PartyNaked

by Mari Carr

  “I needed to know what name to put on the ticket. You pulled away before I could ask to see your license and registration.”

  His joke tweaked her temper and it amused him to see her get fired up. Truth was, he’d let her pull away. He’d known this morning, standing on the city street with her, he’d never turn the ticket in.

  “My, my, my. You know, it seems to me you might want to tuck some of that cockiness away.” She glanced below his waist and Jarod felt lightheaded at her seductive look. There was no way she’d missed what he was packing in his jeans—and he didn’t mean his gun.

  “Why’s that?”

  “You want to come back into that bar to do your job, right?”

  He nodded, narrowing his eyes. What was she playing at?

  “You need my silence to do that.”

  Blackmail. The conniving, manipulative, gorgeous woman was going to dicker for her silence.

  “I think I’ve proven I know how to silence you.” He started to reach for her, intent on reclaiming her lips once more. He’d never had such an instant, insatiable attraction for a woman.

  She took a large step back and shook her head. “That won’t work again.”

  He moved forward. “I’m willing to try if you are.”

  “Christ. Put the dog on a leash and listen up, Nolan. Tear up my parking ticket and you can set up a fucking tent in the middle of the bar for your undercover surveillance.”

  He could have told her guilt over his holier-than-thou behavior wouldn’t allow him to turn the ticket in.

  However, he didn’t feel like letting Stephanie off the hook so easily. She was far too much fun to talk to and tease.

  “You know, as a law-abiding citizen, I would think you’d consider it your duty to remain quiet and allow me to do my job. Don’t you want me to keep the streets safe?” He enjoyed throwing her words back in her face. When her brown eyes darkened, he felt another surge of lust rumble through his body. He’d never been much of a one-night-stand guy, but it was taking all the strength in his body not to ask Stephanie back to his place.

  Not that she would go. He was acting like a prick. Crap, time to stop teasing her.

  “Actually, I believe it was pointed out to me earlier that I’m a criminal.”

  “Now come on, Stephanie, you know I never said that.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “You implied it with all that illegal this, illegal that crap.”

  He sighed. “I was an asshole earlier. I’m sorry for that.”

  His sincerity appeared to take her aback and she tilted her head. He suspected she was trying to figure out his angle, his game.

  “By earlier, do you mean the ticket or the kiss?”

  “The kiss made me an asshole? I thought you liked it.”

  She rolled her eyes, but he could tell she wasn’t angry any longer. “So you’ll tear up the ticket?” she asked hopefully.

  “I never turned it in. I would have torn it up on the street in front of you, but you took off too quickly. Let’s just say I’d had a very bad day and you sort of caught the brunt of it.”

  She laughed and his earlier suspicions were proven true—she had a loud, full-body laugh. He found it difficult not to join in, even though he wasn’t sure what she found so funny.

  “Oh my God,” she said after several mirthful moments. “I think I’ll take your bad day and raise you one super-shitty one.”

  “You too, huh?”

  She smiled at him. “You have no idea.”

  “What do you say we start over? I’m Jarod Nolan.” He reached out, offering his hand.

  She took it—then surprised him by using the grip to pull him closer. “I’m Stephanie Harper and it seems to me we’re beyond the handshaking phase.”

  Her words, as well as his hand in hers, drew him still closer. He bent, intent on placing another soft kiss on her lips. They were virtual strangers, but he’d have been hard-pressed to resist her allure. A gun pointed at his head couldn’t have kept him from stealing another kiss.

  She met him halfway. Their lips touched briefly before the light went on for both of them. This wasn’t normal behavior. He pulled back as she took a step away.

  “Sorry,” she muttered. “I’m not sure why—”

  He shrugged good-naturedly. “I’m not sure either, but it’s too good to fight.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “So you’re seriously on a case? There’s some bad guy in my bar right now as we speak?”

  Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. Another woman enamored of the glamour of crime and detective work. Strangely enough, he didn’t mind it coming from Stephanie. She sounded more concerned about her business and the safety of the patrons.

