Read Lucas: #3 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) Online

Authors: Madison Stevens

Tags: #paranormal romance

Lucas: #3 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas) (3 page)

BOOK: Lucas: #3 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas)
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His lower half twitched at the idea of doing much more than that to her.

He followed her with his gaze as she brought several brown packages into the coffee shop, likely making a delivery to Courtney, the owner and her friend.

“You two grab the supplies Rem ordered and get them loaded up. I’m going to confirm plans for tonight.”

He stared wistfully at the shop. He wanted more than anything to follow her inside.

“Relax, lover boy. You’ll see her tonight,” Nyx said. She rolled her eyes and made her way across the street.

She was right. The girls’ night was a much better time to make his move.

 

* * *

 

Taylor held a hand to her cheeks to stop them from flaming further. Just one look and she had been falling all over herself once again.

She did try to cut herself a little break. She had to admit just the sight of him would likely cause that reaction for most women. Even compared to his family or whatever the group of huge studs actually was, he was damned handsome.

“He sure is something to look at,” Courtney said as she came to stare out the window next to her.

Taylor frowned a little. She might not want to be Lucas, but the thought of her friend lusting after him didn’t really sit right with her either.

“He always looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders,” she said and twisted a lock of her dark curly brown hair. A small blush spread across her cheeks. “They really are a nice pair of shoulders.”

Taylor let out a little laugh as she stared at the men. Weight of the world? That didn’t sound like Lucas at all. The man probably could run through a burning building saving puppies and still have a smile on his face.

“Do you mean Marcus?” she asked. He had only come out to the ranch once, and the whole time he acted like it was the greatest challenge in the world to have to come there. Half the time, he acted like just looking at other people disgusted him.

“Of course,” Courtney said and turned to her. After a moment, a giant smile spread across her face. “And who exactly did you think I was talking about?”

Taylor had to question her friend’s taste a bit.

The bell to the front door chimed as Nyx stepped in.

“Girls’ night!” Courtney shouted.

Their conversation was pushed to the back burner for the moment, but knowing her friend, it hadn’t been dropped.

Nyx offered them both a wide smile. “I’m so looking forward to it.”

“Same here,” Courtney said as she made her way back behind the counter to start pouring coffee.

Taylor felt a twinge of guilt. She wanted to be excited about their long overdue night out, but it was hard to be excited when things were teetering right on the edge. It didn’t seem right to be out having fun when her father was worrying about losing the ranch.

They chatted for a bit about what they would wear and where they would meet. Eventually the conversation drifted back to men.

“Lucas will be our driver for the night,” Nyx said and glanced over to Taylor.

A familiar flutter passed through Taylor, the same sensation that accompanied times she saw him, not quite in her stomach but a bit lower.

“Oh?” she managed to get out.

“Anyone else coming?” Courtney asked excitedly.

Nyx frowned a little, clearly confused. “Not that I’m aware.”

Courtney blushed. “I just thought Marcus might like to come.”

Nyx raised a brow in surprise. “I think bars aren’t really his thing,” she said after a moment. “Or people. Or really anyone but himself.”

Courtney’s face fell a bit.

“Oh,” she said quietly, her gaze searching for the muscled man as he loaded sheets of something into the back of the truck. “Is he gay?”

They watched as Marcus dropped the sheets hard into the back of the truck and turned to stare at them, a frown on his face.

Taylor blinked. It was almost like he could hear their conversation, but there was no way, given how far away he was, and outside at that.

Nyx grinned. “He’s not gay.”

His frown deepened as he slammed the tailgate shut on the truck. Maybe he was good at lip reading? Taylor pushed the thought out. Maybe he just was in a bad mood, and it was all a coincidence.

“Well, looks like all the hard work is done,” Nyx said, winking at them. “I better get back so I can get ready. We’ll meet you all here at six.”

Taylor nodded, and they watched as she walked back out to the truck. As the men climbed in, both men turned to stare at them.

She looked down at her coffee. Better to busy herself.

The tuck roared to life.

Courtney let out a little sigh.

“I really hope he’s not gay,” she muttered.

