Nashville Flirt (5 page)

When the limo pulled up in front of
the dessert bar, Happy Endings, Sean hopped out and went inside to
make sure things were ready for them. He had a grin on his face, so
Sarah was guessing things had gone well for him while Sarah and Bo
were playing tonsil hockey behind the bushes.

They all trooped inside the restaurant
and the hostess led them to a high-backed booth at the rear.
Without hesitation, Emily scooted in one side and Sean slid in next
to her. Sarah didn’t know whether to be upset that she’d be
squeezing in next to Bo or relieved that she wouldn’t be sitting
across from him, fighting the urge to stare at him, trying to guess
what he was thinking.

“
After you, Miss
Kingston.” He didn’t sound any happier about it than Sarah
did.

There was nothing for it. Sarah slid
into the seat, scooting as far over as she could.

Sarah found Emily frowning at her over
the top of the small, elegant menu the hostess had handed her. She
arched an eyebrow, a silent question flying between sisters. One
that Sarah wasn’t about to address. Not now, not ever.

Instead of focusing on Bo, Sarah
looked around the small restaurant. It was definitely a date spot,
with the candles, low lighting and framed prints of couples kissing
covering the walls. Romance was the very last thing she was
interested in at the moment.

“
I recommend the hazelnut
panna cotta,” Sean said. “It's amazing. But if you are a chocolate
lover, you’ve got to try the dark chocolate gelato.”

“
I'm not really hungry,”
Sarah said. Her stomach hurt from the nearly palpable tension
between her and Bo. And not the good kind. “Do they serve wine
here?”

“
Back of the menu,” Bo
said, already examining the drink list. For the first time all
night, the easy-going, life-of-the-party vibe he had exuded was
missing. Sarah felt equal parts relieved and disappointed that he’d
finally given up on her. The attention had been sort of flattering.
But it would have been a mistake to let things go any further than
they had, even if Bo hadn’t opened his mouth and ruined it
all.

“
Well, I can’t decide,”
Emily said. “Would I look like a pig if I ordered both?”

“
Not a chance,” Sean said.
“How about we order both and share?”

“
Sounds perfect.” There
was a note in Emily’s voice that got Sarah’s attention. She looked
at her sister across the table and noted the slight flush in her
cheeks. Sean had clearly made his move. In any event, Emily seemed
to have forgotten all about Bo. Thank goodness for small
miracles.

The server appeared bearing a cup of
coffee, and set it in front of Emily.

“
For the headache,” Sean
said, a note of tenderness in his voice.

“
What headache?” She
smiled sweetly at him. “Seriously, that was really sweet. Thank
you.”

“
My pleasure.”

Sarah looked from Emily to Sean and
back again. Geez, those two didn’t waste time. It was almost
sickening. What had happened in that limo?

“
I’ll just have a glass of
the Madeira,” Sarah said to the server.

“
Do you have anything
stronger?” Bo asked.

“
No. Sorry,
sir.”

“
Then I’ll have the same.
Leave the bottle.”

Sean shifted in his seat looking
uncomfortable. “I hope everyone had a good time tonight,” Sean
said. “On behalf of WBTR, and Reynolds Communications, I’d like to
thank you all for coming out tonight. I hope it was all you thought
it would be, ladies.”

“
It’s definitely been
something to remember,” Sarah said, and beside her Bo made a noise
that sounded suspiciously like a grunt.

“
I’m having a great time,”
Emily said. “Thanks for putting together such a wonderful
night.”

Sean nodded. “Any time.”

Barf. Seriously. It was a good thing
Bo had asked the server to leave the bottle.

When the server brought their drinks,
Sarah downed her glass of wine, then slid it over to Bo for a
refill.

She sipped her wine and tried to look
like she was not painfully aware of Bo doing the same next to her,
while across from her the cutsie twins were sharing each other’s
dessert and giggling like a couple of teenagers. Sarah had wanted
her sister to find a nice guy, but that didn’t mean she wanted to
witness the whole sickening thing.

“
Are you guys done?” Sarah
asked, finally. Her face felt hot and she was only mildly surprised
to see that the wine bottle was almost empty. “I’m pretty
tired.”

Emily met her gaze, a concerned frown
wrinkling her brow.

“
I’m a little tired, too,”
Emily said, even though Sarah guessed Emily could have been content
sharing dessert with Sean all night long. She felt a little guilty,
but damn, she could not do this a moment longer.

Bo slid out of the booth without a
word and headed for the limo. The rest of the party followed,
silent during the ride back to Sarah and Emily’s hotel, though it
didn’t escape Sarah’s attention that Emily and Sean couldn’t keep
their eyes, or their hands off one another.

Emily turned to Sean as they pulled up
to the curb. “Thanks again for everything. I had a great night. One
I’ll always remember.”

“
You’re welcome.” He
reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. “If you
need anything…more information about the prize package—you’ll have
to report the value on your taxes—just call me.
Anytime.”

Slick move. Put the ball back in
Emily’s court, rather than pressuring her to keep in contact, even
though it was clear that’s what Sean wanted. He was trying not to
spook her. Maybe Sean knew Emily better than Sarah had thought,
even though they’d met only a few hours ago.

“
Thanks. I will.” Emily
tucked the card into her purse, and Sarah wondered if Emily would
actually call him.

Sean nodded, then stepped out of the
limo. He helped the ladies out. Sarah headed straight for the hotel
entrance, sensing that Emily and Sean might want a moment to say
their goodbyes.

Bo hadn’t uttered a word. No goodbye,
no apology, no nothing. But that’s what she’d wanted from Bo,
right? Nothing.

And that’s what she’d
gotten.

*****

“
What the hell happened
between you and Sarah Kingston?” Sean asked as soon as he settled
in the seat across from Bo and the limo took off.

