Dangerous Curves
(Dangerous Curves #1)
By Marysol James
© 2014 by Marysol James.
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover design: www.doc2mobi.com
Cover photo: © Alena Ozerova/Fotolia
Dedication
For M.
Who makes it all look easy.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
About the author
By the same author
Chapter One
Jax Hamill glanced around the bar, looking to spot any trouble before it got started. In his five years as the owner of Dangerous Curves, five years as a bouncer, and more than fifteen years as a regular bar patron, he’d seen how trouble actually had a vibe. Like steam rising off a cup of coffee, trouble could move the air around a person, a couple, a group. Jax had become damn good at seeing those vibrations – sometimes long before the people involved even knew that they were on the verge of losing it and starting something.
His deep green eyes scanned the bar again, taking it all in. A few weird things going on – like what the hell is that uptown blonde in the white sweater even fucking doing here and why is she all over Mac? – but no red flags. Just a regular Saturday night, as far as he could tell. That was when he spotted her sitting at the far end of the bar by herself.
In a room full of activity and buzz, she was totally motionless; in a bar that was heaving with dancing, laughing, drinking people, she looked all alone. Removed and distant. She was leaning back on the bar, intently watching the games at the pool tables. She looked lost in her own little world, so Jax allowed himself to just stare at her.
Jesus Christ, look at that hair… dark red curls tumbling all the way down her back, just begging for him to grab them in his fists and pull her mouth up to his. Her lips were full and so were her breasts, her skin was pale and delicate and looked like it’d be soft under his rough fingers.
She was the strangest combination of fire and silk, of generous curves and rigid control, and he longed to feel her heat and her smoothness. He wanted to watch her lose all hold on herself, to just let go. With him. Tonight, in one of the bar back rooms.
With a confidence born of years of successful womanizing, he sauntered over to her now, and sat down on the empty stool next to her.
“Hey there, Red.”
She glanced over at him. Those cool blue eyes took him in for sure, in all his hard, muscular glory, and she raised her eyebrows.
“Let me save you some time here, Stud,” she said.
He grinned. “‘Stud’?”
“‘Red’?” she rejoined.
He held up his massive hands and grinned again. “OK, OK. Fair enough.”
“I’m not your type, trust me. So just try your luck elsewhere.” She turned her drink around and around between her hands. “I’m a good girl and I don’t go home with bikers.”
“Well, thank Christ for that,” Jax said. “‘Cause I’m not a biker.”
“No?” she said looking him up and down, taking in his boots, jeans, black t-shirt and tattoos that ran the whole length of both his arms.
“Nope. I mean, I have a bike, but I’m not in any kind of club or gang or whatever the hell you may be thinking.” He moved a bit closer to her. “I’m a business owner.”
“Huh.” Red didn’t seem all that impressed.
“This business, actually,” he said.
“This is your bar?”
“Yep.” Jax caught Aidan’s eye and nodded at him to bring him a beer. “So what are you doing here, doll?”
“I’m not really here.”
“You’re not? You sure as hell look here to me.”
“No. I’m with my friend and she’s here.”
He leaned back. “Let me guess. The blonde in white.”
“You got it in one,” she said. “She’s here looking to cut loose a bit, and I’m just waiting for her to make her move, either way.”
Jax took a sip of his beer. “What move?”
Red shrugged. “It depends. She may come to her senses in the next few minutes and say she wants to leave. Or she may decide to go home with that guy she’s dancing and drinking with – if he’ll have her, of course.”
“That’s Mac,” Jax said. “If your friend’s looking for a one-night-stand, she chose well, believe me. He’d go home with a chair if it was hot enough for him.”
She glanced at him again. “Charming. It also makes me worry more.”
“Hey, no, hold on. Mac’s a good guy. Your friend would be OK with him, I swear it. He’d never hurt her or force her, if that thought had crossed your mind.”
She looked over at Mac and Jax knew exactly what she was seeing: the man was over six feet and two hundred pounds of solid muscle and tattoos, with long, blond hair and hard blue eyes. Nothing soft or safe about him at first glance, but Jax knew better.
The blonde could do way worse for a meaningless fuck, and Mac would oblige her if she extended an invitation to spend the night together, for damn sure. He was a gentleman in his own way – always made sure the ladies came first, and he even made them coffee the morning after.
Red turned back to him. “Well, I don’t think it’s going to come to that.”
“How come?”
“Because Elise’s boyfriend is sure to show up any minute.”
“Uh-oh.” Automatically, Jax looked at the door. “How do you know?”
