All She Wants for Valentine's Day: A Contemporary Erotic Romance Story (All She Wants #3) Read Free

filled up their glasses with water. “Bon appétit!” she said, and hustled off.
     
    “Man, all this emotion… sure makes me hungry!” joked Ryan. “But seriously, Tanya, I want you to be happy. No more doubting yourself. I want to see that spark in those eyes again… All right?”
     
    Tanya smiled. “It’s a deal,” she said, grabbing a napkin and folding it across her lap. “Now, shut up and let’s dig in!”
     
    From that point forward, the conversation flowed easily between them. As they reduced the platter of ribs to a pile of bones, they were talking, flirting and laughing the whole time. Ryan had such a dry wit, Tanya noticed – a deadly combination mixed with those hazel eyes of his. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. And the whole time, she swore the chemistry between them was only getting stronger and stronger.
     
    “Lord have mercy,” said Ryan, as he put down the remnants of the very last rib onto the plate. He let out a deep sigh. “That was amazing.”
     
    “I’ll say,” Tanya agreed. “This place is just as good as I remember! Why, I haven’t…”
     
    Just then, she trailed off instantly, and all the color drained from her face. Oh, my God, she thought to herself, staring past Ryan out to the front door of the restaurant.
    “What’s up?” he asked, looking concerned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
    “Worse,” she groaned.
     
    It was Warren.

Chapter 3: A Barroom Brawl
     
    “Duck down,” said Tanya urgently. “I don’t want Warren to see us.”
     
    “Who’s Warren?” asked Ryan, even as he tried to slouch down in the booth.
     
    But it was too late. Warren had already seen them, and as soon as he’d locked eyes with Tanya, a wide, sinister smirk appeared on his face. She groaned again.
     
    “It’s my ex-boyfriend,” she said. “He’s a real jerk. I’ll handle this.”
     
    He sauntered over to the booth where they were sitting, in the jerky, half-cocked gait that Tanya recognized all too well: it meant he’d been drinking. And as he got closer to their booth, the reeking stench of booze on his body told her that he’d had more than just a few drinks.
     
    “Well, well, well,” he said, that sarcastic sneer still on his face. “If it isn’t my long-lost love! How’s the new apartment treating you, Toots?”
     
    She absolutely hated when he called her Toots. And it was a sore subject to bring up her ‘new apartment,’ too; they both knew all too well that she’d had to take a major down-grade after moving out of the home they’d shared together.
     
    “You’re drunk, Warren,” spat Tanya. “Business as usual for you, I guess.”
     
    He had that wild-eyed look about him that comes from a little too much liquid courage. She was inwardly terrified at what sort of drama he’d cause, or what sort of embarrassing things he’d start to say if given the chance. She had no idea how to control the situation. She looked at Ryan frantically, but all he offered in return was a quizzical glance before Warren started running his mouth again.
     
    He seemed to have just noticed Ryan, and his eyes lit up even more. “And who’s this lucky guy!?” he exclaimed. The grin on his face looked to Tanya like pure, unadulterated evil. She had no idea how she’d put up with this creep for so long.
     
    “Hubba hubba, baby!” he said, turning to Tanya again. “I guess you wasted no time getting back to your old routine, sleeping around all over the neighborhood.”
     
    Her mouth dropped wide open in shock. “What are you even talking about?!?” she sputtered. Just then, Ryan stood up angrily in his seat.
     
    “That’s about enough out of you,” he said to Warren. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we were just leaving.”
     
    Ryan was a good two inches taller and quite a bit more muscular, but Warren was undeterred. “I don’t think so,” he said, his voice rising in volume. “This little two-timer’s coming home with