by Lori Foster
Much aggrieved, Dean let out a long breath. “Everyone there is drinking.”
“I’m not drinking.” She started to add that she seldom drank, despite what he might think, but she got sidetracked when Gregor held out his gargantuan arms, offering himself like a sacrifice.
“I haven’t had a drop, either, love. Tell your damned brother that I’ll see you get home.”
Dean must have heard him, because he said, “No,” a little too loudly and way too fast.
Keeping the phone at her ear, Jacki looked at Gregor. The name grew on her. So he was a hulk. And a fighter. And far too chauvinistic, with his corny endearments.
Overall, he seemed harmless enough. Going through all the considerations, she said to Dean, “Why not?”
“Yeah,” Gregor seconded, “why not?”
The sound of grinding teeth came through the phone. “Jacki, for God’s sake, you don’t even know him.”
“But you do,” she reminded him.
Gregor chuckled. “And therein lays the rub.”
“Shit.” Another long sigh, a hesitation fraught with ripe frustration, and finally Dean said, “Stay put, brat. I’m coming to get you myself.”
Jacki’s mouth dropped open. Dean had to be kidding. It was late. He was with Eve. He had absolutely no obligation toward her at all. “But…that’s crazy.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Dean, wait. If I can’t find a ride, then there’s a bus stop only two blocks away—”
“Do not move,” Dean demanded. “I mean it.”
Her temper flaring, Jacki said, “Now wait one damn—”
And Dean hung up on her, just like…a very serious and overprotective big brother.
Huh. Imagine that.
Jacki wasn’t sure if she liked Dean’s attitude or resented it. For sure, it’d take a little getting used to. She closed the phone and slid it into her pocket.
Pretending to pray, Gregor asked, “So, what’s the verdict, darlin’?”
“Sorry.” She lifted her shoulders. “Dean’s coming to get me himself.”
Crestfallen, he muttered, “That rotten SOB.”
He gave the insult so dramatically, Jacki couldn’t help but laugh. “Look at it this way. It’ll take him twenty minutes to get here.”
Gregor’s expression brightened. “And that’ll give us twenty minutes to get familiar with one another.” Flashing another sexy, confident grin, he said, “I see a nice private booth there in the back.”
Jacki shook her head. “No way. Besides, I have to turn in my application.”
“Application for what?”
“Work.” As she started away, she explained, “Two women just quit on them, and they’re desperate. The night manager already said I qualify, so I’m hoping he’ll hire me on the spot.”
“To start tonight?”
She wished. But obviously the big guy didn’t feel the same. Was he really that anxious to spend some time with her? She hoped so. It had been a long time since any guy had intrigued her this much. “He said I’d start the following Monday.”
“So you only have to hand in the paper?”
“That’s right.” She glanced back at him—and caught him staring at her tush. Since her behind boasted the only female curves she had, Jacki didn’t mind so much. But if he decided to start eyeing her nonexistent chest, they’d be in trouble.
She paused, their gazes met, and new heat burned in his eyes.
His smile came easily. “And when that’s done?”
“We can sit up front, where there are plenty of lights.” She got her feet moving again. “It’ll be easier for Dean to spot us that way.”
Trailing her, the giant grunted. “Like he could miss me, wherever I sit?”
He had a point. But Jacki wasn’t ready to isolate herself with him. And besides, much as she relished his admiration, she wanted a real clear view of Dean when he got there.
Because she’d never witnessed it before, she wanted to see what a worried big brother looked like.
CHAPTER 9
SHE got the job.
Dickey Webster, the very grizzled and grumpy night manager who also tended bar, barely glanced at her application before saying, “You start Monday, eight to two A.M. That work for you?”
It worked just fine, perfect in fact. As a natural-born night owl, Jacki couldn’t have chosen better hours for herself. All servers wore the same style apron, supplied by the bar, so she didn’t have to worry about a corny or revealing uniform. Jeans and tees would work just fine.