Unable to hold back, Taylor laughed until her stomach hurt.

For her friend’s sake, she silently wished that he was, if anything to protect her friend’s heart. From what little she knew of Marcus, he seemed more like a Dave than a Lucas.

The bell to the door rang, bringing them out of their own thoughts.

“Can I get some service around here, or do I need to take my business elsewhere? I probably should, given how the quality of this place has gone downhill.”

Taylor instantly knew that voice. It belonged to one of the few people she actively tried to avoid.

“Hello, Doris,” Courtney said stiffly. “What can I get for you today?”

The plump woman pushed her way past Taylor to the counter, pretending like she didn’t even exist. Maybe that would work to Taylor’s advantage.

“I need your best apple pie,” Doris said. “We’re having company tonight.”

Taylor bit her tongue. She likely wanted a pie she could claim to have baked herself.

Courtney silently pulled out a pie from the case and slipped it into a box.

Obviously irritated about the lack of interest from Courtney, Doris went on.

“My son is back for a few weeks, and I want only the best for him,” he said and gave Taylor some serious side-eye.

This time Taylor did laugh at the obvious slight.

The older women turned and gave her a full glare this time.

“It’s about time he finally gets exactly what he deserves,” she huffed at Taylor. “It’s unfortunate he had to waste time married to you.” She waved a hand dismissively.

“How’s life as a grandma?” Taylor let out.

The color drained from her face for a moment. “That child isn’t his,” she hissed.

Taylor crossed her arms over her chest.

“That’s not what they DNA test said.” She grinned. “Or is the company somehow in on the scheme to make your poor, innocent son look bad?”

Doris slapped a twenty down on the counter and yanked the pie from Courtney’s hands.

“This is the last time I shop here,” she said. “You let a bad element hang around here too much.”

Courtney frowned at her. “Good,” she said. “This is the last time I’m letting you shop here.”

Doris huffed loudly and stomped out the door.

Taylor sank into a swivel stool. It was too early for this shit.

“You okay?” Courtney said.

Taylor sighed and gave a small smile. “I’m ready for that girls’ night now.”

 

Chapter Four

 

 

Taylor took a long drink from her beer and set her frosty mug down on the table. She waited for a moment, letting the beer hit her stomach. Though she didn’t want to get totally smashed, she needed the relaxation.

A hint of color in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She lowered her gaze to her sandal-clad feet and painted toenails. She rolled her eyes. Some things seemed like great ideas in theory, not so much in practice.

The color was called “Heat of the Night.” The dusk rose matched her tank perfectly, but every time she thought about the name, her stomach flipped a little. Only one face came to mind, and he was off limits as far as she was concerned.

She picked up the mug and finished off the last bit of beer still in the glass. Yeah, she needed a buzz sooner than later.

“Thirsty?” Courtney asked, raising a brow.

Taylor sighed. Her friend always seemed to have every little hair in place and didn’t feel uncomfortable wearing a pretty sundress when they went out. Unlike Taylor, whose idea of dressing up was a pair of shorts and nail polish to match her tank.

She opened her mouth to say something, but relief passed over her when Jenna, Lara and Nyx showed up. The last thing she wanted to do was to talk about all the reasons she had to drink. She loved her friend, but admitting how close she and her father were to losing the ranch just wasn’t something she was ready for.

As the new arrivals sat down, the chicken wings appeared along with three frosty mugs.

Jenna smiled at the waitress. “Actually, could I get a Shirley Temple?”

All eyes at the table turned to her in an instant.

“Anything you wanna share?” Nyx grinned at her.

“Well,” Jenna said and smiled brightly at the group, her glasses slightly fogging up. “Rem and I are expecting.”

The table erupted into a million questions.

“How far along?”

“Boy or girl?”

Jenna laughed a little.

“I’m only a month, if that,” she said. “We haven’t seen a doctor yet. Rem is still looking for one. One that we can trust.”

Taylor frowned a little. Dr. Castor had been the go-to for just about all the new moms in the area. Someone must have recommended him already.

