Captured Memories: Cupid’s Cafe, Book Three

by Katherine McIntyre

  “Who’re you waiting for, big guy?” she called out before slinking towards him. Her stiletto heels clacked on the pavement, lurid red in the light, creating the perfect accent to the black cigarette pants and matching headscarf she wore.

  Zane’s eyes met hers, and he let out a low whistle upon her approach. She didn’t bother lying to herself that the heated way his stare rolled over her added a bit more swing to her hips.

  “Some bombshell stunner who I was half a shade sure would stand me up tonight.” His easy grin made her heart stutter, causing giddiness to swirl through her veins. Still, she smirked at him and led the way towards Billiards Anonymous.

  The scent of cigarette smoke and cheap beer slammed into her the moment they stepped inside. Dozens of pool tables were lit by dim green overheads where more than a few people congregated, and in the far corner, a local band strummed away on the elevated stage. Underneath the low, gravelly voice of the vocalist and the blend of guitar and drums was the clink of balls as folks got down to brass tacks and played some pool.

  “Want to go a couple rounds?” she asked, tilting her head towards the nearest open table. He stepped next to her and slipped his hand around her waist as they strode together to claim the table. The heat of him made her shiver and made her remember how good those big hands felt on her bare skin. A flush traveled to her cheeks, and she tried to focus on the pool table in front of them rather than Zane, whose sage and musk scent threw her desire into overdrive.

  “I’d say a few games of pool sounds a hell of a lot better than sitting slumped in the corner drinking shitty beer,” he said, casting an eye towards the folks by the tables who’d gotten an early start on their night. Zane finished his cigarette, grinding the stub onto one of the many overfull ceramic ashtrays before grabbing two cues. “Gotten any better over the years, or will this be an easy victory?”

  Liv bristled with an amused indignity as a smile curled her lips. “Right, because you’re so talented at pool. You better cling to those memories when I kick your ass tonight.” The wicked glint that lit his eyes set her heart on fire—Tessa’s warnings could go fuck themselves. Over the years, she’d met her fair share of assholes with one thing in mind. They didn’t hold her watching Princess Bride until two in the morning. They sure as hell didn’t have the haunted expression that always clung to Zane behind the easy smiles and laughs.

  Barely anyone glanced their way, one of the reasons she picked a place like this tonight with her sort of music, a distracting game, and a busy environment where they could lose themselves in. As much as part of her longed to indulge in all the depraved things she wanted to do to him in private, she needed some measure of control to latch onto after her last outburst. If they got hot and heavy again only for her body to freeze-up — or worse, for her to attack him again — she didn’t know how she’d endure those levels of mortification a second time.

  Zane leaned forward with his pool cue to break, placing his long, muscled torso and corded arms on display. Apparently this game had some perks she’d forgotten about. She enjoyed watching his thick brows furrow with his intense focus as he thrust the pool cue forward, and the balls tumbled forward across the table.

  “Stripes or Solids?” he asked, standing vigilant beside the table.

  “You don’t get out much, do you?” she drawled, a smile on her face while she rested a hand on her hip. “I’ve never seen you this eager over a game of pool.”

  Zane stepped behind her, an inch away. The closeness made her want to sink against him, but she leaned to the side, offering a glance back. His lips brushed her ear, the feather light sensation sending a thrill through her.

  “It’s either play pool or think about how badly I want to fuck you on that table. Since the latter isn’t something we should jump back into yet—let’s play some goddamn pool.”

  Liv bit her lip, witty responses drying on her tongue as her core clenched in response. “Stripes,” she forced out, eliciting a cocky-as-fuck smile from him as he stepped to the table. Despite the miserable way their last encounter ended, she couldn’t help the way her body tuned to his, like he plucked every string just right. The heat in his gaze might make her lose her mind, but she’d spent her college years at pool halls, and the visual nature of the game worked for her. She skated her fingertips along the glossy chestnut edges of the table. Right now she could focus on thrashing his ass at this game, not how she wanted him to take her right here and now, onlookers be damned.