Her days would be Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, leaving her plenty of time during the week for her new classes.
Contributing to the family income should afford her some say in financial decisions. Relief and excitement at the prospect of finally being heard almost outshone Gregor’s presence.
Almost.
Dean’s friend had an awesome sense of humor, an infectious laugh, and so much sex appeal, Jacki felt bludgeoned by it. For the eighteen minutes that they sat together, not once did the patrons of the bar, men and women alike, stop staring. The men watched Gregor with wary interest, but the women ogled with prurient greed.
“You sure draw a lot of attention,” Jacki commented.
“Honey, that’s the pot callin’ the kettle black.” He took a drink of his cola and then leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “I’m bettin’ you get eyeballed everywhere you go.”
Jacki shrugged. A fair share of looks came her way, but it didn’t change the fact that she was too tall, bone thin, and lacking in the upper works. “Men are easy. For them, it’s like a habit. Any female in their line of vision gets checked out. It doesn’t mean anything.”
He gave her a sly side smile. “Playing coy, huh? Okay, I dig it.” He reached for her hand. “Do I need to rhyme? Maybe get on my knees? Play soft music?” He held on to her when she would have snatched her hand away. “Flowers? Chocolates? What’s your thing, baby? You tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. I’m talkin’ about wooing you.”
She just shook her head, making him smile.
“I take it you’re not the romantic type, huh? Great. I gag on all that sappy shit anyway. How ’bout I just cut to the chase and say how delicious you are? Mouthwatering even. So damned sexy that I’m practically—”
“For crying out loud. Knock it off, will you?” She glanced around the room at their oh-so-rapt audience. “Someone might overhear you.” Embarrassed, Jacki again tried to tug her hand free—and that’s how Dean found them.
One second her brother wasn’t there, and then in the next, she felt him breathing down on them.
Gregor must’ve felt it, too. An arrested expression came over his face. Seconds later, anticipation replaced it. He kissed her knuckles with a flourish before turning toward Dean.
“Damn, you got here fast, Havoc. And here I thought I’d need a pack of hounds to hunt you down. Who knew pursuing your little sister would do the trick?”
“Jacki’s nearly six feet tall,” Dean pointed out, sounding droll, maybe even bored. “Not really what you’d call little.”
“Next to me, she’s small.” Gregor copped a ridiculous look of surprise. “But wait. No one knew you had a sister, right? We all thought you’d hatched in some damn lab as part of a mad-science project gone bad. So how could I have known she was the trick to getting your ass in gear?”
At Gregor’s teasing words, a sick feeling of dread entered Jacki’s stomach.
Oblivious, Gregor smiled at her again. “But now I’m on to you. You not only have a beautiful sis but you’re a vigilant guardian as well.”
“You’re an idiot, Gregor.”
He snorted. “You were rushing to her rescue. And now you’ll have her thinking you don’t trust me.”
With the weight of a wrecking ball, comprehension crashed down on Jacki: Gregor’s pursuit had more to do
with irking Dean than winning her over.
He’d out and out used her.
And she’d been stupid enough to let him.
Slouching back in her seat, she waited to see how Dean would handle the situation.
He said to Gregor, “I’m here to give her a ride, that’s all.”
“Because I offered her a ride, and you don’t want your baby sister around me.”
Dean slashed a hand through the air. “I’m not that kind of brother, damn it.”
“Is that right?” Gregor left his seat. He stood toe to toe with Dean, but he had a couple extra inches in height. “So what kind of bro are ya? I’m askin’ for future reference, you see. Bein’ as I’m smitten and I plan to stick around town awhile.”
Jacki stared. Gregor actually expected to keep on using her?
Over her dead body.
Needing him to know that she was on to him, Jacki waited until she had his attention, and when she got it, she said, “Asshole.”
Gregor’s brows shot up, and he roared with deep laughter. “By damn, Havoc, she is your sister.” And even with that, he somehow managed to look charmed instead of insulted.
But Jacki wouldn’t let him fool her again.
