Beautifully Damaged by L.A. Fiore Read Free Book Online Page B

not for you, sweetheart, besides he's taken for the evening so you'll need to find some other stud to scratch your itch."
    Her words angered me, almost irrationally so, and before I knew my intention I leaned over the table so I was eye level with her.
    "You're right; he's not for me because when I look at him I see so much more than a rutting stallion." At her look of outrage I turned my eyes to steely blue ones before I added, "And if I was lucky enough to catch his attention I sure as hell wouldn't be okay with having him for only one evening." I then placed the check on their table and walked away.
    It took will power that I didn't know I possessed to turn to Trace's table after I checked on Mr. Forester but, thankfully, the table was empty. I didn't know what possessed me to say what I did but, in all honesty, I wasn't sorry that I said it. I took the black leather folder to the register to close out the bill and had to lock my knees to keep from sinking to the floor when I realized that Trace left me a fifty percent tip.
    A few days after my uncharacteristic display of temper at Clover, I was running through Central Park. The trees were all starting to turn colors as the cool crisp air chilled my skin. My thoughts turned to those little mouthfuls of cakey sin since I was becoming slightly addicted to cake-pops. Because I was working out I could indulge in one later, yeah!
    I was having a moment fantasizing about cake on a stick and wasn't paying close enough attention to my surroundings. I was startled when I heard someone screaming and by the time I realized they were screaming at me it was too late. I pulled my focus back just in time to have a head-on collision with a beast of a dog as we tumbled to the ground, our limbs flying everywhere. I attempted to draw breath into my lungs as the dog righted himself looming over my prone position. He then started licking me with his huge, wet, pink tongue. Fabulous. I turned my head to avoid the tongue and that's when I saw two pairs of black, scruffy boots. I followed the legs attached to those boots and had a moment of clarity before my eyes eventually settled onto steel-blue ones.
    I stared for a moment at Trace, who was grinning down at me, before I turned my eyes to his friend, and, honestly, what the hell was in the water? Long black hair framed a face of sheer beauty as eyes, which were green as summer grass, looked down at me in humor. I closed mine and willed the ground to open up and swallow me but when I peeled my eyes open they were still standing there, grinning. And then Trace reached his hand down to me.
    I couldn't help the little thrill that worked through me since Trace knew I ran this route every morning. This meeting was not a coincidence. And what did that mean?
    "Ember."
    I accepted his offered hand as he helped me to stand. The dog was sitting at the other man's side, as perfect as you please. I couldn't help the glare I gave the dog which only made Trace's friend laugh out loud before he held his hand out to me.
    "Rafe McKenzie. Thanks for stopping my dog, even if your method was somewhat unconventional."
    I narrowed my eyes and had to suppress the urge to stick my tongue out at him. "Ember Walsh, and I was more than happy to play speed bump but you really should pay better attention to your dog."
    "He rarely runs off."
    "Really? So today's an exception."
    I saw his look of confusion just as Trace started to laugh which had Rafe looking down only to realize that his dog was gone, again.
    "Damn it." We all looked to see as the large black blob ran down the path in the distance. When I was younger my part-time job was walking dogs and I had learned the voice of which the four-legged fur-balls were most receptive.
    "What's his name?" I asked.
    "Loki."
    I put my fingers in my mouth and blew a loud whistle which caught Loki's attention making him stop so he could turn in the direction of the sound. In a commanding voice, I called, "LOKI, COME!"
    Like magic