  “Be my guest,” he said, making space for her as she approached the end of the table, cue in hand. She eyed her quarry, two striped balls on the far side which would make for an easy sink. Liv bent forward, adding an arch to her back as she descended. Not like she needed much effort to snare his attention—Zane’s eyes blazed with heat. Her tongue slid over her upper lip, and she thrust forward with the cue, sending the balls clacking across the table.

  Both stripes sank, but as she rose from the table her attention wasn’t on the first victory of the night. Zane watched her with a hunger that made her shiver, and an intensity that made her yearn for completion, causing her whole body to light up with awareness. He flashed her a smug smile, the arch of his brows wicked while he strolled to the opposite side of the table to scope out the solids he needed to sink.

  He prowled with a leonine grace around the table, and she couldn’t help but resurrect her fantasies of the man she’d never forgotten, despite the way he vanished. Tessa’s warning loomed, but she couldn’t push herself to shatter the delicate bridge they had re-formed. She’d been drowning in her shame, and self-loathing, and he’d shared a piece of his own freely. He also hadn’t pushed her for answers when so many others had, because he understood some wounds were too painful to re-open. Even if it meant taking a risk, she’d respect his boundaries like he did with her.

  Zane sank the shot with ease, the balls clacking as they crashed around the table. Liv stepped back up to plate. Her competitive spirit took control, the same focus she had behind a shutter coming to her now. She stalked around the length of the table, on the hunt for the perfect angle as she scoped her next shot. Minutes melted away with the intensity they poured into their game, an easy back and forth to their conversation like they’d been together for years. Liv’s heart thundered every time he neared, and anticipation flushed through her even while she tried to focus on the game.

  All too fast, the final ball sank into the pocket.

  The cocky grin spreading on Zane’s face was insufferable. “Looks like you could still use a couple lessons,” he teased, his eyes glinting as he faced her from the opposite end of the table, pressing his palms down along the edge.

  Liv arched a brow, unable to prevent the smile rising to her face at the pride beaming off him, at how, for a few brief moments, those eyes weren’t haunted by the past.

  “Guess I’m not as practiced as you with thrusting,” she retorted. He let out a bark of a laugh that echoed through the place, which by then was nearly empty.

  The band began packing up their gear, the spotlights dimmed, and only a couple folks slumped in the seats lining the far wall remained. Time with Zane flowed like quicksand through her hands. But as much as she wanted to take him home with her, the fear of freezing up again edged the lust simmering through her.

  “Time to head out,” he murmured. Liv slipped her pool cue back in the lineup with the others, and he followed suit. As they strode to the door, he remained a breath away, close enough that she could feel his body heat. So close, her body buzzed with caffeine intensity. Once she stepped out the door, the clouds of smoke cleared, and the sharp scent of late night air greeted her.

  Disappointment clung to her. If she’d been her old self, normal, the night wouldn’t have to end here. Instead, she resided in this purgatory of longing to touch him while fearing how her body would betray her.

  His fingers slid down her back, drawing her attention. She whirled around in response, her heels crunching on the sidewalk. He captured her eye
s, and she bit her lip. The tension between them that had been percolating all night heightened, enhanced by the hazy overheads and the gentle breeze. Liv’s breath hitched as she waited for him to make his move, but even as his hands traveled around her waist, he didn’t take the plunge.

  Zane was waiting on her, letting her take control despite the desire simmering in those jade eyes.

  Liv leaned up, meeting his lips in a tentative brush. The taste of smoke and pepper dosed her with a heady sweep of lust, and a slight moan slipped from her mouth. His grip around her waist tightened as he claimed her mouth with a barely-restrained hunger. She sank against him, her nipples tightening as her breasts pressed against the flat panes of his chest, hard muscle she longed to lick and bite.

  Her fingertips curled into his broad shoulders while he kept her upright, the heat from his body enough to make her burn. He gasped, the fire in his eyes stoking her blaze to an inferno. She dove in, her tongue slipping in as she explored his mouth. Despite the way she leapt headfirst off the cliff as their lips clashed again and again, the control he’d given her formed a tether, and her trust in him provided a safety net.

