Fast Connection (Cyberlove #2) (9 page)

Luke

I checked my Grindr messages one last time. Dominic had been a little off—and definitely more forthcoming—lately. I worried about the kid now and wondered if he’d given more thought to what kind of job he wanted to look for.

I understood what he was going through when it came to leaving the military and wondering what the fuck to do next. I’d been there, except I sure as hell wasn’t proud of my discharge papers. At the time, I’d wanted to forget I’d ever served despite it being the most important part of my life for so many years.

I’d started Rawlings Landscapes when I had only a couple thousand dollars to my name. No assets. An ex-wife. And two kids. I’d been terrified that one bad job would put me under, but I’d worked my ass off and people had kept hiring me. While I certainly wasn’t buying a mansion in the Hamptons with a sunken tennis court, I could pay my bills with enough left over for the kids as they got older.

So yeah, I knew where Dominic was coming from, and it’d been hard to hold back from telling him my life story.

I’d already broken enough rules for the kid.

But I’d do my best to help him navigate through this time in his life. I was fond of him. All right, so I
liked
him. Fuck, I was acting like a teenager.

When we talked, sometimes I worried about revealing more than I should, but it was so easy online. In person, I was hyper-aware of the people around me—what were they thinking? Feeling? Online, I could just type it. Send it out into the ether. And getting a text response didn’t put me on edge.

Dominic wasn’t the first man to try drawing me into actual conversations on an app, but he was the first I’d responded to. Maybe it was because he seemed so unaffected by my brusqueness, or maybe it was just this genuine affection I was starting to feel for the guy. Just seeing his name in my messages made me smile. It wasn’t a reaction I’d had with anyone in years, which was alarming.

Shaking off the thoughts, I glanced at the clock. I’d just come home from work and showered, but Nadia was stopping by. She claimed to be dropping off a pair of Chelle’s boots, but she was bringing Anderson.

I’d grumped to Nadia about the surprise meeting, and she’d asked when a good time would be. When I’d said, “Never,” she’d laughed and informed me they’d be over in a couple of hours.

Someone knocked, and I opened the door to see her standing beside a tall—but not as tall as me—guy wearing dark slacks and a polo shirt. Nadia said he was an accountant, and he sure as hell was dressed like one. Wardrobe aside, he was good-looking with his deep russet complexion, dark brown eyes shielded by black frames, and broad shoulders. He scanned me, clearly sizing me up, and held my steady gaze once he was done. There was a wariness there that was probably echoed by me.

Nadia laid a hand on his arm. “Anderson, this is Luke Rawlings. Luke, this is Anderson McCompsey.”

He reached out a hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

After shaking, I managed, “Same.”
Small talk. Small talk.
I was rusty. “So, Nadia tells me you’re an accountant?”

He nodded. “I have my own firm in Brooklyn. Actually, we need the landscaping redone, so I might be calling you.”

That was an olive branch, which I appreciated, even if he never called. “Sure. Nadia’s got all my numbers.”

I glanced at her, and she was looking between us with delighted hearts in her eyes.

“Thanks for coming over to meet me before the kids. Nadia probably told you I’m protective…” I shrugged. I didn’t think I had to make apologies for it, but I wanted him to see where I was coming from.

“I have kids too, man,” Anderson said. “My ex doesn’t understand why I ask for an introduction to anyone who may be spending a lot of time around my boys. It would be hypocritical of me not to understand your feelings on the matter.”

I looked him right in the eye. “Appreciate that.”

“Oh!” Nadia said. “I came over here to drop off Chelle’s shoes and forgot them in the car.”

She started for the door but stopped when Anderson gripped her hand. “I’ll get it, baby. You said your heels were hurting your feet.” He smiled at her, the affection clear on his face.

“You’re sweet. That’d be nice.”

After he left, she started to speak, but I cut her off. “I don’t need to like him. If he smiles at you like that and treats you well, that’s what I care about.” After a beat, I added as an afterthought, “I think I
do
like him though.”

