by Melody Anne
She made her escape up to her room to gather clothes. She knew the four women downstairs would immediately start picking apart her love life, or lack thereof, the minute she was out of hearing range.
Before Jackson Whitman had stepped back into her life, she’d been just fine as a single woman, even a pregnant single woman. Seeing him again had all sorts of thoughts rushing through her, though. That wasn’t a good thing. She’d best avoid him at all cost—not that she thought he would make that an easy task for her. After all, he was now her boss. Great.
With a sigh, she climbed into the shower and hoped she would have the strength to get through the day. If she just took it a day at a time, she’d be fine, wouldn’t she? One minute, one hour, one day at a time. That was her new motto.
“Your usual?”
Jackson glanced up with a winning smile, and before he could even say yes, Alyssa was setting down a Diet Coke and a bowl of chips and salsa. She took her pad and pen out of her apron pocket and said, “The special tonight is beef lasagna with a side salad and fresh baked bread.” Nine times out of ten he just got the special.
“Sounds good. Why don’t you join me?”
“Sorry, just had dinner.” Alyssa turned on her heel and headed back to the kitchen.
Their routine had been the same for two weeks now. He came in, ordered dinner, tried to get her to join him, and got turned down.
He figured he should be over the constant rejection, but her attitude made him more determined than ever to win her over. He’d have abandoned his mission as hopeless if he’d seen disgust or even boredom in her eyes.
But that’s not what he saw at all. The sparks between them could have set off an entire New Year’s fireworks display. Her breathing was always a little shallow when he was near, and her heart was obviously racing. She was just as attracted to him as he was to her, but for some reason, she’d put up a “No Trespassing” sign, and nothing he’d done so far had managed to breach her barriers.
But, hey, he didn’t give up, and he had all the time in the world.
He sat in the corner of the bar with his laptop and allowed the music and ambience to give him welcome relief from the monotony of the reports he had to read. Working at the saloon rather than at his house had the added benefit of letting him watch Alyssa bring him drinks and snacks. She’d tried to send other waitresses when there was more than one on the job, but he’d quashed that right away, saying he wanted only her to serve him.
What choice did she have but to obey? After all, he owned the place and she was his employee, making the situation even more tense. And it wasn’t like jobs were easy to find in small towns like Sterling. He didn’t like pressing his advantage to get her attention, but he had to use what he could right now. At first she’d been almost hostile. The last two days, however, she’d switched her game, and she was now plastering on a smile.
It was about time for them to speak alone. Damn! He couldn’t wait.
“I see you’re stalking the pretty waitress again,” Camden said with a laugh as he invited himself to sit across from Jackson and have dinner.
“It’s not stalking. I told you how we met. Anyway, I’m trying to work here, Cam,” Jackson growled. He hardly wanted his brother to witness his failure with Alyssa again, not after that first night.
“Yeah, it’s a lot of work to watch a girl’s ass as she walks away.”
“You’re a pig.”
“Yep. Haven’t tried to convince anyone otherwise.”
“Hey, Camden, you drinking your usual?” Alyssa asked with a much friendlier smile for his brother than she’d given him. That didn’t please Jackson in the least.
“You know what I like, beautiful,” Camden said with a wink.
Even though Jackson knew his brother was laying it on thick to get a rise out of him, he still felt the urge to give the guy a shiner. Yeah, sure, that would really impress Alyssa. Camden was safe for now.
“Hmm. I thought for sure that would rile you,” Cam said, leaning back and getting comfortable. He wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon. “You must be mellowing in your old age.”
With a defeated sigh, Jackson closed the lid of his laptop and ate a tortilla chip.
“I know you’re trying to piss me off. I also know you won’t go after her . . . since she’s already claimed,” Jackson said.
“Interesting,” Camden said, helping himself to a chip.
“There’s nothing interesting about it. I like her, she likes me. Case closed.”
“From where I sit, there’s not a whole lot of love going on between the two of you.”
“That’s just what it looks like, Camden. She’s fighting the attraction. As soon as I can figure out why, then we’ll get on to the next phase.”
“Here you are.” Alyssa appeared with Cam’s drink, then took his order. “I’ll be right back with your salads. How’s your difficult case going?”
“Not as well as I’d like,” Cam said.
How did she even know which cases his brother had? When had they become so chummy? Jackson didn’t like this at all.
“Sorry, Cam,” Alyssa said. “But we both know you’ll pull it off. You always do.”
The pat she gave Cam’s shoulder made smoke come out of Jackson’s ears. Worse, she turned and walked away without even glancing in his direction.
“When the hell did you two become so close?” Jackson asked.
“Look, I really was just teasing you earlier, Jackson. I have zero interest in Alyssa. She’s a client of mine and we’ve become friends over the last few months. I come up here a lot, especially after a really trying day at the office. She’s a good listener. But I’d better warn you that a lot of the locals come in just to talk to her, and several of them do have crushes.”
“Who’s she suing?” Jackson wanted information now.
“You know I can’t discuss that. Come on, bro, don’t be dense. If she wants to share with you, she will. I can tell you this: she’s gone through some hell of her own and she’s strong. I respect her.”
