Page 36 of The One I Love

“I put in a special word with the cook.” Mary shot Amos a wink. “Anything else I can get either of you?”

Amos glanced at Britt.

She shook her head. “I’m good. Thanks.”

The second Mary turned away, Britt cut her hamburger in half. “If I’d known it was this big, we could have shared.”

“Not on your life.” Amos laughed, a rich, robust sound. “I’m going to eat every bite of this monster.”

“Construction is physical. I’m sure you’ve worked up an appetite.” Britt wrapped her lips around the burger. The taste of beef, guacamole, cheese and salsa was an orgasmic explosion in her mouth.

She set the rest of the burger down as she chewed, savored, then swallowed. “Omigod, this is amazing.”

Amos grinned, showing a mouthful of perfect, white teeth. “I’m betting you’ll eat the whole thing.”

Laughing, Britt wiped the guac from the edges of her lips with a paper napkin. “Now that I’ve had a taste, I’m not touching that bet.”

They ate in silence and were nearly finished when Amos cocked his head. “What made you decide to check out this place?”

“What makes you think I haven’t been here before?” As she spoke, Britt dipped a fry in the ranch dressing.

“Just a guess.” He smiled. “I’m a regular. Odds are our paths would have crossed before now.”

“You’re right. I’m a first-timer.” Lifting the beer bottle to her lips, she took a long drink and felt the day’s worries ease away.

Maybe it was the food, or the beer, or the pleasant company. Whatever the reason, she finally relaxed. Tomorrow would be soon enough to concentrate on her next step.

“Do you live here?” he prompted.

“In Denver?” At his nod, she shook her head. “I just got into town last night.”

“Here for business or pleasure?”

“Business.” Britt sighed the word as the simple question brought worries flooding back. At his questioning glance, she waved a hand. “Temporary setback.”

“Anything I can do to help?” The sympathy in his voice and the warm concern in his eyes had her wanting to spill all.

What if she did? What would be the harm? She’d likely never see the guy again. She could keep names and specifics to a minimum.

Britt was self-aware enough to know the tension she’d experienced today came from needing to vent, but she’d had no one available.

Her sister, back in Wisconsin, was busy relocating her bookstore and planning a wedding. Her parents, well, they would simply tell her it was her fault for playing fast and loose with the truth.

As far as girlfriends, the ones in Philly were social media hounds. Anything she told them would be blasted far and wide in seconds.

This guy, he was safe—well, relatively safe, if she ignored those potent blue eyes.

She cocked her head. “Do you like stories?”

Interest sparked in his eyes. “What kind of stories?”

“Ones that have a little bit of everything.” She paused and added a ghoulish tone to the words. “Suspense. Intrigue. Deception.”

“You had me at sex.”

Britt did a double blink. “I said suspense, not sex.”

The twinkle in his eyes told her he’d heard correctly the first time. “My mind must have wandered and filled in the wrong blank.”

She had to laugh. “Do you want to hear the story or not?”

He rubbed his chin, pretended to be thinking it over, then grinned. “Absolutely. The, ah, suspense is killing me.”