Love Restored (7 page)

“If you say so.” She put her hand on Brandon’s chest and pushed him back so she could get out from behind the counter. He moved easily away, not crowding her in the slightest. That’s what she liked about these guys—none of them ever made her feel uncomfortable. They didn’t treat her like the little woman or someone they could bang in the back because she was there. They respected her and actually talked to her like a human being. She’d worked in places where she had to fight off unwanted attention daily, and had even broken a few fingers on her way out the door. She never wanted to be put in that position again.

And yeah, things could have been different if she’d gone into the family business and stayed with the people who had raised her to be nothing more than a pawn, but she hadn’t, so she’d learned to be who she needed to be. Montgomery Ink would allow her to find another part of herself because while she would never fully relax, she could at least breathe somewhat easier around those she worked with and just…create. Just…be.

She hadn’t been able to do either in a long time. But Rowan needed her to be strong, to be whole, and Blake would do anything to make that happen.

“Do you want to take the next walk-in?” Brandon asked as he went back to his station and picked up a sketchbook. “I just finished a small ankle piece while you were in the back, and Derek here is working, as you can see.”

Derek looked up from his piece and blinked. “Yeah, Blake, take the next one. And while you’re at it, why don’t you tell Brandon here about the hockey game.”

Blake stiffened before she realized it and forced herself to relax. No, she would not think about Graham’s lips or the forceful way he’d taken control of the kiss, of
her
. Damn it, she hadn’t wanted that, hadn’t wanted him. And if she kept telling herself that, then one day she might just believe it.

“Oooh,” Brandon crooned with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Oh, really? A hockey game? And what happened at the hockey game?” He put his fingers to his temple. “Oh, wait! I know. Did you make out with Mr. Tall, Bearded, and Broody on the Kiss Cam? Because, darling, if I wasn’t already seeing a woman, I’d jump him. Just saying. I’m an equal opportunist.”

Putting aside the fact that now she had very,
very
dirty images of Graham and Brandon in her head, she rubbed a hand down her face. “I didn’t make out with him. And how the hell did you find out?”

“You’re viral, baby.” He held out his phone, and Blake could actually feel the blood leaving her face.

“What? No. That can’t be true.” She scrambled up and snatched the cell from him. He’d opened Facebook to a saved link that showed a
Kiss Me Beardy
video. “They
named
it?”

“Of course, they did,” Derek said dryly. “They make everything viral now. Like that alligator that’s the size of a truck down in Florida walking on a golf course that they put to the
Jurassic Park
theme. That sucker was huge. And yeah, you and Graham making out like that all sweaty and panting on the Kiss Cam made the news. Don’t worry, since you don’t have social media, it won’t bother you, but the shop already has a few hits on Twitter, and I bet Graham’s company page does, too.”

She shook her head, her hands shaking. “I know we can’t take it down, but damn it. I didn’t want this to happen. That freaking Kiss Cam can go straight to hell.”

“You looked like you liked the kiss, Blake,” Brandon said softly. “Didn’t you? Do I need to kick Graham’s ass for you? He’s bigger than me, but I can probably get him if I take him out at the knees.”

“I’d help you, bro,” Derek added.

“Me, too,” the client said from the chair.

She looked at him and blinked, her eyes burning. “Uh…thank you?”

“Name’s Brody,” the man said, a slight drawl to his voice. “And don’t mention it.”

She swallowed hard and tried to catch her breath. Just because a little kiss had gone viral, didn’t mean it would affect any issues she had already. It was just a kiss. A kiss that had apparently gone around the world. But that was fine. She didn’t do anything wrong.

No one could take Rowan from her because a man had kissed her.

She kept repeating that to herself until her heart finally stopped racing. When she looked up, all three men had worried expressions on their faces and their hands out as if they wanted to touch her but were afraid to spook her.

Great, she’d acted like a freak once again because she couldn’t control everything…anything.

“He didn’t hurt me or anything,” Blake said lamely. “Everyone was chanting at us to kiss, so we did. No harm, no foul. And soon, someone else will be the next shareable video, and no one will remember this.”

