by Mari Carr
“I can’t even tell you how much I hate the dating scene. I’m not good at making small talk like you, Jayne. And I’m not a natural flirt like Sophie. And I don’t have your brash confidence, Steph. I’m just—”
“Jordan,” Stephanie finished for her. “And believe me, that’s plenty. I’m not sure why you think you have to be like us. You have a lot to offer any guy smart enough to ask you out, Gabriel included.”
Jordan shrugged. She appreciated Stephanie’s kind words, but she still preferred her own company, or that of her small group of close-knit friends, to throwing herself to the wolves in the dating pool. It was one of the reasons why her roles as bookkeeper and office manager in their business venture suited her so much. She wasn’t fond of big crowds or blind dates with strangers, or trying to sell stuff to the customers in the store. Give her a nice, quiet accounting ledger any day.
“I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with me, Steph. I’m just not exactly in Gabriel’s league. You’ve seen the women he dates. They’re freaking supermodels or high-powered business types. I can’t compete with that.”
Jayne reached for Jordan’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze. “Personally, I think Gabriel has the hots for you too. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
Stephanie sighed. “You’re throwing away the possibility of something awesome.”
If there was one thing Stephanie had zero patience with, it was Jordan’s ability to settle for second place. Stephanie was a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of girl who didn’t quit until she was on top. That drive had made her the perfect business partner. Jordan had known even before they opened Books and Brew, Stephanie wouldn’t rest until the store was a success.
Jordan appreciated her concern. “It’s not going to happen between Gabriel and me, Steph, and I’m okay with that. Really.”
Stephanie took a hairband out of the pocket of her jeans and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. “Fucking heat. Okay, fine. So if you can’t have Gabriel, you’re not going to date at all?”
Jordan wanted to refute that comment, but it would be a lie. She had let herself believe the fantasies of Gabriel were enough. “I guess I have been hiding out a bit too much lately.”
“Try all the time,” Jayne said quietly.
Usually Stephanie was the one who offered up the hard truths. Hearing Jayne say it told Jordan she’d let things go too far. She’d retreated further and further into herself and her ridiculous sex fantasies. Maybe it was time to stop burying her head in the sand and live a little. “Tell you what. How about if I agree to give up on the Gabriel dream and make an effort to reenter the dating game?”
Jayne perked up, her shoulders straightening. “I totally think you should get back out there. You haven’t seriously dated in months. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet a guy to make you forget all about Gabriel.”
Jordan suspected there wasn’t a man on earth who could accomplish such a feat, but she didn’t say as much to her friends. “Maybe I will.”
“So, where are you going to find this Prince Charming? It’s not like you get out much.”
Leave it to Stephanie to play hardball. Now that Jordan had made a vow to start dating, her friend would nag relentlessly until she followed through.
“I’ll flirt with the next available man who walks into this bar. I’ll be witty and make fascinating conversation until he’s falling over himself to take me out to dinner. Promise.”
“Nice try, but it’s not like this place is crawling with single guys.”
Damn. Busted. Stephanie was too clever.
“I’d rather try to find a guy on my own first. I know you, Steph. I can see the wheels turning in your brain already. I hate blind dates.”
Stephanie leaned closer. “Jared’s got a couple friends on the force who are totally gorgeous and—”
Jordan cut her off before Stephanie got too worked up. “Give me a month. One month to try to find someone on my own. If that fails, then I’ll succumb to your setup hell. Deal?”
Stephanie pursed her lips, considering Jordan’s offer. She nodded slowly. “One month. You can try to find love at Books and Brew and, when that fails, you’re all mine.” Jordan and Jayne laughed when Stephanie rubbed her hands together like some old-fashioned movie villain.
“Now get your stuff and come to the pool with us. You can practice flirting with the lifeguards,” Stephanie said.
Jordan shook her head. “Ew. The lifeguards are all still in high school. I’ll pass.”
