I don’t
usually dress like this. I don’t wear short black leather skirts and matching
tops that most people would consider to be from the ‘sluts-are-us’ store. I
don’t wear heels that are so high that they add four inches to my five-four
frame.
But,
tonight is different.
Tonight,
my friend Keri Henson and I are headed out to a bar. I just broke up with my
boyfriend—trust me, no great loss, but still; it’s made me a little down. Okay,
I’m a lot down, but I’ll get over it.
Keri had
insisted that I wash my hair and leave it to fall in dark sable waves to my
waist. Her “You have sexy hair, Hailey” had actually made me blush. I always
control the wavy mess with a French braid, but to keep her happy, and to keep
her from harping on me, I let it flow freely.
We took a
cab. Neither of us was going to risk a DUI, and we both figured the least we
could do is drink—a lot. Of course, Keri had fond hopes of finding a man to
take her home. I wasn’t so sure that was my plan for the evening. In fact, I
was pretty darn sure it wasn’t. One night stands? Just not my thing.
Now, here
we sat in a bar named Low Down. What kind of a name is that for a bar?
Oh well, I guess it beats sitting at home or going to McDonald’s again. Keri
looks hot. There was no other word to describe it. She has gorgeous black hair,
and to complement it, she decided to wear a red mini-skirt and a leather halter
top. Her breasts, at least a cup bigger than mine, are damn near spilling out
at the sides. Definitely a ‘sluts-are-us’ outfit, but what the hell.
“So, what
do we do now?” I asked.
Keri gave
me a look that only a best friend could interpret. “We sit here until one of
the hunks across the bar buys us a drink,” she explained patiently, as if she
were speaking to a five-year-old. “And we smile.”
I rolled
my hazel eyes, but I did put a patently fake smile on my face. “If you say so,”
I muttered, not at all convinced. I just wasn’t into the bar scene and never
had been. I’d met my ex-boyfriend Kevin in high school. Lord that was ten long
years ago. Where had the time gone? We’d been living together for eight
years—until I came home from work sick one day and found him screwing my friend
Felecia. Make that ex-friend. She’s welcome to him, I thought grimly. He sucked
in bed anyway. Well, at least things I’d read said that he’d sucked in bed.
He’s the only one I’d ever gone to bed with. I’m not exactly the party-girl
type, although no one would guess that by looking at the outfit Keri talked me
into tonight.
So, here
we sat in a loud dark bar, with lousy rock music, and way too much cigarette
smoke. Smoke is hell on my asthma. I mentally did a check, trying to remember
if I’d remembered my inhaler. I couldn’t remember, so I glanced in my purse.
Damn it, I’d forgotten it. Why did women change perfectly normal purses for the
hot little sexy ones? “Keri, I forgot my inhaler,” I said tiredly.
Keri
laughed, a rich tinkling sound. I wished I could laugh like that. “You’re not
going to need it. When was the last time you even used it?” she demanded.
I gave
her a pointed look. “The last time you dragged me to a smoke-filled bar.”
Keri gave
a long-suffering sigh. “Do we have to go back and get it?”
I shook
my head. I wasn’t going to ruin her evening just because I’d been stupid. To be
honest, I really didn’t want to be here anyway. “No, I’ll grab a cab and go get
it. It shouldn’t take me more than half an hour.” We only lived a few miles
from the bar. Keri had let me stay with her after I’d left Kevin. I stood up
and glanced around. “Don’t leave,” I said. “I don’t want to come back here and
be by myself.”
Keri
nodded, her hair glistening in the dim lights. “I don’t plan on it. But, if Mr.
Right-For-The-Night shows up, I’ll call your cell.”
“That
works.” Hell, with luck, she’d find Mr. Right and I could just go home, get out
of these killer heels, and watch reruns of Stargate. Wasn’t that how most women
spent their Friday night?
I walked
to the payphone and frowned when I saw the out of order sign on it. And, of
course, there wasn’t a phonebook in sight. I didn’t have the first clue what
the number was for the cab company. With any luck, there would be one around
outside. I made my way to the front of the bar, wiggling through tons of
people, and opened the door. I saw a few sets of eyes on me as I made my way to
the door, and made a point to ignore them all. I didn’t want to pick up anyone
for the night. I’d had no intentions of going home with anyone, even though I’d
half toyed with the idea earlier.
