At least she had someplace to stay through Monday, as well as a job to boot. It wasn’t like she would have taken off on Jake anyway, not when she promised she’d work the bar for him. If the car wasn’t ready by Monday afternoon, she’d simply have to find other means of transportation to get her where she needed to go. It was about time to trade anyway. Keeping the same vehicle for too long wasn’t smart.
Thinking that way was second nature to her now, but it hadn’t always been that way. Once, a lifetime ago, she had had everything any girl could ever want: a loving family, lots of friends, a big house and pretty clothes. How could she ever have known that one day she’d be struggling for things she hadn’t once given a second thought? Like having enough food to eat. A warm, dry bed to sleep in. And a bath. Those things were her new luxury items. Someday, she hoped, things would be different again. But for now, keeping under the radar was the most important thing.
Taryn made a brief stop at the local Wal-Mart and picked up a couple of essentials. She allowed herself a few indulgences, too – scented, moisturizing body wash and shampoo, a bottle of nail polish, a new razor, a few silky undergarments and some extra batteries. Before her shift tonight, she was going to treat herself. It might be the last chance she had for a while.
* * *
Every time the door opened Jake looked up, hoping to see Taryn. She’d only been gone two hours, but it felt like much longer. What if she decided not to return, then what? Would he ever be able to find her again based on the little they knew about her? And should he even try?
His anxiety increased with each passing moment. Thank God they were busy enough to keep him moving constantly. If he had time to kill he’d have been pacing like a caged tiger, fighting the urge to go looking for her. From the looks of things, Ian wasn’t faring much better. He looked up every time Jake did.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst, that’s what his father always said. The best? Taryn walked through those doors and decided to stay. The worst? She was already well on her way out of his life and not looking back. He told himself repeatedly that Taryn would not go back on her word. If she said she would be back to tend, she would. There was a lot he didn’t know about her, but he sensed that much.
The wave of relief he felt was substantial when she entered the Pub a short time later, shopping bags in hand. She smiled at him, and all the angst just melted away. It was easy – too easy – to picture her walking in like that every day, returning home. To him.
Promising to be back down before six, she made her way upstairs. A few minutes later, Ian reappeared, informing Jake that the GPS had been returned to her luggage while she was preoccupied elsewhere. He hadn’t had time to download the codes, but he would do that later. When Jake questioned the odd expression on his face, Ian would only say that Taryn’s shopping trip had been a good one.
Jake hummed quietly to himself. Taryn was back, just like she said she would be, safe and sound upstairs. Business was booming and all indications pointed to a record night. Jake’s afternoon had just taken a decided upturn.
The bar continued to fill. The local university had a sound lead at half time, and everyone, it seemed, was in a party mood. Jake was feeling unusually happy himself, though he told himself it had everything to do with the game and great crowd and absolutely nothing to do with the honeyed blonde currently up in his living quarters and expected down any minute.
“Oh, shit,” Jake heard Ian murmur. Jake followed Ian’s gaze to find Kayla strutting across the floor in black leggings that showed off her long, slim legs and a low–cut, shimmery top. She drew admiring looks from men up and down the bar, as well as a few less-than-cordial glares from their female companions. Jake was only mildly surprised that the sight of Kayla didn’t hold the appeal for him it once had. If he was honest with himself, it had probably been a while since it had.
“Kayla,” he said, his voice guarded. “Didn’t expect to see you here tonight.” He glanced at the old-fashioned pendulum clock hanging on the wall. Quarter to six. With any luck, he could handle this before Taryn appeared.
Kayla’s smile faded a little. She looked questioningly over to Ian, but his attention was pointedly fixed on the customers in front of him. “I’m working tonight, remember?”
“I don’t think so.”
Kayla blinked. It took a few seconds for his words to sink in. When they did, she looked at him in disbelief. “But it’s Homecoming.”
“Would have been good if you remembered that last night,” he said dryly.
Kayla gave him a knowing smile. “Ah, Jake, don’t be mad at me, baby.” She leaned over and gave him – and every other male within a ten foot radius - a clear view of her breasts straining beneath the clingy material. The first thing that went through Jake’s mind was how Taryn’s were so much nicer. And he would bet his Pub that Taryn hadn’t paid for hers.
“See, Kayla, that’s the thing. I’m not.” Jake pulled a couple of drafts and handed them to customers on either side of her before pinning her with his intense blue eyes. She shifted uncomfortably.
“Of course you are, and you have every right to be. But I’ll make it up to you, Jake, I promise.”
Her eyes promised all kinds of things that normally would have had him considering her offer. She knew all about his darker side, and was willing to indulge him whenever she felt him pulling away. It was usually enough to smooth his ruffled feathers and make him think of creative ways to “punish” her.
But not this time. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
Kayla was stunned, stepping back as if he had just slapped her. “Jake, you can’t just –“
“Yes, Kayla, I can.” Jake was suddenly aware of another presence behind him. Given the heavenly scent that wrapped around him, the sudden tightness in his lower body, and the way Kayla’s eyes narrowed, it wasn’t hard to figure out who it was. Any hopes of handling the situation before Taryn arrived for her shift went straight to hell.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with your little charity case, would it?” she asked with a cruel smile. Lowering her voice just a little, she leaned forward. “What did you have to do to get behind Jake’s bar, honey? Blow him and his brother?”
