“We are. We bump heads sometimes, but we work well together.”
She admired the rows of sparkling-clean glasses that were shelved behind the bar, ready and waiting to be filled. All of them were stamped with the name of the club and a random playing card, always hearts.
“So you’ve waited tables before?” he asked.
“Yes. I worked from the time I was old enough. Waitressing was the job of choice. Flexible hours and tips.”
Nevar dragged his fingers though his hair. “I’m not sure what Rabb has in mind for you. We could use an extra waitress, at least until after the holiday rush. We need a dishwasher too. Our regular one called in sick. Personally, I think he just wanted to go home for the holidays. I expect he’ll make a miraculous recovery after the new year.”
“You’ll hold his job that long?”
Nevar shook his head. “No, but we don’t exactly have the time to spend interviewing for it either. This is our busiest time of year.”
That was certainly true. Holiday parties were always big and people were just more in the mood to celebrate. “I can wash dishes.” Better if she wasn’t out among people. She didn’t want to run into someone who knew Jason.
Nevar’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. She resisted the urge to flinch. “You’d rather wash dishes than waitress?”
“You can always get your staff to work a few extra hours on the floor. What you don’t have is a dishwasher,” she pointed out. Plus, she’d just as soon not have to wear the uniforms she’d seen the waitresses wearing last night. The blue dresses with the tight bodice and the hint of lace peeking out probably got them a lot of tips from the men. They were tasteful but sexy, but she didn’t have the figure to fill one out, not with the weight she’d lost.
She prayed Nevar wouldn’t ask any further questions. Then she realized she was basically agreeing to take a job, which meant she would be staying with Rabb, at least until she saved up enough money to rent a room.
Maybe he’d front her a loan and take so much a week out of her pay.
Then her stomach cramped. She couldn’t afford to be on anyone’s payroll. She had no idea how far Jason’s reach was. The man knew his way around computers, and if there was something he couldn’t access, he had friends. She could easily imagine him telling his buddies he wanted to keep an eye on the crazy lady accusing him of such vile things. They’d believe him and do whatever they could to help.
“No time like the present.” Nevar came out from behind the bar and motioned her back down the short hallway. The office was on the right, but the door on the left opened to a small kitchen.
“We serve sandwiches and soup for the lunch crowd and your basic pub snacks until eight at night. The menu is limited, but what we do make we make well. The cook will be in soon. His name is Denver. You’ll be working mostly with him.”
Eliza nodded. The space wasn’t overly large, but it was ruthlessly organized and squeaky clean. She approved.
A heavy knock sounded on the back door. Nevar crossed over to it and unbolted the heavy door. A tall man in his early fifties, with short black hair that grayed at the temples, walked in. Nevar closed and bolted the door behind him.
“Morning, boss.” His voice was raspy, his shoulders were thrown back and his spine was as straight as a ruler. She pegged him as former military. He stopped when he saw her.
“Denver this is Eliza. She’s the new dishwasher, at least temporarily.”
Eliza stuck out her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Denver took her hand and gave it a quick pump. “Glad for the help.”
“I’ll leave you two to get to work. Denver will show you the ropes. I’ll be in the office if you need me for anything or have any questions.” Nevar started to leave but paused at the last second. “You’re not going to sneak out the back, are you?”
She wouldn’t deny she’d thought about it. Denver certainly wouldn’t stop her. But her promise to Rabb coupled with the allure of having a safe place to stay, earning her own money, and not having to depend on handouts and the kindness of strangers won out. As long as she stayed out of sight, Jason would never know she was there.
“I’ll be here when Rabb gets back,” she promised.
Nevar studied her face and then nodded. “If you need anything, just ask. And your meals are free as well. You just have to eat before or after the rush hour.” He turned to Denver. “I’ll leave her in your capable hands.”
Denver gave a quick nod and then they were in the kitchen alone. She wasn’t intimidated. She’d worked in restaurants and bars her entire life. “Where are the aprons?”
Denver opened a drawer, pulled one out and tossed it to her. She put it on over her clothing. Not that it mattered if they got wet or not. It wasn’t as though she could damage jeans and a secondhand sweater.
“You up for this?” he asked. “You look as though a strong wind would blow you over.”
She smiled at him. “I’m stronger than I look.” She’d had to be.
“If you say so.” He obviously wasn’t convinced, but took her at her word. “We’ve got a lot to get done before the lunch crowd starts trickling in.”
Chapter Seven
Rabb ducked into the kitchen and stopped just inside the door to watch Eliza. He’d checked several times today, just to make sure she hadn’t run off. Each time, she’d been hard at work and had scowled at him until he’d left. Right now, she was sitting at the kitchen island nursing a cup of coffee and picking at a sandwich.
He frowned. She needed to eat more if she was going to regain her strength. She probably shouldn’t have worked a full day either. Damn Nevar for getting her started at work so quickly. Rabb would have preferred she take a few days to rest and recoup first.
As soon as she saw him, her shoulders went back, and she shook off all vestiges of exhaustion. “I’m done for the day.” There was a challenge to her words that he couldn’t help but notice.
“I know. Denver clocked out at eight.”
