by Jaci Burton
Get a grip, Chelsea. Not happening again.
Megan had tried fixing her up with one of her regular customers from the bakery this week. She'd turned her down, saying she was too busy with finals. It was unusual for her to turn down a date. But she really had been busy.
Or maybe she was still riding that high from last weekend with Bash.
Still not happening again.
Lou was curled up in her crate at the far end of the bar, sound asleep. Something about that dog just got to her. Maybe because she was so tiny and Bash was so ... big. Lou didn't seem like the type of dog Bash would have. She'd always pictured him with a Great Dane or a German shepherd, or even a golden retriever. Yet he'd taken to Lou right away, as if he and Lou belonged together. The two of them just seemed right for each other, even though on paper they just didn't fit.
Kind of like ...
No. Not the same thing at all.
Bash turned, saw her, and smiled, then headed her way, his big body stretched out as he leaned across the bar.
She instinctively wanted to reach out and run her hands over his forearms, to feel that hard muscle she knew was there.
She resisted the urge.
"Hey, there," he said. "What brings you here so late?"
"I was over at Emma's tonight with all the girls, and I didn't feel like going home so I thought I'd stop in here for a nightcap."
"I'm glad you did. What can I get for you?"
She thought about it for a few seconds. "How about you fix something for me?"
"Something to keep you awake, or something to settle you down so you can go home and get some sleep?"
"Hmmm." She tapped her fingers on the bar. "I'll let you decide that one, too."
She was playing with him, flirting with him. She shouldn't be, but he gave her that sexy, teasing smile she found irresistible. So, why not?
"Okay. I'll be right back."
He wandered off and she flipped around on the barstool to survey the room. Music was on, and sports recaps were displayed on the televisions. Men and women were playing at all the pool tables. Business was good for Bash. Chelsea was happy he was doing so well.
"Here you go," he said, setting a blue concoction down in front of her. It was in a margarita glass, so she assumed it had tequila in it.
She took a sip, licking the salt. It was rich and delicious, and not too sweet.
"I taste Chambord in there."
"Yeah. And some of my best tequila."
She felt the kick sliding down into her belly, but it was a smooth roar. "Whoa. You're right about that. It's yummy. Thanks."
She made it a point to drink the wickedly tasty cocktail slowly, because she could tell after she'd taken a couple swallows it packed quite a punch. Deceptively pretty little sucker.
She asked Bash for some water and took sips of that in between. She still had to drive home, and the liquor content in this was high.
She also had to fend off a couple guys who decided the suddenly vacant seat next to her was an invitation. One asked her if she was looking for a date. She politely declined, and when he continued to talk to her, motioned with her head toward Bash and said he was her boyfriend and she was waiting for him. That, at least, got rid of him. The second guy slid onto the barstool not too long after guy number one left. Based on his slurring speech, he appeared to be on about his tenth beer, and he was a leaner. He kept brushing her shoulder, obviously thought he was the funniest guy on the planet, and loved talking about himself.
Twenty minutes into their conversation he still hadn't asked Chelsea's name. But she knew all about his job, his friends, and his last two ex-girlfriends. Chelsea knew exactly why they were ex-girlfriends, too.
Bash kept looking her way, and she knew he would have gotten rid of the guy for her, but she had this one handled. He might be annoying, but he was pretty harmless.
"So, how about it," the guy finally asked. "Wanna get out of here and go someplace more ... private?"
She tried not to laugh at the invitation. Instead, she pivoted on the barstool to face him. "What's my name?"
The guy frowned. "Huh?"
"What's my name?"
He blinked. "Uh ... I dunno. Why don't you tell me?"
"I don't think so. And no, I'm not going anywhere with you, so you should stop wasting your time with me."
At least he was laid-back about it. He shrugged, mumbled something unintelligible, then slid off the barstool and wandered off. Chelsea shook her head and took a drink of water.
"Sorry about that," Bash said, coming over to replace her glass with a fresh one filled with ice.
"It's not your fault. Besides, I get hit on by men like him a lot. It's what you sign up for if you're going to sit in the bar by yourself late at night."
"Then I apologize on behalf of my gender."
She laughed. "Apology accepted."
After that, whenever any guy sat down next to her, Bash gave the guy a look that made it very clear she wasn't to be bothered. It was amusing to her that with one glare, he'd made her off-limits to the rest of the men in the bar.
Not that she had any complaints about that. She was tired of fending off men who thought a single woman in a bar was fair game. It was nice to have someone like Bash to run interference for her.
She ended up hanging out with him until closing. She had a soda and a couple of waters, and she took Lou out back for a walk. Which reminded her of a question she wanted to ask Bash. She brought the dog back inside, then wandered over toward the back of the bar, where he was putting bottles back in order.
"Did you ever hear from ... hmm, what was her name again?"
He straightened to face her, then frowned. "What was whose name?"
"That woman from the dog park."
His lips curved. "Victoria. And yeah, I did. The next day."
"About the agility class, or something else?"
"She started off talking about the agility class, but then she asked me if I wanted to come over for some home cooking. She said I looked a little lean and probably needed a woman to cook for me."
She laughed. "I knew it." She held out her hand. "You owe me ten bucks."
