a box. I slow down and catch my breath as I approach them. Smoothing my skirt, I抦 about to take a seat on the big crate beside Lincoln when Wyatt looks up with narrowed eyes.
揥hat the hell, man? Are you gonna let her ruin that pretty dress??
But before he even finishes, Lincoln shrugs out of his blazer and lays it over the space next to him. Smooth.
揕incoln, that抯 okay, you don抰 have to桰抦 fine.?
I am so not fine. Seeing my grumphole in a suit acting chivalrous makes me feel things I should not be feeling in any universe that still makes sense.
揥yatt抯 right. Sit down, Nevermore.?
I can抰 even say no. I just drop down beside him, leaving a sliver of space between us.
揌ere. You have to try this.?Wyatt ladles out a dark liquid in a disposable cup he takes from a sack beside him. He passes it to Lincoln first.
My nostrils flare as I catch the scent. Fragrant coffee, and it smells like it抯 strong enough to peel wallpaper.
Lincoln sniffs the cup and smiles.
揝mells mighty good.?He takes a small sip. 揇amn, I like it. Tastes smoky.?
I swear I see Wyatt standing a little taller, less hunched over. He抯 proud of his brew and it抯 just…nice. Insanely nice to see this broken man care about something besides pastries and basic street survival.
揧ou want some, Dakota? I don抰 have cream and fancy stuff to go with it,?he warns with a shine in his eyes.
Honestly, black coffee and I don抰 get along, but I can抰 stand being rude.
揧es, please. I抣l give it a shot. Just pour me a little,?I tell him.
With a friendly nod, he ladles that jet-black rocket fuel into a second cup and passes it over. I抦 a little afraid it抣l melt my throat. It smells like Eliza抯 whole apartment after an entire day of cooking up batch after batch of rich espresso and pourover concentrate.
揥hat trouble are you two in tonight??Wyatt asks.
Linc takes another hearty pull off his cup, totally unruffled by the potent drink.
揥hat else? I came to see you. Dakota抯 just stalking me.?
揑 am not, Wyatt. I…I came to see you too.?I stumble over my words, realizing how weird that sounds. 揑 was hoping you might have a story or two. I抦 a fiction writer梐 poet, really梬hen I抦 off the clock. I抦 always looking for inspiration. How could I know we抎 both show up at the same time??
Lincoln doesn抰 even look at me but lets out a sigh that says, Nevermore, you suck.
揚ure coincidence. Always the best kind.?Wyatt ladles himself a drink and glugs down half the contents in one gulp.
揈xactly,?I say matter-of-factly.
Wyatt抯 eyes trail from Lincoln to me. 揃y the way, if you are stalking him, I don抰 think he minds. He likes it.?