“Come on, Jordan,” Jayne urged. “Play hooky from work with us.”
“Nope. Not interested. If by some miracle Gabriel finds a repair guy today, one of us should be here to let him in.”
Stephanie looked as if she wanted to argue but Jordan quickly said, “You know how much I hate public pools. Too crowded, too chlorinated, too noisy. Besides, I always feel like I’m swimming neck-deep in pee-pee.”
Jayne winced. “Ick. Why do you always have to ruin my pool experiences with that image? I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you.”
Stephanie threw her purse strap over her arm. “If Gabe calls and says he can’t get someone to come in today, text me. I’ll call you when we leave the pool and maybe we can all meet up for a late lunch somewhere with air-conditioning.”
Jordan walked toward the front door, flipping the Open sign to Closed and locking the deadbolt. “Will do.”
Stephanie and Jayne said their goodbyes, exiting through the back door to the alley where they parked their cars. Jordan walked behind the bar. The heat was unnatural. When she was a kid, she’d spent two weeks in August with her aunt in New Orleans, and she’d sworn off the South and humid climates ever since.
Grabbing a large chunk of ice from the cooler, she rubbed it around her neck and closed her eyes, enjoying the cold water sliding over her skin.
“Damn. I think I finally found a reason to be grateful for this blasted heat.”
Jordan opened her eyes, startled by the unexpected male voice. A handsome man leaned against the wall at the threshold between the bar and the hallway to the back door.
Her face must have betrayed her nervous alarm, because he raised his hands quickly, indicating he meant no harm. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Casey Woods. Steph and Jayne let me in on their way out.”
Jordan sighed with relief. Casey was Gabriel’s college roommate and best friend. The man had done several repair jobs at Books and Brew over the past year, but somehow his path and Jordan’s had never crossed. Probably because she was always cooped up in her office.
She suddenly understood why Sophie’s face lit up whenever she heard Casey was coming by. The man was sin incarnate, the epitome of a California surfer god. As she took in his blond hair, blue eyes and dark tan, Jordan imagined him as the model for the Ken doll she had played with as a child.
“Hi, Casey. I’m Jordan.” Recalling her vow to Stephanie and Jayne, she glanced at Casey’s left hand. No wedding ring. Interesting. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Casey’s smile grew, revealing honest-to-God dimples. Jesus. It would have been a hell of a lot easier to keep her vow to flirt if the repairman had looked less like sex in skin and more like the Maytag man. Hot guys brought out too many of her insecurities.
Don’t freeze up, Jordan.
“Nice to meet you too. Not sure how I managed to miss you on all my past visits, but it’s good to finally have a face for the last Books and Brew ba—” Casey stopped midword, but Jordan knew exactly where he’d been headed.
“Babe?” she finished for him.
He studied her face. “Sophie laughed when I used that nickname. Steph, on the other hand, threatened to injure a rather precious part of my anatomy if she heard it again. Which camp are you in?”
It was clear he meant no offense with the term and, truth be told, she was a bit flattered to be included in the “babe” category with Jayne, Sophie and Stephanie. It definitely wasn’t a place she’d put herself. “I don’t mind.”
“Oh, by the way, Stephanie asked me to remind you of some promise right before she left. You have any idea what that means?”
Time to pull on the big-girl panties or she’d never hear the end of it.
Jordan nodded slowly. Stephanie must have been thrilled when Casey showed up no less than ten minutes after Jordan’s stupid vow to find a guy. “Yeah. I…” She paused, trying to think of what to say. “It’s just something silly between the two of us. I’ll take care of it.”
“Gabriel said you were having some problems with your air-conditioning, but I think that might have been an understatement. It’s hotter than blue blazes in here.”
“I didn’t expect anyone to come over so fast.”
Casey lifted his tool bag. “This bad boy never leaves the back of my truck. I was on my way to the Columbia River. Thought I’d do a little fishing. Gabriel caught me on my cell. Asked if I’d stop by here first.”
