Page 19 of Dueling Flames

He pushed me, and I used the momentum to get up and grab a glass of water for us both.

Thorne was messaging someone when I came back. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and those puppy dog eyes.

“My friend Joe is in town. I’m going to have dinner with him tonight. Want to join us?”

I frowned. “I can’t. I’m meetin’ my parents for dinner. Remember?”

“Ditch ‘em. Joe’s more fun, guaranteed.”

“A lobotomy is more fun, guaranteed.” I sighed and relaxed on the couch. My parents weren’t the most supportive. I didn’t expect them to change at this point. They didn’t often come near the South Loop of Chicago, preferring to stay up in the Northwest side. They had tickets to some show near here, so they decided to grace me with their presence.

“Just cancel. Tell them you’re sick.” Thorne pulled a small ball out of his pocket and was throwing it up and catching it. Where did he find that ball?

“No. Then they’ll come over and take care of me while telling me I’m sick because of my job. It’s hard to walk out of my own apartment. No telling what they would do to my place if left to themselves. Easier to walk out of a restaurant when I’m done.”

I couldn’t think of a time I hadn’t walked out during dinner. My parents never failed to bring up how much they hated my career.

“Well, you can always use me as an excuse to leave.”

I side-eyed him, then smiled. “My hero,” I said in a tiny voice.

Chapter 9

Thorne

I sat at the small dining table and waited for Joe to pick me up. No doubt he wanted to watch me hobble out on my air cast so he could tease me in the car. That’s what good friends do. Especially since I mocked him his senior year of high school when he broke his leg.

“Alright, I’m leaving. I’ll see you later.” Lissa sat in the chair beside me to put on her shoes.

My eyes widened and my mind faltered. Heels. She was putting on heels. We’d worked together for two years, I’d lived in her home for a month, and I’d never seen her in heels. My eyes slowly took in her appearance. Skirt, blouse, and hair not pulled back.

“Who are you?” I shook my head. “I mean, you look great.”

She looked at me and rolled her eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’ve never seen you dressed up or with your hair down.” I took in the full picture as she stood.

Her hair hung down to the middle of her back, not braided or in any style ponytail. The loose purple blouse hid her arm muscles, but flattered her shape, and the black A-line skirt hung mid-thigh, showing off her legs. My heart pounded in my chest. I knew she was gorgeous, but damn.

“My parents don’t get on my case as much if I dress like a proper lady.”

I furrowed my brows. “Your parents are old-fashioned huh?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath, let it out, then waved.

I watched her sway out the door. Damn. I shook my head and waited for my heart to slow down.

Ten minutes later, I was in the car with Joe as he drove us to dinner.

“Poor injured Thorne. Not so prickly now are you?” Joe stuck out his tongue at me.

“Shut up. At least I didn’t break my leg falling UP the stairs.”

“How slow are you that you can’t move out of the way of a falling chimney?”

“That chimney was out to get me. You should have seen it eyeing me while we put out that fire.”

Joe laughed and hit the thigh of my injured leg.