He stopped in front of one his favorite pieces in the entire place, a framed page from one of the earliest copies of Alice in Wonderland. He’d come across it at an estate sale when he was a just a kid and had immediately wanted it. He’d spent all his allowance money and begged the rest he’d needed from his mother in order to purchase it. He’d never regretted it for a moment.
His mother understood. His family loved all things Alice in Wonderland.
He stopped and admired the artwork and smiled. The Hatter sat at the table with Alice and the March Hare. It was framed behind unbreakable glass and hooked into an invisible security system to protect it. It wasn’t that the piece was super expensive, it simply meant a lot to him.
A shiver went down his spine and he glanced over his shoulder. No one there. He stared back at the picture and frowned. His skin felt electrified and he was filled with a sense of expectation.
“You’ve been working too hard, buddy.” He strode down the short hallway and pushed open the office door. “Mom wants us upstairs for dinner. Lasagna,” he added before Rabb could say no.
“Okay.” His brother glanced up from his laptop. “I’ll be up in five.”
Nevar set the clipboard on the desk. “Make sure you are. I don’t want Mom to have to send me back down here for you.”
He left the office and passed by the artwork once more. Not tingles this time, no sense of anticipation. “Definitely working too hard,” he muttered.
He hadn’t dated in months. Hatter’s ate all his time. Plus, it was hard to meet women. Sure there were dozens of women here every night, but they were with dates or looking to score. Nevar was at a place in his life where he wanted more.
But tonight there was lasagna, family and work.
Chapter Two
Allison paused just inside the front door of Hatter’s and got her first look around the place. It was only nine, early by New York standards, but already the club was almost full.
A huge bar occupied one long wall of the space with ornate iron stools perched in front of it. Along the other long wall there were a series of booths, the seats covered in what looked to be red velvet. Scattered throughout the space were tiny café-sized tables, again in wrought iron with chairs covered in red velvet cushions. It gave the place almost a boudoir feeling—decadent, sensual.
“Excuse me.” A waitress pushed by Allison with a tray full of drinks for one of the booths. She stepped out of the woman’s way, her eyes widening at the uniform the waitress was wearing.
The dress had a tight blue bodice with a hint of white lace peeking out along the bust line. The skirt part was flared and had layers of white lace beneath it and fell only halfway to the woman’s knees. Striped white-and-black stockings and three-inch black heels completed the outfit. It was obviously a sexy variation of Alice from the book.
Allison couldn’t help but smile. She sidled toward the bar, all the while scanning for Barb and the other women from work. The décor was certainly different. There were framed oversized playing cards on the walls and on a glass shelf above the bar was a series of delicate china teapots and cups. Like the tea party, she realized. Several of the light fixtures that hung over the bar were in the shape of top hats.
The space was whimsical, yet surprisingly sophisticated.
Even the bartenders were in uniform. They were wearing black pants, snow white shirts and vests. The vests were embroidered with the logo of the bar—a top hat with a playing card stuck in the band—and were also decorated with various playing cards, all hearts.
This was exactly what she needed. A few hours with friends in a fun atmosphere. Music pulsed through the room, the heavy beat vibrating through the rustic wooden floorboards. There seemed to be a dance floor at the far end of the bar just beyond the seating. The lighting was dimmer there and red and white lights pulsed in time to the music.
She made her way across the room, slipping between occupied tables and patrons on their way to the dance floor or bar. She slid onto one of the tall stools and set her bag on top of the smooth oak bar.
One of the bartenders approached her. “What can I get you, pretty lady?”
Oh, he was a smooth one all right. He was tall and lean, but there were definitely muscles under that shirt. She could see some of them since several of the buttons were undone. The sleeves were also rolled back to expose strong forearms.
His black hair fell in a straight curtain almost to his shoulders and his eyes almost appeared black in the light. He looked more like a pirate than a Mad Hatter.
And he made her entire body tingle. The first tingles she’d had since her breakup. Maybe that meant she was truly past the hurt that Bradley had inflicted upon her. And darn it, she was more than ready to feel something.
It wasn’t in her nature to flirt. Maybe it was the fun atmosphere in the club, maybe it was the new haircut or the sexy dress. Whatever the reason, Allison went completely out of character and smiled back, giving a little dip of her head to acknowledge his compliment. “What do you recommend?”
He tilted his head to one side and studied her intently. “Hmm, you look like the kind of woman who’d enjoy an amaretto tea.”
“Tea?” Not exactly a sexy drink and definitely not what she’d been expecting.
“Of course.” He rested both elbows on the bar and leaned in closer. “We offer all sorts of specialty teas, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, hot and cold drinks.” His deep voice was smooth as silk. It seeped inside her, warming parts of her that had been cold for a very long time.
He reached beneath the bar and brought out a small laminated menu, which listed a variety of tea drinks. “We couldn’t call ourselves Hatter’s if we didn’t. This place is one giant, continuous tea party.”
She laughed, enjoying the banter and the man himself. He really was lovely to look at with his quick grin and dark eyes. The longer she stared at him, the more her body came alive. Her breasts felt slightly swollen and her nipples tight. Any other time she’d be embarrassed. But not here and not now.
