The Trouble With Attraction

by Codi Gary

  Once he yelled, “Last call,” people began settling their tabs and trickling out the door. Eric saw Gemma carry what must have been Gracie’s purse over to her, and she shoved it under the counter.

  When she started untying her apron, he said, “Hey, Gracie, can you hang on a minute?”

  She paused, her eyebrow arched, but said nothing.

  “Just have a seat at the bar, and let me get the rest of these people out of here.” Filling a pitcher and handing her a glass, he said, “Here. It’s on me.”

  “Hey, how come she gets free beer?” One drunk bitched.

  Eric sent him a thunderous look. “‘Cause she fucking earned it.”

  Another asshole snickered, “I bet.”

  In a blink, Eric had reached across the bar and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. Dragging him across it until they were nose to nose, he growled, “Apologize to her and get the fuck out of my bar.”

  Eric could feel the dude trembling in his grasp. “Sorry.”

  Erick practically threw him back and he and his friends stumbled out the door. Eric didn’t meet Gracie’s gaze as he started gathering glasses, didn’t want her to read too much into his behavior. It was no secret that he wanted her, he’d made that plain the night of the Sweetheart’s Dance, but when she’d started dating that pussy Jake Paulsen, Eric knew that whatever he’d thought was there was one sided.

  It had been a major topic of conversation in Rock Canyon, Gracie and Jake. How all it took was a good man to tame such a wild child, but Eric couldn’t believe it. Gracie wasn’t wild, she was just…

  Beautiful? Sexy? Sassy?

  She was uninhibited, and he couldn’t understand how someone like Jake would ever make her happy. The guy was as interesting as unbuttered toast. She needed someone who would challenge her, stroke that fire inside until it engulfed her and her man, someone—

  Someone like you?

  Eric didn’t have that high of an opinion of himself, but he at least would let her be who she was.

  No matter how annoying she could be.

  Finally, Grant closed the doors and leaned against it with a heavy groan. “The next time you come up with some brilliant money making idea, I’m going to kick your ass.”

  “I’d love to see you try, little brother. Why don’t you knock off? I’ll clean up and close out.”

  Grant glanced around the place, at the glasses and trash everywhere and then his gaze settled on Gracie. With a sly grin, he winked at Eric. “Fine by me. Gracie, want me to walk you out?”

  Eric was ready to choke him. “She’s fine. Get lost.”

  Chuckling as he went out the back, Gracie watched him disappear before turning those gorgeous moss green eyes his way.

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to get me alone.”

  Eric put more glasses in the dishwasher bin. She wasn’t wrong; he did want to get her alone, but he wasn’t going to try anything. It was one thing to go after Gracie when she was available, but he didn’t poach other men’s girlfriends.

  “I just wanted to thank you for stepping in tonight. I know I’m not one of your favorite people.” She snorted. “I’ve said things to annoy you, you’ve pissed me off—”

  “Your gratitude is getting a little lost in the insults,” she said.

  “My point is, you really saved my ass tonight. I owe you.”

  Eric waited for her to say something snarky, but she just pressed her lips to the rim of her glass and took a sip. He couldn’t help staring at those glossy pink lips as her tongue slid out to lick away any traces of foam. Eric’s dick stiffened against the fly of his jeans and he shuffled his feet painfully, fighting the urge to reach down and adjust his hard on.

  Finally, she finished her glass and set it away from her. “It’s fine. Honestly, I was just trying to keep Mike and Gemma from talking.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She poured another beer, hardly meeting his gaze. “They think there’s something going on with us and they like to give me shit.”

  “What makes them think that?” The fact that whenever you’re in the room I can’t stop staring?

  “I think it’s because we fight and argue. They think it’s foreplay.”

  Eric pulled a beer for himself, and leaned across the counter. “I don’t screw attached women.”

  Did she actually move closer on the bar? “Well that’s not much of an excuse anymore as

  I’m no longer attached,” Gracie said. “Jake and I broke up.”

  Eric paused, setting his beer down. “Is that an invitation?”