Her face softened, and I panicked for a moment that she’d cry.

“Luke…”

I wondered if I’d ever looked at her like Anderson did. As teenagers, it’d been all hormones and lust. And then we’d married and it’d all fallen apart. But not until we’d made two great kids.

I respected her like hell and I loved her, but even now, I wondered if I’d been
in love
or if I’d just been desperate for the affection I’d never gotten as a kid. With my dad unknown and my mom mostly gone, I’d spent my childhood underfoot at my grandfather’s house. He was not what anyone would call
warm.
When I bothered to analyze myself, I reasoned that was why I was so overprotective of my own family. I wanted to hold on tightly to what I’d never had.

And then there was that whole thing with Jake. His actions had solidified my paranoia. Probably forever.

Anderson returned and set a shopping bag on the floor. “They’re in there.”

I nodded. “Thanks. You two have plans?”

Anderson had a nice smile. All strong bones and white teeth. “Since we’re on the island, I was thinking we could go to this tapas place by the ferry called Beso.” He glanced at Nadia. “You always want to sample everything when we go places, so I think you’ll like it.”

I liked that—him speaking
to
her rather than to me as if she weren’t standing right there. It showed respect. And he damn better show respect. I cleared my throat to draw their attention. “One of my employees went there recently and said it was good. Said to order the chorizo-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon.”

Nadia’s eyes went wide. “That sounds fantastic.”

“Good.” Anderson appeared genuinely pleased that she was so into his suggestion. “Should we go?”

“Yes. I’m ready for it. But would you mind if I talked to Luke for a second?”

“Of course.” He nodded at me. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Once Anderson was out of earshot, Nadia turned to me. “Are you seeing someone?”

“Where did that question come from?”

“Chelle said you’ve been on your phone a lot lately and
smiling
at it. Also, she caught you laughing.”

“And that makes you think I’m seeing someone?”

Nadia crossed her arms over her chest. Again with the Look.

“I’ve seen the same guy a couple of times, and I plan to see him again. But it’s just sex.”

“Then what’s the deal with smiling at your phone?”

“I can’t smile at my phone?”

She waited me out.

“Fuck, this is annoying,” I said. “He messages me. And he’s funny, okay? He’s late twenties and says dumb shit, but he’s a good guy. Doesn’t seem to care that I grump at him. In fact, I think he likes it for some weird reason.”

Nadia was smiling so hard she was probably pulling muscles in her cheeks. “You have the cutest look on your face right now.”

“Stop it.”

“I’m serious. I think this is what you needed, some young guy who makes you lighten up.” I scowled while she clapped her hands, bracelets jangling. “Do I get to meet him?”

“You know the answer to that.”

Her face fell.

All right, I was about done. “Don’t you have dinner to get to?”

She sighed. “You’re frustrating.”

“I’ve been told. By my ex-wife, in fact.”

She laughed and rose onto her toes, puckering her lips. I leaned down so she could brush a kiss on my cheek. “You take care of yourself, Luke.”

“You too.”

I closed the door and leaned against it. The kids would be home in an hour or so, and I had a couple more days until I saw Dominic. I’d be lying if I said the anticipation wasn’t killing me.

Dominic

My sister was suspended from school, which meant it was a day for my parents to force her into working the cash register of Hot Bagels as a punishment. Which also meant everyone screaming at each other all day.

You’d think I’d be used to this after a couple of months, but instead of getting better my tolerance for the constant arguing was worse. My father’s shouts boomed like gunshots in my ears and when he slammed his palms on any available surface for emphasis, tension went through my body like a knife. Even more so when he got in my or Adriana’s faces.

“Wipe off that expression when you talk to the fucking customers,” Duffy snapped, pointing at Adriana.

My fingers closed into fists as I stared at the clock just over the row of freezers.

“I’m bored,” she said. “What do you want me to do?”

“Act like you give a shit about your family’s business. What is the matter with you?”

I took a deep breath and told myself to count to ten.

