Grayson
WITH MY LIPS pressed together, I held back my smile as I watched Meagan shoot her phone the finger. She looked pissed.
Good.
I was still a little butt hurt from her pulling off and leaving me on the side of the road stranded, although I deserved it. The moment I realized it was Claire, I should have ended the call. Total dick move on my part that I owned up to and called Meagan and left a message to apologize.
I had been racking my brain for the last two weeks trying to figure out how in the hell Meagan even knew about Claire. I didn’t tell Noah what her name was, so how did Meagan know?
Once Meagan settled down and buried her nose in her Kindle again, I headed her way. Kam glanced up and saw me walking toward the coffee shop. I held up my hand and gave her a thumbs-up as I pointed to Meagan’s table. I’d been here enough times for her to know what my regular drink was.
With a quick turn, Kam walked back into the coffee shop as I stopped and stared down at Meagan.
“How was the omelet?”
Meagan’s head snapped up as she glared at me. I placed my hand on the back of the chair and stood there while her eyes quickly did a once over. I didn’t normally work on Saturdays, but I’d been working all night with Derrick on a case. I knew with the weather being unseasonably warm, Meagan would be here this morning, so I decided to end this silent treatment of hers once and for all.
She swallowed hard and then straightened her shoulders as she narrowed her eyes at me. “How did you know I was here?”
I pulled the chair out and sat down as I loosened my tie. Meagan’s eyes flickered for one moment as I pictured her dirty little mind going into a fantasy.
“I’m a detective, Meg. It’s my job to know things.”
She let out a curt laugh and rolled her eyes. “I’d hope you were tracking down the bad people and not what I’ve had for breakfast.” Her mouth dropped open and she tapped her finger on the side of her mouth. “Oh wait. You’re sleeping with one of them, so . . .”
Her voice cut off as she looked away. What in the fuck did that mean?
“Excuse me?” I asked as I leaned closer to her.
“Never mind.”
Kam walked up and set a black coffee down in front of me along with a piece of banana nut bread. “There ya go, Gray.” Turning to Meagan, she smiled. “Do you need anything else, sweetie?”
Meagan flashed her that beautiful smile of hers and shook her head. “Oh wait! The check please. I’m being chased away.”
“Put it on my tab, Kam,” I said as I continued to watch Meagan.
She flashed me a dirty look and gathered up her things. I knew from following her, she normally sat here for a few hours and read as she people-watched. She’d leave Kam a more than generous tip for taking up a table all morning, and then she headed to her office.
“I can buy my own breakfast.”
With a nod, I said, “I know that.”
Meagan grunted as she stood. Her next stop would be her office. She worked for a non-profit organization called Helping Hands. Meagan worked as a counselor to middle and high school kids dealing with issues like bullying. I’d never seen anyone so passionate about their job. From the little I gathered from Grace, Meagan had a hell of a time in college dealing with bullying of her own.
“Why don’t you spend the day with me, Meg?”
With raised eyebrows, she smirked. “What’s wrong, Claire busy today so you’re going for your backup?”
My body jerked as if someone had slapped me. “I’m sorry for taking that call. I didn’t know it was her.”
Something passed over Meagan’s face. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over and done with.”
I stood and reached for her arm. “Spend the day with me . . . as friends.”
Meagan lifted her eyebrow. “Friends?”
“Yes.”
“What are you playing at, Gray?”
With a puzzled look, I flashed her the smile I knew she loved. Her breath would hitch every time.
Meagan sucked in a breath as she quickly licked her lips. Bingo.
“Why do you think I’m up to something? You think all I care about is fucking you; I want to show you that’s not true. I want to show you how much I enjoy just hanging out with you.”
Meagan glanced around, worried someone had heard what I said. Turning her head back to me, she narrowed her eyes.
“What did you have in mind?”
I could see her holding back her smile. We may do some magical shit in bed, but we had just as much fun hanging out with each other. Standing, I remarked, “I plan on showing you what real fun is.”
Meagan laughed as she shook her head. “Oh really? Would that consist of dancing on a stage?”
I placed my hand over my heart like she mortally wounded me. With a crooked grin, I said, “I could add that to the list of things to do today if you’d like.”