  She pressed against him, her core igniting with a desire to go faster, further, to press the pedal on the gas until the scenery blurred around her, until the fears and worries could no longer follow. The distant whir of cars, the occasional footsteps on the sidewalk, and the burble of voices all faded as Zane caressed her mouth, bringing her senses to life after being dormant so long.

  Her leg wrapped around his, and the hard length in his pants pressed against her. She panted against his mouth, desperate to feel his skin against hers, to feel him inside her.

  Zane traced her bottom lip with his tongue before pulling away. With his palms still pressed against her waist, he took a step back. Liv let out a low groan, and he smiled.

  “When we do this for real,” he whispered, the hot breath tickling her ear, “We’d better be somewhere private, because I’m going to make you come so hard you’ll be screaming my name.” Even with the sexy gleam in his eyes, a tender understanding passed between them, and she tilted her head up to bump her forehead against his.

  “Well then,” she murmured. “I’ll have to handle it myself in the meanwhile.” She waved two fingers as she broke away from him and began sauntering towards her car, an extra swing in her hips. The groan that came from behind her was reward enough.

  8

  The sun through Zane’s windshield nearly blinded him as he pulled his beat-up Camry into the parking lot, tires crunching over gravel as he rolled to a stop in front of Cherokee Park.

  The past couple of shifts at La Rouge had been hell while both he and Liv had been busy working different hours. Every time he snuck into the alley for a smoke break, his gaze would linger on the entrance in the silent hope she’d round the corner. He’d even begun slowing on his arrival home in case she waited for him on his steps. In a short time, she’d consumed his thoughts, circulating in his veins with the insistency of nicotine. Still, knowing they had this date planned kept him afloat.

  For the first time in a while, the dull pulse of demand didn’t drive him to reminders of the chip in his pocket, and the return to his apartment at the end of the day didn’t fill him with dread. He looped the tote bag in the passenger’s seat around his shoulder and hopped out of his rust-red car, the slam of the door echoing through the near-empty parking lot. The breeze held a crisp freshness that brought him to life, but even that didn’t compare to the sight of Liv.

  She strode toward him with a sensual swing of her hips. Her scarlet lips dripped with sex, and after the way they’d left off, it took every ounce of self-composure not to kiss the ever-loving hell out of her. With other relationships and hook-ups, he had taken the lead, but he wanted to give her the security she needed by letting her set the pace. He could handle as many episodes as she doled out if she freaked again, but he’d seen the shame and self-loathing in her eyes that night. Another might be all it took to make her bolt.

  “Hey beautiful,” his voice soft and sexy. He might show some restraint in his actions, but flirting was an automatic response.

  “You talking about my car?” Liv winked, jerking a thumb at her green Subaru. “Love her to pieces.”

  Zane’s gaze zeroed in on the camera hanging around her neck from a thick strap. He lifted a brow as he stopped his approach, inches away. “Didn’t know this was a work thing?”

  Liv ducked her head, a flush spreading across her cheeks in a way that made his insides warm. She tucked a couple of teal curls behind her ear. “Uh, this isn’t about work, I love taking pictures, and when you said you were making a picnic spread, I wanted to snap a couple shots. You do such a beautiful presentation.”

  Well, fuck. The woman could sweep the rug right under him like no one else. His heart melted at the vulnerability, at the high praise coming from a visual artist like her. Without even trying, she pierced his defenses, straight to the core of him. Any cool composure he’d been clinging to vanished, and he closed the distance between them, tilting his head down.

  She met his mouth with her lips. Liv’s kiss tasted sinful, the sweet sort of honey he wanted to drink in, and he wrapped his hands around her waist, drawing her body to his. The way she curved to fit against him was nothing short of perfect, and he let the kiss linger, indulging in the citrus scent of her, the gentle swirl of the breeze, and the deep sense of peace that radiated through him whenever they touched.