“I know she’s strong, Cam. What I can’t figure out is what in the hell I’m doing. I don’t want a permanent relationship, but I can’t get her out of my head. If I could just have one more night with her—just one—I think I would be cured.” Jackson huffed in frustration.
“My deluded brother . . . She’s not a disease you have to find a cure for,” Cam told him. “She’s a woman, a damn fine woman at that, and maybe you like her a hell of a lot more than you’re letting on. Just go for it. Tell her how you feel. Maybe honesty would be the best policy at this point.”
Alyssa dropped their salads off without saying a word and then disappeared again to tend to her other customers. It was a fairly slow night and Jackson hoped she’d get out of there at a decent hour, giving them a chance to talk without interruptions.
“I can’t just lay it out there. I don’t even know what it is I’m feeling,” Jackson said.
“You know. You just don’t want to analyze it. You’ve been alone a long time—you’ve punished yourself for long enough. Don’t give up because it feels like you aren’t allowed to be happy. Your daughter wouldn’t want this.”
Jackson’s face blanched at the mention of his daughter. “I can’t. If I move on, it will be like she never existed. If I find happiness, then I am living while my daughter isn’t allowed to.”
Cam’s response was gentle but insistent. “She was a baby. It was tragic, but it’s been five years, Jackson. It’s time.”
“That’s not what this is about, dammit. It’s not about my daughter. This is about Alyssa and me. The two of us made a connection on New Year’s Eve, and I just want to see if we can do it again.”
“And I think you’re delusional. I don’t care how spectacular the sex is. You don’t go this crazy over a woman unless there’s something more to it than incredible chemistry.”
“I don’t know her enough for it to be anything more than chemistry,” Jackson insisted.
“Are you trying to convince me of that or yourself?”
The two of them paused when Alyssa came back with the rest of their dinner. Jackson couldn’t turn his mind off, couldn’t quit thinking of Alyssa, but he did know that he was going to wait until she got off work, because tonight they were having a real conversation, even if he had to kidnap her to do it.
“It’s probably just because she’s playing hard to get,” Jackson said as he chewed without tasting his food.
“I don’t think it’s that, either, bro. You would have lost interest by now if that were the case. I think you have some real feelings for this girl, and you’re lying to yourself about it so you can tell yourself that it’s okay. Let go of the past and try to grab some happiness,” Cam said.
Jackson was silent after that, not knowing what to think. Camden finished his meal and left soon after, allowing Jackson to become lost in his work. Now that he had an established routine, he was able to read more than one line of a report in Alyssa’s presence. That was good. He quickly tuned out everything around him and entered the world of finance, the world he’d managed to create—where the players were controlled by him and the one with the most money and power always won.
Alyssa watched Camden leave and then let out a sigh of relief as Jackson got lost in his laptop. He might not have known it, but the hunger burning in his eyes, his constant but gentle pursuit, and his almost daily presence at the saloon were wearing her down.
He was so damn handsome—too good-looking to be let out on an unsuspecting public. And there was such mystery to him, which made her want to dive right in and learn everything about what made him tick. Add to that the most spectacular sex a woman could even begin to imagine, and she was hooked.
But she couldn’t let herself get infatuated with the man. She had to keep her distance. The second he found out about their child, the game would change. He wouldn’t be interested in taking her back to his bed. He’d only want to plant her in front of a judge and take away her baby. With his past and his wealth, that was the only thing that made sense.
She wouldn’t allow that to happen. Although she wasn’t exactly ready to be a mother, especially a single one, the longer this pregnancy went on, the more attached she grew to the tiny being growing inside her. She wouldn’t let Jackson use her baby to replace the one he’d lost.
“Alyssa, some of the customers have requested that you play the piano.”
Alyssa turned to find Kevin, their head bartender, standing there at the waitstaff’s station.
“You know I hate doing that,” she said, but it wasn’t true. She loved to play the piano. It just made her self-conscious when Jackson was in the room.
“Aw, come on. We’re slow tonight,” he pleaded.
“Fine.”
Her heart beating erratically, Alyssa sat down at the piano and played a number from memory. It didn’t take her long to forget where she was as her fingers glided effortlessly over the keys, and her eyes took on a dreamy look. She played one of her favorite ballads from The Phantom of the Opera, “Angel of Music.” As she finished, she opened her eyes and saw Jackson standing near the bar, a look of wonder on his face, and she felt a blush fill her cheeks.
Enough with the sad ballads. Next she began “Bennie and the Jets,” and soon the remaining customers in the bar sang along. Alyssa found herself beaming as she belted out the words in the chorus.
“She’s got electric boots, a magic suit . . .”
As she finished, she raised her head and saw that Jackson hadn’t moved from the bar, his gaze intense as he watched her. Her fingers trembled as she stood up. This connection between them had to be a fluke. It couldn’t be real.
Jackson pushed off the bar and moved toward her. “I could listen to you play all night, Alyssa.”
“I enjoy the piano.” Obviously. What a lame statement.
“You were meant to play. We need to try a duet.” His eyes were intense and his double meaning was clear.
“I think our time for duets has passed, Jackson.”