“Keep acting like an idiot and see how far it—”

I spun towards him and stepped out from around the counter. “Do me a favor? Don’t call my sister an idiot.”

Duffy’s eyebrows flew up. For a minute, it seemed like he didn’t know how to respond. It was the first time I’d directly challenged him since coming back home, and he liked being alpha dog. But the confusion fled his face almost as fast I fled the shop every night, and it was replaced by the cool edge of his rage.

“You gonna be a tough guy, Nicky?”

“I’m not trying to be a tough guy,” I said evenly. “But you’re verbally abusing Adriana, and I think you need to reevaluate your parenting style.”

“Verbally abusing?” he demanded. “You have no idea what abuse is, you spoiled little motherfucker.”

I snuck a glance at Adriana. She was sheet-white with her back pressed up against the wall of cigarettes. Her wide blue eyes flew from me to my father before she gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.

“You’re right. I am a spoiled motherfucker. But don’t worry, I’ll be out of here as soon as I get my shit together. Until then though—”

“Yeah,” Duffy said, voice full of mocking. “Get your shit together and
do what?
What was that stupid shit you said the other day? Become an EMT? Like you could get through the classes. If it wasn’t for the girls you convinced to do your homework, you wouldn’t have gotten through high school.”

Heat filled my face. Funny how I had no problem standing off with him when it was to defend Adriana, but him crushing the first real idea I had about my future was like a kick in the nuts. Why had I told him?

“This isn’t about me,” I said. “It’s about you cursing and screaming at your daughter like she’s some asshole off the street. You act like you hate her. Is that what you want her to think?”

Duffy’s mouth dropped open, but no words came out. The words seemed to actually sink in. His eyes flicked to Adriana and he frowned deeply.

“Don’t be a jerk. She doesn’t think I hate her.”

Adriana stared at him coldly.

“Both of you get back to work. I’m done with this conversation.”

“I’m taking my break,” I said. “So I’ll get back to work in an hour.”

Or two.

I strode towards the door, stopping only to drop a kiss on Adriana’s forehead, and was out in the brisk air in about thirty seconds. Going home was my usual lunch deal, but today I just stood with my back pressed against the brick side of the building. I took deep breaths and tried to calm down.

Why was this starting to weigh on me so heavily? Every day I got more and more shaky, and my patience wore thinner. Something bad was going to happen eventually. I knew it.

Desperate for a distraction, I checked my phone, ignoring the texts from a couple of my friends and opening Grindr. Luke was on. Which was weird. He didn’t normally get online while at work. But then I noticed he’d sent me a message only two minutes ago.

My heart leapt.

I didn’t bother to respond and took off in a jog to Manor Road. I was already picturing all the filthy things we could do together and my dick was responding accordingly, but I felt something else too. Warmth in my chest and butterflies in my stomach.

He wanted to break his rule for me. He didn’t want to wait for another two days.

That meant something, right?

Or maybe it just meant he was hornier than usual.

Either way, gratitude and affection swelled inside of me. He was giving me an escape.

Luke opened the door looking so damn sexy that for a second all I could do was stare. His hair was messy, dirt smudged one of his cheekbones, and he was wearing jeans and a battered white V-neck T-shirt that displayed his defined pecs and arms. It was a pretty basic work outfit, but seeing Luke grimy from work was a turn on.

“Man, you look good today.”

Surprise crossed his face. It was followed by a flicker of a smile. He grabbed the front of my shirt, which is when I realized I was still wearing my apron.
Fuck.

“You look and smell edible,” he rumbled with his nose buried in the crook of my neck. “Really. Why do you smell like baked goods?”

“Uh.” Fuck. “I’m doing this catering thing for a friend. He needed a hand.”

Luke kicked the door shut and locked it. His lips moved along my neck as he drew me further into the house. “You can cook?”

“I can follow directions.”

“Yeah. You can.”

I laughed. “I meant for a recipe, you perv.”

“Whatever.” Luke undid the knot at the back of my apron once we were in the kitchen. He draped it over the side of a chair. “You hungry?”

“For your dick or real food?”