Seducing Zeb (Tarnished Saints Series) (15 page)

“
You promised to show us your apartment,” said Jenny talking in a sultry voice. “You know, the one with the hot tub and the king-sized bed.”

“Oh, that’s right,” he said and dragged a hand across his head, his fingers getting tangled in a knot since Cappy and Cat had hid his hair gel and he hadn’t been able to even use that.

“What are you wearing?” asked Melinda and started laughing. “You look like you’re going to a fishing hole or maybe on a safari.” They both started laughing at him then, and he felt like crawling under a rock.

Both the girls wore tight, low-cut dresses and high heels.

“I’m going to have to postpone the date for a week or two,” he said, turning around quickly. “Sorry, girls but I’ve got to go.” He jumped into the car and started the engine and it backfired sounding like a shot, and the girls both jumped. He rolled down the window – crank style, and tried to flash them one of his smiles that usually made everything all right, but it didn’t work.

“Wh
ere’s your Mercedes?” asked Jenny, looking very upset.

“Oh, I lent it to my brother.
But I’ll have it back in a week. So I know I promised you both lunch and a tour of my condo, but it’ll have to wait. Sorry.”

“Don’t bother,” said Melinda, putting her nose in the air
. “I think we’re busy then anyway.”

“I’ll call you,” he shouted
out as they walked away, but Jenny looked over her shoulder and called out something he didn’t want to hear.

“We don’t date liars,” she said. “You told us you were a lawyer with
a penthouse and that the Mercedes was yours. Get a life, loser.”

He watched the girls walk away and felt like screaming. He was a lawyer with a penthouse and a Mercedes. He was high class. He wasn’t a loser. But it was too late. He’d never be able to convince them of anything now that they’d seen him like this.

He jammed the car into reverse and it sputtered and almost died before he hit the gas and it jerked forward so hard it almost gave him whiplash. Angrily, he beelined it for his brother’s house. He would have to think of some way to get Cat to agree to ending this absurd contest because he wasn’t going to live like this any more.

* * *

Cat finished up crunching some numbers for Vincent Burley, seeing now that the man was in worse shape than he’d thought. He’d hired Cat on Nate’s recommendation, but was hesitant to do so because he told Nate behind her back that since she’d come in for the job looking so frumpy, he’d wanted to dismiss her without a second thought.

It pained Cat to hear this, and even though Cappy had tried to fix up the monstrosity she was wearing by sewing on some lace and even a bow in the back, she still looked l
ike she belonged in some seventy’s sitcom. She didn’t like feeling this way, and she realized that if it weren’t for Nate, she wouldn’t have this job right now even though she was more than able to handle it. But without even a high school diploma people wouldn’t take her seriously.

Cat walked out
from the back room and into the bar area to hear Nate and the band practicing. There were a few patrons there, but not much was going on so early in the day. She could see that if Burley’s had a lunch crowd then maybe they’d be able to make ends meet. But she also didn’t want to suggest it, because she knew it would take business away from Candace and Levi at the Three Billy Goat’s Diner, and she couldn’t do that to them. They’d been too kind to her and she always repaid kindness with kindness in the end.

“So what’s the verdict?” asked Burley in his gruff voice, sucking on a cigar and almost making Cat gag.

“Mr. Burley, I’m still going over some of the books and it’ll take a while to organize everything, but it seems as if your business is in serious trouble.”

“How much trouble are we talking here?”

“Enough that if you don’t bring in more revenue soon, you’re going to have to close within the next month.”

“Shit, I can’t do that. I’ll have to hire more dancers.”

“Dancers?” she asked, realizing she could be the answer to some of his problems. “I worked as a Vegas dancer a long time ago, and I know all about the entertainment industry. Maybe I could help you out.”

“You?” He looked at her and laughed. “Honey, I don’t think you have what
it takes.”

“I bet you’d be surprised,” she said. “I know a few tricks that I might be able to share with your girls.
And I know a woman who sews so maybe we could come up with some good costumes.”

“Costumes, yeah the girls need to play some new roles. The guys are getting tired of the same old thing.
”

“I could come up with a new, exciting
act that’ll pull in people from towns around.”

“New
? Now that’s something we could use around here. Okay, come back tonight and I’ll introduce you to the girls.” He looked her up and down. “Maybe frumpy will be a good hook, so we’ll try it.”

“I assure you, Mr. Burley I am not really frumpy under these clothes.”

“That’s what I’m counting on, honey. So you come back tonight and show me what you’ve got.”

“I’ll do that,” she said with a smile, thinking it was getting easier to get a job without having good looks and dressing sexy. This would prove it. But she wouldn’t tell anyone about this yet. She’d wait til she met the dancers and came up with a plan and then s
he’d surprise Zeb by showing him exactly what she could do. She smiled to herself, thinking how surprised Zeb was going to be when he found out about both her new jobs.

Chapter 12

“Zeb, what did you do to my car?” asked Thomas, ducking his head under the hood of the bright orange 1969 Charger with a wrench in his hand.

“I didn’t do anything, the thing just started backtalking. Damn, I miss my Mercedes,” said Zeb walking over
to the fridge in Thomas’s pole barn and pulling open the door and scanning the contents. After the day he had, he needed a glass of dry wine or a Belvedere martini. Or better yet some Remy Martin cognac right now. However, he knew he wouldn’t find any of that here, so he only hoped for a bottle of imported beer. His hopes were dashed. Nothing but lemonade or iced tea. “Don’t you have anything harder than lemonade?” he grumbled. “I’d even go for a lite beer right now.”

“You know I don’t drink anymore, Zeb. I haven’t touched
a drop since all my problems were finally cleared up with the murder and all.”

