Her Accidental Boyfriend(19)
Sometime during lunch, things had shifted in their relationship and fake or not, Shane had started to look at Kagan differently.
“Nope.”
“You and Kagan?”
“Yep.”
“Damn it.” Luke picked up his beer. “You just cost me a foot massage, you bastard.”
Shane frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Sela and I made a bet. She knew something was going on with you two and I said it wouldn’t lead anywhere. We bet a foot message on whether or not you guys would be a couple by Labor Day.”
“Dude. You’ve seen my sister’s feet. What’s wrong with a back massage?” He gave Luke crap all the time about being whipped, but truth be told, Shane loved how the two of them completed each other. He’d been against their relationship at the start, afraid Luke might break his little sister’s heart, but his best friend loved his sister more than anything, and Shane couldn’t be happier for them.
Luke tipped his beer glass at him. “The better question is what’s wrong with you? I know you’ve been jonesing for Kagan all summer, and your ‘A’ game’s been off since you first laid eyes on her. But I figured you’d be over it by now.”
He shrugged and downed half his beer.
“You’re really serious about her?” Luke sat back, crossed his arms, and squinted like he was trying to read Shane’s mind. It wasn’t working.
No. “For now.” Shane hadn’t been prepared for these questions. His nerves frayed at the edges. And Sela would probably chew his ear off for telling Luke before he’d told her about his new “status” with Kagan.
Shane let his eyes wander to the bar. Brett sat there, assessing everything around him. Talking to Milt, the other waitresses.
“What kind of answer is that? You know if you break her heart, Sela will let you have it. She likes Kagan.”
“No worries.” We’re just in this temporarily. Just long enough to send Brett packing. Our hearts aren’t involved.
“Hey, guys. Sorry it’s taking so long for your order. The kitchen’s working a little slow tonight.” Kagan put a hand on Shane’s shoulder. His body immediately warmed. “It shouldn’t be too much longer.”
Shane wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. Her tight little ass wiggled against him. Maybe she’d agree to have this fake boyfriend stint include his fantasies about her.
“Shane! I’m working.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed. So has every other guy in the place.”
She looked at him funny. Brushed the hair off his forehead. “That bothers you?”
“Everything about you bothers me, sweetheart.”
“Could you two finish this conversation when I’m not sitting here?” Luke piped in. Shane had wondered if he’d struggle to say the right things to Kagan as her boyfriend. But nope. So far he’d had an easy time of it and meant everything he’d said.
Do not get in over your head, dude.
Kagan jumped up. “I’ll be back in a few with your food.”
Tonight her black skirt fell a little shorter. Her pink tee had a deep V in the back. He adjusted himself.
Luke laughed. “I never thought I’d see the day you were bowled over by a woman.”
“I’m not.” He wasn’t. Not even close. “I just appreciate a nice backside.”
“Yeah. Keep telling yourself that.”
He did. And for the next couple of hours he and Luke played some darts, said no to several dance requests from a group of sorority girls on vacation from California, and talked work. Luke and Sela were headed to Ireland at the end of September so Luke could photograph a professional mountain boarder.
“Sela’s off from her shift in ten, so I’m gonna head out,” Luke said, getting up from the table. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I’ve got to see your ugly mug again?”
“Better get used to it.”
No doubt. His sister and Luke were head over heels for each other and Shane guessed an engagement wasn’t too far off. He scratched under his shirt collar. A second later Erin Watters, Luke’s younger sister and one of Sela’s best friends, landed in the seat across from him.
“Kagan just told me,” she said, pulling her brown hair over one shoulder and twisting it.
Why did women think men could read their minds?
“Told you what?” He finished off the beer he’d been nursing for the last hour.
She rolled her eyes. “That you guys are now official.”
“Now?” That implied they’d been unofficial and he hadn’t been anything with Kagan but friendly.