“Because she angry-drunk texted him about twenty minutes ago. Told his cheating ass that she’s here, dancing with sexy bikers and downing tequila shots, and that he can just deal with it.”
Jax groaned. “Yeah?”
“Yep.” She glanced at her watch. “I figure he’ll be here in about ten minutes, so if Mac wants to go home with Elise, he’d better move fast.”
“Goddamn it,” Jax said. “So she’s looking to make him jealous, is that it?”
“Yeah, I think so. He did cheat on her – again – and I guess she’s just had enough. I think she really wanted to go home with some guy at first, but as soon as she texted Richard, I knew that she wasn’t serious about it anymore… she’s just trying to make him come running. I guess it’s a messed-up power play. Or maybe she’s hoping that he’ll realize what he has with her, and that’ll straighten him out.”
“You think it will?”
She shrugged. “I doubt it. The guy can’t keep it in his pants to save his life.”
Jax laughed. “So would you do this if your man cheated on you, Red? Dance and flirt with strangers and then tell your boyfriend about it?”
She shook her beautiful head. “No. I’d dump him for good.”
“Yeah? How can you be so sure?”
“Because that’s exactly what I did do when my ex cheated on me.”
“Sorry, Red. That sucks.”
But maybe this means she’s single…maybe I can get my hands on her after all. All of her, all over her.
“Yeah,” she said. “But it’s OK, Stud.”
He laughed again, surprised at how relaxed he was around her. She looked over at him and her lips curved up a bit. It was the closest thing to a smile she’d given him so far, and he was encouraged.
Just then, the door flew open and a guy came rushing in, looking around wildly.
“Oh, man,” Red said. “Get ready for the drama.”
Jax got to his feet. “That’s him?”
“Richard. Yeah.”
“Be right back, doll.”
She nodded. “Good luck.”
“It’s my place, Red. Luck I don’t need.”
**
Sarah Matthews watched the drop-dead-sexy guy walk across the room to Richard. Her eyes lingered on the guy’s back and shoulders with appreciation; the man had tight, huge muscles over his entire body, she could tell. He was tall and strapping, and holy Lord, was he ever gorgeous, in a smoldering, dangerous kind of way. His black hair was a bit messy and her fingers itched to smooth it down, lay it flat. She wondered how he’d feel to touch: hot and hard, she thought.
He was talking to Richard now, motioning at Elise. To his credit, Richard looked like he was actually listening instead of shooting off his big mouth, but then again, Stud was way bigger and it was clear that the room was with him. Mac and two other guys were standing right behind him, silently backing him up, and even Richard – a rich-boy jerk who lived with his entitled head up his own ass – couldn’t miss their size and demeanor. They looked scary as hell, for damn sure, with all those tattoos and their no-bullshit stares.
Richard nodded and said something. Elise came over to him, and they stood a few feet apart, surveying each other warily. Sarah was sure that they’d be leaving together and soon and she sighed in relief.
She hadn’t wanted to sit in Dangerous Curves all night long, but no way was she leaving Elise alone with these guys. She wasn’t totally sure who the bar patrons were, but she knew that at least some of them were very bad news: the word around Denver was that Curves attracted a rough element, and Sarah had never set foot in the place before.
Richard looked around the bar now and he saw Sarah sitting there. He started and Elise looked over at her too. They said something to each other and Elise made her way over to Sarah. Richard nodded at the other men and walked back out the door.
“Hey, I’m going to go now,” Elise said. “Richard and I have a lot to talk about. You’ll be alright on your own?”
“Sure,” Sarah said. She’d driven them there, so it wasn’t like she was stranded. She’d finish her drink, give the happy couple a bit of a head start, and then get home and in to bed as soon as possible.
“Thanks, Sarah.” Elise gave her a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow, OK?”
“OK,” Sarah said. “I hope it all goes alright with Richard.”
“I’m sure it will.” Elise’s sky-blue eyes were shining. “Maybe this little episode has shown him how much he loves me, and what it’d be like for me to be with someone else.”
Sarah almost rolled her eyes. “Maybe. Goodnight.”
“Bye.” And Elise was gone in a swirl of white and gold, barely glancing at Mac on her way out the door.
Stud came back to her now and sat on the stool again. “You aren’t going with them?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. I have a car. But even if I didn’t have a way home, I’d never get in a car with those two… I don’t want to get in between whatever’s about to happen.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” His deep, husky voice was as sexy as the rest of him, and despite herself, she glanced at him again. His green eyes were staring at her intently and she saw heat there. “So, maybe I can buy you a drink, then?”
She forced herself to look away. “I’m not drinking tonight. Thanks anyway.”