Brandon studied her face. “Okay, then. If that’s what you’re saying. And as for Graham, if you need anything, you come to us, okay? We’re here for you.”

She nodded silently and tried to catch her breath. When the bell above the door rang, she jumped and looked over. “I’ll go take care of this person.”

“Sounds good,” Brandon said calmly. She was intently aware that all three men had their eyes on her back as she went up to the two young women at the front of the store. She hated that the three of them were so worried about her, and she’d made a mess of herself seeing that viral video, but she knew there was nothing she could do.

She’d just stay away from Graham, and everything would be okay. Soon, she’d forget the feel of his lips against hers, the feel of his hand in her hair, and his beard along her skin. The damn thing had been surprisingly soft.

And that was enough of that.

“How can I help you, ladies?” she said once she’d reached the front. She’d worry about ink and piercings and nothing else. She could control this, could work with this. And that would have to be enough.

By the time her shift was over, she was a bundle of nerves. She’d Facetimed Rowan when she was locked in the back room and had said her goodbyes since her daughter was going to stay over at a friend’s house that night for a slumber party. She hated that she wouldn’t be sleeping under the same roof as her baby, but there was nothing she could do about it. Rowan was growing up, and sleepovers were just a part of it.

But she missed her daughter already.

Blake sighed and drove to the grocery store to pick up something to eat. She had food in the house, but was too stressed to do anything about it. A prepared salad with all the fixings as well as a large slice of chocolate cake would make her feel better. At least, the cake would. She tried not to eat too much sugar as she wasn’t twenty anymore and her ass kept growing with each passing month, but her baby was at her first sleepover, and damn it, Blake needed cake.

She got a small cart since she would inevitably find something else she needed in the store, and went to the prepared food section. Since it was after six on a Friday night, the place wasn’t that busy. Most sane people were either at home with their families or eating out for the night. Blake would get her sad little salad, her chocolate cake, and do some laundry that had been piling up. Mrs. Gonzales kept doing her laundry for her, and Blake hated that. So she’d gone to the trouble of hiding her laundry basket in the back of her closet so the older woman wouldn’t work so hard.

So far, the plan had worked, but as the other woman had found the basket in its last hiding place, Blake wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep it up. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the woman who had taken Blake and Rowan under her wing, it was more that she didn’t want Mrs. Gonzales to tire herself out. She’d finally retired from the cleaning service she’d worked at for over thirty years, and deserved to take time off.

Of course, Blake wasn’t sure the other woman knew what that meant.

With a sigh, Blake turned the corner toward the salad area and promptly ran into another cart.

“Oh crap, I’m sorry,” she said as she looked up. “You. You have got to be kidding me. Are you following me now?”

Graham blinked at her, and she couldn’t help but like the way his broad shoulders filled out his shirt. The damn man wore a simple white tee with faded jeans and work boots, and yet she wanted to wrap her body around his just to feel him against her. She hated the man.

Okay, not really, but she truly
wanted
to hate him.

“I’m hungry, Blake. I don’t really care where you shop, but it seems we had the same idea.” He gestured down to the salads. “What kind are you getting?” he asked, and Blake just shook her head at him.

“You really aren’t following me?” Okay, so it sounded a little far-fetched, but she refused to believe she kept running into this man for any other reason. Stubborn, thy name is Blake.

Graham just rolled his eyes. “No, I’m not. I’m hungry after a long day of dealing with inspections, and I didn’t want to cook anything. And while a juicy burger sounds fantastic right now, I’m old and need the fiber.”

Helplessly, she raked her gaze up his body. “Old?”

He licked his lips, and the memory of those lips on hers had her almost squirming. Almost. “Older than you.”

“By like a minute.”

“I see you’re eating a salad, too,” he said after a moment. “Or, at least, were passing the case.”

She shrugged. “My ass is getting big.”

He grinned at her. “Why don’t you turn around and let me see. I’ll let you know.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Are you flirting with me? I thought we fought with each other.”

