The Balled And The Beautiful: A College Sports Romance Story by Nicole Chance Read Free Book Online

with the bikers. Had something happened while she was in the back? The look he gave her answered that, though. She couldn’t comprehend why he would do that sort of thing for her.
    She headed back to the window for the rest of his food. By the time she returned to his table, he was sitting there glaring at the bikers. Anger burned in his brown eyes making them darker than ever.
    “When does your shift end?” he asked, not even looking in her direction.
    Emilee opened her mouth in surprise. It was bad enough that both the old biker and her boss were lecherous... Why would Rafe need to know this unless he—
    “Answer the question.” He met her gaze then, and his intense expression froze her in place.
    “S-seven o’clock. One hour. Why?” She fixed her attention on the table, unable to look him in the eye any longer. Being a waitress wasn’t easy, but she’d never felt lower than she had tonight. If it were up to her, she’d be doing something important, something that mattered like caring for children and being someone who encouraged and appreciated them. She could only wonder what her life would be like if she’d had that growing up.
    “You’re not safe. If I were you, I’d have a boyfriend or male friend come pick you up.” He grabbed his half-pound cheeseburger and bit off a quarter of it.
    “I can’t.”
    He furrowed his brow at her. “What is that supposed to mean? Didn’t you hear what I said?” he asked with a harsh tone.
    She wanted to run to the ladies’ bathroom and hide for the rest of her shift. Enough people had made her feel shitty for one day. If he thought she would thank him for being a gruff asshole just like everyone else, then he had another think coming. She hadn’t asked him to go start more trouble for her.
    “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said, turning to leave. His large hand on her wrist stopped her. She tried to pull away, but it was no use almost as if his fingers were bands of steel. “What do you want? Just let me go.”
    He let her hand go suddenly, nearly throwing her off balance. “I’m trying to help you. If you knew what was good for you, you’d accept it and go about your life.” He wiped his hand that had held her on his jeans as if she had germs.
    Emilee’s jaw started to drop, but she caught it before she could bring further embarrassment to herself. “Fine. I don’t know why you’d even care. I’ll drop my uniform off, then come over before I leave.” She heard loud, obvious throat clearing and glanced over at the bikers who were smirking at her and waving their coffee cups. “Do you need anything else?”
    Any heat in Rafe’s eyes had died, leaving them cold and unwelcoming. “More coffee would be nice.”
    She fought off a shiver and headed back to the kitchen for the fresh coffee she’d brewed before dropping the glass. The cook gave her a sad smile and shrugged as she grabbed the carafe.
    “Sorry, you have to deal with all that.” His voice remained low enough that no one would hear them. “You’ll be missed here. The other girls enjoyed working with you.” He leaned in to where his warm breath brushed her earlobe. “You deserve a helluva lot better than this joint. Don’t forget that.”
    “Thanks. That’s kind,” Emilee said, pulling away from him. “I’ve enjoyed working with all of you too. Tell them I said that.” They didn’t talk much on a typical night, but she’d seen the way he’d looked at her before. Maybe leaving here was for the best. It seemed everyone was trying to get something from her. She was a human being, not some female in heat to be claimed.
    The dining area was relatively quiet. Only the hushed talking of the bikers and the scrape of silverware on plates disturbed the silence. She walked back to the dining area, unable to keep her gaze away from Rafe’s table. He watched her as she hurried to the bikers’ table to refill their coffee cups. She could think about what he’d said later. Did he