by Reana Malori
“Can she order pizza tonight?”
“Haven’t you had enough junk food for the day?”
“Pizza’s not junk food, Dad. It has milk, starch, fruit, meat and vegetables.”
Yeah, his son was too damn smart for his own good.
“It has all that, huh? Okay, fine, I’ll make sure to leave her some money for pizza. But you’d better be on your best behavior.
“Hey, man, you stay here. I’ll take little man over to Katie’s house. I need to get cleaned up anyway. I’ll be back tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it’s cool.” Turning to Riley, Doug asked, “Want to go for a ride, kid?”
“Yeah, sure. Can we stop by the store on the way? I want to get some iced tea and chips before I go over there. I need a late-night snack.”
Gavin barked out a laugh. “Isn’t the pizza enough?”
“Dad, I have to be prepared. Come on, Uncle Doug, let’s hit the road.” Giving Gavin a hug, Riley headed over to the door. “Love you, dad. See you tonight.”
“’Night, son.”
Doug gave a two-finger salute. “See you later. Hey, you might want to address that little issue from earlier today, since you have some quiet time. You don’t want any more surprises.”
Nodding his head to acknowledge that he’d heard him, Gavin knew he had to do something to deal with Bertha Ann for good.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want Riley to know Tina’s family. That really wasn’t the issue at all. His concern was more that Tina’s mother had never gotten over her death and somehow still blamed Riley. There was no way in hell he’d stand by and allow them to hold his son responsible for something he couldn’t control. He needed to find out what was wrong with Bertha Ann. She’d definitely looked sick earlier, but now he was curious.
Picking up his phone, he sent off a text message to Lou Ellen. He wanted to know what was going on and if they wanted to see Riley, she’d be the one to tell him.
Looking at the clock, he saw that it was only four o’clock. Surprised that he’d lasted this long without calling Regina, he gave up the fight. Picking up his cell phone and dialed her number.
“Hello.”
“Hey, beautiful,” he said when she answered the phone.
“Hi Gavin,” her sweet voice answered.
“How are you?”
“I’m good. Grading some papers and relaxing.”
He dove right in. “I want to see you again. Our date last weekend wasn’t enough for me.”
“I want to see you, too. It’s just been difficult. Plus, my body is still recovering, even after all these days. I still can’t believe we danced so much.” He heard her laugh.
“Well, I had such a beautiful partner in my arms, and I didn’t want to let her go.”
Her intake of breath gave him shivers. No other woman had made him desire her from the simplest things. “I was hoping that I’d be able to see you this weekend.”
She paused before answering. “I’d like that.”
His heartbeat sped up at the tone of her words. Damn, she made him want things he’d thought he’d long forgotten about. “How long are you going to be grading papers?”
“Maybe another hour or so. What did you have in mind?”
Thinking fast, he knew that tonight wasn’t going to be the easiest. Damn.
“Shit, I’ll figure something out. I need to be at The Long Shot tonight. We expect it’s going to be packed.”
“Well…how about I come down there? I mean, I know you’ll be working, but maybe it’ll be easier. Plus, I saw the sign for the band that’s going to be there tonight and I was interested in hearing them.”
“Sweetness, I don’t want you to come here and not be able to spend time with you like I want.” It would be nice to have her here within sight, but sometimes it got rowdy and loud. He’d probably be too busy to spend any time with her.
“I understand. It was just a thought.” Damn, now she sounded disappointed. He couldn’t have that.
“On second thought, I think that would be a good idea. I’d love to have you come see me. Spend some time in my world.”
“Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’m positive,” he said, trying to make sure his earlier mistake wasn’t repeated. Regina wanted to see him, and she wasn’t concerned about hanging out with him at The Long Shot. He’d be a damn fool to turn down an opportunity like that. “How about six o’clock?” he added.
“That works fine. So, is that why you called me?”
“Honestly?”
“Yes, that tends to be the best policy,” she said with a light laugh.
“I wanted to hear your voice. For most of the day, I’d wanted to call and talk to you. The struggle was real and finally I had to give in,” he admitted.
Her sigh was soft and low. “I’m glad. I wanted to call you too. I just wasn’t sure… I mean, we’ve talked every day this week, but you hadn’t asked me out again since last week. I was beginning to wonder if you were changing your mind about wanting another date.”
“Sweetness, I’ve been wanting to ask you out for months. Now that I’ve had one date, I want more. When you feel like talking to me, I want you to call. Sometimes us men can be knuckleheads. But I like knowing that you’re into this as much as I am.”
“So, if I wanted to call you first thing in the morning just to say hello, you’d be okay with that?”
Thinking of hearing her voice first thing when he woke up in the morning had his dick getting hard in his jeans. A phone call would be fine, but it would be even better if she were lying in bed next to him. “Oh yeah, I’d be more than okay with that.” His voice had deepened with desire.
“What are you thinking about?” she gasped out.
He answered honestly, “You. Me. Us.” Silence met him from the other side of the phone. “Does it bother you that I say things like that?” When she said nothing for a couple of seconds, he pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure they were still connected. “Regina?”
