by Tara Rose
Dustin gave her another sexy grin, and Annalise swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. “You haven’t lived in a small town before, have you?”
“Not this small.”
“I have someone who comes in once or twice a week to take care of accounting stuff, but I like to do most of this myself.”
“That must take up a lot of your time.”
A quick shadow of pain passed over his face, and Annalise frowned. What was that about?
“I don’t mind.” The timbre of his voice changed slightly, as if making that statement had taken a lot of effort. He glanced at Michelle. “You can take Brutus into the blue exam room. I’ll be right in.”
Annalise waited until the woman had closed the exam door behind her. “I didn’t notice that until just now.”
He handed her the receipt he’d just printed. “What’s that?”
“The room we were in was pale pink, and my cat is female.”
A soft chuckle accompanied a slight flush of his neck and face. It was so endearing that Annalise had a sudden urge to kiss him. “My patients’ owners seem to like it.”
“I think it’s clever.”
The look he gave her was so full of lust that Annalise was taken aback. By the time she blinked a few times, trying to figure out where it had come from, it was gone. Had she imagined it?
“So…Annalise…what do you like to do with your time off?”
Was he blushing? Not possible. “Ah, not much really.” That was the truth. She usually ended up walking up and down Market Street, then drove somewhere for takeout and watched TV. But if she told him that, he’d think she was the biggest loser around.
“Have you been to Gino’s Ristoranti yet? If you like Italian food, you won’t find better.” He gave her an apologetic glance. “At least, not here in Racy.”
Yes, his face was definitely flushed. “No, I haven’t. That’s the kind of place you go to with someone, and I usually eat dinner alone.” Oh my God. Why had she said that?
“Oh, I agree. We should go there. Together. Tonight. If you’re free, that is.”
She didn’t even hesitate. What a stroke of luck that Luke had insisted she take today off even though it was Friday because he realized she’d worked every single one since taking the job at his bar. “That’s a wonderful idea. I’d love to, Dustin.”
Chapter Two
Annalise was in such a daze because of everything that had just happened in the space of less than an hour, that as she started to back out of the parking slot and onto Riverfront Drive she didn’t even look for oncoming traffic. The blare of a car horn had her slamming on the brakes, and when she looked in the rearview mirror and realized she’d almost hit one of the unmarked Racy police cruisers that everyone recognized regardless, she swore like a drunken sailor.
Chad Bristol was a regular in Luke’s Bar, and Annalise knew he worked with Sean Brennan, the other Racy detective. That was as much as she knew about him. He usually sat at the bar, and it was almost impossible to make small talk with him. Right now, the look on his face suggested his intentions were to haul her out of the car and slap handcuffs on her.
He got out of his cruiser and stomped toward her driver’s side window. Annalise pulled forward a bit so that she was in the parking space, turned off the engine, and got out as quickly as possible. She half expected him to have his gun drawn as she emerged.
“You didn’t even look!”
“I know. I’m so sorry.” She’d never been this physically close to Chad before in the sunlight, and so this was the first time she noticed just how blue his eyes were. They reminded her of forget-me-nots. She’d also never noticed that dimple in his chin, or the fact that he smelled musky and warm. How could she smell warmth from someone? It was freezing out here.
His expression softened at her apology. “Oh…Annalise. I didn’t realize it was you.”
Should that make a difference? “I’m glad I didn’t hit you. Talk about embarrassing.” She was babbling, but she couldn’t seem to stop herself. “I took my cat to see Dustin, and my mind was on other things, and I didn’t even think to look as I backed out. I’m so sorry, Detective.”
“It’s okay. Just be careful along this street, all right? There’s a surprising amount of traffic even this time of year.”
“I will be.”
“Were you just in there?” He pointed toward the animal clinic.
“Yes. I took my cat in to see Dustin.” Hadn’t she just told him that?
“Are there a lot of other people waiting? I don’t want to bug him if he’s busy.”
“Just a woman named Michelle whose tiny dog he called Brutus.” Annalise couldn’t help suppress a giggle at the discordance between the dog and the name.
Chad smiled and nodded. “Michelle Shelton. She’s probably home on spring break from Lafayette Beauty Academy. Her mom is Denise, and she teaches math at the middle school. The dog is a bichon frise, and he’s afraid of his own shadow.”
Annalise was struck once again by how much everyone knew about their neighbors in this town. “Well, again, I’m sorry, Detective.”
His smile was quick and bright. “Call me Chad. This isn’t official anymore. Of course, if you had hit me, then I’d have had to arrest you.”
Something about the way he said the word “arrest” sent her mind reeling with images of handcuffs and riding crops. What was going on with her today? “Well…then I guess it’s a good thing I braked in time.”
“So how do you like living here, Annalise?”
“It’s very comfortable. I like it a lot.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Luke has nothing but good things to say about you. Did you work in a bar in Cincinnati?”
She laughed. “Not even close. I took the job because it’s fun and I have regular work hours.”
“Is that different from what your work situation was like in Cincinnati?”
“Very.”
“You’re good at it.” He shuffled his feet and put his hands in the pocket of his coat, like he expected to be standing outside in the bitter cold and talking to her for some time. “I mean the work you do at the bar. You always look at ease.”
