Rough Edges

by Adriana Hunter

  So now Scarlett stood, eyes closed, in the bathroom doorway, her hand in Gina’s.

  “Okay. Look.”

  Scarlett looked at her reflection. It was her face in the mirror, her hair, but everything was different. She had cheekbones, her eyes looked huge behind thick lashes, and her hair hung in sleek waves to her shoulders.

  “What do you think?” Gina poked her in the back. “Do you like it?”

  “I’m speechless. Yeah, I like it. Hell, yes. I love it.” She turned around and threw her arms around Gina. “You made me beautiful.”

  Gina patted her back before pulling away to look at Scarlett. “You’ve always been beautiful, girl. I’m just working with what was already here.”

  Chapter Two

  The cab turned off Washington, traveled a few blocks, and stopped in front of Diablo’s. Scarlett paid the driver. It was a warm night, and she stopped to look up at the front of the club. The façade was black painted brick, a narrow window set high in the wall beside the door. She looked up to see a small neon devil dancing around a pitchfork. The man at the door held it for two couples who disappeared inside. The deep thump of music washed over her, and she actually felt the beat in the pit of her stomach.

  She knew this was the right thing, that being here was going to lift her spirits. The dress made her feel sexy, and Gina’s hair and make-up bolstered her confidence. Tyler and the hurt he’d caused were fading fast.

  Scarlett drew a deep breath, smiled, and walked across the sidewalk. It was a whole new world beyond that door, and she was more than ready to jump in.

  The man at the door glanced at her and then hesitated, his hand on the door handle. For a moment she panicked, thinking he’d turn her away.

  His eyes traveled over her, and a slow smile spread across his face. He tilted his head and wordlessly opened the door, ushering her inside. With a flush of excitement she crossed the threshold, tossing him a smile over her shoulder.

  Diablo was dimly lit, and it took her a minute to get her bearings. The dance floor was down a few steps. It was crowded with bodies, moving in time to loud music, pressed against each other. Her eyes traveled over the floor, taking it all in. For each girl on the floor, there had to be at least three guys dancing with her. Gina was right; it was wild and exiting. Scarlett wanted to step into that mass of people, to move to the beat of the music.

  Someone bumped into her, jarring her out of her thoughts. She looked around, found the bar was to her right, and pushed her way through the crowd.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  Fingers brushed her back and she turned, looking up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen.

  “Can I buy you a drink? I know that sounds like a line, but…” He smiled down at her.

  She returned the smile. “I’d like that.” He was tall enough that she had to crane her neck to look up at him.

  His hand rested on her back, fingers warm on her bare skin as he guided her toward the bar.

  “What’s your name?” He leaned close, his breath warm against her ear.

  “Scarlett.”

  “I’m Kyle.” His smile deepened as his hand slid lower, caressing her just above the edge of the dress. A tingle ran through her and goose bumps prickled her arms.

  Tyler was wrong about me, men do find me attractive.

  The bartender leaned toward Kyle. “What can I get you?” His eyes flicked toward Scarlett and she caught the slight lift of one eyebrow before he turned back to Kyle, a faint frown creasing his forehead.

  “Whiskey and Coke.” Kyle held up two fingers. The bartender nodded and moved off.

  “I haven’t seen you here before, have I?” Kyle leaned closer, his hand traveling slowly up across her shoulders, one finger sliding beneath the shoulder of her dress, the sleeve of her dress sliding a bit down her arm. Scarlett shrugged, reaching to tug the dress back in place.

  Something wasn’t right. Kyle leaned too close, crowding her, and she tried to take an involuntary step away, but his hand tightened against her back, keeping her in the circle of his arm.

  Kyle glanced up as the drinks arrived. “About time.” He paid and then pushed one of the glasses toward Scarlett. She took a drink, looking over the edge of her glass. The bartender stood at the cash register, watching her and as she caught his eye, his frown deepened before he turned away.

  “Come on, let’s dance.” Before she had a chance to answer, Kyle took the drink from her hand and set it on the bar. He turned her around and pushed her onto the crowded floor.