“I’m still here.”
Maybe she wasn’t ready for this. “Does it bother you when I say those things? Tell you how much I want to be with you?”
“No. I guess I just never imagined…you…me.”
“Well, I can guarantee you that reality with me is so much better than fantasy. So, I’ll see you at six?” He needed to get off this phone before he said something he shouldn’t. As long as she promised to be here within a few hours, that would be good for him. He could work with the team to get things ready for the evening crush, so he would have time to spend with his lady.
“Yes, I’ll be there at six. Let me get these papers graded and go get ready.”
“See you soon, sweetness.”
“Bye, Gavin.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Did you have a good time tonight?” Gavin pulled her in close as they stood next to her car.
“I did. Who knew being a hostess was so much fun?” Her smile was wide and her eyes were alight with energy. It had been an amazing experience with Gavin tonight. Once she got to his place, it was more packed than either of them had expected it to be. Apparently, the word was getting around about his bar. Everyone she spoke to tonight said they’d heard about it from a friend. Good food. Good drinks. Good music. It seemed that The Long Shot was becoming a sure thing.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you much time and attention.” But his apology was unnecessary.
“I’m not. You were in your element. The customers love you, and people love your bar. I was glad I could help out a bit.” And she was. Shortly after she’d arrived, things had gotten even busier and she’d turned into a temporary hostess while the manager helped keep things running smoothly. Even though he was the owner, Gavin was behind the bar, helping to prepare drinks for the patrons. Watching him in action, she was amazed at how comfortable he was.
And it didn’t help that he was sexy as hell, too. Occasionally, he’d give her a sly wink or pull h
er in for a quick hug and soft kiss on the lips. She knew that everyone saw them, but if Gavin didn’t care, then neither did she. Sure, there were a few odd looks, but nothing that she worried about. Well, except for one woman. There was a redhead that had come in earlier and sat at the bar. Gavin hadn’t served her. In fact, it seemed that he’d gone out of his way to avoid her, which was odd.
He was friendly and engaging with everyone who came to his bar. Even the women who got a little too friendly and grabby were treated politely as he turned them down. Now that she thought about it, he’d seen him point at her a few times while shaking his head at the women. They’d walked off in a huff shortly afterward.
“How much longer do you have to work tonight?”
“A couple more hours. Things will be going strong for a while. I want to help with the heavy crowd, but I think it’ll die down in a couple of hours.”
Gavin leaned back against her car, his legs bracketing her body as she stood close to him, his strong arms around her waist as he held her close. She couldn’t help but feel protected within his embrace. It almost felt too good.
“I’m glad I came tonight,” she said and then trailed off when she saw the look on his face. “Okay, get your mind out of the gutter.”
He laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was just listening to what you were saying.”
Leaning her head against his chest, she yawned. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
“Are you too tired to drive home?” he asked over her head as he rubbed her back through her shirt.
“No. I think it’s just because I’ve stopped moving and the adrenaline of helping out has faded. My body is telling me it’s not used to this much excitement.”
“Then you should definitely go home and get some rest. Will you call me when you get to your place?”
She looked at him closely and felt warmed by his words. “I will.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled as she stepped out of his arms. “For what?”
“Just for being you. For being here tonight. Accepting me.”
“You’re an amazing man, Gavin Carpenter. I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else.” As soon as she said the words, she knew they were true. If she hadn’t been here with him, she would be at home, reading a romance novel and drinking a glass of wine. Spending this time with him, in his world, was much better. Gavin brought her out of her shell and she loved every minute of it.
He raised a hand to her face, cradling her cheek. “When can I see you again?”
“As you know, the weekdays are somewhat difficult for me.” If she could make up an excuse to see him this week, she would. “Next weekend I’ll be free.”
“What if I wanted to see you sooner?” he asked, placing his other hand on her ass and pulling her back so that her body was pressed tightly to his. Feeling his thick bulge pressing up against her, she was overcome with the desire to spread her legs. It had been years since she’d had a man that felt this good holding her this close.
“Well, you know where I work. And after our date last weekend, you know where I live. No one’s stopping you,” she teased back. If he showed up at her door, she sure as hell would let him in.
“Woman, you tempt me more than you know.”
“I sure as hell hope so,” she said in return.
The look in his eyes turned dark and seductive, and she knew what was coming. The butterflies in her stomach made themselves known as Gavin leaned down. His soft lips captured hers in a kiss. His tongue entered her mouth and she moaned deep in her throat.
Desire scorched through her body as he claimed her right there in the damn parking lot. Teasing, tempting, touching. Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck. She raised up on her toes to bring them closer together. No man had ever made her forget herself as much as Gavin did. Her brain was lost in the sensation of kissing him and she knew she could stay here for as he needed her to.
The sound of a car door slamming broke them apart. Chests rising from exertion, they stared into each other’s eyes. Knowing how close they were to giving the people in the parking lot an X-rated show, each of them took deep breaths.
