The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles) by Jennifer Lyon Read Free Book Online Page B

sociopath who didn’t care. He did. And she knew whatever happened hadn’t been intentional on his part, he hadn’t intended for her to be hurt. David wasn’t squeamish, but when he’d seen her in the hospital, her face a swollen, purple mess, her arm in a cast, and her leg in traction before the surgery, David had turned green. His reaction had been very real. Later, he couldn’t look at her scarred leg.
    Swallowing the memory, she stopped herself from asking, again, what had really happened the night of the supposed mugging. She’d get the same answer—that they’d been mugged and she’d suffered a concussion that caused her memories to be confused.
    “I want to help you, Katie. I’m here if you need me, if you have any reaction to the carjacking, call me, we’ll talk.” He went to the door and added, “Otherwise I’ll see you at Marshall and Lila’s engagement party.” He left.
    Alone in her kitchen, Kat couldn’t find an answer for David’s sudden reappearance in her life. Worry? Or something more?

Chapter Five

    Kat gave her customer the change, along with her boxed coffee cake. Quickly she scanned her shop from behind the glass cases and counter. The pecan-colored walls were dressed with blocked canvasses painted with sugar-spun dancers of various colors. On the floor she had fifties-era round chrome tables with white laminated tops surrounded by chairs with candy-apple-red seats. Against the back wall she had a high bar with stools. Most of the tables were full of her loyal, carb-eating, coffee-drinking customers. She served a variety of teas as well.
    Everything was in order. Turning, she took her mug of cold coffee and dumped it out. This was the first morning she felt like she could catch her breath. She’d been splitting her time between work and helping Kellen who, since he’d been released, was staying at Diego’s apartment.
    While pouring fresh coffee and hoping to actually drink some of it this time, she heard the tinkling of the shop doorbell. Yeah, it was old school, but it worked. “Anna!” She called for her employee.
    Anna rushed from the back, as always eager to work. She had her dark blonde hair piled up on her head, wore sleek black glasses and was eternally cute. But Kat liked her anyway.
    “Can you take…?” She glanced over her shoulder to see who’d come into the shop. The words died in her throat.
    Anna put her hand on Kat’s shoulder. “You okay?”
    No. She really wasn’t. Sloane’s sinfully long legs ate up the distance from the door to the case.
    Her customers put down their phones, notebooks and newspapers to watch.
    “Oh my God,” Anna said.
    “Dressed in a charcoal-gray suit,” Kat added, feeling tingles break out.
    Everywhere.
    What was it about this guy? Sure he was tall and built, but his face was a shade too hard to be handsome. And there was the ridge in his nose. The scars. Yet it all worked together in a spectacularly powerful fashion.
    Sloane took a look around the shop, including a quick pass over Anna, then his full regard landed on Kat as he came to a stop by the cash register. “Good morning, Kat.”
    “Sloane.” She handed Anna her untouched coffee and walked the few steps to the counter.
    His eyebrows lowered in a frown. “You’re still limping. You need to get your leg rechecked.”
    That was like a cold shower. An icy reminder. “The limp has nothing to do with that carjacking,” she said firmly, then shifted into her customer-service voice. “What can I help you with?”
    He put an arm up on the case. “Do you have time to talk?”
    Talk? About what? After he’d dropped her off Saturday, she’d sent him the text he’d demanded and got a sleep well in return and then he’d vanished from her world.
    But not her thoughts or fantasies, damn it.
    Before she could answer, Anna broke in with, “You’re due a break, Kat. Go talk.”
    Kat looked over her shoulder at the girl. “Thanks, I wasn’t sure it was allowed.”
    Anna