“Tell me about the amaretto tea?” She leaned one elbow on the bar, putting herself a little closer to him. She caught a whiff of his aftershave and almost melted. It was spicy without being overpowering. She had to resist leaning closer. It was all too easy to imagine nuzzling his neck.
“Well, it has amaretto in hot tea, finished with a dollop of chilled whipped cream.” His voice was low and deep, intimate.
The way he said whipped cream had her creaming her panties. Good lord, the man should come with a warning label. He raised an eyebrow in question and she realized he was waiting for her answer while she was sitting there like an idiot, staring at him.
“Okay,” she quickly agreed. Embarrassment washed over her and she turned her gaze away and checked out the crowd, searching for her friends. She should know better than to try to flirt. Some women could do it, but she always ended up feeling like a fool.
The light was dimmer around the booths so she had to squint to see. No sign of Barb and the rest of her friends yet. Probably too early. Allison had finished dinner and had decided to come straight to the club.
The place really was incredible. The walls were painted black and red with white accents, but it wasn’t tacky. It stopped just this side of cheap, seeming fun and almost classy. It was quite a trick.
She finally turned her attention back to the bar. The bartender was farther down working on her drink. She took a deep breath to settle the butterflies in her stomach. “Easy, girl,” she muttered. It was one thing to harmlessly flirt, another to get herself worked up over a complete stranger.
She took her time and studied the bar setup. There were glass and brass accents and all the glasses were stamped with the name of the club and a random playing card, always hearts. The napkins were the same. Another small touch, but it added to the overall theme.
The bartender came back and placed her drink in front of her with a light flourish. “Here you are, my lady.” He held out his hand. “By the way
, I’m Nevar.”
Her stomach jumped, but she held out her hand and watched as it was engulfed in a much larger one. “I’m Allison.”
One corner of his mouth turned up in a slow smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Allison.”
Nevar knew he was acting like an idiot, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the woman seated at the end of the bar. He never hit on female customers. Never. And he deflected them whenever they tried to get too friendly. Oh, he didn’t mind some light flirting or banter, that was expected and all in fun. But this was different.
He’d noticed her the moment she’d walked into the bar. Felt her. A tingle had gone down his spine just the way it had early today. He’d turned and seen her standing just inside the door, looking a little uncertain. He’d half expected her to turn and leave and probably would have vaulted over the bar and chased after her if she had.
And wouldn’t that have given his brother and staff something to razz him about.
But there was no way he could have let her go without meeting her.
“How much?”
He frowned, wondering what he’d missed in the conversation.
She motioned to the steaming amaretto tea. “How much?”
He shook his head. “No charge. This is your first time here, isn’t it?”
Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”
Because he would have remembered her if he’d seen her. And if he said that out loud she’d probably run. It made him sound like he had the potential to be a creepy stalker. “It was the way you were looking at everything. Can always tell a first-timer.” That sounded much better.
She laughed and the sound rushed through his body and straight to his toes. It also did interesting things to another portion of his anatomy. His pants were suddenly much too tight.
“This place really is amazing. I almost didn’t come tonight.”
“Are you meeting someone?” Please say no, he thought.
She nodded and his heart dropped. “Some girlfriends from work.”
And his heart jumped and started racing again. Of course, that didn’t mean she didn’t have a boyfriend.
He reached out and touched her hand, stroking his fingers across her wrist and halfway up her arm. “Try the drink and see if you like it.”
He felt her body jolt beneath his touch and he almost did a fist pump. She felt the attraction between them as much as he did. He reined in his excitement and sent her an encouraging smile.
Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted the drink and sipped. “Mmm, it’s wonderful.” She licked her lips and Nevar almost groaned aloud. His cock throbbed and he was glad he was behind the bar where she couldn’t see the bulge in the front of his pants or she’d run for sure. It was too easy to picture her lush lips wrapped around his straining dick.
He’d had his share of women, had been in a serious relationship or two over the years, but he’d never felt such an instant attraction to a woman before.
There was a dollop of cream on the corner of her mouth. Unable to stop himself, he ran his forefinger over the sweet cream, brought it to his mouth and sucked. He’d much rather have licked the cream off, but that would have probably earned him a slap in the face.
And rightfully so.
“Mmm, it is wonderful.” He echoed her words, but they had a totally different meaning. She liked the drink, but he loved the taste of her.
She swallowed heavily and the pulse in her neck fluttered.
“You working or talking?”
Nevar seriously considering killing his little brother and making himself an only child. “I’m talking to the lady.” His voice was hard, warning his brother to back off. “I’m taking a break.”
Rabb leaned against the bar and studied Allison. “You must be something special.”
“No, I’m not.” Allison was flustered by all the male attention. The other man was a few inches shorter than Nevar, wider and more heavily muscled. His hair was dark brown, but there were enough similarities in their facial structure for her to wonder if they were related somehow.
Nevar confirmed that with his next words. “Allison, this nuisance is my brother Rabb.”
