Lori Foster (15 page)

“Not sex, honey. Not yet.” He wanted her ready, without reservations. “Just a demonstration. Okay?”

She bit her bottom lip, then nodded. “Okay.”

He took her shoulders and carefully lowered her back to the desk. Once she rested there, her gorgeous hair spread out everywhere, he caught her knees and, watching her, pressed them back.

Avery gasped. “Rowdy...”

His gaze locked with hers, he nudged in against her. “Just like this, babe.” Oh, God, he could almost feel it, how hot and slick it’d be to press inside her. “No pain or problems. Just me sinking in and us both coming apart.”

Her face flushed, but her heavy gaze stayed focused on his. He watched the rise and fall of her breasts as he continued to slowly rock against her.

He’d meant it to be only a short example, but then her breath caught, and he watched her hands curl, felt the muscles in her thighs tense. “Damn.”

She parted her lips to breathe more deeply. Her dark eyes glittered; her cheeks warmed.

Half disbelieving the telltale signs of her rising excitement, Rowdy studied her every reaction. No way was she...

“Rowdy.”

Yeah, maybe she was. His heart started hammering and his cock swelled more. She arched her back a little. He should have taken her shirt off her so he could see her breasts.

Next time he’d make that a top priority.

Readjusting, he hooked his arms through her knees and leaned down to kiss her. The new position freed up his hands so he could cup each breast.

Liking that, she moaned brokenly.

Her nipples were tight little points, pressing up through the material of her bra and T-shirt.

“Jesus, I wish you were naked.” Still thrusting rhythmically against the apex of her jean-covered thighs, he took her mouth, cuddled her breasts and when she gasped, stiffened, she took him right to the edge.

Even caught up in the moment, he made sure to muffle her sudden cries, to hold her steady so that she couldn’t buck too much.

Arching her neck, her hands fisted tight in his hair, she keened under his kiss.

It was so fucking awesome that he gave up and did the unthinkable.

He joined her.

Fully dressed, on a hard desk, in the bar...
but with Avery.

It felt too damned perfect.

With his brain now depleted of dark thoughts, his muscles gone utterly lax, all his worries and pain just faded away. As the sizzle ebbed, he became more aware of Avery’s soft body cushioning his, the muskiness of her natural fragrance, how her fingers now stroked lazily through his hair.

It took Rowdy a few more minutes before he really got his brain to function again, and then he wanted to kick his own ass.

Way to go, Romeo.

His first time with her...and he hadn’t even gotten her top off. Worse, there was a barroom full of people nearby—and her work shift was due to start in...Rowdy glanced at the clock. Hell. Three minutes ago.

Dreading how she might look at him, he levered up to his forearms.

Avery kept her eyes closed.

For some reason, that amused him. “Coward.”

“Hush.” Her brows knit together as if in concentration. “I’m still recuperating.”

Damn, but he...what? Wanted her. That’s all. He wanted her, and until he had her his brain would keep getting muddled about things. “You see?” He kissed her parted lips. “Entirely possible.”

“Be quiet so I can find my brain cells.” She frowned more. “And my legs. I think they’ve gone missing.”

He stroked both hands along her soft, wide-open thighs. “Feeling weak, huh?”

“Boneless, if you want the truth.” She put a hand over her mouth and yawned. “I think I could sleep here, just like this.”

“With me crushing you?”

“Mmm.” She moved enough to wind her arms around his neck. “You’re a warm, heavy blanket, and you smell so good.”

He’d just made the biggest sexual faux pas of his life, and yet Rowdy realized he was smiling. “Tell you what, babe.” He touched her cheek and knew if he lived to be a hundred, the picture of her across his desk, replete and so damned sexy, would be emblazoned on his brain forever. “I’ll have Cannon start behind the bar. Take as much time as you need.”

She got one eye open. “You are not replacing me with Cannon.”

No one could replace her—
Damn it.
There he went again with those intrusive, alarming thoughts. Drawing her arms down to her sides, he levered up and off her.

Avery didn’t move. She had both eyes closed again.

“I told you, he’ll give you breaks.”

“And fill in when I’m otherwise occupied doing debauched things in the boss’s office?”

“I like the way you think.” Walking around behind his desk to the locker, Rowdy drew out a change of jeans and shorts.

Avery twisted around, looked at his face, then at the clothes in his hands. “No way.”

