Twisted Desire (The Twisted Series) by Christa Simpson Read Free Book Online Page B

his
head to talk to Aliah.  “You don’t want to get involved with that one,
beautiful.  He’s trouble.”
    She nods her head in agreement, watching him.  She
knows Harley’s trouble.  But she likes it.
    “Aliah!” Mitchell hollers, from the storage room door.
    Aliah twirls around and hurries toward the kitchen. 
“Coming!”
    She gives Mitchell a hand and finishes with the
orders.  By the time she finishes wiping down the bar, she notices Harley
is gone.
    Aliah watches the clock after that, for what seems like
hours.  It feels like time is ticking backwards.  She knows that the
bar is open until two, but it’s practically abandoned by one o’clock.  As
the long hand creeps closer to the twelve, everyone leaves the place except for
Roy; and he seems to be hanging around only to keep her company.
    After cleaning the place up, Aliah throws the rag onto the
sink.  Mitchell walks up behind her.
    “Looks good,” he says, acknowledging the visible effort she
has put into tidying up the dining room.
    “Thanks.  Do you mind if I get going?”
    Mitchell tilts his head and smiles.  “Sure.  Of
course.  Thanks, Ally.  You’re a good friend.”  He reaches out
to hug her, not noticing the murderous glare coming from his girlfriend behind
him.
    Aliah accepts the bear hug and waves goodbye as she walks
toward the exit.
    “Oh.  Wait!  Aliah.  I found this on the
floor behind the bar earlier.  Is it yours?”  Mitchell strolls toward
her and holds out the ripped business card.
    “Um.  Yeah.”
    “I didn’t want to throw it out in case it was important to
you.”
    “Thanks, Mitch.  You’re a lifesaver.”  She flashes
him a golden smile, and snatches the scrap of paper with Harley’s number
printed on it.  “See you later.”
    Mitchell walks her to the door.  “Do you want me to
walk you out?”
    “I’ll be okay.  I doubt Brandee would like that very
much.  Thanks, though.”
    Mitchell hangs his head, and sighs.  “She’ll come
around, Ally.  She just has to get to know you better.”
    “Doubt it.  But it’s all good.  I’ll catch you
later.”
    “Okay, lady.  Have a good one.”
    She walks outside, only wishing she’d find Harley out there so
she wouldn’t have to contemplate giving him a call.  Now she is truly
dreaming.  Despite her sureness of Harley not being there, she hurries
across the road and stops, scouring the parking lot for a motorcycle.  At
the very back of the lot, right near the river, she sees something in the
shadows.  She squints to see what could be a motorcycle parked in the
distance.
    “Looking for someone?”  Harley’s breath crashes over
the back of her neck.
    She freezes in place, relishing the warmth coming from his
body, then spins around to face him, once she’s regained her balance.
    “You stalking me now?”  She turns away and walks off,
without slowing for an answer.
    Harley smiles, but he doesn’t follow after her. 
“Wouldn’t you like that?”
    She almost admits that she would, when he takes a step in
her direction and reaches his hand out to her.
    “I was waiting for you.  If I was stalking, I would be
a little less obvious about it.”
    Aliah twirls back around, and gawks at his outstretched
hand, her long bouncy curls fanning out behind her.  “Is that supposed to
relieve me?”
    Harley raises his eyebrows and holds them there.  “Are
you always this confrontational?”  His hand drops down to his side, but
his posture is no less intimidating.
    “Do you always answer a question with a question?”
    “Wow.  Nice chat.”  He makes to walk away from
her.
    She sighs and glances at the ground, before lifting her chin
back up.  “You waited all this time and you aren’t even going to offer me
a ride?”  She knows she will live to regret this.
    “You have your car.”
    “How do you know?”
    He folds his unbelievably defined arms across his chest and
smirks.  “Do you have your car here?”
    She rolls her eyes,