  He wasn’t sure how to burst her bubble. It was his first day in his new position and he’d been given a lame case. He was ninety-nine-percent sure the person he was assigned to follow was innocent, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do his job.

  “There’s a suspect in the bar, but I don’t think anyone is in harm’s way. I’m just keeping an eye on things.”

  She released a relieved breath. “Well, that’s good. I don’t suppose you can give me a hint of the type of crime we’re talking about here. It’s not a murder suspect, right?”

  He grinned. “No murderers inside as far as I know.”

  “Good. Tell you what. Why don’t you come back in and I’ll buy you a drink. I feel like celebrating a surprisingly good end to a horrible day.”

  “Sounds great, but I think it would be better if you let me buy my own drink, a non-alcoholic one. We aren’t supposed to know each other and I’m on duty, remember?”

  “Yeah, well, if we’re strangers, that kiss is going to be tough to explain. But we’ll try it your way. I’ve never seen you before.”

  He followed her into the bar without replying. She didn’t feel like a stranger and God knew he didn’t want her to remain one. He would definitely be coming back to Books and Brew again, and next time, he would be off duty.

  As they entered the bar, Jarod noticed the book group was finished for the night. Several of the ladies were putting on their jackets, settling their tabs and gathering their things.

  Two women approached Stephanie with big grins on their faces.

  “So,” the older lady said, “are you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend, Stephanie?”

  Stephanie was quiet for a moment and Jarod could see she was searching for an answer. It was clear the entire reading group had witnessed their make-out session by the bar.

  “Jarod Nolan,” he said, wrapping his arm around Stephanie’s shoulders and pulling her closer.

  Stephanie gave him her now-familiar WTF glance and he grinned.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, sweetheart?” he prompted.

  “Um, this is Gladys and her niece, Carol. They’re part of the Romantic Hearts book club. They meet here every Thursday evening.”

  “Ah, Romantic Hearts.” Jarod caught a glimpse of the books they were holding and the purple cover with some Fabio-looking dude would have clued him into the genre if the group name hadn’t already. Both women were looking at him like he was a prime piece of meat and he figured the book must have gotten them good and worked up. He’d clearly have to avoid Thursday nights at this bar.

  “Tonight’s story was a pirate one, set in the Regency era. Simply wonderful,” Gladys gushed.

  He nodded and tried to keep his thoughts to himself, an unnecessary effort when Stephanie spoke them aloud herself.

  “Weren’t pirates dirty, smelly guys who never bathed and robbed people blind? How is that romantic?”

  Jarod looked over at her and wondered if he’d met the woman of his dreams.

  Gladys shook her head at Stephanie’s disdain. “Oh no, my dear. That’s not the point, is it? This is fiction, so pirates can be debonair, handsome, rough. All those amazingly fascinating things. The hero of this book was quite dashing, and the heroine was a spunky woman w
ho gave him a run for his money.”

  “Isn’t that the prerequisite for all romance books?” Stephanie’s deadpan tone was nearly his undoing, and Jarod coughed to cover up the laugh he had trouble stifling.

  Gladys didn’t take offense at Stephanie’s observations and Jarod got the sense this was a familiar conversation. “Ah, we’ll make a romantic of you one day, Stephanie. I haven’t given up on you. So what do you do for a living, Jarod?”

  He smiled at the older woman and told his lie smoothly. “Well, I’m no pirate. Just a firefighter.”

  “Oh, what an admirable profession.” Gladys’ eyes lit up and Jarod wondered if she was picturing him as a hero suitable for one of her books.

  Another woman joined their circle and Jarod felt Stephanie stiffen.

  “Hey, Jayne,” Stephanie said. “This is Jarod. Um, we met at the liquor store and he popped in tonight to surprise me.”

  “Oookay,” Jayne said, her gaze not leaving Stephanie. While Gladys and her niece were acquaintances, it was apparent Jayne was a good enough friend to be confused by Jarod’s overly familiar touch and the earlier kiss.

  “He asked me out,” Stephanie said.

  Jayne nodded. “That’s great. And you say you’re a firefighter, Jarod?”