“Thank you.” That was a surprise. Annalise would have bet a week’s pay Chad hadn’t been paying any attention to her at all when he was in there. And how did he know she was from Cincy? He must have asked someone.
“It’s a good job to have to get to know the people here in Racy.”
Yeah. He was definitely keeping her here talking. “That’s true. It’s a nice town. People are very friendly and open. I just wish I had the chance to see more of it.”
He nodded, and she glanced toward her car. Shadow was probably getting tired of being in her carrier. As much as she’d love to stand here and talk to Chad, she wasn’t sure how uncomfortable her cat might be right now. “I should get my cat back home.”
“Oh, of course. It’s cold out here. Annalise…” His voice was soft, and he hesitated as if he wasn’t sure what to say next. She took a step closer to make sure she could hear him. His eyes really were a startling shade of blue. “Um, would you like to go out for coffee or something? And maybe then we could walk around? You know, so you could see more of the town.”
She bit back a grin. Two men asking her out in one day. That was a record. “I’d love to, Chad.”
“Okay. Um, okay. When is your next day off?”
“Monday.”
“That works for me.”
They exchanged cell phone numbers, and Annalise had to really concentrate as she drove the seven minutes to her apartment building. It had been years since she’d had a date. She and Jim had met in high school, and except for a brief time in college when they were each seeing other people, she hadn’t dated anyone else. How bizarre that she’d been here three months and the two most gorgeous men in town had asked her out on the same day.
* * * *
Dustin had insisted on picking her up for their dinner date, even thoug
h he lived above the Racy Animal Clinic, seven minutes away from Annalise’s apartment. The drive to Gino’s Ristoranti took all of three minutes, including the time it took Dustin to find a parking spot. Annalise resisted the urge to tell him they could have arrived quicker if they’d walked.
“I eat at Nan’s Place most nights,” he explained as they entered the restaurant. “But I wanted to take you someplace nicer, and in Racy this is it.”
Annalise hadn’t been in Gino’s, but she’d tasted the food there. Luke often ordered takeout for himself and his employees, especially on busy nights.
Vito Santori was the original Gino’s grandson, and he owned the restaurant now. “Dustin, how nice to see you in here again. It’s been too long.” Annalise breathed in the delicious smells of olive oil and oregano as Dustin introduced her to Vito. He actually bowed slightly and kissed the back of her hand. Annalise couldn’t stop her giggle. She’d never actually seen a man do that in real life. “For you two, my best table.”
He led them to a corner table that overlooked Market Street, but also offered some privacy. Dustin ordered a bottle of wine and mussels in white-wine sauce as an appetizer. When their wine and bread had been brought to the table, Dustin began to chat away about the residents of Racy. Annalise learned more about the town in ten minutes than she’d ever have thought to ask.
Their mussels arrived, and Annalise couldn’t help but moan when she tasted them. “I love these. I’ve never had them anywhere else that tasted this good.”
“All the recipes are passed down from Vito’s family in Sicily.” Dustin took a sip of wine and regarded her with curiosity. “You know, speculation runs high about why you came here from Cincinnati.”
“Does it now?” The only person in Racy who knew why she’d left Ohio was Luke. It was nice to know he hadn’t blabbed her secret.
“It does. This isn’t exactly a hot spot for pretty women from the big city.”
Annalise smiled. “Is that what I am?”
Dustin actually flushed a bit. “You don’t need me to tell you that, Annalise.”
Annalise chose her words carefully. “I was in a high-pressure job and just decided I needed a change.” That was about as vague as possible without being downright rude.
“And you don’t consider being a server in a bar high pressure?”
She studied his face. He was seriously one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. His hair looked soft to touch, and she began to wonder what he would do if she simply reached over and ran her fingers through it. He was so easy to be with, and that surprised her. It wasn’t in her nature to take an instant liking to people, even hunky men. Why was he unattached? “Not really. At least not compared to what I used to do.”
“What did you do?”
“I was a marketing associate at Compass.”
“I don’t know that company. I take it they’re huge?”
“Yes, at least here in the Midwest. They have three offices in Ohio and a smaller one in Manhattan.”
“Impressive. Did you enjoy the work? I mean I know you said it was high pressure, but did you like it?”
“I loved it.” That was true. And the high pressure hadn’t bothered her as much as she’d led Luke to believe when she’d interviewed for the job at his bar. What had been unbearable was being stuck in the same department as Jim. There should be a universal law against working too closely with your spouse, no matter how solid you believe your marriage is. Because when the shit hit the fan in her marriage, it spiraled down into the worst work situation imaginable.
“Then why did you leave?” Dustin’s voice was soft, and there was an undercurrent that Annalise couldn’t interpret. Was she that transparent?
“The working environment became less than ideal.” She shifted in her seat, glancing around at the other patrons. She didn’t recognize any of them, and no one was paying attention to them. But still, she wasn’t ready to spill her guts to anyone here in Racy. Not even a gorgeous guy like Dustin. “I’m curious about something, Dustin.”
“What’s that?”