“Well, secret Avalanche fan…” he began, and she blushed.

“Sorry about that. I was annoyed with you. And I have to tell you, it hurt me more than you to root for Toronto.”

“You deserved it. And you’re lucky the Avs pulled out a win. Anyway, I guess I am flirting with you. Apparently, I can’t help myself.”

She bit her lip and studied his face. “Do you want to help yourself? I mean…do you want to
not
flirt with me?”

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I somehow followed that. And I don’t know. I do know that I can’t stop thinking about kissing you again. Even after every single person I know has hassled me over the whole video of it.”

She groaned. “God, I had forgotten about the viral thing for like an hour. I hate the internet.”

“You’re my kind of person,” he said softly before clearing his throat. “Anyway, I don’t know if I want to flirt with you, but I am. And because I am, why don’t you grab a salad with me and we can eat them together on the benches outside. It’s a nice night. Let’s make the most of it.”

She froze. “You want to eat a grocery store salad with me in front of the parking lot?” Not the most romantic thing in the world. Not that she wanted romance.

He shook his head. “I meant the bench on the side of the building that faces the pond and the park. People eat out there all the time. And rather than find a place to eat or figure something else out before we think too hard about it, let’s just do this. See what happens.”

“What if I don’t want to see what happens?”

He studied her face. “Is that the case?”

She let out a little scream and then winced as an older woman glared at her. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I don’t know what I want.”

“One measly salad outside a grocery store shouldn’t hurt.”

“Why are you doing this?” she asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

Well, at least she wasn’t alone in the unknown. “Fine. But I’m also getting a piece of chocolate cake. I need it.” She didn’t mention why, and that was for a reason. She didn’t mention Rowan. Ever. It was too dangerous.

“Can I have a bite?” he asked, his voice smooth and sexy.

A bite of what?
She wanted to ask, but didn’t. She wasn’t ready for
that
level of flirting. “Get your own slice, Gallagher.”

“I can do that, Blake. I’m in the mood for something sweet it seems.”

She rolled her eyes at that line and picked out her salad before going to get herself a slice of cake. She was going to need all the sugar she could get tonight.

By the time they’d paid for their things in the express line and made their way to the tables outside, the sun was just setting. Since it was heading into summer, the days were longer, and she loved watching the colors play on the sky. She sighed as she opened the case on her salad and met Graham’s eyes.

“What are we doing?” she asked softly.

“I don’t know,” he said as he stabbed his salad with his fork. He took a bite and chewed, his face serious. After he’d swallowed, he took a drink from his water bottle and kept his gaze on hers. “Why do we seem to hate each other?”

“I don’t hate you,” she said stiffly. “I don’t know you, and you don’t know me. But you seem to hate me just fine.”

“I don’t know if that’s the case,” he said solemnly. “I think I’m an asshole for many reasons, and one of those reasons is that I treated you like shit before you’d even spoken a word. I’m sorry about that.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Really.” He sighed. “I don’t hate you, Blake. I don’t know you, like you said. And you don’t know me. But I’d like to get to know you.”

“Are you sure about that? Because you don’t sound sure.” Hell, she wasn’t sure about anything at the moment.

“I don’t know what I’m sure about, but I want to see if this…tension I feel around you is something I can work with. And I know that probably makes me even more of an asshole, but I can’t seem to help it.” He looked up at her. “Go out with me, Blake.”

“I am out with you.” She wouldn’t let that little clench in her belly lead her down the wrong path. It had done that before, and she’d almost lost everything because of it.

“Do it again.” He stood up and walked to her side. When he tugged her hand, she let him pull her up so she stood next to him. “Go out with me, Blake. Let’s see what
this
is.”

She had so many reasons to say no, so many reasons to walk away just then. So she answered with the only answer she had.

“Yes.”

“Good.” He lowered his mouth and kissed her again, this time without the chanting of a stadium full of onlookers. Her mouth parted, and his tongue swept against hers. Her body shook, her mind going in a thousand different directions before it settled on just one thing: Graham.