“You didn’t have to give up your day off.”
Casey walked toward the bar, placing his tools on a stool. “I’m what’s known as an independent contractor. I set my own hours and days off, and believe me, I’m a pretty lenient boss.”
Jordan laughed. “Get lots of fishing days, do you?”
He nodded. “Probably not a bad idea for me to let the fish have a day to repopulate.”
She’d been warned by her friends that Casey was charming and funny. She took a deep breath and wiped her palms on her shorts. So far, so good on the conversation. He was still talking to her, rather than looking for an escape.
“I guess I should show you where the main AC unit is.”
Casey glanced over his shoulder. “It’s in the storage closet over there. Saw it the last time I was here adjusting the shelves.”
“Right.” Jordan briefly closed her eyes and tried to channel Sophie, Queen of the Flirts. Unfortunately, her mind quickly deserted her, wandering instead to a more sexual territory.
What would the handsome handyman look like without his shirt on? His muscles seemed to have muscles, and Jordan imagined herself running her tongue along his pecs. She’d love to see his bare chest. Would she find hair there? She recalled her Ken doll and secretly hoped for smooth skin. Once she had him out of his shirt, it wouldn’t be that hard to unbutton his jeans and drag down the zipper. Then she could—
“You feelin’ okay?” Casey asked. “It’s damn hot in here and you look a bit flushed. Have you been drinking plenty of water? Hate for you to come down with heat exhaustion.”
Jordan shook herself for her dirty daydream. Good Lord. She really needed to get laid. These fantasies were getting out of control. “I’m fine.”
“Even so.” Casey stepped behind the bar, reaching for a glass. He filled it with water from the tap, then added a bit of ice from the cooler. “Here. Drink this.”
Jordan took the glass, grateful for the moment it gave her to regroup and gather her thoughts.
Casey studied her as she slowly sipped the water. “You don’t talk much, do you?”
She supposed that depended on who she was talking to. With her friends, she more than held her own in the “random chatter” category. Her crazy brain only seemed to desert her when she was with attractive members of the opposite sex, opting instead for visions of fucking sugarplums and—
Well, that wasn’t true—her mind preferred just the fucking part.
She was failing in her mission. She’d promised to flirt. She was tired of living on fantasies. “I’m sorry. I’m just hot.”
He accepted her lame excuse. “Gabriel was worried about you working in the heat. Called in a favor to get me over here quickly.”
The mention of Gabriel’s name gave her pause. He was worried? She let herself pretend for a moment that it was because he cared for her as more than a friend.
Shit. Let it go, Jordan.
More likely the businessman in Gabriel was concerned about their losing the day’s business. “He didn’t have to worry.”
Casey nodded. “Yeah, Stephanie and Jayne said you decided to close shop. Said they were headed to the pool. Why didn’t you go along?”
She put the glass on the bar. “I’m not fond of public pools.”
“Me either. Give me a natural body of water any day of the week. All that damn concrete and the smell of chlorine is an abomination. If I’m going swimming, you can be sure it’ll be in a lake, a river or the ocean.”
She agreed. “I love the ocean.”
“Gabe’s got a house in Rockaway Beach that I do the upkeep on. You ever been there?”
She shook her head. Gabe had invited her a couple of times, but something always came up with work and she had to cancel.
“Oh man. You need to see that coastline. It’s really something else. Next time I go up there, I’ll swing by and take you along for the ride.”
Jordan was uncertain how to reply. The gesture was clearly a friendly one that would never come to pass, right? “Sounds nice. I’d like that.”
“So you closed the bar down. That’s good news. I could use an assistant.”
He wanted her to help him? “I don’t know anything about air conditioners.”
“You know the difference between pliers and a screwdriver, right?”
She tilted her head and gave him an annoyed look. “Of course I do.”
