“I can’t leave today for lunch. I’m on my own until Jeanine gets in.”
“Ah. Well, how about dinner?” he asks, his smile widening. I know what he’s asking and normally I might try him out. He’s the kind of guy who is perfect for me. No strings, good, hot sex, and fun to be around. Unlike Harry. Well, the first and third. I am pretty sure Harry is damned good at sex.
As if conjured up in my mind, Harry steps into my shop. His gaze takes in the way Travis is looking down at me, his hand on my waist, and Harry’s face flushes. Oh, my.
He’s angry? No, that can’t be right. Why would he be mad?
“EJ,” he says, his voice not at all nice.
Travis looks over and smiles at him when he notices Harry staring at him. “Hey, there. Travis Fillmore.”
Harry frowns. “Have we met?”
“I don’t think so. Do you work for one of the TV stations?”
“No, I own the shop across the hall.”
“Oh, man, I love that place. My sister is over there right now getting some cupcakes.”
“Wait, are you on a show?”
Travis smiles. “Yep. Flipping Texas.”
I wait for the inevitable slobbering. I was a little surprised by it to begin with, but both men and women seem to get enamored with celebrity. While he isn’t a leading man in movies, his face is pretty, and he does all kinds of cool things with tools. Apparently, that’s enough to attract men and women.
“Nice to meet you,” Harry says glancing at me. “You two know each other?”
“Yes,” Travis answers for me. “We met a few years ago when EJ was down in NOLA for a visit. I pop in whenever I’m in town to catch up. But now, I’m here all the time.”
He says it like it is the best thing in the world, and Harry looks like he wants to murder him. “Is that a fact?”
“Yes.” He turns to face me. “So, no lunch. How about dinner?” Travis asks again.
I shake my head just as I hear a rumble next to me. I glance at Harry then back at Travis. There’s a part of me that just wants to take Travis up on his offer. We haven’t been intimate since my trip to New Orleans. He’s a lot of fun, though. Travis always knows how to make a woman laugh and, on top of that, he makes her feel special. I don’t know how he does it, but I don’t think a woman would ever walk away from having dinner with Travis without feeling like she had had the best night of her life. But still, I’m tired, and this is just like Travis. He’s spontaneous, which I like, but sometimes at the worst possible moments.
“I’ll have to take a rain check. I’m exhausted and I have some work I have to do before this weekend.”
He smiles. “No problem. I’ll text you next week.”
I nod as I see his sister waving her arms.
“I have been summoned by Scary Syd.” He ignores Harry and leans in to kiss my cheek. “See ya later, EJ. Nice to meet you, Harry.”
Then he hurries out the door as if he is actually afraid of his sister. I have a feeling he has a good reason too. Not sure why but Syd makes me think of an Iron Maiden, a woman in charge of everything and lord help the man who gets out of line with her.
“I didn’t know you knew him.”
I shrug. “Like he said, we met a few years ago and now we’re just friends. He’s a big kid really.”
“Hmm,” he says, slipping his hands into the pockets of his pants.
“Is there something you need?”
His eyes flare and heat licks up my spine. How can this man just look at me and make me want to come? A man like Travis would be better—easier. Of course, like my mama always says, I don’t do anything the easy way.
“Not during working hours.”
“Harry,” I say, then we’re interrupted by the tinkling of the bell above the door. Two women, regular customers come in. They wave at me and make their way over to the paranormal romance section.
“Do I have a reason to be jealous?”
“Of what?”
“Mr. Fix-it Texas.”
“Flipping Texas.”
“EJ.”
I roll my eyes. “Harry, I don’t ask about any of your old girlfriends.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t front and center, and I want nothing to do with them.”
I look at him. I could screw with him, but that would be cruel, and I am not that. Ever. Even for people who deserve it.
“No. There is no reason. He’s just a friend now.”
His features relax and I realize he was really worried he had competition.
“You’re not one of those men who don’t want their women to have male friends, are you?”
“No. As long as you tell me you aren’t interested in him that way, then I’m cool.”
“Good, because having someone on a national show who frequents your shop would not hurt, ya know.”
“True, but if it means he’s going to flirt with you, I might have a problem.”
I let one eyebrow rise up. Normally, this kind of shit is just not for me. Jealousy is a wasted emotion that I don’t even want to think about. But for some reason, when Harry makes the comment, I feel that stupid zing again. I’m zinging all over the freaking place here, people.
“I don’t like men who demand too much of my time.”
I try to sound stern, but my tone is breathless like a fifteen-year-old idiot who has her first crush. The look he gives me tells me that he doesn’t believe me.
“I won’t demand all your time, but once I get you in bed, I don’t want you in anyone else’s.”
“Is that a fact?”
“Only fair,” he says placing a hand on either side of me on the counter. Effectively caging me in, but I don’t feel threatened at all. Instead, I feel hot. Soooooo hot. “Since I won’t have anyone else.”