“So what’s that?” His large hands gestured at her glass.
“Just Coke.”
He paused. “No rum in there?”
“Urgh, no.”
“You don’t go for the hard stuff, Red?’ he asked, a teasing note in his voice.
“Never.” She knew he was asking about more than alcohol now, and she was determined to shut that crap down from the word go.
The door opened again and she glanced over to see a guy in khakis standing there looking around. She jumped a bit.
Oh, no. This night just keeps getting better.
The man next to her must have seen her reaction because he looked over at the guy too. His eyes narrowed.
“Something wrong, baby?” he said in that amazing voice.
Baby?
“Uh, well. Maybe.”
“Who’s that?” he asked.
Sarah sighed. “Dave. My ex.”
The man stared over at Dave fixedly, taking in his button-down shirt and neat blond hair. “I don’t like him.”
She shot him a look and felt a real smile break out on her face. “Yeah. That makes two of us.”
They shared a grin.
Dave spotted her now and started to walk over to her. He was wearing a familiar pompous expression; he clearly thought that this place was way below him.
Sarah sighed again. “Oh, boy. Here we go.”
“You want me to beat his head in?” the man asked.
She almost laughed aloud. “I’ll let you know.”
“You do that, Red.”
“Sarah.” Dave was standing in front of her. “What the hell are you doing in this place?” He looked around. “You and Elise were really slumming it, huh?”
Careful, jerk. You’re insulting the bar in front of its owner.
“What are you doing here, Dave?”
“Richard called me, said that Elise was here. I figured that since you’re her go-to person when she and Rich have trouble, you’d be here, too.”
“Nice sleuthing, Sherlock,” she said. “So what do you want?”
“To talk to you. You won’t answer my calls.”
“Well, I broke up with you because you’re a cheating asshole,” she reminded him. “I told you I didn’t want to see you or talk to you, ever again. That means that I don’t answer your calls, or texts, or e-mails. So you can stop, OK? Whatever you have to say, I’m not interested.”
Dave moved closer and she leaned back. She saw the man next to her stiffen.
“Come on, Sarah.” Dave’s voice had that sweet tone that he had always used when she had resisted him on something, and she wondered how she’d ever actually believed it was sincere. “Just let me take you home, OK? We can talk.”
“I have my car. I’ll get myself home.”
“Sarah.” He reached for her now and grabbed her arm roughly. “Cut the bullshit –”
The man next to her moved so fast, Sarah never saw him coming. All she knew was that suddenly, Dave’s arm was twisted around behind him, and the man’s huge hand was pressing on the back of Dave’s head, forcing the side of his face down on to the wooden bar. She blinked.
“I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone,” the dark-haired man growled. “You fucking deaf or just fucking stupid?”
“Jesus Christ, man,” Dave said. “Get the hell off me!”
The man shook his head. “No way. Not until
you agree to get the fuck out of my bar… we clear?”
Sarah glanced around and saw that Mac was standing close by again. Their eyes met and he winked at her.
“Yeah, yeah.” Dave sounded winded. “We’re clear.”
“OK, then.” The man released his grip on Dave’s neck and let him stand up. “So have a good night.”
Dave straightened his clothing, brushed down his hair. His brown eyes bored in to Sarah’s blue ones and she saw his absolute fury. Suddenly she was glad to be in a bar surrounded by rough people, with the owner on her side. No way that Dave could do anything here and now except leave.
Sarah and Jax watched him storm out the door, then they looked at each other.
“You OK?” Jax said, motioning at her arm.
“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Jax took her in, saw that she looked a bit shaken. “So, Red. I guess I should call you Sarah, huh?”
“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “Sarah Matthews. And what’s your name, Stud?”
“Jax Hamill.”
“Good to meet you.”
“You too.”
Their eyes met and Sarah was astonished at the intense look on his gorgeous face. Guys who looked like this never, ever showed any interest in her. She was too fat, or so she thought, though Elise constantly assured her that she was just curvy. But in her experience, it was the delicate little blondes like Elise who got all the male attention and the invitations. Dave had been the first and the last boyfriend in her life, and now he was gone.
Jax, though, seemed to like what he was looking at. His eyes were steady as they gazed at her, looking her up and down, and she felt a burst of fire in her stomach. She realized how close she was standing to all that muscle and strength, and she took a small step back.
“So, Sarah Matthews.” Her name in his mouth sounded sexy as hell. “I saw you watching the pool tables earlier.”
“Yeah?” She wondered just how long he’d been watching her.
“You play?” he said.
She shrugged. “A bit.”
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