“Oh,
that’s right,” he said, deciding on a lemonade and closing the fridge, twisting off the top of the bottle.

“Speaking of problems, how are th
ings between you and Catalina? Are you still being stubborn and going through with the divorce?”

Zeb took a swig of lemonade and settled himself on Thomas’s swivel desk chair. “Yes, and actually it’s not really a divorce since we never consummated the marriage, so we’re calling it an annulment.”

“You what?” Thomas stood up so quickly he hit his head on the hood of the car. “You’re saying you never made love to Catalina? What the hell’s the matter with you? That girl is a sex-bomb waiting to explode.”

“Well, we just . . . didn’t.
And don’t forget, she tricked me into getting married in the first place.”

“Oh, I get it.” Thomas grabbed a rag and wiped the grease off his wrench. “She didn’t want you. I can’t say I’d blame her if you’ve been dressing like that.”

“That’s not the case. We almost made love but I stopped it. And I’m only dressed like this because I’m trying to prove to Cat that I don’t use my looks or my wealth to get things the way she uses her sex appeal to get men to give her everything she wants.”

Thomas chuckled and dug thro
ugh his tools and selected a screwdriver and bent back under the hood of the car. “And how’s that working out for you, little brother?”

“Well . . . it’s not. I saw a couple of hot girls I was planning on hopefully having a threesome with today and they basically snubbed me because of my clothes and that old rust bucket I was driving.”

“So, maybe Cat is right and you do use your looks and wealth to get what you want from people.”

“Quit sounding like the wise old brother, Thomas.” Zeb chugged down the rest of the lemonade and t
ossed the bottle into the trashcan next to the desk with a loud clunk. “I’m sure it was only because I hesitated and postponed the date, or they wouldn’t have blinked an eye at me.”

That got Thomas laughing so
hard he almost dropped his screwdriver. He stood up and just shook his head. “You are so full of shit that I’m surprised your eyes haven’t turned brown by now,” he said. “And what the hell are you doing postponing dates for threesomes? Zeb, you’re an idiot. You’re married.”

“But not
really. And not for long.”

“
If it’s not real than why did you file for an annulment?” asked Thomas.

Zeb was quiet, knowing that he didn’t have a leg to stand on where this was concerned.

“And do you really want to bed these other two girls when you won’t lay a finger on your own wife? You’re not fooling me any. It’s obvious that you don’t want to change and are scared of turning the page. And whether you want to admit it or not, Cat was exactly right about you. Without your looks and your money and all your toys, you’re nothing, Zeb.”

“That’s a crock,”
Zeb ground out, standing up quickly. “And this stupid game we’re playing has gone too far. I’m not going to wear these clothes anymore nor am I going to drive that old car. I want my old life back. And I don’t know why I even agreed to Cat’s little game in the first place.”

“
Cat’s game? I thought you said the whole thing was your idea.”

“Well . . . it was.
For her to do it. I never intended on being dragged into the mess.”

I’ve never known you to be a quitter when it comes to
a competition, Zeb. I think your ego just can’t handle the fact that you are no different than what you’re accusing her of being.”

“She uses her sexuality to get what she wants. That’s different.”

“What’s different?” asked Cat walking into the barn with Cappy right behind her.

“Nothing,” said Zeb, hoping Cat hadn’t heard a word he’d said. “So, how’d your little job go today at the antique store?”

“Little job?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Cat has a new job,” said Cap
py taking the seat that Zeb had just vacated.

“Oh, so you got a job waitressing? Good for you.” He hoped they’d given her a uniform so she didn’t have to wear that god-awful dress
in public.

“No, for
your information, I am a private accountant.”

“Accountant?” asked Thomas. “That’s impressive.”

“For who?” asked Zeb with a half-smile on his face thinking she was just joking.

“For
Burley.”

“Burley?” both Thomas and Zeb said at the same time.

“That’s right,” Cappy said, “Nate suggested her for the job.”

“Cat, what we’re you thinking?” asked Zeb. “You can’t work for a man like that.”

“I can, and I am. And I got the job without using my – sex appeal – as you call it.”

“Zeb, you’d better tell her already,” said Thomas, hating Burley’s strip joint more than anyone after what he went through with his last wife.

“Honey, do you know what kind of a place Burley’s is?” Zeb asked her, finding this whole thing amusing.

“I know exactly. It’s a failing bar and that’s why I’m going back there tonight to help out. Because if they don’t do something fast, he’s going to lose the place.”

“I hope he does lose it,” came Thomas’s disgusted reply. “I’ve been trying to get Judas to close that place down for awhile now, but he just won’t do it.”

“It’s also where Nate’s playing with his new band, so you all should be happy I’
m trying to help Burley save it,” continued Cat.

“You’re not going back
there,” said Zeb. “I won’t let you.”

She looked
up to him and widened her eyes.

“You what?” she blinked a few times
, and her lush lips were set firm as her sexy eyes drilled into him.

“I’m not letting you work there, Cat, so just ask Laney for your job back at the antique store.”

“Zeb Taylor, I do believe you are jealous that I got a job using my brain instead of my body. And actually, you have no control over what I do or don’t do. I’m going to go to Burley’s to work tonight, and you can’t stop me.”

“Think about this, Cat. What kind of guy wants a woman to come look at the books at night?”

“For your information, I’m talking about my second job at Burley’s. I’m going to be in charge of the dancers.”

“You’re what?” This time, Thomas, Zeb and Cappy all spoke at once.

“You heard me. I’m going to show his dancers a few new tricks. He put me in charge of the show. Aunt Cappy, I was hoping you could maybe sew up some killer costumes for the girls.”