Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 232(@200wpm)___ 186(@250wpm)___ 155(@300wpm)
With the steaks cooked, Luna returned to the kitchen and allowed them to rest. Once they were, she sliced them up, added potatoes to the plate, topped it with the steak, drizzled over the dressing, and dinner was done.
Just as Matthew came in to wash his hands.
“Where would you like to eat?” Luna asked.
“Wherever you are,” Matthew said.
“Outside.” She carried their plates to the small table, leaving their food to return to the kitchen and grab them drinks.
This wasn’t a date. She wasn’t giving Matthew a chance.
It was dinner. A payment of services. That was all.
This meant absolutely nothing. Even if it was his favorite meal she kind of memorized and happen to love as well.
****
Matthew hadn’t been in the neighborhood. He hadn’t even been close. There had been no reason for him to be here. No reason at all.
The club didn’t need him to. No errands.
What brought him here was the fact he hadn’t seen his woman in a very long time. Too long. He needed his Luna fix, and the only way to get that was to come around. The fact she’d been mowing her lawn, a job he knew she hated, was just a damn bonus. Now, as he sat opposite her, he got to have his fill, and fuck him if it wasn’t a fucking high.
Luna chewed on her steak. Her gaze kept falling on him and then moving around, looking elsewhere.
The food was delicious. His favorite. Did she know that? Holly had asked him some time ago if she could talk about him and his favorite meal on the blog. He didn’t have a problem with it. Food was food, and this was his favorite meal, or at least one of his favorites.
“Thank you,” Luna said. “For doing the lawn. You didn’t have to do that. I was happy to do that.”
He smiled. “It was a pleasure, and don’t lie. You’re not happy to do it.”
Luna chuckled. “Okay, but I’m not afraid to work hard.” She shrugged.
“I know you’re not. I saw that the diner is shut again. Is Mac sick or something?”
“I don’t know. He’s acting strangely. I only know when the diner is shut when … well, I arrive and see the notice on the door.”
“He doesn’t let you know ahead of time?”
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“What a dick.”
Luna smiled. “Don’t be like that. It’s fine.”
“But he’s your boss. Are you getting paid for all this closed time?”
“I have no idea. He won’t take my calls. Told me that if the sign says closed, it means it is closed.”
“That’s odd.”
“Yeah, right. I couldn’t remember him ever closing up the diner like this before.”
He had to agree. Mac’s was always open. “Still, at least I get to eat good food.” He winked at her.
Luna nodded. “I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s so good. Did you know I loved this?” he asked.
“No, I had no clue.” She wouldn’t look at him. “Can I, er, ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Did you send Holly here?” Luna asked.
“Holly? No, why would I send her?”
“To, you know, warn me.”
Matthew frowned and looked at her. Her eyes were so beautiful, a dark brown. Darker than his. Her hair was a lighter color. She had dyed it blonde about a year ago, and since then, she had started to grow it out, but the length was only to her shoulders. When they’d been together, she had long hair. The kind of length that he could wrap around his fist and hold on to, or stroke. He loved her hair.
Luna frowned at him, and he realized she was waiting for an answer. “Warn you? About what?”
“About hurting you.”
“What?” Okay, this was news to him. He didn’t need anyone taking care of him or attempting to watch his back. It wasn’t necessary. Not for him. Luna had never set out to hurt him. He’d been the one to hurt her.
“Yeah. Holly is worried about me hurting you.”
“I have no idea. Look, I’m sorry.”
She held her hand up. “Don’t worry about it.”
“No. She was out of line. She doesn’t know the full story.”
“I figured. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. You don’t have to— Whatever you want to do while you’re here, that is up to you.”
She smiled. “I promise. I’m not here to hurt you.”
“Why are you here?” he asked. “Not that I have a problem with it.”
Luna blew out a breath and stabbed her fork into several pieces of potatoes. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
“What about your teaching job?”
“I quit. It wasn’t working out, anyway. Again at the law firm. I tried to make it work, but the law sucks, like real bad.”
Matthew laughed. He couldn’t help it. “And, er, the guy you were seeing?”
Luna nibbled on her lip. “We’re finished. I mean, it wasn’t like it was going anywhere. We weren’t, it wasn’t, I don’t know. Me and boyfriends are complicated.”