  Jarod confirmed her question with a short nod. “Gladys and Carol were just telling me about your book group.”

  “Yep, the Romantic Hearts have been meeting every Thursday evening for over a year now,” Jayne said. “We keep trying to get Stephanie to join, but she seems to be missing the romance gene.”

  Stephanie grinned. “I decided it was a better use of my time to get in the sex line twice and skip the mushy-gushy procession altogether.”

  Jarod swallowed hard, fighting like crazy to keep down the erection he’d just managed to will away. Nothing worse than standing in a circle of women with a boner. Every word Stephanie said spoke straight to his libido. Unable to resist adding to her jest, he pulled her closer. “That’s very good information to have. What are you doing later tonight?”

  The ladies laughed as Gladys shook her head. “Don’t encourage her. You know Jarod, we’ve been trying to convince a gentleman to join the Romantic Hearts group. It would be fascinating to get the male perspective of the stories we read.”

  A refusal was poised on the tip of his tongue, but two thoughts occurred to him. One, if he joined the club, he’d have another chance to see Stephanie, and two—as an afterthought—he remembered his suspect was a regular at Books and Brew. If he’d been any sort of decent cop, he would have thought of the case first, but his cock was currently acting as his brain. “I think that sounds like fun. I might be able to join you for one week. I’m usually on duty Thursday nights, but as luck would have it, I’m off next week. Of course, I’ll only join on one condition.”

  It was clear he’d shocked all four women by indicating an interest in reading even one romance novel.

  “What condition?” Jayne asked, her voice telling him she’d agree to just about anything, and Jarod knew he stood a good chance at getting his way.

  “That Stephanie joins us next week as well. Sounds like we need to expose her to romance.”

  “Forget it.” Stephanie tried to shrug off the arm he still had wrapped tightly around her shoulder, but he wouldn’t let her escape. Besides, he liked having her close, and noted how well she fit him. Cheryl had been petite, nearly a foot shorter than him. It had made kissing—and sex—challenging at times. Stephanie’s height was perfect for his six-foot-two frame, the top of her head even with his mouth. He wouldn’t have to bend at all to press a light kiss against her soft hair.

  “Stephanie, please. It’s only for one week and you know we’ve been trying to get a guy to join us for months.” Jayne’s plea was genuine.

  “What about Elias?”

  Jayne shook her head. “He won’t budge.”

  Stephanie gave her friend an exasperated glance that turned malevolent when she looked at Jarod. He grinned. Seemed like someone didn’t like being trapped. Stephanie wasn’t going down without a fight and it took all he had not to say, “bring it.”

  “You may have next Thursday off, but I don’t. I’m tending the bar. If I’m in the group, who would make the Screwdrivers?”

  A perky blonde, who was waiting tables, walked by at that exact moment. “I can make Screwdrivers. Who wants one?”

  “Oh dear,” Gladys muttered.

  “Not tonight, Sophie,” Jayne explained quickly. “Next week, Stephanie and her new friend Jarod are going to join the Romantic Hearts discussion. Do you think you could tend bar for an hour or so on your own?”

  Sophie shrugged. “Sure. I mean, Stephanie will be close if someone orders anything too tricky. Might be fun to take over the party queen’s domain for a little while.”

  “Party queen?” he asked.

  Sophie giggled. “Stephanie is the ruling fun-maker around here. We all just follow her lead.”

  “Very funny, Soph. I promised Elias a drink ages ago. Go pour it.”

  “Oh,” Jayne said, perking up. “I’ll get it for him. I wanted to show him a new book that arrived this week.”

  When Gladys took up Jarod’s cause, he knew the battle was won. “Carol, go grab two more copies of next week’s book. Oh my goodness, I can hardly wait for next Thursday.”

  Carol arrived and thrust a book in his hands with a picture of a guy sporting six-pack abs and a gun.

  “No pirate?” he teased.

  “Next week’s story is a romantic suspense and it’s about a hot cop.”

