Twice as Sexy (The Sexy 2)

“You!” Felicia replied.

Tanner headed around the bar and picked up the phone. “Grayson,” he barked into the receiver.

“Tanner?” a familiar voice asked and his entire mood brightened.

“Scarlett?” As he spoke, Tanner caught Jason’s shit-eating grin from across the counter and gave him the finger.

Jason merely chuckled.

“Hi,” she said. “I lost something either at the bar or your apartment, and I was hoping you could keep an eye out?”

“A bracelet?” He’d already put his hand into his front pocket and fingered the delicate chain between his fingertips.

“You found it?” A relieved sigh sounded over the line. “Thank God.”

“Sounds like it’s important to you,” he said, his curiosity definitely piqued.

“You have no idea. If you leave it with someone up front, I can pick it up later today or tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

Just the sound of her voice had his heart rate picking up rhythm. “I have a better idea. Give me your address and I’ll bring it to you. That way you can explain in private why you ran out on me this morning?”

He heard the huff of breath and the deliberate pause she took before answering. “I thought it would be easier. Smarter.”

He narrowed his gaze at both of those honest answers. Easier, he understood. He’d thought as much himself. Smarter? “Let me ask you something.” And her answer would determine how he handled her from here.

“Okay,” she said warily.

“Did you want to stay but thought since we’d agreed on one night it was smarter to leave?” If so, he’d be on his way to her place the second he hung up the phone. “Or did you really want to go before I came back?” In which case he’d leave the bracelet with Felicia and try to forget he’d ever met Scarlett.

She blew out a breath again. “Does it really matter which?”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

She chuckled at that. “I wanted to stay.” There was that honesty again.

“Then give me your address and let me bring you the bracelet.”

“It’s really not a good idea. My life is busy and–”

“Address, Scarlett.” He wasn’t giving in. Her excuses were just that. Clearly she had walls and so what? So did he. That didn’t mean he was giving up on her without a fight.

He wanted to get to know this woman better, and since she’d admitted she’d wanted to stay, he felt comfortable pushing past her defenses. Then a thought dawned on him and he decided to offer her an out, his stomach in knots as he asked, “Unless you really don’t want to see me, in which case I’ll leave the bracelet and you’ll never hear from me again.”

She immediately rattled off her address and apartment number. “I don’t have time in my life for you, Tanner–”

“Grayson. Tanner Grayson. And you’re Scarlett…?”

“Davis,” she muttered, causing him to grin. “Make time, Scarlett Davis. Because I’m coming to get you and give you a birthday celebration you won’t soon forget.”

“You already did,” she said before disconnecting the call.

He couldn’t wipe the grin off his face if he wanted to, which had Jason laughing at him from across the bar. He disconnected the call.

“You’re so fucked,” Jason said. “Welcome to the club.”

“I’ve only known her for a couple of hours,” Tanner reminded his friend as well as himself.

“Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

“Hey, is Sweet Treats open today? And is Faith working?” he asked of Jason’s wife’s candy shop.

Jason nodded. “Why do you think I’m killing time alone here? Why do you want to know?”

Tanner rolled his eyes but he got it. Jason would rather be spending time with his wife. “Call her and put me on the phone, would you? I have a favor to ask.”

After arranging the day, he headed upstairs to make sure he had everything he needed before taking off to meet Scarlett.

* * *

Scarlett rushed around her room, picking and discarding outfits like a crazy woman before finally settling on a pair of dark denim skinny jeans and a pink camouflage-designed top with a low vee in the front. Since she had no idea where they were going or how much walking would be involved, she chose a pair of ballet flats for her feet.

Considering the amount of work she had to do for trial, she had to be insane to take an entire day off, and yet when Tanner had promised to leave her alone for good, she’d given him her address so quickly her head still spun. The man had had quite an effect on her.

Enough to allow her to convince herself she deserved her birthday off from work. Then she’d explain to Tanner why she had to focus on her career and let him down gently before she got attached and he dumped her as fast as her ex when she’d had no time for him in her life.

She’d fallen asleep with wet hair last night, so she had big hair today and pulled it up into a messy bun. No sense in scaring the man. And since she didn’t wear a lot of makeup, after a few swipes of blush, mascara, and lip gloss, she was ready just as her doorbell rang.