“Hmm,” is all I say. Kind of the only thing I can say to him because this close, I can feel his heat. God bless Texas, I can smell him, that rich sandalwood scent. It must come from his soap and, as I think that, I immediately think of him naked and I can feel heat ping through every inch of my body. Lordy.
“What?”
“What, what?” I ask, trying my best to deflect him, but I fail, of course. His mouth curves and I so badly want to kiss him right there. On his lips. And other interesting places. In my store.
As I said…LORDY.
“I would so love to know what’s going on in that head of yours right now.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Heat flares in his gaze and my nipples grow hard, and thank God I remembered panties today, even if they are drenched.
“I think it would be a very good idea but since you have work to do, I’ll not be such a beast.”
Can I say I’m disappointed and not be a complete bitch? Maybe? Dammit, I don’t even know what I want…now.
“How about going out Saturday night?”
“I can’t.”
He frowns. “You going out with Travis?”
“First, if I was, it wouldn’t be any of your business.”
He frowns but nods, acknowledging my proclamation.
“I’m going to go up to Russo’s Winery for the day.”
“Up near Fredericksburg?”
I nod. “I’m going up there to talk to them about getting a break on some wine for events for a little advertising during my events. Mainly for the Wine Wednesdays I want to have once a month. I want to start them after the new year.”
The smile he gives me is glorious. “You have the best ideas.”
I roll my eyes. “Stop patronizing me.”
“I’m not,” he says, completely surprised. I can tell from his tone. “You don’t mind working hard, something I greatly admire, but you also don’t mind having partnerships with other businesses and helping them promote their hard work. Makes you kind of special.”
I try not to blush because getting his approval isn’t important, or it shouldn’t be, but there is a part of me that can’t help the warmth that is spreading through me.
Harry is former military, but he has a world-class business mind. Praise is not easy to get from him—not that I was looking for any.
“Are the other two musketeers going with you?”
I shake my head. “I was going to ask your sister, but I wasn’t sure since she and Ed sometimes have plans for Saturdays and this was last minute. And you know Savannah is busy. Always.”
“How about I go with you?”
I blink. “You’re going to take a Saturday off?”
“We’ve started taking weekends off. Once a month, one of us gets the whole weekend off since we hired a few more part timers. And I love Russo’s wine. I’d love to check it out.”
“It’s one of my favs too.”
“If you send me the first few proposals, we can talk about them on the way up there.”
I really wasn’t looking forward to taking the drive by myself. And that is the only reason I am thinking about going with him. It has nothing to do with his amazing body and that dangerous mouth. “That sounds like a plan.”
He shakes his head and leans closer. Our mouths are just a couple of inches apart when he finally speaks. “Sounds like a date, Elliana.”
I draw in a breath and my breasts brush against his chest. Worse, I want to rub against him like a damned cat in heat.
“Okay. And what do we tell everyone else?”
He shrugs as his gaze drops down to my mouth. “Whatever you want. I opt for honesty because why should we hide our relationship?”
“Why indeed?” I murmur. He’s so close to me that I want to wrap a leg around him and press closer.
“Oh, EJ, do you know where the new Nalini Singh book is?” someone asks.
Harry smiles and then steps back from me. “Your customers are waiting. Text me what time you want to leave and all that.”
Then, sadly, he walks away from me and I immediately feel cold.
I glance back over my shoulder at Marjorie Dennis and smile. “Let me see. I know we got at least ten in on Tuesday.”
“Sorry to interrupt you and your boyfriend,” she says. She is another of my regulars, a woman who comes in at least once a month. I have a good client base and some of my customers have been with me for several years.
“No worries,” I say. “And he’s not my boyfriend.”
“Oh, sorry, but the way he was leaning in, I thought he was with you.”
I sigh. “That’s all to be determined.”
She laughs. “Oh, to be young and in lust again.”
Indeed. As long as I can remember to lust after Harry and keep my heart out of it, everything will be okay.
“Let’s find that book for you,” I say with a smile.
Chapter Seven
Saturday morning, I pull into the visitor parking spot at EJ’s apartment complex. Sadly, I’m at least fifteen minutes early. I glance at the clock. Okay. Jesus, twenty minutes. I couldn’t wait any longer at my place. I haven’t been this nervous in a long time. Fuck, my hands are sweating. Dating has never had me this out of sorts, and I really don’t know what the fuck it means. Maybe because I’ve never had so many fantasies about a woman before I actually got her into bed. Okay, in high school when I had no idea what I was doing, that happened. But I’m in my mid-thirties for fuck’s sake.
I close my eyes and rest my head against the back of the seat. She has me using the word fuck a lot. Frustration would do that to ya. That and the fact the only thing I think about when she’s around is actually fucking. More than once I’ve found myself embarrassingly hard around her. I wasn’t lying the other night. Doesn’t matter where or when, or even if we’re around a lot of people. Last Thanksgiving, she’d been with my family for dinner and I found myself trying to hide a hard-on like I was thirteen and couldn’t control myself. It’s gotten worse since our dinner the other night.