  Jarod closed his eyes to keep from rolling them as his earlier annoyance returned. He’d forgotten to add books to his list of things that romanticized his job.

  Stephanie laughed. “Sounds perfect. I’m in. Might be nice to see a sexy cop for once.”

  He opened his eyes and gave her a wicked grin that promised he’d show her a sexy cop right now if she wanted. Her eyes widened briefly before she gave him a smile that couldn’t be misconstrued as saying anything other than “come to mama”.

  Game over. It was official. He wanted Stephanie Harper and he intended to bring her in. He’d pull out the cuffs if necessary. Hell, he’d pull them out regardless.

  Chapter Three

  Gladys and Carol said their goodbyes after saddling Stephanie with the unwanted reading assignment. Sophie went off to wipe up the tables the book group had just vacated, leaving her alone with her frustrating cop.

  Stephanie sighed. “Wow. Where the hell did that all go wrong?”

  Jarod didn’t seem a bit upset about the evening’s misunderstandings and missteps. In fact, the man had purposely led everyone down the wrong path. “What do you mean?”

  She needed to put some distance between her and the hot cop. She couldn’t think when he was touching her. She walked toward the bar, lifting the panel at the end that allowed her to step behind it. He quickly claimed a stool across from where she stood and she realized it didn’t matter if he touched her. Just being in the same room with him had her scrambling to recapture her wits. She’d never had a man get the best of her or affect her so strongly. This wasn’t good. She liked being in control, but she suspected Jarod did too. An image crossed her mind, of two bulls ramming into each other headfirst—until one or both of them dropped dead of brain damage.

  She tidied behind the bar. When she was stressed, she cleaned. “I thought we were supposed to be strangers?”

  He shrugged. “They saw us kissing, so this works out better. Now I have an excuse to be here all the time. I’ll be your boyfriend.”

  Stephanie shook her head emphatically. “Hell no.”

  He seemed confused by her adamant refusal. While she suspected her attraction wasn’t one-sided, there was something about Jarod that made her uneasy. Not in a creepy way, but in a things-were-about-to-get-out-of-hand way.

  “Why can’t I pretend to be your boyfriend? Are you dating someone else?”

  She briefly considered lyi
ng. She could tell him about Hank the Tank. Instead, she said, “No. I’m not dating anyone.”

  Jarod’s eye lit up and she got a sense he was relieved.

  Great, I’m definitely in trouble.

  Then she remembered his words. He’d “pretend” to be her boyfriend. “Are you dating someone?”

  He shook his head. “Just broke up with my last girlfriend.” His smile faded a bit. “Or I should say she dumped me.”

  Stephanie was shocked. What kind of idiot had he been dating? “Why?”

  “She said I was too nice.”

  “Christ. You couldn’t have been dating for long. Did she even know you?”

  Jarod’s grin reappeared and she tried not to acknowledge how gorgeous he looked when he smiled. She could see herself falling for the arrogant cop, and she never fell. Never.

  “Thanks a lot.” His sardonic tone made her laugh.

  “Well, you have to admit, that niceness flaw isn’t something you’ve been flashing at me much today. You gave me a parking ticket.”

  “Which I tore up,” he interrupted.

  “Then you kissed me as a means of shutting me up.”

  “You liked the kiss. It turned you on, admit it.”

  She shook her head. “I’m pleading the fifth on that. Then you forced me to join some bleeding-hearts, chick-book club. I fucking hate romance novels.”

  “I have to read the book too.”

  She gave up. He was too charming and he had an answer for everything. “Breaking up with someone for being too nice is stupid.”

  Jarod nodded, though she didn’t think he seemed too upset about the loss of his girlfriend.

  “How long did you two date?”

  “Six months.”

  Wow. Definitely not a good time to get involved with the cop. She wasn’t in the mood to nurse a broken heart or build up a wounded ego. She had her own shit to deal with. “That’s a long time. You must be pretty torn up.”

  He shook his head. “Not really. I’d seen the handwriting on the wall. Only thing that smarts is the fact she beat me to the punch.”

  Okay. So no rebound.

  “How about that drink you promised me?”