He was just disturbed enough to say, “You already know me, hon. Do you think I’m ever unprepared?” He kept the change of clothes mostly for spills, which happened often at bars. But no reason to share that detail with her.

Let her think what she wanted. Maybe it’d help him to keep his head on straight if she got pissed again.

She sat up in a rush, pushed the mass of her disheveled hair from her face and watched him until he’d kicked off his shoes and opened his zipper.

Abruptly she turned. “Well, I’m recovered.”

His gaze cut to her again. As he stripped down to his bare ass, he asked, “Did you expect to cuddle on the desk?”

“Nope.” She scooted to sit on the edge, her legs hanging over, her hands braced beside her hips, her spine rigid. “With you, speaking strictly of sex, I have no expectations other than that you be good—and you were.”

Huh. Now, why did that insult him? Did she think him incapable of anything more?

Stop being an ass.

Rowdy zipped up the fresh jeans and sat to pull his boots back on. “If you count that as good, I can blow you away with the real deal.”

“Bragging?” She glanced over her shoulder, saw he was decent again and hopped off the desk.

Her legs wobbled, making him smile. “Just forewarning you.”

“Well, let me forewarn you, too.” She lifted her chin. “I did some preparing of my own.”

“Yeah, how’s that? Got an extra pair of panties tucked away in your purse?”

“No!” She drew a calming breath, laced her fingers together, rocked back on her heels and finally said, “But I did set an appointment to see my doctor so I could get started on the pill.”

Rowdy froze in the process of tying his boots. “When?”

She lifted one shoulder. “The other day, when I came in early to get my phone... That’s why I needed it.”

So she’d wanted him all along and just hadn’t bothered to tell him? Sneaky. But also satisfying.

“After walking in on you, well, I’d rethought things, but...I do know my own limitations, and you, Rowdy, are too much temptation to resist. So...” She shrugged. “I have an appointment next week.”

Was that one reason she wanted to wait? To ensure, on her own terms, that they didn’t have any mistakes? “Responsible, intelligent women are so sexy.”

“Based on your past relationships, no one would know you felt that way about it.”

“Don’t confuse yourself, honey. I already told you I don’t do relationships.” Except for now, with Avery. He shook his head as something else occurred to him. “Why weren’t you already on the pill?”

“I wasn’t doing anything with anyone, so why bother?” She pulled her hair over her shoulder and tried finger combing it. “I also packed a toothbrush and pajamas in my car. In case, you know, after I change your bandages, well...” She stopped fidgeting and gave him a direct frown. “I still want to follow doctor’s orders and wait a few more days.”

“You know that’s not necessary.” He pushed up from the chair. “I thought I just proved that.”

She didn’t meet his gaze and she didn’t acknowledge what he said. “Now that I have my car, I can help you get settled and still have a way home—”

“No.”

“No?” Her gaze shot up to his. “You’d rather I not come again?”

“I definitely want you to come.” The way he said it left no misunderstandings as to what he meant. “Again.”

“Rowdy.”

He appreciated the picture she made, somewhat timid, a whole lot tempting and still chiding him. “You know you want it, too.”

“I do.” She sighed. “But we need to wait, so it’s just as well that you don’t want me to stay over.”

“But I do want that. In fact, I insist.” Keeping her around all night gave him the twofold pleasure of knowing she was safe while he got to enjoy her sweet little body.

Rocking again, she looked at the office door, then back at the small closet that held a toilet and sink. “I’m glad you have a bathroom in here.”

“Need to do your own refreshing?” He wished they had more time and privacy. He’d love to feel her all hot and wet.

And damn it, he sort of wanted to cuddle.

Her nose wrinkled. “I think so, yes.”

When he finally got her naked in his bed, he’d tend to her himself. But for now, he didn’t want to embarrass her more than he already had. “Take your time.” He stopped in front of her, took her shoulders and kissed the tip of her nose. “No reason for us to walk out together, looking like we’ve just done the nasty.”

“Cannon knows.”

“Forget Cannon.” Now that he knew she considered Cannon good-looking, it irked him even to hear her say his name. Rowdy kissed her again, this time on her mouth, only briefly. She stared up at him, her tumbled hair framing her face, her uncertainty showing even though she tried to hide it. “You are so incredibly beautiful.”

The compliment earned him a sweet smile.