He pulled out his wallet, took out a ten-dollar bill, and slapped it into her hand. "I hate when you're right."
"Hey, I know women. She definitely wanted you."
He gave her a very deliberate look. "Well, she didn't get me."
He walked away with a couple of empty bottles, leaving her standing there to consider what he'd said.
Victoria was quite a beautiful woman, plus her dog and Lou got along well.
She wondered why Bash wasn't interested.
Sometimes the right fit just wasn't there. Nobody knew that better than her.
Shrugging it off, she helped Bash shut down the bar. Why she stayed that long, she didn't know.
Or maybe she did know, because after his staff left, it was just the two of them.
Alone.
Maybe that's what she'd wanted all along, though she wasn't about to try and figure out why. She was tired of questioning her motivations for anything these days. Right now she was just going on instinct.
Bash finished up in the back and grabbed a zippered bag that he laid on top of the bar. "Other than needing to drop off this deposit at the bank, I'm done."
Chelsea was leaning against the front of the bar watching Bash close all the blinds. "You had a good night. It was crowded."
"It's been that way lately on the weekends. I think once we start serving food it'll be even better."
"When's that going to start?"
"I think I've finalized what I want. Reid helped me make some changes to the blueprints, so now I've got to file for new permits."
"A delay, huh?"
"Slight one, but that's okay. We'll get started within the next couple of months."
She could tell he was excited about making changes to the bar. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks."
He came toward her
, caging her between him and the bar. Despite having worked all night, he still smelled good--like a man who worked--and there was something very heady about that. She rested her palms on his chest, her nails digging into the material of his shirt. "So."
He slid his hand up her arm, and a shiver of pleasure raised goose bumps on her skin. Without the crowd packing in and raising the temperature in the bar, it was cooler now. But she knew her prickled skin was due more to his touch than to the air conditioning.
"So, Ms. Gardner, what would you like to do now?"
She raised her gaze to his, saw the desire written all over his face, and soaked it in. There was something so compelling about knowing a man wanted you.
It had been a long time since she'd been the subject of so much want and need. Maybe that's what had drawn her back to Bash. She knew the chemistry here. She was ... comfortable wasn't the right word, because being with Bash was anything but comfortable. He made her decidedly uncomfortable.
He made her feel all sorts of things. Hot. Damp. Pulse-pounding desire. Things she knew she shouldn't feel for him, but couldn't seem to help herself from feeling whenever she was around him.
She pushed off the bar and leaned against him, sliding her hand upward to trace her fingers around his goatee, then his lower lip. "I think we should just wing it, Mr. Palmer."
His lips curved, and he bent to brush them across hers. A soft, exploratory kiss that soon turned more passionate. She breathed him in, felt his body align against hers as he wrapped his arm around her to tug her close.
Yes. That's what she'd waited all night for--to feel him, to be able to touch him freely. Ogling him from afar as he worked just hadn't done it for her. While she'd appreciated the view, she realized that hands-off had only whet her appetite for more. She wanted hands-on. She pulled his shirt out of his jeans and slid her palms up his back, loving the warm feel of his skin against her hands.
He groaned against her lips and rocked against her, his erection evident as he pushed her back against the bar.
Oh, yes. He fed her cravings by cupping her butt and drawing her even closer to her desire.
And when he rained kisses along her jaw and her neck, she shivered, especially when he turned her around and pressed her against the bar.
"Ever make love in a bar, Chelsea?" he asked, raising her shirt to fill his hands with her breasts.
She shuddered, barely able to form a coherent thought, let alone an answer. "Not yet, but I have a feeling I'm about to."
He unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down. His warm hand cupped her sex. She pulsed, desperate for him to release the ache that pounded incessantly between her legs. He massaged her with rhythmic strokes, rocking his erection against her as he took her right to the edge, only to back off and bring her there once again.
And when she came, she cried out his name, throwing her head back against his shoulder and arching against his hand until she thought she might lose her mind.
He kissed her temple and released her, turning her around to take her mouth in a scorching kiss that blinded her senses, making her whimper and beg for more.
They shed their clothes, and Bash surprised the hell out of her by lifting her and laying her on top of the bar. He grabbed a condom out of his pocket and put it on, then climbed onto the bar and lay on top of her, sliding into her in one hot thrust.
She wrapped her legs around him and lifted against him as he plunged into her, a hot, passionate dance that made them both sweat. She swept his hair away from his face as he looked down at her while he drove into her.
She thought it would be over quick, but he slowed the tempo to an achingly sweet, torturous dance where she felt every part of him. He lifted himself off of her so she could only feel where they were connected, only see the way he looked at her.
She could barely breathe, could only feel, and what she felt in this moment swept her away.
He brushed his lips over hers, a soft, sweet moment, achingly tender as he moved within her. She was lost in him. She tried to hold back the overwhelming sensations, but she couldn't, and when he swept his hand underneath her to bring her closer to him, she lost all sense of reality. She clutched his shoulders, tightened around him, and cried out as her climax shattered her. And this time, she took Bash with her, the two of them shuddering as they fell off the never-ending cliff of bliss together.
