But a spark ignited in his eyes and almost sucked a whimper from her throat. Those looks were going to be lethal to any resistance she might harbor.
“You know my name,” he said quietly, almost a whisper, but she heard, and damn if she didn’t feel that voice dance down her spine.
Not only that, but Tess heard the arrogance that brought out her own challenging nature. She rose to the bait. “Not many men can make me lose my way through a song. It seemed prudent to ask about you. But Coop didn’t tell me much—just that you work for the town.”
His brow rose in question.
Oh, this was a bad boy if she’d ever seen one! “Uh-huh. When he said that, I’d already figured you work with your hands, so I know that you’re the mechanic for the town vehicles.”
His mouth curved. “Is that right?”
Was that a glimmer of amusement in his eyes?
She shrugged, hoping she appeared nonchalant. “I asked for details, but he said it would be more interesting to ask you if I wanted to know more.” She stepped closer, gazing up at him, and his breath fanned her lips as he stared down at them. Oh yeah, she had his undivided attention, all right.
He didn’t budge as she leaned a little closer—only his eyes moved; they lifted to hers and she almost gasped at the passion that lurked in those dark green eyes. His blond-tipped lashes were long, and Tess imagined them brushing her cheeks as he whispered naughty things into her ear.
Whoa, there! She slammed on the brakes, knowing she was getting a little ahead of herself. She wished she felt those alarm signals that always went off in her head when she was ready to do something foolish. But although she was practically undressing the man with her eyes, those warning bells remained silent. He made her pulse race, and she worried that her inner radar might be out of whack, but only a stupid woman would ignore his sexual energy. The day she’d found out about that snake Jacob’s infidelity was the day she stopped being stupid. “Tell me more, Fletcher.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes clouded a little, like something had just occurred to him. Instead, he lowered his head—that stubble she’d imagined the feel of was softly abrasive—sending shivers up her spine as his lips kissed the shell of her ear. “You first,” he breathed.
“Huh?” Tess couldn’t think when he was this close. He still looked grubby and rugged, but he smelled of soap, a hint of sweat and hard work, and some lingering cologne that she suspected, when it wasn’t masked by the other harsher scents, would be too powerful for her to resist.
He grinned against her cheek. “Tell me your name, darlin’.”
“Oooh,” she sighed, leaning ever closer, but not quite touching. His jaw grazed her skin, his hot breath turning her knees to jelly. “It ... it’s ... Tess.”
He pulled away so abruptly that she almost stumbled, and she looked up at him in surprise. The shock on his face didn’t diminish his rugged good looks, but it sure snapped her out of the haze of lust he’d immersed them in. Like a bucket of cold water!
Two
“What’s the matter?” Here she’d been worried that the heat this man generated would make her do foolish things, and now all she wanted was to see that lazy smile again, the casual stance. Without even touching him, she sensed that he was coiled tighter than a spring. Why?
“Tess Braeden? Roy Braeden’s granddaughter? The woman who—”
“Keeps phoning city hall, putting in repeated requests for an appointment with your mayor? The one who, by his secretary’s definition, borders on harassment? Yeah, that’s me. My reputation precedes me, I see,” she said dryly, the cloud of lust completely cleared now.
Man, she thought. Word really did get around in a small town. Even the mechanic knew her name. Despite acceptance from her own boss, she wasn’t scoring many points with the other people who mattered in the community. Not the board of the historical society, which refused to give her some time; not the mayor, who was like a ghost—never available, always in one meeting or another; and now, not with a man who made her want to pull his mouth down to hers and taste that bead of sweat on his upper lip. She’d never taken so many wrong turns in her life!
“I was going to say the woman who inherited that broken-down old house on the corner of Main and Elm, but okay, let’s go with your answer and discuss that.”
“Let’s not,” she sneered, and stepped back, giving him room. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way home to that broken-down old house.”