Knowing he was losing it, Rowdy brushed his knuckles over her cheek and made a fast getaway, closing the door quietly behind him.

His mood was improved, his lust temporarily slaked, but his damned heart bounced around in his chest in a strange sort of warning...that also felt like a triumphant yell.

What the fuck had Avery Mullins done to him?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A
VERY
DROPPED
INTO
Rowdy’s chair and stared at the ceiling, appalled, stunned.

Wow, just...wow. Who knew such a thing was even possible?

Rowdy, damn him, took it in stride as if he got fully dressed women off across his desk with little effort every other day.

For all she knew, maybe he did.

Putting both hands over her eyes, she groaned. And smiled.

He was so remarkable in every way.

And boy, she wanted more. A lot more.

The trick would be to take all she could get without him ever knowing how she really felt. She had too much pride to get dumped, so when it ended—and she knew it would—she wanted Rowdy to believe it was by mutual decision.

Somehow she’d find a way to convince him of that.

He was used to calling the shots, so he probably expected her to hang out in his office for a while. She refused to be one more woman who fell into line for him, so she pushed out of his chair and, ignoring her exhaustion and still-shaky limbs, went into his tiny bathroom and refreshed herself.

Within ten minutes she was back out front. On her way to the bar, she picked up a heavy crate of liquor from the back room to bring with her.

Cannon saw her, excused himself from the bar and hustled over to retrieve it from her. “Where do you want it?”

“Behind the bar near the ice chest.” She went along with him. “So you’re working the bar right now?”

He nodded. “Only until you’re ready.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“Whatever needs to be done.”

So if she took over now, he’d have to...what? Wash dishes? Clean tables?

Cannon flashed her a grin. “Don’t worry about it. It’s all the same to me.”

Avery noticed again what a good-looking man he was. The bar lamps put blue highlights in his shiny black hair, highlights that matched the pale blue of his dreamy eyes. And those thick lashes, the warm way he smiled, that small dimple...

His grin widened.

Such a wicked grin it was, too. Avery shook her head and collected her flagging wits. “I’d prefer to bartend.”

“Then have at it.” He turned to go, but Ella had approached. He nodded at her, saying, “Ma’am.”

Which made Ella twitter and blush.

Wow. Avery had to do a double take over that. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Excuse me?” Cannon said.

“Nothing.” Avery smiled at Ella. “Everything okay?”

Ella slid an order slip over to her without looking away from Cannon. “Just stopping by to greet our new coworker.”

“Thanks.” Without missing a beat, Cannon took the slip and filled the drinks. “We met last night, right?”

“We did, very briefly,” Ella said. “But with all the confusion I didn’t get to welcome you proper.”

“Appreciate it.”

She wound a finger in her brown hair and flirted shamelessly. “So you’re staying on?”

“Looks like.” He loaded her tray and then glanced back at Avery. “Rowdy told me to take my direction from you, so what’s it to be? Anything you want me to do to help out here, or should I check with Jones?”

Ella stared at him adoringly.

So Rowdy had put her in charge? After what had just taken place in his office, she would feel self-conscious about that, except that neither Ella nor Cannon seemed to think anything of it.

She took in the crowded floor, growing more so by the minute, and said, “Looks like we have a crush all of a sudden.”

“Friendly football rivalry,” Cannon said. “The guys at the bar are the winners, and the ones sulking in the booths by the far wall are—”

“Not happy,” Ella supplied. She winked. “But I’m working on cheering them up.”

Cannon lifted a brow. “I bet you’ll have them downright giddy in no time.”

It was nice that Cannon fit right in. She’d have to remember to tell Rowdy what a good choice he’d made. “Why don’t you help Ella get the orders going, and then see if Jones needs a hand? Maybe bounce back and forth.”

“Sounds good.” He grabbed an order pad and pen from behind the bar and started out to the floor.

The second he stepped away, Ella pretended to collapse back in a heap, making Avery laugh.

“Dear Lord,” Ella said, “that young man is potent.”

“He is easy on the eyes,” Avery agreed.

“That apron looks better on him than it ever will on me. Now, if he
only
wore the apron...” Her gaze tracked him as he went across the floor. “I could really appreciate it when he walks away.”

Laughing, Avery swatted at her. “Behave yourself.”