  The music was fast and loud and in the crush of people, she was pressed up against Kyle. She tried dancing away from him, but Kyle snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her hard against his chest.

  He bent his head, lips against her “You’re a great dancer.”

  She wondered how he could tell since all they were doing was swaying back and forth. His hand slid lower, cupping her ass, rubbing his hips against hers.

  What he wanted was unmistakable and even though she wanted to have fun tonight, this was all moving too fast. This wasn’t how she wanted this night to go. Sex with the first guy she danced with—and especially this guy—wasn’t what she wanted. She planted her feet, jolting both her and Kyle to a stop. Anger flashed in his eyes.

  “What’s the matter, babe?” The anger was gone just as quickly as it appeared, replaced with a leer. “Oh, yeah. You want to leave?”

  “No. Let’s just go back to the bar.” She turned away, hoping to lose him in the crowd.

  Her drink was where she’d left it, the ice melting, and she reached for it. Before she could lift it, a hand grabbed her wrist. She gasped, looking up at the bartender.

  “Let go…”

  “Don’t.” His fingers gripped her tighter. She pulled against him, some of the drink sloshing on to the bar.

  “What the hell?” Kyle was behind her, voice hard-edged and possessive. “Dude, let her go.”

  The bartender looked at Kyle. “Back off.” His voice was equally hard-edged, but there was something in it that made the hair on the back of Scarlett’s neck stand up.

  “You can’t just…” Kyle leaned over the bar and grabbed the bartender’s arm. The drink slipped from her hand, the glass and ice skittering across the bar, leaving her hand in a puddle of liquid.

  Before she could draw a breath, the bartender’s fist flashed out, connecting with Kyle’s jaw. Kyle staggered back, stumbled over a barstool, and landed on the floor on his back. Scarlett looked down at Kyle and then back to the bartender, eyes wide. She’d wanted excitement but this wasn’t what she’d had in mind, not by a long shot.

  “He put something in your drink.”

  She blinked at him. “He…what?” The bartender let go of her and she rubbed her wrist.

  “Roofies, or something like it. When you left to dance, he slipped them in your drink.”

  Behind her, she heard Kyle moaning. She turned as two bouncers cut through the crowd.

  “He goes?” One of the bouncers jerked his head in the bartender’s direction.

  “Yeah. And he’s not welcome back.” The men grabbed Kyle under the arms, hauled him to his feet, and dragged him to the door.

  She turned back to the bartender. “Wait…” She glanced at his name tag then back to his face. “Wesley? Aren’t you going to call the police?”

  Wesley shrugged, eyes flickering away briefly. “Not my call. It’s up to the manager. Bouncers will let him know what happened.” He straightened, his eyes coming back to hers. “Let me get you something, a soda or water. On the house. You look a little shaken.”

  “Um, yeah. Okay. Club soda.” Her hands were trembling slightly and she eased herself onto a barstool.

  She watched as he filled a glass and slid it across the bar.

  “Thanks.” She took a sip, watching Wesley wipe down the counter. After a moment, he spoke again.

  “I haven’t seen you in here before. First time at Diablo?”

  Scarlett sputtered on her drink. �
��That’s the same line Kyle used on me, more or less.”

  A corner of Wesley’s mouth curved up in a smile. Scarlett marveled at the transformation. “I’m sure it was.” The tough guy exterior cracked, just a little, the smile warming his brown eyes.

  “But you’re right. This is my first time here.” She took another swallow of soda.

  “My point is Diablo’s not always that kind to newcomers. How did you end up here? It wasn’t just a random choice, was it?”

  “A friend recommended it, that this was the place to be.” She shrugged, setting her drink on the bar. “She said if I was looking for a good time, Diablo was it.”

  Wesley’s smile broadened and he straightened, tossing the bar rag beneath the counter. “She must be a regular then. Listen, I’m done here. If you like, we can grab a drink. Not here, maybe some place a little quieter.”

  Scarlett stared at Wesley. He looked back at her with frank interest, the smile still playing around his lips. She bit her lip. After being insulted by Tyler and almost drugged by Kyle, did she really want to take a chance on going for a drink with another stranger? She remembered her plan the night Tyler left. She was going to have fun, prove to herself he was wrong. It was time to live a little, and she might as well start now.