“You’re not going to see Doc Castor? Everyone raves about him. I don’t think I’ve heard a single bad thing said about him.”

“I’ve nothing against him.” Jenna shook her head. “I’ve got some unique medical conditions that require a specialist.”

Nyx and Lara exchanged a look. Something was going on, but she wasn’t going to pry. Jenna’s medical issues weren’t her business. If she wanted Taylor to know, she’d tell her when she was ready.

A loud laugh pulled her attention away from her friend. Taylor felt her stomach drop down to her toes.

No. She definitely didn’t want to deal with Dave tonight.

He looked just like he had when she’d seen him last year. Dark five-o’clock shadow over his face, only this time he had dark circles under his eyes, likely from too much time partying. She’d heard tales about how Dave liked to party and was glad she had gotten out when she did before he could mess her life up even more.

His eyes cut over to her, and he offered a sort of half-cocked smile. Like she still wanted him in some way. All she wanted was to get more beer for more of a buzz.

“Taylor?” Courtney asked. She had followed Taylor’s line of vision. Her eyes were now filled with concern.

Taylor stood and grabbed the pitcher from the table.

“I need another beer,” she said before making her way through the crowd to the bar.

People choked the place. Friday nights were always crazy at Joe’s.

She placed the pitcher on the bar and waited for Joe to see her.

“More?” he asked.

She nodded. “And a shot of whiskey.”

Joe raised a brow, but something caught his eye just over her shoulder, and she knew he had seen Dave. The look of pity on his face was enough for her to tell without even looking.

He poured the whiskey and placed two shot glasses in front of her.

“On the house,” he said quietly. It was a small relief knowing that at least some people in town didn’t buy into the crap spewed out by Doris.

Taylor gave Joe a small smile and downed the first shot while he turned to help another customer. She placed the glass upside down and picked up the next one.

“Pretty woman like you shouldn’t be drinking alone,” a smooth voice said from just behind her.

She slammed back the next shot and turned in her seat to deal with the creep.

“Fuck off, ass—”

Stunned, the words died in her throat as her gaze took in a very muscled chest. The muscles were clearly outlined by the black t-shirt that was almost too tight for the man’s large frame. She let her eyes follow the thick lines in front of her. Her eyes roved up his body until she was staring Lucas directly in the face.

Where did a guy like him buy his clothes? The tall and muscled store?

Her mouth ran dry as Taylor waited for her brain to catch up with her eyes. She licked her lips and tried to think of something other than the massive man in front of her. Not wanting to be rude, she forced herself to stare into his eyes.

She frowned a little. For the first time since meeting him, he wasn’t wearing sunglasses yet she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed. She had just been certain his eyes would be some amazing color. Instead, deep brown eyes confronted her. There wasn’t a thing about them that matched the rest of him.

“It’s a girls’ night,” she said, finally finding some words.

Lucas gave a sly, lopsided smile. Her heart fluttered.

“I know,” he said quietly.

Something in the way he said it heated her insides. Her nipples tightened.

“I was just getting a pitcher of beer,” she said and turned back around to wait for Joe.

Anything to keep from having to look at Lucas.

He leaned in next to her ear. His soft breath stirred the hair there. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. His face was so close to her own, and she could feel his strength at her back.

“Another shot for the lady and cola,” he said as Joe stopped in front of them.

Taylor turned to look at Lucas, their faces just inches from one another.

“Are you drinking?” she asked, trying to push away her body’s screaming need for the man.

Lucas shook his head and smiled at her. “Not tonight,” he said, leaning in slightly. He winked and dropped his voice a little lower. “I like to be in control.”

Taylor took in a shaky breath as heat flooded her. Her body responded to everything he said, like his words were touching her soul. She swallowed hard and turned back to the bar.

“I bet,” she mumbled before downing the shot in front of her. She needed a lot more liquid courage at this point.

From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw him smirk as if he’d heard her but shook it off. The place was far too noisy to hear someone mutter.

“Dance with me,” Lucas said. His voice was low and his face close to her own. “It’ll be fun.”

BOOK: Lucas: #3 (Luna Lodge: Hunters of Atlas)
7.27Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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