  “No, just being honest. Lord knows words going to travel fast.” Downing her second glass, she shook her head with a grimace. “God, sometimes I hate small towns.”

  Eric could do without people always being up in his business, but he loved Rock Canyon and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “So, you finally woke up and realized good old Jake is about as interesting as a stick?”

  “More or less. He was just so…nice. You know? Never raised his voice, always polite, hated confrontation. Drove me nuts.”

  “Most women I talk to want a nice, decent guy.” Which was probably why Eric was perpetually single.

  “I don’t mind a nice guy. I just want him to have some back bone, you know? Not be such a—”

  “Pussy?” Eric supplied helpfully.

  “Pussy, exactly.” Holding out her glass, she grinned. “Hit me again barkeep.”

  “Aren’t you driving? You’re pretty itty bitty to take on almost a whole pitcher.”

  “Then why did you pour it if you didn’t want me to finish it?”

  “Well I thought we’d share it.” He only filled up half her glass and poured the rest in his.

  “So much for my free pitcher. Gypping me after I helped you out of the goodness of my heart. I’m going to remember this.”

  “I’m sure you will,” he said.

  “What’s that mean?”

  “Just that you seem to have an elephant’s memory for everything, real or imaginary, I might do to you.”

  Emptying the last of her beer, she scowled at him. “Are you saying that I hold a grudge?”

  “Definitely.”

  Gracie’s face flushed crimson. “Maybe if you weren’t such an asshole all the time, I would forget about all the other dickish things you’ve done.”

  “I might have done some things, but I’m sure I’ve apologized a fair amount too.”

  “Funny, but I would probably remember the great Eric Henderson admitting he was being a tool!”

  Eric gripped the bar top, anger prickling across his skin like a blast of hot air. “I may be a tool, but I’ve never met a more aggravating—”

  Someone was pounding on the front door, yelling his name.

  “Eric, yo, you still there?”

  Eric came around the bar, and threw open the door. “What?”

  Carl Andrews stood on the other side, swallowing hard. “Sorry, I left my card I think.”

  Eric went to get it and found Gracie grabbing her purse from behind the bar. “Where are you going? We aren’t done.”

  “Oh, yes we are.” Jerking her purse strap over her shoulder, she called out sweetly, “Carl, honey, could you give me a lift home? I’m afraid I had one too many beers.”

  Carl appeared to have died and gone to heaven. “Sure, Gracie, be happy to.”

  “Thank you.” Shooting Eric a pointed look. “Such a gentleman.”

  Eric found the card and grinding his teeth painfully, tossed it onto the bar top. “Next time, you pick this up when we open. I don’t always hang out afterwards.”

  “Sorry, Eric.” Carl put his card in his wallet. “Ready?”

  “Sure am.” Tucking her hand into Carl’s arm, she waved at Eric. “Thanks for the beer.”

  Eric came around and stood in the doorway, watching as Carl helped her up into the truck, wondering what in the hell had happened. They had been having an almost pleasant conversation, until al
l the same old shit had been dragged back up. How many times would they go for each other’s throat? When she’d mentioned being single, Eric had seen a window of opportunity, had nearly acted upon it.

  And she’d slammed it in his face.

  No more dangling after Gracie McAllister like some whipped douche bag. He was fucking done.

  Chapter Six

  The Next Day

  Gracie rubbed her temples as she sat in Gemma’s booth at the Rock Canyon Independence Day Extravaganza, closing her eyes behind her dark sunglasses. Gemma was reading her the newest Small Town Scandals column and not surprising, it mentioned Gracie’s recent break up.

  “It’s true that after four successful months, Jake and Gracie, or ‘Jacie’ as I liked to call them, are doneso. It’s not that surprising, especially given Ms. McAllister’s track record with men, but what is astonishing is that the very night the two called it quits, Gracie stayed late at Buck’s Shot Bar with none other than Eric Henderson! As you all know, these two made quite a stir this year when they were found together in the community center supplies closet in a compromising position—”

  “Oh, come on!” Gracie cried loudly, before groaning in regret. Between her late night of beer drinking and the wicked dream she’d had involving Eric Henderson, she was fighting a migraine of epic proportions. “She’s making it sound like Katie found me straddling him. We fell asleep.”

