As she stepped in the door, she didn’t see him at first. She kept her face down, trying to shake off the last of her nerves and she bounced right into him.
“Oomph!” The sub squished between them then fell to the floor.
Whoops.
Big, rough hands grasped hold of her shoulders, steadying her before she could fall on her ass. She was wearing a short-sleeved black T-shirt with the shop logo on it and black pants. A shiver raced through her that had nothing to do with the chill still clinging to her bare skin.
She raised her head slowly when he said nothing. Her gaze roamed over his own black T-shirt, which fit him much better than it did her. Then over his chin. He hadn’t shaved in several days and it only added to his appeal. When she reached his eyes, her gaze stopped.
His blue eyes were burning.
“Uh-oh,” she muttered.
One dark eyebrow rose. That’s when she noticed the small tic by his right eye.
Double uh-oh.
She forced herself to smile.
Duke shook his head. “Oh no, don’t even think about it.”
“Think about what?”
“About trying to smile your way out of this.”
She frowned. What was he talking about? “I don’t try to smile my way out of stuff.”
“You sure as shit do. But this time, I’m not letting myself get distracted.”
She had no idea what he was talking about. She glanced back down at their feet where the sub lay in a mess of meatballs and tomato sauce. Shoot.
She attempted to step away. She needed to clean that up before a customer arrived. Shit. Rory was going to be grumpy about this. She sighed. She really didn’t feel like dealing with a Rory tantrum right now.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he rumbled.
“I’ve got to clean this mess up.”
“No.”
She stared up at him. “No?”
“No, you’re not cleaning it up until you explain what the hell you were thinking?”
“I just went to get a sub, Duke,” she said tiredly. What was the big deal?
“No, you didn’t just go get a sub. You disobeyed a rule. What was your rule, Sunny?”
“I wasn’t to go out alone in the dark.”
He turned her to face the large windows that looked out onto the parking lot. “And is it dark outside?”
“Yes.”
“And were you out alone?”
“Yes,” she bit out.
“Then your ass should have been safely inside this building, shouldn’t it? Not out getting yourself dinner. Since when do you eat meatball subs, anyway?”