Jake’s expression hardened; his eyes turned an icy blue. Even Ian lost his boyish grin. Taryn, however, looked amused. She stepped between both men, allowing one hand to rest lightly on each of their backs, then slid them a little lower in plain view. Her eyes danced and she licked her lips as she lifted her chin in a blatant challenge. “Jealous?”
Kayla’s face turned purple with rage when Taryn refused to look away, allowing a slow smile to spread across her face. Ian’s jaw dropped. Jake could only look at her, stunned.
“You little bitch,“ Kayla hissed, looking poised to crawl right over the bar, and Taryn laughed, infuriating her further. Jake was the first to snap back to reality, pushing Taryn protectively behind him. Though he was proud of the way she’d handled herself, she’d never seen one of Kayla’s tantrums up close and personal.
Taryn was none too pleased, however, and tried to step around him. Ian blocked her with his body and forced her backward while the rest of the bar whistled and looked on in obvious interest.
* * *
Taryn’s eyes shot daggers at Ian as she tried to get around him, but he anticipated her every move. “Let Jake fight his own battles, will you?” Ian said under his breath so that only she could hear.
“Sounds to me like I was the one being shot at,” Taryn spit back at him.
“Don’t make me pick you up and carry you out of here,” Ian warned. She reluctantly allowed him to shepherd her toward the back, out of view from the main bar. Ian backed her right up against a wall, caging her with his much larger body.
“Look at me,” Ian commanded. She looked down at her shoes. Ian growled softly, a low but definite warning. She did look up then, but defiance was etched into every one of her features.
He looked deep into her eyes, searching, cur
ious. “Why did you say that?” he asked, his voice slightly rougher than usual. “Why did you make it sound like you ...”
She did not flinch from his gaze, her face set with determination. “What difference does it make?”
“Is that what you want people to think?” he asked, genuinely perplexed. “That you’re doing both of us?”
“I really don’t give a rat’s ass what she or anyone else thinks,” Taryn said vehemently, her voice little more than a low hiss. “And I rather doubt you or your brother will suffer any negative effects from any rumors of such.”
Ian’s jaw clenched. She had absolutely no idea the fire she was playing with. Had no idea the dark games he and his brother played. For real.
“Ian!” Jake’s voice called sharply from the bar. Ian slowly pulled his hands away from the wall. Maybe she did know. He found that prospect very promising indeed. Impulsively he leaned down and touched his lips to her forehead. He did not miss her sharp little intake of breath, telling him everything he needed to know. She might have a dark side, but she was more talk than action. He could practically feel her tremble beneath him at the mere suggestion of making her claim a reality. It pleased him greatly, but he had no idea why.
“Calm down a little before you come back out, wildcat,” he told her. “Something tells me you’re going to be very busy tonight.”
* * *
Ian turned and stalked back out toward the bar, leaving Taryn with her back against the wall. With him went whatever strength was holding her up. Leaning over with her hands on her knees, she fought the urge to slide down to the floor.
Her heart thundered against the inner walls of her chest. Taryn took several deep breaths, trying to convince herself that her heart was pounding because of the obnoxious female out front and not because Ian’s body had been only inches from hers, hard and unyielding.
Ian won’t hurt me, she mentally reminded herself, then repeated it twice more until she actually believed it.
His eyes had been so dark, a glittering midnight blue; his expression unwavering. There had been no trace of the lighthearted, mischievous Ian she had seen until that point. Taryn had no doubt this new, intense Ian wouldn’t have hesitated to do exactly as he had threatened, and would have wasted no time in slinging her over his shoulder had she not acquiesced.
Just what the hell had she been thinking, shooting her mouth off like that? The question ricocheted around in her mind like BB shot. The only thing she knew for certain was that something fierce and ugly clawed at her insides the very second she saw the way that woman was looking at Jake. She hadn’t taken the time to analyze it. She’d just acted on pure instinct.
Fresh air. She needed fresh air. Taryn steadied herself with a few more deep breaths and headed through the kitchen to the back entrance. The autumn sky was still a lovely blue, with just a hint of what was promising to be a spectacular sunset. The heat of the day was beginning to fade; the air held the scents of apples and leaves and pine.
Fingering her cross, she looked heavenward, picturing Charlie looking down upon her, shaking his head. He often told her that he admired her spirit, but had also warned that her temper was going to get her into more trouble than she could get herself out of one day. With a shiver, she wondered if that day had finally come.
The look in Ian’s eyes had shaken her. The heat rolling off of his body had seeped into hers and his eyes had turned so dark... How could she ever have thought him a mischievous boy? There was nothing boyish about the hungry way he had looked at her, or the way he had caged her with his hard, muscled body. Suddenly she was the one feeling like the child.
Another thought was just as disconcerting. Nothing had happened, not really, but that little heated exchange felt like a betrayal to Jake. But she and Jake had nothing between them. This was just a simple, mutually beneficial business agreement between them. Right?