“I’m sorry, honey, but it is a wreck.” His chuckle and teasing grin mocked her.
Tess shrugged and looked away, but her belly fluttered at the endearment. She liked the way everyone down here was “darlin’” or “honey.” In the city, she’d probably clock some guy if he called her that, but with this man, in this place, it felt good, even when it didn’t mean a thing.
And she couldn’t really argue the point about the condition of her house. The damn thing was an eyesore, but it wasn’t her fault. It had fallen into disrepair when her grandfather passed away. She didn’t even know she had a grandfather until two months ago. But after the two years it took them to locate her, the place was barely livable. Not just structural repair, but so much wiring and pipe replacement were needed to bring it up to code that she almost shuddered, thinking of it.
Back taxes and outstanding loans were owed on the Victorian, which must have brought glorious charm to Justice in its day. She couldn’t touch a thing until she coughed up the dough to claim it legally. She felt like a squatter in her own house.
It hurt that it wasn’t really hers yet. It was in a type of foreclosure limbo. She needed to pay off the debts, and she only had two months left to do it. Because it was old enough to be marked for historical status, the house and property would revert to the town instead of the bank if she couldn’t come up with the money. While she was grateful for that loophole that kept the place protected, the looming deadline was creeping up on her faster than she could formulate a plan to keep it. But this was her chance to have a normal life, to be settled, and she wanted it more than anything.
“As for moving so you can get in your car and drive away, forget it.”
Her eyes shot to his. Who did he think he was?
He bent his head to her again, so close she could almost taste his breath mint as his mouth hovered near hers. She wouldn’t be the one to back off, though she knew she should. Something about him made her want to be daring, a little bit brazen. And in a town like Justice, where gossip was dished out with the best apple pie at Loretta’s Diner, she couldn’t afford any more rumors or speculation being bandied around about her. She was aware that most of the patrons started coming to the bar not to hear her sing, but to see who that city girl was who’d staked a claim in their quiet little corner of the world.
Oh, if they only knew!
Fletcher made it increasingly hard to concentrate as his thumb skimmed along her jawline and his gaze pinned her in his sights. Distraction was good. And he was a pro.
“We made a connection the second we looked at each other, Tess, and that hasn’t happened to me in a long time.”
She swallowed a moan that built in the back of her throat and willed her eyes to remain open. God, she wanted him, and she’d only just met him! But he was right about their connection. She remembered seeing him at the bar. She’d even sadistically drawn his attention back from Coop when they were talking by putting a little more sensuality into the words than she normally did. But if he hadn’t winked at her when she screwed up, she wouldn’t have felt the need for payback. Well, probably not, she mused. The warm liquid pooling between her thighs when his eyes settled on her might have had something to do with her teasing behavior. She liked being watched and desired by him. While she was singing, she’d imagined his lips sliding against hers, exciting her, making love to her. And somehow he knew what she’d been thinking.
Oh, she hoped he was just as astute now. Tess tore her eyes from his and focused on his lips.
He tipped up her chin. “I like a woman with determination. But I don’t see how the mayor can do anything for you.”
Damn! Not as quick as she’d hoped. In her mind, they were already naked and needy, but he was back to the subject of the mayor. “What are you talking about?” Tess shook her head, putting a cap on her desire to concentrate, but it made her testy, impatient. And she didn’t like standing in the empty parking lot, late at night, letting this man turn her stupid with his looks and teasing strokes along her cheek when he clearly wasn’t on the same page.
The only reason Cooper knew about her situation was because she listed her address at the Old Vic, as she’d dubbed her house, on her application for employment at The Last Call. He knew about the money owed on the place. But for that one exception, she never discussed her personal business with anyone, so she wondered how Fletcher seemed to think he could pull it out of her effortlessly. “You have no idea what the mayor can do for me, Fletcher,” she said bitterly, stepping back from the temptation she’d lost herself in for a short while. “If he’d see me, he’d learn that I could do something for him, too.”