“It sure as hell doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“Jackson . . .” His name came out almost as a sigh, and she saw shutters close over his eyes seconds before he turned and strode away. Was she making a mistake to keep throwing him over? He wasn’t backing down, and the attraction between the two of them remained undeniable.
More confused than ever, Alyssa took a few minutes alone in the back room before returning to the bar. Tonight, for some reason, she had to struggle harder than usual to keep her distance from the man, and he was making it more and more clear that he wasn’t letting go of their one night together.
Even worse, she was beginning to wonder what was wrong with her. Why wasn’t she accepting the offer he was extending to her? Just then she felt a stirring in her stomach and her hand trailed downward. It was as if the baby she carried was reminding her of his or her presence.
Oh, yeah. Jackson had no clue that he was going to be a father. That was a pretty dang good reason to keep her distance.
After another hour of slow business, it was time for Alyssa to leave. There was no need to keep a cook, two waitresses, a bartender, and a busser on the clock when there were fewer than a dozen customers, most of whom were sitting at the round bar in the middle of the place.
She’d normally be the one to stay—she needed all the hours she could get—but Samantha had a few of her favorites there tonight, and Alyssa’s feet were aching, so she bowed out gracefully.
“I’m walking you out,” Cody said when he saw her grab her coat.
“You know you don’t have to do that every time I leave,” Alyssa said with a chuckle. She seemed to have her own personal bodyguard all of a sudden.
“Yes I do. Mr. Whitman will hang me by my toes if I don’t. Besides, he’s right. A woman should always be accompanied outside,” he said as he offered his arm.
Wanting to be irritated, but deciding Cody’s behavior was quite sweet, Alyssa accepted his arm.
“We’re sneaking out the back door. I want to be long gone before Mr. Whitman tries to corner me again,” Alyssa said, feeling like a thief in the night.
“No prob, Alyssa.” Cody opened the back door, and the crisp spring air came as welcome relief to the stuffiness inside the saloon.
“Thanks for doing this, Cody. You’re a sweetheart,” she said as they reached her car. She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I like to, Alyssa. Besides, it gives me an excuse to have a smoke and play a game of Flappy Bird,” he said with an almost childlike grin.
Before Alyssa could launch into an antismoking lecture, they were interrupted by one of her regulars, who was a little drunker than usual. “Where are you off to in such a hurry? I was waiting for you to come back with my next beer when Samantha showed up instead.”
Hank stood at just under six feet, with graying hair and dull gray eyes that looked a little too vicious when he’d had too much to drink. His normally happy smile was gone, and in its place was a leer that creeped her out. It wasn’t helping that they were standing in a nearly empty parking lot.
At least the lighting was better now that Jackson had fixed it. She had to admit he was true to his word—when he said he was going to get something done, he did it, and did it fast.
“I’m off work now, Hank. Do you have a ride home?” she asked, hoping and praying that he wasn’t going to get behind the wheel of a car.
“Nah, I can drive just fine. Come on, I’ll show you.” He stepped a little too close.
“Why don’t you let me call you a cab?” she said as she reached into her purse.
“I said I don’t need one,” he snapped, swatting the cell phone out of her hand.
Alyssa’s temper flared as she stooped to retrieve the phone. “That was rude, Hank. And I hope it didn’t break.” It wasn’t as if she could afford to replace it.
“I’ll buy you a new one if it did, sweet thing,” he said, and he reached for her.
“I don’t think you should do that, Hank.” Cody moved closer to Alyssa.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing, kid? This is adult business. Stay out of it.” Hank pushed against Cody’s chest, making him stumble back.
Hank turned, snaked an arm around Alyssa’s back, and pulled her up against his chest. “Fine. If you don’t want me to drive, you can just sit in my truck with me,” he said, and then leaned down and kissed her.
Alyssa pulled back and screamed. She wasn’t just pissed now, she was downright frightened. The man was beyond intoxicated, and she was clearly the next thing on his menu.
“Leave her alone,” Cody yelled as he rushed back and tugged fruitlessly against Hank’s beefy arm.
“You’re like a pesky little fly,” Hank growled. He released his hold on Alyssa so he could grab Cody by his shirtfront.
“Don’t!” Alyssa screamed, but it was too late. Hank pulled back his free hand and slammed his fist into poor Cody’s face. Blood immediately began pouring from the young man’s nose and mouth as he slumped to the ground.
“You’re disgusting, Hank.” Flinging herself at him, Alyssa scratched his face.
“Now it’s your turn,” Hank said. He restrained her hands easily and dragged her to his truck.
Alyssa screamed again as he wrenched open the passenger door and tried to shove her inside. She wasn’t getting into that truck. If she did, she knew it would be all over.
“Shut up and get inside,” Hank roared, and he backhanded her so hard in the face that she went flying to the ground. Her head instantly began pulsing. She reached up to her face and wiped away blood.
Not even caring that her head hurt, or that blood was oozing from her mouth, Alyssa’s hand immediately went to her stomach. A slight cramp had her worried. It wasn’t bad, but she knew if Hank got his hands on her again, she might not be able to protect her unborn child.