  “Where?”

  “There’s a little bar around the corner. Not far. We can walk.”

  “And I can trust you not to put something in my drink, like Kyle?”

  He held up his hands, smile widening. “I’m completely trustworthy. Nothing happens unless you agree to it. I was a Boy Scout. Besides…” Wesley leaned on the counter. “You know where I work.”

  Scarlett had no choice but to smile. Nothing about Wesley set off any alarms, at least not with a bar between them and a roomful of people behind her. What he did set off was an intense warmth that washed over her entire body that had nothing to do with the alcohol she drank.

  “Knowing where you work doesn’t make you trustworthy.” She saw a hint of disappointment cross Wesley’s face. “But yeah, I’ll have a drink with you.”

  The smile she got in return sent a wave of excitement right through her. He had dimples. Scarlett had never met a man with dimples. It made her want to say something to make him smile again.

  “Just let me punch out and get my jacket, and we’ll take off.” He briefly covered her hand with his before he turned around. She couldn’t help watching as he walked away, noticing his long legs, the way his jeans hugged him. He stopped for a minute, talking to a bald man at the end of the bar. They glanced at her, and then Wesley disappeared through a door at the end of the bar. She breathed out a sigh. Maybe her prospects for the night had just gotten a little better.

  A few moments later Wesley came back, moving smoothly through the crowd, his jacket over his shoulder. “Ready?

  Scarlett looked up at him and grinned as she slid from the barstool. His smile was there, dimples and all. Wesley’s hand hovered near her back, barely brushing her skin as they moved through the crowd to the exit. Wesley nodded to the guy at the door as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The guy smiled at Scarlett.

  The bar he took her to was small and quiet. Wesley installed her in a corner booth and then brought back two drinks from the bar. Setting them on the table, he slid onto the seat across from her. He looked at her, then nodded at the drinks.

  “You can pick which drink you like, just so you know I didn’t slip anything into yours.”

  Scarlett glanced at Wesley. He seemed sincere and didn’t seem to be scamming her. He’d barely touched her on the walk over, just a chaste hand on her back or elbow as he held the door for her.

  And because he was so restrained, so nice, Scarlett found she wanted him. Really badly. A sweet dark heat had started deep inside her on the walk over, and she let it build. It wasn’t hard.

  Wesley was handsome in a way that contradicted how nice he seemed. He was all rough edges and smoldering dark eyes. He’d punched Kyle without hesitation. Scarlett wasn’t usually attracted to brute force kind of guys, but she found that simple, direct action had its effects. But when he’d smiled, that tough-guy stuff melted, just enough to make her insides melt. Add the sexy-messy black hair and hint of dark stubble, and it all added up to shallow breaths and a fluttering heart for Scarlett.

  “I choose this one.” She reached across the table, took the glass, and drank half the drink. Wesley took the other glass, watching her over the rim as he took a swallow.

  “So you’re out on your own tonight? No date meeting you? Not a girls’ night out?” He took another swallow and set the glass down. “So what’s your story, Scarlett?”

  Her story wasn’t one she wanted to tell him. She couldn’t explain to Wesley that her ex-boyfriend thought she was too fat for sex. It hurt just to think about it. And it was embarrassing. She took another drink and looked him straight in the eye.

  “I wanted a night out, to have some fun. Some dancing, a little flirting.” She shrugged. “Just a girl out on the town. Nothing wrong with that.”

  Wesley tipped his glass in her direction. “I’m all for girls having fun.”

  Touching her glass to his, she smiled. “Then here’s to fun.” She tossed back the rest of the drink, the alcohol creating a pleasant burn in her stomach.

  “Another?” Wesley was already sliding out of the booth, their glasses in his hands. She nodded, watching him walk to the bar. It was almost unbelievable that she was here with someone like Wesley. She grabbed her purse and slid out of the booth, coming up behind him. She rested one hand on his back, fingers itching to move lower. He turned and smiled at her.