“Oh.” Eliza yawned and held up her hand in front of her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Why are you still here?”
She shrugged. “Where else was I supposed to go?”
Her answer hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut. Where else, indeed? “You should have come and found me.”
She finished her coffee, slid off the stool and deposited her dirty mug in the sink. “Why? You were working.” She dug some plastic wrap out of the cupboard and covered her sandwich before she put it in the refrigerator.
She looked far too pale for his liking. They’d been busy today so he knew she’d worked hard. Denver had told him she’d help him prep in the kitchen when she hadn’t been busy with the dishes.
She stuffed her hands in her jeans pockets. “Can you front me some of my pay so I can rent a place?”
He stalked toward her, trying his best to swallow his anger. “No, I can’t.” He ignored the flash of disappointment, which was quickly followed by a glimpse of fear as he got closer. “We’ve already been through this. You’re staying with me.” With her back to the counter and him in front of her, he’d left her nowhere to go.
“That’s probably not a good idea.” She crossed her arms over her chest. Rabb knew it was a defensive mechanism designed to keep him at a distance.
He yanked her against him, forcing her to plant her hands on his chest if she didn’t want to be plastered against him. “I think it’s an excellent idea,” he told her. Then he did what he’d been dying to do all day. He kissed her. He didn’t count the quick peck he’d given her on his way out this morning. That had been more of a tease than anything.
Eliza made a small sound. Of dismay? Of confusion? He wasn’t quite sure. He almost stopped, would have stopped, if she hadn’t kissed him back. Her tongue tentatively rubbed against his, warm and inviting. He pulled her closer, running his hands up and down her slender spine before settling them on her firm ass.
She stopped kissing him and gave him a disgruntled
frown that made her look adorable. “How do you do that?” she demanded.
“Do what?” He did his best to try to look innocent but knew he’d failed when she pushed against him until he reluctantly released her.
Rabb decided it was for the best anyway. This wasn’t the place to get into this kind of discussion. “Come on upstairs and we’ll talk.”
“What about work? You’re leaving Nevar to run the place on his own again tonight,” she pointed out. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told it was only about quarter past eight. The night was just getting started for the club.
“He’ll live.” Rabb wrapped his arm around her shoulders and led her out the kitchen door and down to the heavy steel door at the end of the hallway. “I already told him I’d give him tomorrow night off.” He pulled out his keys, unlocked the door and ushered her through.
The noise from the club declined drastically when he closed the door. It was nothing more than a muffled sound in the distance. “Come on. I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Eliza nibbled on her bottom lip. She really should leave, but she was exhausted. No way would she let Rabb know that, but working a full busy day had wiped her out. They really had been busy today, both her and Denver hustling nonstop. She’d met most of the wait staff too as they’d hurried in and out with orders and trays of dirty dishes.
They’d all been curious about her, but there’d been no time for them to ask many questions. A fact for which she was very grateful.
“How are you paying me?” Oh God, she hadn’t meant to ask so bluntly. She paused on the stairs and glanced back at him. His face was inscrutable and he simply indicated with a jerk of his head that she should continue up the stairs.
She held her ground. “I’m not kidding. If you put me on the payroll, Jason might find out.” That was always a concern.
“Don’t worry about it.”
He was standing two stairs below her so she could look him in the eye. “Don’t worry about it?” She poked her index finger against his chest. “That’s the best you can do?” She poked him again. “Of course, I’m worried about it.”
“Ah, we don’t mean to interrupt, but we’re on our way out.” Eliza spun around at the sound of the female voice and might have fallen down the stairs if Rabb hadn’t caught her.
The woman was tall and lean with silky black hair and dark eyes. She was wearing a bright-red coat and short-brimmed hat that looked like something from the nineteen twenties. The hat was the same vibrant color of the coat. The man’s eyes twinkled a deep brown. He was stocky and his hair was the same color as Rabb’s. Oh God, these were his parents.
“Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad. This is Eliza.” Rabb rested his hand against her lower back and rubbed. Strangely enough, she found the gesture comforting. “Eliza, these are my parents, Irene and Frank Hatter.”
“It’s nice to meet you, dear.” Eliza found herself enveloped in a big perfumed hug. “We’d love to stay and chat, but we’re already late for the Grishams’ Christmas party.” She gave Eliza a speculative gaze. “You must come by for tea tomorrow.”
“Ah. Ah, okay.” Eliza didn’t know what else to say. She’d make up an excuse tomorrow and bow out. Work, yes, she’d be working. “Nice to meet you too.” She inclined her head at Frank Hatter, and he winked back at her. And just what was she supposed to make of that?
Rabb eased her to the side of the staircase so his parents could continue on down. Eliza rested her forehead against the wall, barely resisting knocking her head against it a few times. Talk about embarrassing. Her clothing was ragged and she was sweaty and as limp as a wet dishrag after working all day. Not exactly a great impression.
“Hey, don’t worry about them. They liked you.”
She lifted her head. “And you could tell that how?”
“Mom hugged you.”
There was nothing to be done about it now, and she had nothing to be ashamed of. “No offense, Rabb, but I get the feeling your mom is the kind of woman who hugs everyone.”