“Rabb?” That was an odd name. Of course, so was Nevar.
“Rabb Hatter at your service.” He lifted one of Allison’s hands and kissed the back of it.
She frowned and tugged her hand back. “Hatter, for real?” Then a thought occurred to her. “You own this place?”
“Yes and yes,” Rabb confirmed. “Well we own it together.” He slapped Nevar on the back. “If you’re going to be on a break, I’d better get to work. Nice meeting you, Allison.”
“Your name really is Hatter?” She wasn’t sure if Rabb was simply teasing her.
“Yup, that’s us. The Hatter brothers.” He reached out and tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. “And what’s your last name?”
Allison wasn’t sure she should tell him, but decided it wasn’t that big a deal. “Lewis.”
Nevar threw back his head and laughed. Allison was spellbound by the strong column of his neck and his deep, unrestrained laughter. She just didn’t know what the joke was. He finally stopped and shook his head. “I knew I’d like you from the moment you walked in.”
“I don’t understand.” To cover her nervousness, she picked up the tall glass and sipped her drink. It was cooler now, so she had a huge gulp, hoping the alcohol would settle her.
“Let me show you.” Nevar motioned with his hand. “Come around to the other end of the bar.”
Allison hesitated, but hitched her shawl over her shoulders, grabbed her purse and her drink and slid out of her seat. She walked around the front of the bar while he worked his way down to the other end. He raised one end of the bar and exited, had a word with his brother and then met her.
He was taller than she’d thought. At least several inches over six feet. He made her feel positively short and she was wearing heels. Standing next to him, she could smell his yummy cologne again. It was spicy and exotic, like the man himself. There were secrets behind those eyes.
“You okay?” His dark eyes were filled with concern and that immediately made her feel better. Nevar was a stranger who didn’t feel like one. That was disconcerting, especially for a woman like her. She didn’t have one-night stands, didn’t want to jump a man the moment she met him. At least she hadn’t been until she met Nevar.
There was just something about him that called to her.
“Allison?”
“Oh, I’m fine.” She hooked the thin strap of her purse over her shoulder so she could cup her drink in both hands.
“Come this way.” It took them a few minutes to get across the room. A lot of people seemed to know Nevar and wanted to say hello or chat for a moment. He was always polite, but she senses his growing impatience.
She sipped her drink while she watched him interacting with people. He was good with them, genuinely seemed to like them. She preferred working behind the scenes, but Nevar was in his element at the center of things.
Everyone here seemed to be enjoying themselves. Couples were dancing to the sultry, pulsing rhythms of the music. She liked that the dance floor was on the far end of the bar. The music was at a good level, allowing friends to hear one another when they were at the tables, at least the ones farthest away from the dance floor.
The waitresses and waiters moved around people and tables, serving up drinks of all kinds. There seemed to be a variety of club snacks coming out from an unseen kitchen somewhere.
Nevar put his arm around her shoulders, leaned down and spoke into her ear, his breath tickling her skin. “This way.”
Her entire body clenched at his touch and her grip on her glass increased until her fingers were almost white. She felt hot and flushed, and it wasn’t all due to the alcohol in her drink.
No, it was all due to Nevar’s closeness. It was his fault she her face felt flushed, that her nipples were puckered and her panties damp. A sense of anticipation
had all her senses humming.
They went partway down a short hallway, stopping in front of a glass case that held artwork of some kind. She angled her body for a better look. “Oh, it’s from the book. Alice in Wonderland.”
Nevar stood behind her and wrapped one muscled forearm across her front just above her breasts. Her nipples puckered into taut nubs and she had the urge to turn around and rub them against his firm, muscled chest.
She should have been appalled, but she was too darn aroused to care how unlike her the thought was.
“Yes.” He leaned down and talked into her ear, pitching his voice just above the music without shouting. “It’s a page from one of the oldest copies of the book. I bought it when I was a kid.”
“Really?” It didn’t seem like the kind of thing that would interest a young boy.
“My name is Hatter. My brother is named Rabbit, as in March Hare and my name is Nevar, raven spelled backward.”
When she looked at him in question, he laughed. “You know, like the book.” At her blank look, he continued. “Why is a raven like a writing desk? The author intended the question to be nonsensical with no answer. But people kept writing and asking Lewis Carroll what the answer was. He later wrote a reply to all those who wanted to know the answer. He used the word never in his reply, except he originally spelled it as nevar, raven backward. It was a play on words from the original question. Some proofreader changed it to never in a later edition and that was the end of that.”
He laughed and she felt the rumble throughout her entire body. With her back plastered against his front and his arm around her, it was as if she were surrounded by him. Instead of feeling awkward, it felt very natural.
“My parents love the book and named both of us accordingly. I grew up steeped in all things Alice in Wonderland.”
“That’s amazing.” She couldn’t imagine growing up in such a whimsical household.
“What about you?” His breath was warm against her skin. Was it her imagination or had his lips touched her neck? Either way, goose bumps raced down her arm in the most delicious way.
MadLoving Page 2