  “Do you want me to keep going?”

  “Fuck no, it’s making me feel worse.”

  “Do you need some more Advil?” Gemma asked.

  “No, I’m okay, but I could use some gum. I have to do a turn at the kissing booth in—”he checked her cell, wincing as the effort caused a sharp stabbing pain in her brain. “—ten minutes.”

  “You better get over there. You know how Mrs. Andrews gets, especially when it’s you.”

  Gracie had no idea what she’d ever done to the crotchety old bitch, but she was in no mood to deal with her shit. “She can go suck an egg. My head is pounding, my mouth is dry and frankly, I can’t get rid of the taste of ass. I just want to go lay down.”

  Gemma handed her a bottle of water and a piece of gum. “Maybe the next time a hot bartender asks you to wait around for him and offers you all the beer you can drink, you’ll say no.”

  “Please, it was a half a pitcher, and excuse me for giving the asshole the benefit of the doubt.” Although, Gracie had to admit that the last part of their conversation was a bit fuzzy and she wasn’t sure if maybe she had been the jerk. However, she wasn’t going to admit that to Gemma.

  “I have no idea why you let him get to you, especially since you don’t even like him.”

  “Maybe because of the same reason Mrs. Andrews gets to me.” Getting slowly off the chair and standing with a groan, Gracie said, “I’m going to go catch up to her royal awfulness. I’ll see you later at the fireworks.”

  “Okay, have fun.”

  Gracie grimaced. Sitting around letting the single men of Rock Canyon try to stick their tongue down her throat was not her idea of fun, but it was for charity, so Gracie had gone along with it. Besides, her coffee shop, The Local Bean, had set up a tent selling pastries, so the kissing booth also gave her a chance to send people over to spend money at her booth.

  Hey, if she was going to suffer through an hour of slobbering fools, she was going to get something out of it.

  As she walked along, studying the booths as she passed, she thought about what Gemma had said. The truth was, she had liked Eric a long time ago. Although he was five years older, she’d been drawn to the strong, silent older Henderson brother, even going so far to get a fake ID so she could get into Buck’s and actually talk to him. Even though she was eighteen and perfectly legal, he never seemed to notice her.

  All that had gained her was his ridicule and getting tossed out of Buck’s in front of everyone. It had been humiliating, and sadly her ego had never fully recovered.

  As she came around the corner towards the kissing booth, a white wooden box with red painted trim, she read the sign Kisses for $1, and she nearly made a u-turn. What could Mrs. Andrews really do to her if she skipped out?

  Too late, the witch spotted her. Mrs. Andrews looked down at her watch, as if she couldn’t believe Gracie wasn’t late. “Thank you for donating your time, Gracie.”

  “Hey, I’m always willing to give up my lips for the good of Rock Canyon.” Taking a drink of water, and then popping the gum in her mouth, she chewed loudly.

  Mrs. Andrews looked like she’d swallowed a bug. “Please get rid of the gum before your shift begins.”

  Gracie took a few more chomps and swallowed it with a smile. “Done.”

  The old bat picked up the megaphone and appeared to want to clobber her with it. At least I didn’t spit it out on the ground like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.

  “Changing of the lips, changing of the lips. Come steal a kiss from our beautiful barista, Gracie McAllister, and just for your information, boys, she’s single again.”

  Geez, you didn’t have to announce it over the loudspeaker. Bitch.

  Gracie stepped into the booth, and applied a thick layer of chapstick, thinking if she saw one cold sore she was going to make a run for it.

  As her first customer hesitated, Gracie waved at him with a resigned sigh. “Pucker up, buttercup, I don’t have all day.”