She felt like she might never be right again, that this time, things might have gone too far. Because that had felt like a lot more than just sex. She'd seen it in his eyes, but maybe it had just been a crazy reflection of some really good physical lovemaking.
And maybe she'd just made more out of it than she should. She'd have to get her senses back to figure it out.
"I'm sweaty," he said. "And now I'm going to have to sanitize the top of the bar."
She laughed, grateful to Bash that he hadn't said something profound or emotional in the moment.
He hopped off the bar, then helped her climb down. The two of them went into the bathroom to clean up and get dressed. Then she helped him clean the bar, and they gathered up Lou, who, through it all, had slept peacefully in her crate.
Chelsea grabbed her keys. "I guess I'll head home."
Bash frowned, then scooped his arm around her waist. "I don't think so. Follow me home."
She couldn't help the warm feeling that surrounded her at his words. "Okay."
He walked her to her car and waited while she got in. Then he put Lou's crate in there with her. "Wait for me and I'll pull the truck around."
She nodded, still full of those idiotic warm fuzzies.
She was going to have to do something about all these ... feelings.
Because sex was one thing. Emotions were something else entirely.
Chapter 25
It had been a really good night last night.
A damn good night. First, business was looking up. Second, Chelsea had shown up, and stayed, and then they'd had some phenomenal sex.
Then she'd come home with him and they'd had even more amazing sex.
Nights didn't get much better than that.
Chelsea was currently asleep on her stomach next to him. He rolled over to his side to watch her. Her gorgeous red hair had fallen over half her face, but her mouth was open and she was breathing deeply.
God, this woman was gorgeous. He didn't know if she realized how goddamn beautiful she was.
She'd kicked the covers halfway off, so her back was visible, as was half her butt. He'd like to have a picture of her like this, even with her hair messed up, and her mouth open in sleep.
She'd stayed up pretty damn late for him last night, considering she'd worked yesterday, and he knew how early she had to get up for school. Plus, they'd stayed up even later playing after they'd gotten home last night. He smiled thinking about how well she played, too. Sexually, she was adventurous and up for anything. He liked that a lot.
She also had to be exhausted, but she never complained.
She was a lot tougher than most of the women he knew. He gave her a lot of points for that.
She might come across as someone who was picky and particular, but in his heart he knew she would be game for just about anything.
But was he?
Maybe it was time he tried it out.
He heard Lou stirring, so he slid out of bed and put on his jeans, closed the bedroom door, then took Lou outside. He fed the dog, then grabbed his keys and made a quick drive over to Bert's. When he got back, Chelsea was in the kitchen drinking a cup of coffee and wearing one of his T-shirts.
Man, he'd never get tired of that sexy sight. Just seeing her in one of his T-shirts made his dick hard.
"Where'd you go?" she asked.
He laid the bag from Bert's down on the counter. "I made breakfast."
Her lips curved. "You're my hero."
He went to fix a cup of coffee. "I hope you like it. I made it especially for you."
She put her arms around him and kissed him. "Whatever
it is, I'll like it. I'm starving."
They ate breakfast together--egg sandwiches, as it turned out--and Bash asked her about finals.
"Graduation is next weekend, so I'm almost finished for the year. Unless I have to teach summer school."
"When will you know?"
"By next week. If the scheduled teacher has to have surgery, I'll fill in for him. If not, I'll have the summer off."
He bit into his sandwich, chewed, then swallowed. "Whatever will you do with an entire summer off?"
"Read. Go to the pool. Shop. Maybe take a vacation somewhere."
"Sounds fun."
"Doesn't it? What about you? Do you ever take a vacation?"
"It's hard to be a business owner and take vacations, but yeah, I take time off now and then. I like to go camping in the summer."
She wrinkled her nose. "Sounds like so much fun."
He laughed. "I know you don't mean that, but it actually is a lot of fun. You should try it sometime."
"If my blow-dryer can't go with me, then it's not a vacation."
"Where I camp, there are actual bathrooms. With outlets for your blow-dryer."
She gave him a disbelieving look. "You're lying."
"I am not." He leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee. "I was thinking, actually ..."
He didn't finish.
"Thinking what?"
He shrugged. "You wouldn't go for it."
"Wouldn't go for what, Bash?"
He wanted her to want this, but if she didn't, things between them would likely end. He didn't know how he felt about that. But the only way he'd find out was to say it, and he wasn't a coward. "You and I have been sleeping together. Why don't we try actually dating?"
She stared at him. "Dating?"
"Yeah. Dating. You know, go out. Do things together."
"Oh."
"You might be surprised to find we have more in common than you think."
She arched a brow. "You've seen my list, right?"
"I have. And you know what I think about your list."
She rested her chin in her hand. "I believe you said it was stupid."
"Did I?"
"You did."
"Hmm. Maybe I did. Either way, let's try this. I might surprise you."
"You really want to date me? You know how picky I am."
"Yeah. But I'm willing to take you out anyway."
She laughed. He loved her laugh, because it was always genuine, and never forced. "Okay, Bash. You asked for it, and now you've got me."
He liked the sound of that. As prickly as she was, she was also fun. "Good. Would you like to go out to dinner?"