Fletcher knew his whole body had gone rigid, and his teeth clenched in a rage he fought to suppress. Did she think she could bribe a city official? Him? Feelings he hadn’t had since his ex-wife screwed his life over began to rise like bile to the back of his throat.
She’d thrown him for a loop when she told him her name, but he’d recovered quickly, knowing there was more to Coop’s warning that he not tell Tess that he was the man she was so desperate to see. For a guy who said he wouldn’t mess with Fletcher’s love life again, he’d done a damn good job of it without even saying a word. He trusted his friend, but he couldn’t ignore Tess’s last statement.
His eyes bore accusingly into hers, his voice rough, almost menacing, as he tested the waters. “I hope you’re not implying what it sounds like you are, Tess. Not only is it illegal, it’s immoral. And I would hope that you’d have more respect for yourself than that.”
She squared off with him, and he was able to see her eyes. They were hazel, he determined. But flecks around the outer rim turned them the color of honey. Sweet, golden honey that made him ache, wondering if she’d taste like honey, too. He’d never let himself find out if Coop was wrong and she’d do anything, even degrade herself, for a piece of property.
“First, I’m going to let that remark go, since we’ve only just met. Second,” she said, ticking off her list on her fingers, “I’ve bent the law a time or two—speeding up at a yellow light, knowing it’ll turn red before I get completely through the intersection—but I’ve never actually broken one in my life. And the places I’ve been, there have been plenty of opportunities. Take my word on that.”
Fletcher’s muscles began to relax. Her indignation almost matched his disgust for what he assumed she was saying without actually saying it. He was relieved she wouldn’t use her wiles to get what she wanted from the mayor. From him.
Her finger poked his chest. “And lastly”—her eyes lost some of their luster—“I like you, Fletcher. And you’re right—we did make a connection—”
She flattened her hand on his chest, using the other to slide up his neck, into his hair. He wasn’t prepared for her to pull his head down, or for her scorching kiss, for the way her tongue felt sliding deliciously along his. Gawd, she tasted sweet! Like honey, just as he’d suspected.
With a groan, he deepened the kiss, his hands moving around to cup her heart-shaped behind, pulling her closer against his growing erection. He wanted her with a passion he hadn’t felt in so damn long! But when he turned them, pressing her against the car, she surprised the hell out of him again.
She broke the kiss, saying throatily, “As I was saying. We did make a connection, Fletcher.” Her tongue licked over her lips. Reaching behind her, she opened the door. He took a step back when she pushed against him insistently, maneuvering around and slipping into the driver’s seat. She gazed up at him through the open window, turned the ignition, and looked at his confused expression. “But now you’re gonna have to work for it.”
It took him a minute to gather his wits to understand what had just happened. She’d turned him on, then just as quickly, shut him down. A smile spread across his face, and he laughed harshly, ignoring his painful erection. I’ve been put in my place, good ’n’ proper, he thought. Oh yeah, this one was worth the chase.
Taking a deep breath, he tipped his head, granting her the point in their little teasing game. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tess.”
“Tomorrow’s my day off. Saturdays are still traditionally wild country nights at Last Call.”
He just grinned at her. “I know.” His eyes full of meaning, he repeated, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tess.”
He tapped on the roof of the car, and his groin tightened again as she let out a mewing sound as he walked away. He didn’t have to look to know she was watching him; he could feel her eyes burning into him as he turned the corner of the building to where his own car was parked.
Yup, he thought. He’d see her tomorrow, and every day after that, until he knew what she wanted with him as the mayor, and what she might need from him as a man. That last part he anticipated like a kid on Christmas Eve.
But damn! She was Tess Braeden! Why did it have to be this complicated? He shook his head, her words coming back to him as he pulled his keys from his pocket, Now you’re gonna have to work for it.