  He pulled away first as the heat spreading in his chest traveled south, his libido sparking to life. Zane hadn’t spent all that time prepping these meals for them to go cold. Liv licked her lips, swiping her finger around the outside to clean up her smudged lipstick. Damn if that didn’t tempt him to dive in again.

  “Well, that was one hell of a greeting,” she said with a smile. “Let’s hope the picnic fare matches up.” He didn’t bother restraining his broad grin. The dishes he’d made for today were more significant than she could realize, and he had to admit, his nerves started buzzing the moment he slipped into his car. People could think what they liked about him and Zane didn’t give a damn—he couldn’t afford to. But when it came to Liv he valued her feedback, whether it involved his music from the short-lived band he’d been in, or the career he’d dished up for himself making meals.

  “I could’ve made dessert at least,” she grumbled while they set off down the dirt trail littered with pebbles and sprawling vines. Trees loomed in every direction, the breeze carrying the early summer fragrance of unfurled blossoms and fresh-cut grass.

  Zane snorted. “Unless your cooking skills underwent a massive overhaul, I’d rather not be poisoned.”

  Liv restrained a smile. “Tessa made me throw out the last batch of muffins.”

  He shrugged. “We all have our own skills. I might be able to cook, but I can’t sew for shit and you always had a knack for that.”

  “Anything in the visual field,” she said, flashing him an earnest grin. The easy way conversation flowed between them made his heart ache. He had isolated himself for so long he had forgotten how to exchange genuine discussion that wasn’t part of a confession in group.

  The picnic area stood out at the top of the hill, a gazebo with defined wooden arches in the center, and fencing around the bottom of the building. Noon on a weekday, no one else sat under the covered platform, allowing them the privacy he craved. These moments with Liv were too precious to share. He didn’t know when this fragile thing between them would crumble, didn’t know when things would fall apart, he just knew that they always did. So for the time being he threw himself into the present, savoring every moment he got with her.

  Tantalizing aromas wafted from the bag, the contents still piping hot after traveling across town. Anticipation built the higher they climbed. Liv kept trying to peek over the top of the bag, but Zane shifted it away.

  “Patience, padawan. You’ll get to eat when we reach the picnic area.” He winked at her, earning a fli
ck to his shoulder in response.

  As they walked up together, Liv aimed her camera capturing images of the towering trees in the distance, the pristine blue of the almost cloudless sky, and the dappled shadows patterning the paths. The sound of the camera’s shutter brought Zane back to memories of walking through this park with Lex grumbling about his annoying little sister tagging along. Even then, Zane appreciated her presence, a buffer to his sharp memories and Lex’s hotheadedness. Unlike his best friend, Zane had always appeared a placid lake, despite his screaming matches with his father. Even when the bastard passed and he had to scrape any cash he could to make sure their electric wouldn’t get turned off again, he’d still kept his cool. However, the one time he switched roles with Lex, that’s when Zane got dropped for good.

  Liv skipped ahead to the gazebo, claiming the table that overlooked the steepest part of the hill. From this vantage point, there was a breathtaking view of rolling green grass, hazy blue skies, and lush clusters of healthy trees. While she snapped a couple shots Zane settled the bag onto the tabletop and began pulling out containers. After two or three more photos, the scent of tangy pork, gravy, and spices drew her attention.

  “Did you get any good ones?” he asked. Her keen, artistic eye always fascinated him, how she sought to find the beauty in even the roughest places. She’d been like that with people too, one of the only souls who managed to coax him out of his shell.

  Liv shrugged. “I’ll know more when I go through them, but we’ve got fantastic lighting today.”

  Zane spread out the three containers he’d brought of different dishes he’d learned from his mother as a kid. She was from the islands and had brought her unique flavor of cooking along with her, a comfort on the days when his dad stormed in with a temper or could barely peel himself off the floor. Despite the jagged memories of those days, the food still brought comfort. Even now when he visited his mother, the smile that lit her face as he cooked for her cast a bright spot amongst the bleakness.