After a few minutes it became clear that she wouldn’t be figuring out those answers anytime soon. She took one last deep, cleansing breath and pasted a well-practiced smile on her face. She got herself into this, she would take it like a woman.
Her head was held high when she re-entered the Pub with renewed resolve.
It was packed, just as Jake had said it would be, but there was no sign of the obnoxious brunette. They didn’t have time to talk, though Jake’s frequent gazes told her they would be discussing the earlier events at some point. It was so busy, however, that Taryn quickly forgot all about Kayla. Just like the night before, she was having so much fun that the time literally flew by.
Maybe it was because of what had happened earlier. Or maybe it was because of all the extra time and pampering she’d indulged in, but she felt sexy and confident, and it showed. Not only did the customers love her, but the chemistry between the three of them electrified the whole place.
Chapter Seven
The room suddenly seemed much smaller as several of the largest men Taryn had ever seen entered the bar. Obviously well-known and well-liked, they received plenty of greetings and pats on the back as the crowd parted like the Red Sea before them. There were five of them, one decidedly older than the others, but all obviously related with familiar jet black hair, chiseled features, and bright blue eyes.
“About fucking time,” Jake muttered under his breath, but Taryn sensed that he was relieved to see them. He took two steps toward her and leaned down close to her ear. “Let me and Ian handle these guys, hear me?”
His nearness played havoc with her senses. The heat from his body and the slight puffs of his moist, peppermint-scented breath against the sensitive area just behind her ear had an immediate intoxicating effect. It took a few seconds before her brain was able to process what he’d said. When she did, she nodded, her eyes widening slightly.
“Ah, come on, Jakie,” taunted one of the newcomers with a familiar, devilish grin. “We want the pretty one to wait on us.”
“Go to hell, Sean,” Jake answered, making the big man laugh. The one beside Sean – Taryn had to blink because she thought she was seeing double, said, “Yeah, come on, bro. Introduce us to our new bartender.”
“No.” Jake pulled out five frosted mugs and started filling them with Killian’s, slapping each down on the bar with a little more force than necessary as he did so.
“If you don’t introduce us properly,” another warned, “we’ll have to come back there and do it ourselves.”
“Don’t worry,” said the largest and youngest looking one of them, aiming a disarming smile right at Taryn. “We don’t bite.”
“Much,” another added.
“Unless that’s what you’re into.”
The older man reached up and gave the youngest a solid smack upside the head. “Mind your manners, boy. I raised you better than that.”
Jake shot them all a quelling look.
“These are your brothers?” Taryn asked Ian quietly.
“Unfortunately,” he muttered, but his eyes were twinkling.
“Hey, sweetheart, what’s your name?”
Jake’s expression was one of such martyrdom that she reached over and put a reassuring hand on his forearm. He obviously felt bad on her behalf, but there was no reason for him to. She’d dealt with a lot worse, and they just seemed to be having a bit of fun. Their harmless flirting was definitely affecting Jake more than her.
“Tell you what,” she said to the newcomers, squeezing Jake’s arm and winking at Ian. “If you can guess my name by last call, I’ll buy you a round out of my tips.”
“How about a kiss instead?” asked the young one hopefully, offering Taryn a roguish grin.
She looked at him as if seriously considering the idea, taking in his baby-smooth looking skin, and just the slightest hint of dimples that probably drove the girls wild. Jake’s corded forearm tensed beneath her hand; she flexed her fingers and gave him another quick squeeze before leaning over the bar. She ran her hand lightly over the younger one’s jaw, finding it every bit as smooth and cleanly-shaven as it
looked.
“Maybe,” she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “When you’re old enough to shave, that is.” His other brothers hooted in approval, and Jake shook his head, laughing.
* * *
Of course they would zero in on Taryn like wolves on an injured lamb, Jake thought to himself as his brothers set their sights on her. He should have known better. If he and Ian had sensed something about her, it was a natural conclusion that the others would, too. He only hoped he wouldn’t have to kill them. As far as he was concerned, Taryn was his.
He just had to decide what he was going to do with her.
He couldn’t stop himself from envisioning the dragon writhing beneath the material with every movement, though in truth, he wasn’t trying all that hard. Every once in a while she would twist or bend a certain way and he’d get a tiny peek at a hint of emerald green just beneath her collar, and that would re-open the flood gates to a series of images now permanently burned into his retinas.
He sighed. This was going to be one long fucking night. Suddenly he felt a small, warm hand on his forearm. It was such a slight touch, but it had an immediate soothing effect, rippling through him, warming him from the inside out.
Jake barely withheld the growl in his chest when Taryn reached up and touched Kieran’s jaw, but then felt a swell of respect when she put Kieran in his place with a few well-chosen words and a smile. Maybe he could relax a little; Taryn seemed to be taking them all in stride, and was obviously able to hold her own. He would make sure he stuck close by, though. Just in case.
The crowd was in high-spirits, fueled by the sound victory by the local team. Once Jake took a few deep breaths and convinced himself Taryn could handle herself, he was able to enjoy the night a little, too.
Dangerous Secrets: Callaghan Brothers, Book 1 Page 7
