Read Black Girls and Bad Boys: Stealing Loretta for Free Online Page A

drank
some coffee. “Make sure you play it just right.” There were too many ways this
could go wrong. When she ran possible outcomes through in her head, most of the
bad ones were down to Bill dropping the ball.
    “I know what I’m doing, Gina.”
    “Course you do.” She wasn’t sure how
convincing she sounded, so she sweetened her words with a kiss.
    Bill kissed her back hard, putting down his
mug and then doing the same with hers. It was nice to be wanted. His breathing
came fast and heavy.
    “He must be some kind of idiot to let you
go.”
    Exactly what she’d been thinking.
    Which was why she was going to teach him a
valuable lesson.
    ***
    “H ey, wait.”
    Loretta heard him coming, but she kept her
head down and carried on walking.
    “Loretta. Wait.” He ran up beside her.
    It took all her will-power not to look at
him. He was nothing but trouble. She wasn’t going to do anything to encourage
him.
    “Loretta.” He stepped in front of her and
she walked around him. “I know what it looks like, but she’s not my
girlfriend.”
    That got her attention. What did he think
he could possibly say to explain the scene in the restaurant? “Go on then.” She
stared him down.
    “She’s my ex.”
    She rolled her eyes and walked past him.
Was that the best he could come up with?
    “Don’t you want to know why she can’t get
over me?”
    Loretta laughed out loud in the middle of
the street. “Seriously? Is that why you were kissing her?”
    “She kissed me. I don’t want to blow my own
trumpet, but apparently I’m unforgettable.”
    She laughed till her belly ached and tears
threatened. “Please, stop.” It wasn’t that funny, but she couldn’t control
herself.
    “At least I can make you laugh.” He came
around to stand in front of her again.
    Her laughter trailed off, leaving her
breathless and embarrassed. “Forget it.”
    “I’m not interested in her.”
    “But you had your arms around her.”
    “I was trying to get her off me.”
    She wasn’t convinced. “It’s none of my
business. It doesn’t matter.”
    “It does. I’m sorry. We didn’t even get to
finish our meal.”
    “Shit.” She turned to look back the way
they’d come.
    “What is it?”
    “I don’t suppose you went back in to pay
the bill before you came after me?”
    “No.”
    “Then we’d better go.” She started to walk.
“I think I just did a runner.” She picked up speed and so did he.
    Now it was his turn to laugh. “You walked
out without paying?”
    “My brain wasn’t working. I just wanted to
get out of there before your girlfriend hit me.”
    “Ex-girlfriend.”
    She raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t quite
managed to persuade her that was the whole truth. “Anyway, you were supposed to
be paying for lunch.”
    “Do you think they get many bank managers
in there who run off without paying?”
    “Assistant manager.”
    He grinned at her. “Same difference.”
    Bastard. His smile was contagious. “I
didn’t do it on purpose.” She’d never be able to go in there again. Even
walking past would make her want to die.
    She stopped. “We should go back and
explain.”
    “Oh no. I know how that would work out.
Call the police first, ask questions later.”
    “But if we tell them the whole story—”
    “Then they’ll take us down to the station
to make a statement and spend the afternoon laughing at us. Sound good to you?”
    “No, but—”
    “But nothing. They overcharge in that
restaurant anyway. Call it a blow for consumers.”
    “Oh my god. You have no shame whatsoever,
do you?”
    He winked at her. “And you’ve got enough
for the both of us.”
    Brilliant. Now he sounded like Sean. Did
the whole world think she was too nice? “Well, thanks for the entertainment,
but I’m going home now.” There was still enough of the afternoon left for her
to salvage. She started walking and he kept pace alongside her.
    “Home? But we were just starting to have
fun.”
    “Sorry, that wasn’t what I