Sugarlips (Beefcakes Book 2), Katana Collins [ebook smartphone .TXT] 📗

I clenched my hands tighter at the wheel, trying to still the angry trembling of my white-knuckled grip. “We were not good for each other. And you don’t love me… people in love don’t cheat. They don’t betray each other and hurt each other. They don’t ask their partner to be someone she isn’t.”

He shook his head, his mussed, brown hair falling into his eyes. “I did love you. I just don’t think I’m capable of being monogamous. I mean… fuck. Look at you. If I can’t be faithful to you, there’s no hope for any woman.”

My throat tightened and a thousand hot needles burned behind my eyes. Look at you. “Because I’m pretty,” I whispered. “That’s all I ever was to you. Arm candy. A beautiful Stepford Wife who would be quiet and smile and latch onto your arm at all the functions.”

“That’s not—”

“Not what?” I sneered. “Are you really going to sit there and tell me that’s not true? When you told me to quit my job? Everything that I am today, you would hate. But because you can’t have me, somehow I’m all shiny and new and appealing again.”

Liam was right. Dan wanted what he couldn’t have. I yanked at the door handle, shoved the door open, and got out of the car, and he followed me, nearly stumbling out of his passenger side seat.

He was on his feet and rushing around the front of the car, trying to catch up to me. “Don’t follow me! I’ve moved on… and you need to move on, too.”

I left him in his driveway as I took off, walking back into town. Clearly, I hadn’t thought this plan all the way through.Initially, when I drove his car back to his house, I thought I would drive it back to the park, and Liam and I would find a way to get it back to Dan. But now? Hell no. I wasn’t sitting in that car another second. I wasn’t doing him any favors.

It wasn’t that I hated Dan—that was actually the brilliant thing about that interaction. I didn’t hate him… and I certainly didn’t love him. I didn’t even miss him. It was the perfect reminder of all the reasons why he was bad for me. Why I deserved better than Dan.

The walk back to the center of town took way longer than I’d thought it would. Over thirty minutes later, I was finally entering the truck again, happy to see that business had picked up and we had a nice, long line.

But as I got closer, I realized something was off. The window was open, but the Back in Five Minutes sign was dangling off the edge of the ordering counter. Oh, shit. My heart started pounding and I ran toward the back entrance of the truck. Was Liam okay? Was he hurt? Exhausted?

I swung open the side door, jumping up, taking the stairs in one single leap. I froze, feeling my body go icy and stiff when I saw Tanja sitting on the table, her spread legs wrapped around Liam’s waist…

And Liam had his hands all over her.

34 Liam

Forty-three minutes.

Chloe had been gone… with him… for forty-three minutes. But, hey, who’s counting?

Our line was twice as long as it usually was because I had to handle the orders, the money, and the cooking. It was doable. And I was moving as fast as I could. But even still, we were way behind in sales just from the sheer decrease in output from me doing it all myself.

If we needed proof that we needed to hire an employee, this was it.

“Where’s Chloe?”

I glanced up to see Tanja at the front of the line, leaning on the side of the truck. She snapped her gum, blowing a bubble, awaiting my answer.

“Did you cut the line?” I growled as I took a credit card from the man standing in front of me.

Tanja shrugged, not denying it. And certainly not sorry. “I had a date that ended early and I wanted a donut.”

“Great. Back of the line.” I bent down, grabbing two ice cream sandwiches, handing them to the man.

“We had an order of the mac and cheese, too,” he said.

Dammit. I forgot. I scrubbed my hand down my face and inhaled sharply. “Of course. Give me a second.”

I rushed for the fryer and popped a few of the balls in. The sound of the door to the food truck had my heart leaping. Chloe. Thank God she’s back. But when I glanced up, it was Tanja standing in the doorway.

She wore the same romper as she did earlier today, except it looked like she had taken off the tank top underneath. The plunging neckline offered an unencumbered view of her ample cleavage.

“What are you doing?” I sighed. In several strides, I grabbed one of the disposable bowls off the shelf and accidentally took down an entire stack with it.

My nerves were fried. My mind was elsewhere—worrying and stressed over where the hell Chloe was at this moment.

“You look like you need some help,” she said. I paused, glancing up and taking a breath to examine her. The offer seemed sincere. Which was a whole new side of Tanja I’d never seen before. Then, my gaze swept down the length of her body—all 5’11” of her. “In that?” Christ. I’d need to keep her away from the fryer—hot oil could spatter and burn her.

A smile tugged at her lips. With a hand on her hip, she cocked it, arching her upper back. “Like what you see?”

Not even a little. But there was the Tanja I knew. Her brow arched and I had to actively force my face to remain steady and not completely roll my eyes or gag in her direction. “I’d like it better if you slid one of those aprons around your neck.” I jerked my chin in the direction of the hooks on the walls with aprons and hats.

Her nose scrunched. “Uh,