“Baby, I don’t know what I did right in my life to have you in my arms right now, but I thank God for it.”
“Gavin…I…maybe I should go home.” This man made her forget herself. Yes, she needed a break to get her mind right.
“Call me when you get home. I need to know you made it home safely.”
“I will,” she promised.
“Don’t make me worry about you,” he said with a final squeeze of his hands before he released her.
“Never,” she responded, climbing into her car and starting the engine. Rolling down the window, she added, “Don’t work too hard tonight.”
Resting his elbows on the open car window, he leaned down, “Regina, baby, I hope you know that I aim to make you mine one day soon. I’m trying to do this the right way, I really am. But we’re two grown people and I want you more than words can say. So, whatever you need to do to get your mind right with that, I’d suggest you do it fast.”
All she could do was nod at his words. What else was there to say? He was right and she knew it just as much as he did.
“’Night, baby. Talk to you soon,” he said, rising up and stepping back.
Pulling away, she looked in her rearview mirror and couldn’t help but admire his attitude. He was so sure of everything he said. From the first moment he’d made his move, not once had he questioned that he was doing the right thing. His mind had been made up from the beginning and she’d simply had to catch up to where he was.
Regina sighed as she drove back to her home. There was no doubt that she was attracted to him and he returned her affections. Tonight was proof of that.
He’d taken every opportunity to touch her, kiss her, or just smile at her as they worked. And she’d soaked up every bit of his attention. Not even the nasty looks from the women in the bar who weren’t getting his attention could steal her joy. Not tonight. It felt good to be the woman that he was focused on. As the night wore on, she’d gotten a bit more confidence, a little extra swing in her hips as she walked away from him. A couple times she’d peeked over her shoulder, and he’d usually be biting his lip and staring at her ass as she walked away. His attention and focus made her go all tingly inside, which had been a new feeling for her.
Pulling up to her house and into the garage, she exited her car and walked inside. Locking the door behind her, she was suddenly hit by how tired she was. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she noted that it was well after midnight. Well past her bedtime.
It hadn’t seemed that late when she was with Gavin. Then again, she’d been so happy that nothing had bothered her. Once she made it to her bedroom, she stripped out of her clothes and washed the makeup from her face.
Just before she got into bed and passed out, she remembered the task Gavin had given her. Picking up her cell phone, she texted him.
Regina: Hi Gavin. I’m home.
Gavin: Good. Are you ready for bed?
Regina: Yes. Didn’t realize how tired I was.
Gavin: Sorry. My bad. Shouldn’t have kept you out late.
Regina: Don’t be sorry, I wanted to be there.
Gavin: I miss you already.
As the words displayed on the screen, she froze. His words were a surprise, but they also made her smile. She felt like a teenage girl with a crush. Every moment felt like the first time. The words he said would catch her off guard, but they made her feel special at the same time. She wished she was still with him. He had to work to close the bar, she knew that. Then he needed to go home to pick up his son. She knew that, too. But that didn’t change the fact that she wanted him here with her.
Regina: I miss you too.
Gavin: What are you doing tomorrow?
Thinking about what to say, she knew there were papers to grade and lessons to plan, but other than that, she was free
. Seeing Gavin was a priority as well, so she’d make it all work.
Regina: Nothing after two.
Gavin: I want to see you.
Regina: You just saw me tonight.
Gavin: Don’t care. Come see me tomorrow.
Regina: At work?
Gavin: Promise not to make you work. LOL!
Regina: Okay, I can be there around three
Gavin: Three it is. Good night sweetness. See you tomorrow.
Regina: ‘Night
Once she placed her phone down and got under the covers, she expected the sleep to come over her within seconds. But it didn’t. Her mind kept rolling around the idea that this sexy, amazing man wanted her; the prim and proper schoolteacher. Women like her didn’t get the bad boy ex-military sexier-than-sin-type guys. How she managed to snag his attention, she’d never know, but she also wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“I’m willing to take this wherever it goes,” she whispered in the dark. “Just, please, don’t let this end badly for me. I’m taking a chance. I hope I don’t live to regret it.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Walking into the bar the next day, Regina noticed that everything was silent. No customers. No music. No employees.
Her steps slowed and her mind started to conjure up images of bad guys with ski masks running out from the back room. Her momma didn’t raise no fool, and there was no way she was sticking around to be their next victim. Just as she started to back up to leave, she heard Gavin call out her name.
“Regina. Baby, where you goin’?”
Practically jumping out of her skin at the sound of his voice, she placed her hand up against her chest. His sudden appearance nearly frightened her half to death. “You scared me!”
He laughed. “Why? You knew I was here.”
“Yes, but I also didn’t see anyone else. It was silent, too. And…and I didn’t know if the men in ski masks had gotten you. You just can’t sneak up on somebody like that,” she finished in a near-yell.
“Whoa. Whoa. What men in ski masks?” Placing the bottle-filled carton on the counter, he stalked over to her. His face had a look on it that she’d never seen before. This was the face of a man who should never be trifled with. When he stepped in front of her, he searched her face for signs of distress.
