Heat coursed through his veins and his cock stirred. Oh, yeah, he was feeling much better already. Relaxed and amused and getting more and more aroused with every second that passed. All thoughts of work fled, along with thoughts of his brothers. Just seeing this woman seemed to calm the storm of emotions that had been raging through him earlier.
This was exactly what he needed. She was what he needed. Tara provided a lighthearted diversion in a life that suddenly felt much too complicated, and she also made him realize how much he’d missed wanting to be around a woman for the sheer pleasure and enjoyment of it. Without any pressures or expectations.
As Tara sang the ending lyrics to the song, she glanced his way and did a quick double take. Much to his disappointment, she abruptly stopped cleaning the counter, which meant her bouncing tits came to a standstill and she no longer rolled her hips in a way that made him envision her sitting astride his cock, gyrating on top of him, and giving him a provocative lap dance using the same sensual technique.
Those gorgeous blue eyes rounded in surprise at seeing him, then quickly ebbed to genuine delight. “Jackson,” she said, her voice breathless, and he didn’t think it was from all her singing and dancing.
“You recognized me,” he teased as he came up to the other side of the bar across from where she was standing. The fact that she could tell him apart from his twin this time told Jackson that he at least had some distinctive traits.
A sexy, mischievous grin found a place on her full, kissable lips. “Of course I recognized you. Clay has never stared at my ass before, and he’s never looked at me like he wants to . . .” As if she belatedly realized how much she’d been about to divulge, her words trailed off and her soft, creamy complexion turned blush pink.
Don’t go all shy on me now, sweetheart. It was the last thing he wanted with her, and he dared to finish that sentence, just to test the flirtatious waters between them. “Like he wants to do bad, dirty things to you?”
Tara swallowed hard but never broke eye contact with him. “Umm, yes. That.” She sounded flustered but not at all offended by his blatant words that summed up just how strongly he was attracted to her.
“Guilty as charged.” His tone was playful as he slid onto one of the empty barstools across from her. “On both accounts.” Because yeah, he’d stared at her perky ass and he definitely wanted to do wicked things with her.
She laughed, the sound just as inviting as she was. “At least you’re honest.”
“Always,” he said, and meant it. After being lied to his entire life, about numerous things, integrity was the thing he valued the most, in himself and from other people.
“If you’re looking for Clay, he isn’t here,” she said, obviously assuming the reason for his visit.
He smiled at her. “I didn’t think he would be.”
“Oh.” She tipped her head to the side, looking adorably curious. “Then what brings you by?”
He met her gaze. Held it intently. “You.”
She looked both shocked and undeniably pleased. “Why me?”
“I believe we just established the why,” he said with humor as he clasped his hands on the bar. He wasn’t one to play games and decided to take the direct approach so she’d have no doubts about his interest in her. “But just in case you missed all that flirtatious banter about me eyeing your sexy backside—and maybe, if I’m lucky, eventually we’ll do dirty, bad things together—I’m very attracted to you. I thought the attraction was reciprocated.”
“It was. It is,” she added, quick to change past tense to present. “I just thought you were here to see one of the guys.”
He shook his head. “Unfortunately, they have no desire to see me.” Saying the words
out loud felt like a physical punch to the gut. “I haven’t heard from any of them since last week, so I’m pretty sure I’m persona non grata around here. But I thought you were worth the risk of getting thrown out on my ass if one of them happened to be here.”
She didn’t laugh at his comment as he’d hoped. Instead, her lips flattened into a disappointed frown. “I’m sorry that the guys are being so stubborn and shortsighted about you.”
“Don’t be.” He shrugged it off, not wanting to get into a conversation about his brothers’ rejection. “It is what it is.” With every day that passed, he was becoming more resigned to the possibility that the situation might not ever change.
“Yeah, good mantra,” she said, her eyes suddenly sparkling with approval. “It’s mine, too. It’s gotten me through some tough times in life.”
He wanted to know about those difficult circumstances. Wanted to know why there was a slight edge to her yet she could be so kind and compassionate, too. It was a combination he found intriguing and tempting, and it made him want to peel back all those fascinating layers to discover all of the secrets that lay beneath.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked, pulling his attention back to her. “Bushmills, neat?”
“Not tonight.” It was late, and he didn’t want any alcohol to dull his senses, not when he was around her. “I’ll have a soda water with lime.”
While she made his drink, he withdrew his wallet, pulled out a ten-dollar bill, and pushed it across the counter toward her as she set his order on a cocktail napkin in front of him.
“Keep the change,” he said.
“Seriously?” She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance and eyed the money but didn’t pick it up. “It’s soda water, for heaven’s sake.”
“I know exactly what it is,” he said, squeezing the lime into the sparkling water before dropping the piece of fruit into the liquid. “But that’s not the point.”