“Then I can teach you the rest. Come on.” Casey grabbed his tool bag then took her hand, leading her to the storage closet. His grip was light and friendly but it sent delicious shivers to some fairly naughty places. Jordan wished she were bold like Stephanie. She had no doubt her friend wouldn’t hesitate to push the sexy handyman against the wall of the closet and teach him a few things of her own.
Unfortunately, Jordan didn’t share that skill set with her friend. Yet. Maybe it was time the old dog learned a few new tricks.
Chapter Three
Casey tried to figure out why he was dragging Jordan to the closet with him. He was perfectly capable of fixing the broken AC unit on his own. He chalked up his desire to keep her close to curiosity. Of all the Books and Brew babes, Jordan was the one he’d been the most interested to meet, simply because of Gabriel’s close friendship with her. Jordan brought out a gentle side to Gabriel that Casey didn’t often see. When he spoke of her, Gabriel brightened, looked younger and happier.
Gabriel was far too handsome for his own good. Combine that brooding handsomeness with the Lawson name and wealth, and his best friend was never hurting for female companionship. However, the only woman he’d ever heard Gabriel talk about with any regularity was Jordan. It was obvious his friend was interested in her, but as far as Casey knew, Gabe had never asked her out on a date.
The storage closet was even hotter than the bar. Freaking heat wave. “Shit,” he muttered. “Hope the problem isn’t too hard to fix. Otherwise we’re likely to go from rare to well done pretty damn fast.”
“I can’t believe how hot it is.”
Despite the heat, Jordan’s didn’t seem as flushed as it had earlier. Casey wondered about that. Had he mistaken her red cheeks? Had she been blushing? He suppressed a grin, wondering what had prompted her reaction. He’d noticed her checking him out. Was the quiet Jordan hiding a naughty side?
God, I hope so.
Casey dismantled the air conditioner, occasionally asking Jordan for a tool. Every time, she handed him the proper instrument.
“You know your way around a toolbox,” he commented.
“My dad’s an auto mechanic. Handing over tools isn’t exactly a new experience for me.”
He paused and looked at her. “Gabe says you do the books for the business.”
“Yep. I majored in business and accounting at college.”
Casey crinkled his nose as a joke. “I have to use a calculator to figure out eight times nine.”
Jordan’s laughter was soft and somewhat subdued, as if she didn’t want to draw too much attention to herself. He relished the beauty of the soft sound. She wasn’t one of tho
se in-your-face kind of women—like Gabriel’s girlfriends of late, women who lived to be the center of attention, demanding all eyes be on them. He preferred Jordan’s personality. She was quiet and friendly, normal and nice.
He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and wiped the sweat off his face before it ran into his eyes. He’d never been so damn hot. “So how is it we’ve managed to miss each other? I bet I’ve been to this bar at least half a dozen times in the past year or two.”
“I’m not sure. Though I suspect it’s because all your repairs have been done down here. I spend most of my time in the office upstairs.”
Casey tried to recall the second floor. He’d inspected the building prior to Gabriel’s buying it. “I thought there were just storage rooms up there.”
Jordan nodded. “Oh, it’s still used for storage. I threw a desk and a computer in one of the rooms and call it an office. Nothing up there but me and the boxes.”
Strangely, he didn’t like the idea of her working in such a dreary spot alone. “I’m not entirely sure it’s safe for you to be up there like that. Aren’t the boxes in some of those rooms stacked pretty high?”
She shrugged. “I picked the one with the least amount of shit in it.”
“Even so, I’ll talk to Gabe about building you a real office, one with walls instead of cinder block so you can hang pictures. I’ll put in proper office lighting and electrical wiring for all your technology. If I know Gabe, he’ll pull out all the stops for you.”
Jordan shook her head. “That’s not necessary. You really don’t have to bother Gabriel. My office is fine.”
Jordan flushed and Casey wondered what was up between the sweet bookkeeper and his best friend. “Jordan, if you’re going to spend so much time there, you should have a real office. I’ll mention it to Gabe.”