I open my eyes and raise my head. Was that why I wanted her? That she seems to have some control over me? I shake my head. Nope. From the moment she’d smiled at me when Allison and she had graduated from UT, I felt the hum. Just a tiny hum, one that is now a full chorus of gospel singers screaming every time she is near. It makes me kind of a jerk for pursuing her the way I have been. Any other time I’ve been turned down by a woman, I walk away. That’s what good guys do. Instead, I constantly insist on being around her. Just like this date. Insisting that I go with her was a good idea, but I had to go get a little pushy about it. I might be the control freak she accuses me of being, but when it comes to women, I’ve always found it easy to walk away.
I pull off my sunglasses and scrub my free hand over my face. I need to get a grip and convince her I’m dating material. EJ might call this a shared interest business outing, but I don’t. This is a date and one of the few chances I’ll get to prove to her that we are well-suited. Now, if she would just let me seduce her, I would show her exactly how compatible we are, but she’s resisting…for now. I grab my phone to see if she’s cancelled on me. Instead, my loser friends are group texting me.
Ed: So, does this “date” mean you won’t be in to bother us today?
Fritz: Of course he’ll be in. Once EJ shoots him down, he’ll need some comfort food. Did you make extra snickerdoodle cupcakes?
My favorite cupcake, dicks.
Ed: They’re going to Russo Winery. They’ll be back too late for that.
ME: Both of you suck. Go get bent, losers.
Ed: Loser? I think I have my woman.
Fritz: I have a lot of women.
Ed: Your dick is going to fall off one of these days, Fritz.
Fritz: When did you get a medical degree?
Ed: The lady who shares my bed is a kickass nurse and she agrees.
Fritz: She only agrees with you because you make her cupcakes.
Ed: That’s not all I give her.
ME: STFU, Ed.
Ed: *lol emoji*
A knock on my window makes me jump. It’s EJ. I open the door and step out of my car.
“I thought you might be debating the date.”
Yes. She called it a date. I fight the need to do a little dance worthy of a Dallas Cowboy touchdown.
“No. Just dealing with Ed and Fritz on a group text.”
She rolls her eyes. “I can imagine. Anything I need to know?”
I shrug. “Other than Ed’s convinced that Fritz’s dick will fall off one day.”
“Jesus. You guys are worse than Savannah.”
I smile and it’s then I see what she’s wearing. I was so focused on her face that I didn’t see the deep purple sundress. It’s made of some kind of flowy material. It clings to her curves just here and there and gives a hint at her amazing cleavage. Simple sandals complete her outfit, and I can’t help but notice her toes are painted the same color as her dress. I look up. She’s left her hair down in a riot of curls that drip over her shoulders. She’s also tied a scarf in her hair, pulling some of her locks from her face, leaving a few wisps to frame her face.
Jesus, she’s stunning.
“What?”
I’m trying to find words, to get my mouth and vocal cords to work, but I can’t.
“Harry? Are you okay?”
“Not sure. You…”
She frowns. “I what?”
“You look amazing.”
For a beat she has no reaction. In the next instant, her mouth curves, sending all kinds of heat pulsing through my blood. I would rather just throw her over my shoulder and carry her up the stairs to her apartment.
But that’s not on the agenda today. Today is all about her getting to know me. She needs to know I can be a good guy who doesn’t try to control everything I do all of the time.
“What is going on in that head of yours, Harry?”
Her voice is teasing, and I know she’s not truly serious, but I can’t help myself.
“I’m thinking I’d rather spend today with my head between your legs than going up to the winery, but I know that’s not happening.”
Her fair skin flushes. She swallows, t
hen lets out a slow breath. Good. Telling her just what I am thinking is getting to her. It feels so much better than hiding it.
“Yeah,” she says, her voice deeper, huskier…the sound of it dances over nerve endings and I can feel my dick twitch.
It takes me a few seconds to get myself back under control. “Do you have everything you need for the trip?”
She nods and holds up a straw purse, it’s huge and lord only knows what she has in there.
“Then, let’s get going.”
She nods and hurries around to the other side of the car before I can get there to open the door for her. I shrug it off and slip back into the car. After setting up my phone for navigation, I start the car, back up and then head out of the parking lot.
* * *
It takes us just a little over an hour to get to the winery. Along the way, we talk about childhoods and college. I opted to get my degree while I was in the Army, as did Fritz. She went to UT to get as far away from Charleston as she could get without upsetting her mother.
“So, do you make it home to visit your family?”
I don’t recall her ever going back, except once when her mother was having an operation.
“Not much. Charleston and I don’t agree.”
“Like the whole city?”
She laughs and I have to fight the groan that vibrates at the bottom of my throat. Every time she smiles, sighs…okay, if I notice her breathing, I’m sure I’ll have to fight my needs.
“You grew up in San Antonio, and while it has pockets of people who seem to know each other, it is a whole different story than Charleston.”
“How so?” I ask as I turn into the parking area for the winery.
“It’s like a small town, even though it’s not. Mama’s family has been there for a couple of centuries, as have a lot of other families. They have histories together.”
“And your father?”
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