She took a sip of wine for courage. “You’re a good-looking guy, a perfect gentleman, easy to talk to, and you own your own business. Why are you free for dinner on a Friday night?” Annalise had never been one to mince words, and there was no reason to do so now.
His eyes filled with a mixture of pain and admiration. “You ask direct questions.”
Annalise wasn’t sure whether to apologize or ask more questions. This man was such a challenge, and Annalise had always loved a challenge. “Yes, I do. I’ve always been like that.”
His grin sent a wave of desire straight to her throbbing clit. “But you won’t answer one.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. He’d seen right through her ruse, but instead of nagging her about it or purposefully trying to make her feel guilty the way Jim would have done, he’d made a good-natured joke out of it.
Annalise drained her wine glass and watched his hands as he poured her another one. They were strong-looking hands with clean nails. What would they feel like kneading her breasts, or cupping her soaking wet pussy? How erotic would it be to have those long fingers tangled in her hair or stroking her thighs and ass?
“So, who is going to answer the tough questions first, I wonder?” He raised his wine glass. “Will the mysterious Annalise Kerr tell me why she left Cincinnati, or will I cave and tell her why I don’t have a wife and six kids?”
“Six is an awful lot.”
“These days it is. But I have five siblings.”
“Do you? Tell me about them.”
Their salads arrived, and Annalise was grateful for the distraction. He took a few bites before speaking again. “I can trace my family back to the original descendants of Racy in 1898. I have two sisters, and they’re both married with kids, living right here in Racy. One brother is living in Chicago and the other is in Lafayette. Quite the scandal, I might add. They’re the first two of our family to settle somewhere other than Racy.”
She gave him her best smile. “I’m shocked. So where do you fit in there? Firstborn? Second? Or are you the baby of the family?”
“The worst possible place to be. I’m the middle child.”
“Ah, the middle child. That is the toughest spot to be in. I’m an only child, and that has its own challenges.”
“Challenges? Are you kidding? I would have killed to be an only child. Everything I wore was handed down from my two brothers.”
Annalise laughed. “The grass is always greener. I was the one begging my mother for a sister.”
“I suppose everyone feels that way.” He finished his salad then rested his hands in his chin. “So, now you know my tragic family secrets. Time to tell me why you left Cincy.”
Annalise stared into those dark eyes. It would be so easy to spill her guts to this man. Would it do any real harm? He didn’t seem like the gossipy type. Maybe if she told him about Jim, he’d tell her why he didn’t have a string of girlfriends lined up outside his clinic? “My working environment grew too uncomfortable after my divorce. Jim and I worked in the same department, and unfortunately so did a couple of the women with whom he’d cheated on me.”
“Oh, Annalise. I’m so sorry.”
She shrugged. “It happens.” Trivializing it was the only way to keep the humiliation at bay.
“How long were you married?”
“We were married for ten years. We started dating in high school and got married right out of college.”
“That’s a long time to know someone.”
“It is. But I didn’t really know him, did I? If I had, I wouldn’t have been blindsided by the affairs.”
“I’m sorry.”
She pushed away her salad plate and drank more wine. A nice buzz had settled over her brain, but she wasn’t actually drunk yet. “You know what the kicker is? I might never have found out about his cheating if I hadn’t pushed for…um…how do I say this? If I hadn’t asked him to try some kinky things
in our marriage.”
The change that came over Dustin’s face was visible. Annalise had a sudden image of reaching out and plucking the emotion right from the air. The pain in his eyes was raw, and his lips drew into a thin, tight line. “How interesting.”
“Interesting? That’s one word for it I suppose. He was really into it, you know? And I thought great, this is awesome, because I was, too.”
“Who was the submissive one?” His voice was quiet, almost reverent as he asked.
“Me, believe it or not.”
“What happened?”
“He decided that going to clubs and playing was an excuse to cheat on me. Not that he needed a reason. I found out he’d cheated before, so really I can’t blame the BDSM. But things got really bad after that. He didn’t even try to hide the affairs at work any longer.”
“That’s not how it’s supposed to be. It’s not about cheating on your spouse.”
“I know that now. But it’s left me with a bad taste in my mouth for the whole thing, you know?”
“I know exactly what you mean, Annalise.”
Did he now? That almost sounded as though he’d been through the same thing. Was that the reason he’d been free on a Friday night? Annalise was suddenly very glad she’d opened up to him about her divorce. Dustin Alexander’s life might be more like her own than she’d ever imagined.
Chapter Three
Dustin drained his wine glass and filled it again, topping off Annalise’s glass as well. Her revelation had stirred up so many painful memories that he’d begun to wish he’d never asked why she left Ohio. His urge to tell her about Susan was so strong. There was an energy around their table, as if they’d suddenly been moved close to the power plant nestled among the wind turbines. She would understand in a way no one else could. She’d lived through it, too. Maybe it was time to get it out in the open?
“Why do you say that, Dustin?” Her voice was soft and smoky, and those incredibly pretty, dark eyes shone with light. There was no harm in telling her now. She’d been in the lifestyle, or at least had been introduced to it to the point that there would be none of the awkward explanations or uncomfortable looks he’d experienced in the past.