“You’re wasting your time,” Dean told him. “You can’t provoke me, so stop trying. If you want a fight, take it up with the SBC officials.”
“You know, I’d do exactly that, but they’re more inclined to listen to you.”
“That’s too bad for you, then, because I’m not telling them shit.” Dean turned to Jacki. “Let’s go.”
She nodded and pushed herself out of the booth. “Believe me, I’m ready.”
They turned to go, and Gregor muscled his way in front of her. Jacki noted that he moved fast for a gargantuan jerk. “Hold up, darlin’.”
“I am not your ‘darlin’.’” He started to speak, and she stopped him by taking a step closer. “I’m not your ‘honey’ or your ‘love,’ either. My name is Jacki, and if you ever speak to me again, you ought to remember that.”
He went from surprised to conspiratorial. “Ah.” He glanced at Dean before nodding at her. “I take it havin’ big brother around changes things.”
Dean snarled, “I am not that kind of brother, damn it.”
Both Jacki and Gregor ignored him. “Actually, no. Dean has no influence on me. But how dumb do you think I am?”
“I never said—”
“Anyone can see that your real interest is in egging Dean into a fight.”
“No, I—”
“You just passed the time with me in the hopes of getting him to agree. You used me.”
Gregor smashed two fingers against her lips. “Facing off with your irritating brother is definitely an interest, dar…” He cleared his throat. “Jacki. But now that I’ve laid eyes on you, it’s not the only interest.”
“Yeah, right. Whatever you say.” Jacki rallied a believable show of scathing disdain. “Now go bug someone else.”
Gregor again blocked her path. He no longer looked so amused or charmed. “Now wait just a damned minute, woman. You have me all wrong.”
So near to her back that Jacki could feel his heat, Dean said, “Get out of the way, Gregor.”
Caught between both men, Jacki actually felt petite, and wasn’t that a first? But she had no time to indulge the novelty of it. “I’m a good judge of character,” she told Gregor. “And you’re lacking it.”
He puffed up with indignation, making himself taller, somehow bigger. To Jacki’s surprise, he said to Dean, “A little help here, Havoc?”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?”
“You could start by tellin’ the gal that I’d never use her to get you in a fight. That’d be chickenshit and we both know it.”
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose, then gave in with a sigh. “He’s not chickenshit, Jacki. He’s obnoxious and he has a big mouth. And he lacks skill on the mat, as well as patience, but—”
“I said to help me,” Gregor reminded him dryly, “not crucify me.”
“I’m still feeling my last fight. I haven’t had enough sleep all week, and you interrupted a very pleasant evening.” With each word, Dean crowded closer against Jacki’s back. “So tell me, Gregor. Why the hell would I want to help you when I’d rather you just go away?”
Jacki would be deaf for days with the way Dean had just yelled in her ear. And blast Gregor, he looked satisfied with Dean’s rising temper.
He even dared to make a tsking sound of reprimand. “Havoc, Havoc, Havoc. I’ve never known you to lose your cool. You sure you’re not feeling protective toward the baby bird here?”
Baby bird? Jacki sucked in air, fueling her outrage. What an insufferable oaf! Using both hands, she shoved Gregor hard. Because he’d been looking at Dean, she took him by surprise and he stumbled back.
Not far, but it gave her enough room to storm away. And she did.
Behind her, she heard Gregor shout, “Darlin’, wait.” And when she only moved a little faster, he added, “There goes my heart, Havoc. Your little sister just ripped it clean outta my chest.”
Dean said, “You don’t have a heart, you miserable prick.”
A second later, her brother was at her side. He kept pace with her as she left the shelter of the bar’s overhang and stomped out into the rain.
“Jacki?”
Mortification kept her from acknowledging him.
“Did anyone ever tell you that you shouldn’t physically assault trained fighters who are easily twice your size?”
She couldn’t help it. She said, “Ha!”
“And that means…what?”