  * * *

  Eric had heard the announcement while covering Chase Trepasso’s booth, and waited impatiently for his friend to return. Chase had snuck off for some alone time with Katie Connors, and who knew when the two would be done making out. The temptation to go around the corner and pay for a kiss from Gracie was overwhelming. Sure, he might have told himself he would stay away, but that hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her until he fell asleep.

  Having it bad for a girl like Gracie was going to screw him up if he didn’t get a handle on it. He’d thought about screwing her until she was out of his system, but that was harder said than done. And something told him that once he got a taste of her, it would only make things worse. Especially after their one and only kiss.

  No, you need to just keep your distance and distract yourself.

  But when Chase came back looking pleased with himself, a smear of red lipstick at the corner of his mouth from kissing Katie, all Eric’s good intentions went out the window.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get one last kiss in with Gracie.”

  Chase laughed, probably at Eric’s expense, but he didn’t care. Glancing at the time, he got in line behind six men, tempted to scare them off.

  “Gentlemen, we are down to the last five minutes with the lovely Gracie. You better get those kisses in!”

  Those five minutes ticked by like an hour as Eric watched Gracie close her eyes and press those sweet lips to one man after another, his fist clenched so hard they went numb.

  Finally, the only thing that stood between him and Gracie was Carl Andrews.

  Again.

  His gaze clashed with Gracie’s over Carl’s shoulder, right before she planted a kiss on Carl that probably rocked the poor guy’s world. He saw her open her eyes, no doubt to see if he was watching.

  “Alright, that’s enough of that.”

  “Oh, I’m afraid Gracie’s time is up—

  Eric sent Mrs. Andrews the stare of death and she snapped her mouth closed.

  “I’m sure we can squeeze in one more kiss.”

  Eric practically shoved Carl out of the way and laid down his dollar.

  “I hope you’re going to give me my money’s worth,” Eric said.

  “Gee, a whole dollar. That gets you a peck on the cheek.”

  “Old Carl got quite a lot for a dollar.”

  “I like Carl. You…not so much.”

  “Is that a fact?” he asked.

  Before she could say anything else, he bent down and cupped the back of her head with his palm, slipping his fingers into her short blond hair. As his mouth covered hers, he
tasted strawberries, mint, and Gracie as he slipped his tongue past the softness of her lips. He felt her tongue tangle with his and he wrapped his other arm around her waist, nearly bringing her over the counter of the kissing booth.

  Her arms curved up over his shoulders, and it wasn’t until they almost tipped the whole booth over that Eric broke away from her, breathing hard.

  Gracie’s eyes opened slowly and as the dazed green depths met his, he knew.

  This was definitely not one-sided.

  “Alright, Eric, I think that’s enough,” Mrs. Andrews said behind him.

  Gracie pushed out of his arms and had the balls to wipe her hand across her mouth, as if the kiss had been distasteful. Which they both knew was bullshit.

  “We need to talk, Gracie.”

  “She doesn’t seem to be interested—” Eric shot Mrs. Andrews a glare. “Fine, but honestly, you should handle your problems in public instead of laying them out for the whole town.”

  “Well, we wouldn’t want to deprive you of a show, would we?” Gracie snapped.

  Mrs. Andrews’s huffed at her before hollering into her microphone, “Changing of the lips. Changing of the lips. Come give your Canyon Queen, Katie Connors, a smooch! Only a dollar.”

  Both Gracie and Eric ignored her. Gracie gathered up her purse and mumbled a goodbye to Katie as she escaped past him and kept walking towards Chase’s tent.

  Oh, no, Gracie Lou, you are not getting rid of me that easily.

  Right on her heels, he rounded the corner, only to have Chase call out to him.

  “Eric, can you watch my booth again?”

  Eric stilled, wishing he could tell his friend to fuck off, but Chase was one of the few guys he hung with who didn’t get on his nerves. Still…

  “I’m kind of busy, man.”

  “I’ll owe you one,” Chase said. Eric watched Gracie get further and further away, and finally just shrugged in defeat. There would be time enough to find Gracie. And next time, she wouldn’t escape so easily.