“
Nothing,” Bo said. And it
was the truth. She’d managed to shut him down. He’d finally met a
woman who didn’t want anything to do with him. Her complete and
total rejection of him had made him feel 12 years old again.
Apparently the shit you left behind you never really disappeared.
The wounds healed but the scars went deep.

“
Bullshit,” Sean said.
“Something happened. She got to you.”

Bo stared out the window, the neon
lights of the bars on lower Broadway flashing by his window. He was
suddenly tired, like he’d been on tour for months. He wanted to go
home, drink another bottle of wine and try to forget the haunting
disapproval he’d found in Sarah Kingston’s eyes.

“
Maybe she did get to me.
But it doesn’t matter.”

“
What are you going to do
about it?”

He gave a sharp laugh. “I think she’s
made it pretty clear that she doesn’t want anything to do with
me.”

“
And?”

Bo turned to Sean. He didn’t know Sean
well, but that didn’t seem to be stopping Sean from playing
counselor.

“
And nothing. End of
story.”

“
On to the next girl,
huh?”

Bo considered that for a moment. Tried
it on for size. He knew there were any number of women he could
call if he didn’t want to spend the night alone. Hell, he could
walk into any bar on lower Broadway, hijack the stage for a song or
two and walk out with a companion—or two—for the
evening.

But he wasn’t interested in a
companion. He was interested in Sarah.

“
The ladies are staying in
room 525 at the Renaissance,” Sean said. “I made the reservations
myself.”

“
Why would I want to know
that?” Bo stared out the limo’s window. The sidewalks were filled
with tourists talking, laughing, holding hands. And Bo was on the
other side of the glass, present but separate, closed off, just
like he’d always been. “I’m not going after her.”

Sean sighed. “Actually, it’s probably
better if you don’t. Sarah is kind, intelligent, funny and
beautiful. She’s not the kind of woman you see once and forget.
She’s the kind you keep.”

Sean wasn’t saying anything Bo didn’t
already know, but something still tugged at his chest. “Sarah’s not
for me.”

“
No.”

“
Then let’s drop it.” Bo
turned his attention back to Sean. He looked as miserable as Bo
felt. The only difference was that Sean had a shot with the woman
who had captured his attention tonight. He wasn’t irreparably
damaged like Bo. “Want to get a drink?”

“
Sure.”

“
The Renaissance has a
lounge,” Bo said. One of them should get a second chance. And it
was going to be Sean.

Sean paused a moment, then
a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “It
is
the
closest.”

“
I’ll buy the first
round.”

Chapter Five

Sarah hated fighting with Emily. Oh,
they were sisters, they’d bickered almost constantly growing up
over clothes, make-up, and who got to use the bathroom first (Emily
almost always won that one). But this was different. This had been
a real fight. One that cut deeply. She’d called Emily a brat, but
that was nothing new. It was the keeping secrets part that bothered
Sarah.

When Emily wanted to know what was
wrong, Sarah had refused to tell her. Emily had known she was lying
and she’d taken off, a hurt expression on her face. If anything
happened to her, Sarah would never forgive herself. Sarah really
didn’t want to be alone. Her sister was her best friend. She
couldn’t lose her.

A tap at the door interrupted Sarah’s
worries and she bounced out of bed, thrilled Emily had returned.
Sarah jerked open the door. “I’m sorry—” she started, but it wasn’t
Emily.

“
Hey,” Bo said. He was
leaning against the door jamb, filling up the doorway.

“
Hey,” Sarah said,
breathless.

Bo’s gaze drifted down over her
robe-clad body and Sarah suddenly realized she was wearing her
glasses, no makeup and very few articles of clothing. Fabulous.
Just what she needed—Bo seeing her like this when he was used to
beautiful, perfect women throwing themselves at him. Well, at least
that, combined with her uptightness, would cure his interest in her
for good.

But when Bo’s gaze made its way back
up to her face, his eyes had gone dark.

“
I didn’t think you could
be any sexier than you were in that red dress.” He stepped forward,
into the room and Sarah immediately retreated. He was big and
imposing and still the sexiest guy Sarah had ever been this close
to. The door clicked shut behind him and he flipped the lock. Then
he swung the security latch, insuring no one was going to be
crashing the hotel room. “I was wrong.”

He took off his hat and tossed it on
Emily’s bed, and kept walking towards Sarah, stalking her, eyes
narrowed. There was no doubt what he wanted. What he intended to
have.

She bumped against the desk and put
her hands behind her to steady herself, suddenly lightheaded and
breathless.

“
What are you doing?” she
asked, breathlessly.

He grinned at her, then lifted her to
sit on the edge of the desk.

“
I thought you said I was
uptight.”

“
I saw Emily get off the
elevator, headed for the bar, and decided maybe I was wrong. I
couldn’t let you leave town without testing my theory.”

“
You really are the
cockiest man I’ve ever met.”

“
And I’m going to
prove
that
to
you
.”

Before Sarah had a chance to argue
further, Bo dropped to his knees then and pressed her knees apart
slightly. “What happened to the thong?”

“
Bo, I don’t
think…”

“
Quit thinking.” He ran a
hand up the inside of her thigh, brushing her sex and making her
jump. “You’re already wet for me.”

“
But Emily—”

“
Stop. She’s with Sean
down in the lounge. They’re probably sucking face
already.”

He pushed her robe open and put his
big warm hands on her thighs. He stroked small circles with his
thumbs, moving higher and higher. “They’ll have to find their own
room.”

Sarah’s eyes drifted closed, sensation
washing over her like an electric current. When his lips replaced
his thumbs, she moaned low in her throat.

“
But what about
tomorrow?”