A huge grin split Rabb’s face. “You’ve met her before?” he teased. She found herself smiling in spite of herself. “Come on.” He urged her to continue up the stairs. “You look ready to drop.”
She was ready to drop, but she’d never admit it. “I’m fine.”
Rabb kept any further opinions to himself as they finished the trek up the stairs. By the time they reached the blue door, she was ready to lie down on the floor and close her eyes. She stifled another yawn as he unlocked the door and held it for her.
Her coat and knapsack were right where she’d left them.
She really should head out, but it was too late to get a bed at the shelter. They went early, especially in the cold weather.
Eliza sniffed. Why was she smelling pine trees? She took a step closer to the tantalizing scent and stopped next to the sofa.
Rabb flipped a switch that turned on a lamp in the living room and there in the corner of the room, already in a stand was a five-foot fir tree. “Do you like it?” he asked. “I thought maybe we could decorate it after you’d had a bath and a bite to eat if you’re hungry. You didn’t have more than a mouthful of the sandwich you had downstairs.”
Tears pricked her eyes. Last Christmas had been a lonely one for her. She’d spent the day working and had gone home by herself and eaten canned turkey soup. There’d been no tree, or lights or presents. No one to spend the holiday with. “Why?” she asked.
Rabb sighed and raked his fingers through his thick brown hair, leaving it spiked on the top of his head. “Because I thought you might enjoy it. Because I wanted to share it with you.”
His simple explanation almost tore her heart out. “Oh Rabb. What am I going to do with you?”
It was meant as more of a rhetorical question, but he answered her. “Love me.” He reached out and cupped her face in his large hands. “Let me love you back.”
He was killing her. She did love him, right to the core of her being, but she couldn’t tell him that. “My life is a mess,” she pointed out.
He rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones. “Right now, right here, it’s only you, me. And the tree,” he added.
She laughed in spite of herself. That’s what Rabb had always done for her. He was serious and staid around most people, but around her he’d always let down his guard. She hadn’t realized what a gift that was until now.
He lowered his mouth until it hovered over hers, the warmth of his breath luring her closer. She went up on her toes and touched her lips against his. He warmed her, welcomed her.
He murmured to her, words of encouragement, hot sexy words that made her blush. Before she realized it, he had her half naked, her sweater and the rest of the top layers pulled off and discarded.
“Right here. Right now.” He punctuated that statement with a hot, passionate kiss that left her breathless.
He stepped back long enough to yank off his shirt and toss it aside. Her breath caught in her throat. Rabb was built. There was no other way to put it. His chest and shoulders were broad, his biceps huge and his abs ripped. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing him like this. A tempting pelt of hair covered the center of his chest. It thinned out as it got lower until only a slender line headed toward his bellybutton.
His big hands cupped her breasts. His lips found hers and Eliza gave up all pretense of leaving, because that’s what it was. Pretense. She didn’t want to leave Rabb. This was where she wanted to be. For right or wrong, she was staying as long as Rabb wanted her.
He thumbed her nipples, making them draw even tighter. His touch shot through her and the sensation landed deep in her pussy, making her ache. Her toes curled in anticipation of having his cock buried deep inside her.
Rabb nibbled on her neck, finding the places that drove her wild. He nipped at her earlobes and she dug her fingernails into his shoulders. He made a sound of pleasure and then dropped to his knees in front of her.
He slowly pulled down the zipper on her jeans as if he
were unwrapping a present. The rapt expression on his face drove her temperature up another few degrees. She tangled her fingers in his hair and tilted his head back. “I do care,” she told him. She wanted him to know this was more than just sex for her.
“I know.” His tone was as gentle as his hands as he peeled her jeans and panties down her legs. They caught around her ankles and he took the time to remove her shoes and socks before he finished stripping her naked.
He was still half dressed and she was wearing nothing. She shivered even though she wasn’t cold. There was too much heat being generated by them. Rabb ran his hands up and down her legs, moving inward with each stroke. Eliza held her breath as his fingers moved closer to her pussy but he stopped short.
“Tease,” she accused. Rabb laughed and kissed her just below her navel. She sucked in her stomach when the caress tickled her skin.
“Lean back against the sofa and spread your legs.” His sexual command made her tense with arousal. She rested her butt against the back of the sofa and gripped the edges with her hands. Then she slowly widened her stance.
“That’s what I want.” Rabb shifted so he was kneeling right between her spread legs. He placed a hand on either knee and stroked upward, stopping only when he reached the crease where her legs and torso met. Using his thumbs, he spread her pussy wide and studied her.
She should be flushed with embarrassment, not arousal. But she was beyond embarrassment. “Touch me.” This time it was her giving the commands.
He looked up at her and gave her a smile that would have melted her socks if she’d been wearing any. He stroked a thick finger over her, dipping into her slit. “Like that?”
She wiggled her hips, wanting him deeper. “More.”
“Hmm.” He teased her slick folds before returning to her opening. She quivered when he hesitated.
“Rabb.” She gripped his hair and yanked him toward her.
He laughed, low and deep. Then he plunged two thick fingers deep into her core.
WildLoving Page 7
