her plate. “I see you didn’t wait for me.”
The humor shining in his eyes proved he wasn’t angry, yet Julia apologized anyway. “Sorry. I was hungry.”
“I forgive you.” Snatching one of her French fries, he popped it into his mouth. “Come to the back room with me and watch us play pool.”
“Okay.”
He picked up her plate and glass of Coke before she could and carried it to the table they’d sat at Thursday. After she took her chair, he leaned over and gave her a slow kiss. “Mmm, that’s better than any cheeseburger.”
He looked at her as if he wanted to drag her to a storage closet and fuck her until she couldn’t walk. Julia didn’t think she’d stop him if he tried it.
“I’m not waiting for Monica to make the rounds. I’ll order at the bar.” He took another of her fries. “Be right back.”
Apparently the other four guys had the same idea, for they all descended on Mel to turn in their food and drink orders. “I think Stephen should buy for all of us,” she heard Quade say. “He still has money left over from winning his race.”
“Yeah,” Manny agreed. “Besides, he’s the hero today.”
“Cut it out, guys,” Stephen said with a frown. “I’m not a hero.”
“You saved a life.” Wes slapped Stephen on the shoulder. “I’d say that makes you a hero.”
Stephen glanced her direction, an uncomfortable expression on his face. He obviously didn’t want the guys mentioning whatever happened today.
Quade turned and looked directly at her. “You should’ve seen him, Julia. He jumped through a window to save an elderly woman.”
“Off the ladder.” Tate made a diving arc with his arm. “Five feet away from the window. He crashed right through it. Flames shot up everywhere. Man, it was something.”
“The next thing we knew,” Wes said, “he came out of the house carrying the woman in his arms. Michaela was there from the newspaper. I won’t be surprised if that’s the picture on the front page of the paper Wednesday.”
The more the guys talked, the more uncomfortable Stephen seemed to become. The few bites of cheeseburger Julia had eaten congealed in her stomach. He’d jumped from a ladder, which meant he had to be at least two stories in the air. He didn’t wait until the ladder was safely positioned against the house, but pulled a daredevil stunt instead of following protocol.
She couldn’t go through this again. No matter how much she cared for Stephen, she couldn’t continue to date him.
He must have sensed her anxiety for he came over to the table, slid into the chair opposite her. “Hey, you okay? You look pale.”
Her throat felt so tight, she could barely speak any words. “You jumped from the ladder and crashed through a window? ”
“Yeah. Look, the guys are making a bigger deal out of it than it was.”
Unable to consider eating any more, Julia pushed her plate aside. “I can’t do this, Stephen. I can’t be involved with an adrenaline junky.”
His eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “What are you talking about?”
“You! With your motorcycle racing and your jumping through windows and all the other dangerous sports you do. I went through that with my boyfriend in California. I can’t do it again.”
His scowl faded, replaced by a look of alarm. “I don’t know what happened with you and that guy in California, but—”
“I’ll tell you exactly what happened, Stephen. Cole’s carelessness caused him to crash his motorcycle with me on the back of it.”
All the color drained from Stephen’s face. “No,” he said weakly.
“He pleaded with me for weeks to ride with him. He swore he’d be careful. So I finally gave in, even though I didn’t want to.
“Cole wasn’t capable of being careful. He zipped in and out of traffic, despite me asking him over and over to stop. I guess my complaining finally angered him because he looked at me over his shoulder and yelled at me to chill. A pickup pulled into our lane while
The humor shining in his eyes proved he wasn’t angry, yet Julia apologized anyway. “Sorry. I was hungry.”
“I forgive you.” Snatching one of her French fries, he popped it into his mouth. “Come to the back room with me and watch us play pool.”
“Okay.”
He picked up her plate and glass of Coke before she could and carried it to the table they’d sat at Thursday. After she took her chair, he leaned over and gave her a slow kiss. “Mmm, that’s better than any cheeseburger.”
He looked at her as if he wanted to drag her to a storage closet and fuck her until she couldn’t walk. Julia didn’t think she’d stop him if he tried it.
“I’m not waiting for Monica to make the rounds. I’ll order at the bar.” He took another of her fries. “Be right back.”
Apparently the other four guys had the same idea, for they all descended on Mel to turn in their food and drink orders. “I think Stephen should buy for all of us,” she heard Quade say. “He still has money left over from winning his race.”
“Yeah,” Manny agreed. “Besides, he’s the hero today.”
“Cut it out, guys,” Stephen said with a frown. “I’m not a hero.”
“You saved a life.” Wes slapped Stephen on the shoulder. “I’d say that makes you a hero.”
Stephen glanced her direction, an uncomfortable expression on his face. He obviously didn’t want the guys mentioning whatever happened today.
Quade turned and looked directly at her. “You should’ve seen him, Julia. He jumped through a window to save an elderly woman.”
“Off the ladder.” Tate made a diving arc with his arm. “Five feet away from the window. He crashed right through it. Flames shot up everywhere. Man, it was something.”
“The next thing we knew,” Wes said, “he came out of the house carrying the woman in his arms. Michaela was there from the newspaper. I won’t be surprised if that’s the picture on the front page of the paper Wednesday.”
The more the guys talked, the more uncomfortable Stephen seemed to become. The few bites of cheeseburger Julia had eaten congealed in her stomach. He’d jumped from a ladder, which meant he had to be at least two stories in the air. He didn’t wait until the ladder was safely positioned against the house, but pulled a daredevil stunt instead of following protocol.
She couldn’t go through this again. No matter how much she cared for Stephen, she couldn’t continue to date him.
He must have sensed her anxiety for he came over to the table, slid into the chair opposite her. “Hey, you okay? You look pale.”
Her throat felt so tight, she could barely speak any words. “You jumped from the ladder and crashed through a window? ”
“Yeah. Look, the guys are making a bigger deal out of it than it was.”
Unable to consider eating any more, Julia pushed her plate aside. “I can’t do this, Stephen. I can’t be involved with an adrenaline junky.”
His eyebrows drew together in a scowl. “What are you talking about?”
“You! With your motorcycle racing and your jumping through windows and all the other dangerous sports you do. I went through that with my boyfriend in California. I can’t do it again.”
His scowl faded, replaced by a look of alarm. “I don’t know what happened with you and that guy in California, but—”
“I’ll tell you exactly what happened, Stephen. Cole’s carelessness caused him to crash his motorcycle with me on the back of it.”
All the color drained from Stephen’s face. “No,” he said weakly.
“He pleaded with me for weeks to ride with him. He swore he’d be careful. So I finally gave in, even though I didn’t want to.
“Cole wasn’t capable of being careful. He zipped in and out of traffic, despite me asking him over and over to stop. I guess my complaining finally angered him because he looked at me over his shoulder and yelled at me to chill. A pickup pulled into our lane while
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