* * *
Rowan
For the next week or so, life at Starlight Diner seemed like bliss. On Thursday night, by the time I turned out the lights, flipped the OPEN sign over, and locked the door, I was sure we’d had our best day yet.
On top of the influx of cash, Scooby was setting chairs onto tables while a young recruit named Squishy mopped the floor, giving me the chance to clear the till and work on the daily deposits before midnight.
It also meant Dusty got to go home early. Something she hadn’t done in months.
I had just placed the day’s cash into the safe and closed it when Lord lifted his head and growled low in his throat. A knock came at the door and Scooby called out, “Just me.”
“Come in,” I said, then smiled at Lord. “Good boy. Stand down.”
He lowered his head but kept his eyes on the door as Scooby walked through it. “I sent Squish home. Everything’s done up front. Need anything else done back here?”
“Nope. I’m good. You can go ho—”
“I’m not leaving you, Rowan,” he said. “I’m on watch tonight.”
I wrinkled my nose. “You arenotplanning on sleeping in your van, are you?”
“Told you, I don’t sleep much.”
I pushed back from my desk and stood. “I have a giant sectional that I personally think’s the most comfortable thing on the planet. How about you crash there instead?”
“Don’t want to invade your privacy, sweetheart.”
I shivered at his endearment. It was something he called Dusty, and I knew it meant nothing special, but still, I liked it. I liked it very much. “I think we’re past that now, huh?”
Over the past few weeks, I’d discovered that Scooby was funny, thoughtful, and sexy beyond reason. Especially, when he wore his glasses.
He was often the first to step in and fix a problem before anyone else even noticed there was one, and I was coming to rely on him more and more. It also wasn’t lost on me that when particularly rough patrons might stop in for a meal, he stuck close. We were growing closer, or at least, I was, and I realized I liked him. A lot.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Why not?”
He studied me for a few tense seconds. “Because if I’m that close to you, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself from…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
I frowned. “Stop yourself from what?”
Rather than answering verbally, his hand slid to my hip, and he tugged me to him. Lord growled, and Scooby leaned closer to me. “If you want this as much as I do, tell him to stand down.”
I licked my lips and nodded. “Good boy, Lord. Stay.”
The second the words were out of my mouth, Scooby’s lips covered mine and his tongue slipped inside, pressing gently against my teeth, begging for entry. I gripped Scooby’s vest as I opened my mouth and his tongue swept in, meeting mine as he kissed me with a level of frenetic energy that matched my own.
I couldn’t get enough.
“Wait, wait,” I panted out, pulling away.
“Fuck,” he hissed. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize.” I met his eyes. “I don’t want to stop. I want to go upstairs, put Lord in his crate, and get naked.”
“No shit?”
“No… ah… kidding.”