Well, that was true, he figured. The best things in life came from hard work and planning. And he’d work for it, all right. That kiss had singed his nerve endings, but it was way too brief for his liking. A mere prelude to what they’d experience together, if he played his cards right.
He needed more of that connection, but Cooper was wise to tell him to be careful. Finding out what her angle was had to take precedence over his lust. He didn’t know what she had in store for the mayor, but for the good of the citizens of Justice, and for his own peace of mind, he planned to find out, before he took her to bed. He had no doubt that that was where they were headed.
Three
Tess stumbled from the bed, shaky and groggy from what little sleep she’d gotten and being abruptly pulled from it. One eye open, she raked her tangled, mussed hair out of her face, spying the clock on the table as she headed down the hall to put an end to that incessant pounding. Who the hell would have the nerve to darken her doorway at seven o’clock on a Saturday morning?
She hit the bottom landing of the stairs, and her curiosity grew along with her agitation. Whoever the potential homicide victim was, he was at her back door, and by the time she got to it, she almost wasn’t kidding.
Opening the door, and squinting against the bright, early morning sun she made a point never to see, she shouted, “What?”
Despite her cranky attitude, the answering chuckle sent shivers up her spine. Then Fletcher’s voice penetrated the door-banging still reverberating in her head. “Well now, that’s a good tip. You’re not a morning person. I’ll keep that in mind, darlin’.”
She still squinted, but seeing him standing there, in a clean T-shirt and jeans, a tool belt hanging low on his hips, even to her addled brain he looked mouthwatering.
She wasn’t awake yet, or she’d have attempted to be more pleasant. But that knocking put him on her shit list. “Not until I’ve had at least four hours’ sleep—which you missed by sixty minutes, by the way—and about two pots of coffee,” she groused. “Besides, who the hell comes calling this early?”
She couldn’t focus with the morning sun pouring in around his big body. She was thankful he at least blocked the blinding light a bit. She got migraines, getting up this early and trying to think.
“Calling?” He chuckled. Then to add to her ire, he made fun of her, exaggerating his southern drawl to sound like a true good ol’ boy. “Why, ma’am. The man who’s gonna patch up your leaky roof. Now, I know it’s sunny, but they’re predictin’ rain come late day, so I reckon I b
etter get started early, to beat the storm, don’tcha know? In these parts, you only have to wait a little while, and the weather will change faster than a chameleon tryin’ to avoid bein’ dinner for some predator.”
Tess didn’t mean to sound condescending, but he wouldn’t let her get away with it, regardless. “Okay, I got it!” She laughed. “Stop talking like that. But I swear, if your nickname is Bubba, this conversation is over.”
He didn’t dignify that with a response. Instead he said, “You look incredibly sexy this early, honey.”
That got her eyes open. Wide. She looked down, horrified that she stood there in nothing but a cropped tank top and high-cut white panties. “Shit!” she shrieked.
“Wait—” Fletcher said, holding up a hand, but the door swung shut, and she raced back down the hall. Turning the corner at Mach speed, she scrambled up the stairs to grab her robe from the back of the bedroom door.
No one had visited her since she’d moved in, and she couldn’t afford anything more than fans in the house, so it was too hot to sleep in anything more than what she had on, she justified to herself. She’d considered sleeping in the nude, but this was an old, rickety house, and it needed an electrical overhaul. She wasn’t psychic, but she was smart enough to know that if the damn place caught fire, it would go up like tinder, and she had to have something on, just in case she had to get out quickly.
But answering the door like that was just asking for trouble. And Fletcher was trouble, all right, she thought. Trouble to her libido, dangerous to her heart.
If he’d had the decency to wait a few hours, her head wouldn’t have been so fuzzy, and she’d have remembered to throw on her robe. It was his fault. She hardly knew the man, but she knew he wasn’t a bit contrite. Just like last night, when she’d looked right into his eyes and forgotten the words to her song. No, Tess concluded, he liked her to be a little off-kilter.
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