  “I’m going to the ladies' room.”

  He leaned down and kissed her, his lips brushing across softly across hers. “Hurry back.” His voice dropped, low and intimate, knocking the breath out of her. All she could manage was a nod. She turned and walked away.

  As she washed her hands, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed. Alcohol usually made her pink-cheeked, but her smile was clearly there because of Wesley. A little thrill ran through her. He was charming, nice…obviously he was sexy, very sexy.

  And he was definitely interested in her. Her smile deepened and she did a little shimmy for her reflection. She was right and Tyler was wrong. She was desirable; Wesley found her desirable.

  Wesley was waiting for her, sipping his drink. As she crossed the dim room, he looked up, saw her, and smiled. Dimples flashing, he moved over in the booth, patting the seat beside him.

  “Welcome back.” Wesley slipped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. She picked up her glass, taking a long swallow of her drink.

  He was warm, his arm strong, and he smelled amazing. She looked up at him. In the dark his brown eyes were almost black, heavy-lidded, one side of his mouth curved up in a smile.

  Between the smile, the look in his eyes, and the warmth of his body, Scarlett gave in to the desire that swirled through her. Wesley set one finger beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his. He was very close, and the intensity of his gaze was doing things, strange and wonderful things, to her body and her mind.

  “I’m going to kiss you, Scarlett. That okay with you?”

  Wesley hesitated, as if waiting for an answer, but she could only manage to nod and part her lips in anticipation. He held her gaze, and she lost herself in the depths of his eyes.

  Scarlett pushed forward, tilting her face up to his, suddenly unable to resist the urge to kiss him. He met her, his lips still curved in a smile, touching her slowly, his mouth barely brushing hers. She could smell his aftershave, something spicy, and the scent of him, warm and masculine, like old leather and tobacco.

  She pressed against him, and his lips parted. He kissed her back fully, his tongue caressing her lower lip. Meeting his tongue with hers, she tasted the alcohol on his lips, different than hers, darker, not so sweet. She shifted in his arms, turning toward him, wanting to drink him in, to explore his lips and mouth with he
r tongue.

  His hands were on her back, caressing her bare skin, sliding down to the base of her spine. As his fingers slipped beneath the edge of her dress, pressing against her, she was hit with a jolt deep inside, as if he’d found the secret spot that unlocked some primal response in her body. She moaned against his mouth, wanting more of him, aching for more.

  When he broke the kiss, she gasped as if he’d taken the air away. She looked up at him and saw the heat in his eyes, mirroring what she felt. Her body was practically vibrating with arousal. All she wanted was Wesley.

  “Take me home with you.” Her words were more pleading than a request. Wesley tilted his head, brows drawing together slightly.

  “Is that what you want, Scarlett? To come home with me?” He traced a line down her cheek and she turned her face, kissing the palm of his hand. “If that’s what you really want, let’s go.”

  She looked at him and nodded. He smiled, and something clenched deep inside her, almost painful in its intensity. When he pushed against her, she slid out of the booth, grabbing her purse. The room spun for a moment and she caught herself on the table. She felt Wesley right behind her, his hand on her back, as she made her way to the door. Then they were outside, the cool night air like a different kind of kiss, and she took a deep breath, her head clearing for a moment. An involuntary shiver ran through her. and she hugged herself.

  “Here.” Wesley draped his jacket over her shoulders. It smelled like him, like his aftershave. She pulled the jacket around her and then his arm was there and she was snugged up against him, his hip jostling her as they walked down the sidewalk.

  The night sky was clear. Scarlett looked up, trying to focus on the moon overhead. It swam out of focus and she shook her head, stumbling against Wesley. His arm tightened around her.

  “Sorry. I…oh, shit.” She shook her head again. “I think I had a little more to drink than I think I realized.” The sidewalk seemed to tilt upward at a crazy angle, and she leaned against him.

  “We don’t have far to go. Just around the corner. Hang in there, Scarlett.” His lips were against her ear, his breath tickling her skin, but he sounded far away. She closed her eyes, letting him guide her as they walked. He was so strong and she could feel his warmth, even through the jacket.