“You were there,” Jacki snapped, and she kept walking. Her footsteps were so forceful that puddles splashed up around her.
Dean caught her arm and swung her around. “So you expected me to fight him for you?”
He looked so irate by that possibility, Jacki half-expected steam to rise off his head.
She rolled her eyes. “Of course not. The big idiot wants to fight you in the ring, not in a bar. I just meant that seeing the two of you together assured me he wasn’t the type to manhandle women. If he was, you wouldn’t have been having a casual conversation with him.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t think you’d associate with abusive bullies.”
“You can’t assume that about me. Hell, you don’t even know me.”
For only a moment, Jacki touched his jaw. “You’re my brother, Dean. I dunno. It’s nuts, I agree. But I do know you.”
Dean scowled at her, propped his hands on his hips, and glanced beyond her—at nothing much. Just more street, noise, and human congestion. His gaze came back to her face. “Where do you think you’re charging off to?”
She had no idea. She’d only wanted to put distance between herself and the source of her embarrassment: Gregor. “Your car?”
Very slowly, his gaze measuring her, Dean nodded. “You were headed the wrong way.”
He seemed totally unconcerned with the rain, but then, she hadn’t noticed it either till just then. Now she felt the chill sinking into her bones, and her hair began to drop in wet clumps over her shoulders.
All because Gregor had infuriated her.
“You can take the lead.”
“Gee, thanks.” Turning in the opposite direction, Dean started off at a long-legged clip.
Following him half a block up, Jacki saw where he’d parked by the curb. After opening her door and waiting for her to be seated, he circled the hood and got behind the wheel.
Jacki was feeling chilled, wet, and pretty damned stupid until Dean said, “So you think I have some standards when it comes to who I’ll associate with? That’s what you meant?”
Jacki smiled to herself. For a big tough guy, Dean sure had a hard time accepting that his honor was as apparent as his muscles. “Yup. I may not have known you long, but I can’t see you putting up with that nonsense. You insulted Gregor, and you sounded impatient. But you did
n’t sound sickened by him or anything.”
“Sickened?” He scowled at her with grave offense. “I don’t get sickened.”
“What? That’s not macho?”
His expression darkened even more, but he said nothing. He started the car and flipped on the heater. Reaching over the seat into the back, he located a windbreaker and handed it to her.
He put on his seat belt and pulled away from the curb. At that hour, the streets were all but deserted. Harsh wind drove the rain into the windshield like bullets. The wipers could barely keep up.
After a minute, Dean glanced at her. “You’re okay?”
“I’m okay. I just feel like an idiot, that’s all.”
“How come?”
Sighing, she put her head back and stared at the black windshield. “I should have known he wasn’t really interested.”
“Because…?”
Feeling worse by the second, Jacki slumped lower into her seat and wrapped her arms around herself. Thanks to the rain, she could feel her eye makeup sliding down her face. Her hair hung in heavy clumps to her shoulders. She had mud on the hem of her jeans.
Inside and out, she felt unappealing. And she didn’t want to talk about it.
But Dean didn’t let it go. “Jacki?”
So much had happened recently, too much for her to handle. She and Cam were scrapping at each other all the time. Little by little, they were losing their house. And now a long-lost brother…
Fed up, she fired at Dean, “What do you care anyway?”
He looked startled, but like a pot boiling over, she couldn’t stop herself.
“You’re not big brother material, remember? You don’t care about me.” Her shaky voice turned to a sneer. “Or are you worried about Gregor?”
Struggling with herself, Jacki sucked in fast breaths—and finally felt the difference in Dean. He sat right next to her in the car, but his cold distance put miles between them.
Oh God, her awful temper. The sound of tires on wet pavement and the rage of the storm couldn’t drown out the roar of her guilt. “Dean…”
“Forget I asked, all right?”
For the first time since meeting him, Dean seemed unapproachable and forbidding. Because of her. He’d come as soon as he got Cam’s letter. He’d left Eve’s bed just to drive her home from the bar.