“Ha! Look who’s talking about behaving.” While Avery tried to fight off a blush, Ella winked. “Rowdy’s a morsel, no doubt about it. But you just might have a tiger by the tail with that one. Know when to turn him loose, okay?”

Dreading the answer, Avery asked, “How much did you hear?”

“Hear?” Ella’s brows arched up. “I
saw
Rowdy drag you off, honey, and it was plain to everyone what he wanted.”

She swallowed hard, and squeaked, “What?”

“You.”
Ella squeezed her hand. “I think it’s nice that he couldn’t wait to get you alone to steal a kiss.”

Steal a kiss? Is that all Ella thought had happened? As her spine turned into a noodle, Avery said, “He’s...impetuous.”

“I’d say he’s outrageous and downright sinful.” She lifted her loaded tray. “Every woman here envies you. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

While it lasts. Ugh. Such a depressing thought—one that wouldn’t leave her even as the hours passed and she stayed busy filling nonstop drink orders.

The football players said, “Keep ’em coming,” and they meant it. Avery barely had time to draw breath, much less rest.

Out on the floor, a drinking game almost got out of hand. Rowdy sent two men home, thankfully with their designated driver. He cranked up the jukebox and a few couples chose to dance. Toward the back, laughter and the clanking of pool balls rounded out the din.

All in all, it was an upbeat night.

Just when she thought she’d drop, Rowdy came over with Cannon. “Take your break. Cannon can fill in.”

“Perfect timing.” More than ready, she pulled off her apron and wiped off her hands. After the chaos of yesterday, the sleepless night and the crush of customers today, she was so tired that she felt like she could curl up in a corner and doze off.

Not caring what anyone thought, Rowdy took her hand. “We’ll be in the break room for about fifteen minutes if anything comes up.”

Already zipping through drink orders, Cannon said, “Take your time.”

Once they had some privacy, Rowdy asked, “Coffee or a Coke?”

“Coffee. And maybe a Danish.” She went to her locker to get her purse but Rowdy waved her off to a chair.

“I’ve got it.” He dropped coins into the vending machine to collect her drink and snack, then set everything in front of her before taking the chair to her right and turning it around. He straddled the seat.

Around a jaw-breaking yawn, she mumbled, “Thank you.”

“Do you need something more to eat?”

She shook her head. “Jones gave me soup and a sandwich for my dinner break.”

“You know, you could run over to my place to grab real food if you wanted.”

Another yawn snuck in on her, hiding her surprise at the offer. “No, this is good.” She didn’t want to start overstepping herself, or take advantage of the nearness of his apartment. “Thanks anyway.”

He used his baby finger to tuck her hair back. “You need a nap.”

She most definitely did. “Unlike you, I’m mortal and require sleep.” She added an extra sugar packet to her coffee. “But I have a feeling that if I took a nap, it’d turn into a full eight hours.”

Half smiling, Rowdy touched the top of her cheek. “You have dark circles under your eyes.”

“Great. Good to know.” Around a bite of Danish, she added, “You’ll just have to put up with it because I don’t feel like fussing with makeup right now.”

“You’re still sexy as hell.”

She shook her head. “Your idea of sexy is warped.”

He hesitated, his expression too serious, before he said, “You know, if you need to cut out early tonight, we’ll manage.”

She burned her lip on the hot coffee, then almost dropped the cup.

She hadn’t had enough sleep, they’d been busier than usual and now Rowdy wanted to ditch her?

Grabbing up napkins, he asked, “You okay?”

That little tease in the office had only whet her appetite and made her want more, but had it satisfied him enough that he wanted a reason to avoid her? Well, too bad. She wasn’t ready to end things yet. She narrowed her eyes at him.

Rowdy sat back in his chair. “What did I do?”

She worked her jaw a moment before saying, “If you’d rather I not be at your place tonight, just say so. You don’t need to trump up concern over a few yawns.”

Now his jaw tightened. “I wasn’t suggesting you not come over.”

“So you thought I’d go home, sleep then get up in the middle of the night and come over when you got off work?” How in the world did he think that would be restful?

“I figured you could go right on next door to my place and catch a few hours’ sleep before I get in.”

Was that a joke? No, he definitely looked serious, and a little put out that she’d misunderstood. Her chat with Ella had left her brooding over Rowdy’s habit of one-night stands, so no way had she expected him to want her in his apartment when he wasn’t even there.