The wind
was cold on my bare arms and I shivered, but at least the air was fresh. I
hadn’t even remembered to bring a damn wrap with me. God, this entire night was
a disaster from the get-go. I really just wanted to go home and go to bed.
Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.
Just as I
was sure I’d end up having to go back in and ask for a taxi cab’s phone number,
I felt a warm jacket go around my shoulders. Surprised, I looked over my
shoulder.
I’m sure
my mouth gaped open at the sight. Behind me stood the most beautiful specimen
of man I’d seen in a long time. He was at least a foot taller than my five-four
and all of it solid muscle. His grin showed a lot of even white teeth. Not a
smoker, I thought idly. He had a dimple in his chin—of course, men called them
clefts, but they were really dimples. “Thanks,” I said huskily in a voice I
didn’t even recognize.
His eyes
twinkled. “Anytime, darlin’. Who are you waiting on?”
“A cab,”
I replied. “I forgot something at home.”
He
studied me for a long moment. “Live far?”
I shook
my head. God, he had a damn sexy voice. One of those voices that was whiskey
and honey all at once. It reminded me of Rob Thomas, the singer. He has a song
out called Damn, and he just purrs in it. This guy purred. Anyone who
has ever heard that song would know exactly what I’m talking about. This guy
purred when he talked. I was getting turned on by a voice. That had never
happened before in my entire life!
“Not far,
no. My friend and I took a cab here, and I forgot my asthma inhaler,” I
explained. Great, Hailey, I thought a little wildly. Why don’t you tell him
your whole life story? I felt heat rise in my face.
The
twinkle went out of his dark brown eyes. Teddy bear eyes, I decided. They were
teddy bear eyes. “You’re asthmatic?” he asked.
“Yes.
Especially when I’m around cigarette smoke,” I explained. “So, I figured I’d go
home and get my inhaler.”
He seemed
to ponder that for a moment. “I’ll give you a ride,” he decided.
I have
him a dark look. I wasn’t about to get in a car with a complete and total
stranger—even if he was sexy enough to make me damp! I had a sudden thought of
him driving himself inside me, and shivered again; this time with desire, not
cold. His bare chest would be rubbing against my breasts, and his hands would
be in my hair, or on my breasts, or teasing my…no, I wasn’t going there. But
still…maybe he’d suck my nipples. Stop it! “Um, no, that’s okay,” I said
a little dejectedly. Part of me wanted to say yes. A big part of me, in fact.
He smiled
gently. “You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked.
“Should
I?” I asked, studying him closely. Hell, I’d remember if I’d seen this guy
before.
He
grinned, showing me those perfect teeth again. What can I say? I’m a dental
hygienist. I appreciate a good set of teeth. “Bennett Wilmont. We went to high
school together.”
My mouth
dropped open. I remembered Bennett Wilmont. He was a tall geeky kid with braces
and glasses. But, as I studied him, I realized that it really was
Bennett. “Well, hi! Wow, you’ve changed.” Brilliant, Hailey, just brilliant.
Talk about the understatement of the year, though!
“A
little,” he admitted with a chuckle. “I was in the Service for a few years. I
worked out a lot.”
And how,
I thought. He was gorgeous. His tight jeans left very little to the
imagination. He was built all right. “Oh,” I said, flushing again.
He smiled
and touched my cheek. “You’re cute when you blush,” he teased.
I know I
blushed hotter. “Stop teasing me,” I mumbled.
He tossed
back his head and laughed, then crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Would
it make you feel any safer if I told you I was a cop now?” he asked in that
whiskey voice.
“Are you
really?” I asked, surprised. I didn’t know any cops. It sounded exciting.
He
nodded. “Yeah, for a few years now, actually. But I work in Monroe, not here in
Sigler. “So, how bout it? Trust me to take you for that inhaler?”
I decided
quickly. What could be safer than a cop? “Sure,” I said.
Wow, how
wrong can a girl be!
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