Drunk Dial (Hard Core #1) (Hard Core Series) Read Online Free Page A

grinned when she pulled it away. “Just wanted to make sure you weren’t getting soft. You’ve got to be on your game if you want to beat Morales.”
    I smiled back, appreciating that she felt comfortable enough to tease me. I was so used to women who pretended to be what they thought I wanted in order to impress me, I’d forgotten what it was like to be with a real woman who was comfortable in her own skin and didn’t feel the need to sell herself. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m back at it next week. When training starts again, the diet will have to be tight too.”
    She nodded before gesturing to the board. “You have to eat something, or I’ll feel like a pig eating in front of you.”
    I was glad she wasn’t the type to order a salad and call it a meal. She was an active woman with a healthy appetite. I liked that, especially since I ate thousands of calories a day when I was training. “The chicken wrap looks good.”
    “It is.” She walked up to the counter, smiling at the older woman wearing an ugly beige-and-brown uniform. “Long day, Rosa?”
    “You know it, girl. Tiffany called in sick again, so I had to do a double.”
    “I don’t know why Donald doesn’t just fire her ass.”
    “Probably ‘cause he’s—” She glanced at me, blushing. “Never mind.”
    Something told me old Donald was giving Tiffany preferential treatment for a reason.
    “Rosa, this is my friend, York.”
    I didn’t know how I felt about Lacy referring to me as her friend. I had no right to expect more, since we just met, but I definitely didn’t intend to get stuck in the dreaded friend zone with this girl.
    “Nice to meet you, Rosa,” I said, offering her my hand.
    “You too.” Rosa winked at Lacy. “So what can I get you two tonight?”
    “I’m going to have the meatball sandwich, and York will have the chicken wrap.”
    I wasn’t used to women ordering for me, but something told me this girl was used to taking care of herself and everyone else too.
    “Anything to drink?” Rosa asked.
    “Just a bottled water for me.” Lacy looked at me. “You?”
    “Same.”
    “You got it,” Rosa said, ringing up our order.
    Lacy reached into the pocket of her jeans and grabbed a few bills before I stilled her hand with mine.
    “I got this,” I said, frowning at her.
    I didn’t know what kind of guys she’d been out with—ones who’d let her pay for her own food and left her unsatisfied in bed, apparently—but that wasn’t happening when she was out with me. I paid the bill, then slid a five across the counter to Rosa and stuck another five in the plastic container for some children’s hospital.
    Lacy smiled at the gesture. “You do a lot for charity, don’t you?”
    I attended a lot of events when I felt it would help the cause. I knew how blessed I was to be making a good living doing what I loved, and I never forgot it. I shrugged before turning toward the front door when a couple of loud guys walked in. “I do what I can.”
    “Well, well, if it isn’t the sexiest little barkeep in Cali,” one of the guys said with a lecherous grin as he stumbled toward Lacy.
    I stepped in front of her, putting my hand out to stop the guy from falling into my chest. “Back the fuck up, buddy.”
    Lacy curled her hand around my bicep. “It’s okay, York. They’re regulars.”
    I didn’t give a fuck who they were. If they didn’t stop looking at her as if they were gauging how long it would take to get her out of her clothes, I was gonna knock them both out.
    “Hey,” the guy with long hair said, peering around his friend’s shoulder. “This your boyfriend, Lacy? He’s some big-ass dude.”
    Lacy chuckled. “No, he’s not my boyfriend, Charlie. Just a friend.”
    There was that word again. I was beginning to hate that fucking word.
    Rosa pointed the two men toward a table. “Sit down before you fall down, boys. I’ll be there to take your order in a minute.”
    The fact that Rosa didn’t seem appalled by