Suspicion got an ugly hold on her mood. “So you’re going from a ‘no women allowed’ policy at your apartment to me being there without you?”

“I trust you not to snoop too much.”

He looked like he meant it, and that just leveled her. “I will never understand you.”

“What’s to understand? I’m horny, and you look dead on your feet. Doesn’t bode well for my evening.”

She almost choked on her coffee. So he wasn’t appeased.
Thank God.
She hated to admit the level of her own relief, so she mustered up some censure instead. “We’ve been over this already. The doctor ordered three days of inactivity before we...” What? Take the big step? To Rowdy, it wasn’t a big step at all.

He caught her hand. “Before we shed our clothes and reenact what we already did in the office?”

She didn’t know what to say to that. “It would be different and you know it.”

“Yeah.” His voice went rough and deep. “I’d be inside you.”

Avery’s heart tripped.

“And you’d be all nice and wet.” He lifted her knuckles to his mouth, pressed a damp kiss there. “Squeezing me tight—”

“Rowdy,” she pleaded. If he didn’t stop, she’d be begging him for an encore and to hell with what the doctor ordered.

For the longest time, he searched her face. “I scare you a little?”

He scared her a lot, but probably not for the reasons he thought. “I’ve been celibate for over a year.”
And you make me feel every minute of the wait.
She bit off another big bite of her pastry.

Watching her, Rowdy’s eyes darkened with anticipation. “That’s an awfully long time to deny yourself.”

Painfully long—though she hadn’t realized it until Rowdy came along.

He bent a little to meet her averted gaze. “Wanna tell me why?”

She shrugged.
Out of necessity, and because you weren’t there to tempt me.
“Sex wasn’t a priority.”

“And now it is?”

Sex in general, no. But sex with Rowdy? She got hot flashes imagining it. “You know I want you, Rowdy.” She wasn’t that different from other women. “A lot.” And she’d have him. “But I won’t risk prolonging your recovery, and that’s that.”

“Okay, then.” Rowdy unfolded his big body from the chair and stood over her. “Plan on sleeping tonight.”

She lifted her coffee cup in salute. “Just try to keep me awake.”

“I mean
only
sleeping.”

Avery couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s a major turnaround.”

Deadpan, he said, “Yeah, but unfortunately, I’m not that into comatose women.”

Well, she wasn’t
that
tired...but she’d go with any good excuse to give Rowdy the time he needed to recover from the knife attack. “If you’re sure...”

He smirked, letting her know he recognized her ploy. “When we happen—and we will—I want you to feel everything, Avery. Not be numbed by exhaustion.”

Wow. She sort of felt it right now.

Ella peeked into the break room, looked from one to the other of them and grinned. “Sorry to interrupt, kids, but Avery has a call.”

“Who is it?” Rowdy asked.

“Some guy.” She winked at Avery. “I didn’t ask for a name.”

“Next time,” Rowdy told her, “ask.” He pulled back Avery’s chair. “You can take it in my office if you want.”

Ella choked on her laugh, gave a quick wave and left.

“That’s okay.” Avery finished off her pastry and, carrying her coffee cup, started from the room. “I was about done anyway. And no, I don’t need to leave early, but I thank you for the offer.”

“You’re sure?”

As they walked into a boisterous crowd, she said, “Positive.” She’d carry her own weight and that was that. “You’re slammed tonight.”

“I’m glad I hired Cannon when I did.” Rowdy kept a hand at the small of her back as they maneuvered through the crowd.

She was thrilled for the success of the bar, but she wished Rowdy had a little more downtime. She’d taken each of her breaks and an hour for dinner, but Rowdy had barely slowed down at all.

They stepped around a cluster of people and both drew to a halt at what they saw.

Instead of the football players lining the bar, women of all ages and appeal sat perched on the bar stools, crowded in between, leaning on and over the bar—all ogling Cannon.

Avery barked a very unladylike laugh, then slapped a hand over her mouth.

Rolling his eyes, Rowdy said, “He’s going to cause a riot.”

“Told you he was a hottie.” She turned her face up to his. “Between the two of you drawing in ladies, the men won’t have room!”

“And then Ella might quit on me.” He gave her a quick kiss. “Take your call, and then tell Cannon to work the floor with Ella. That ought to help disperse the bar crush.”