by Lea Hart
She walked past him and heard him mumble something that sounded a lot like “bullshit” and ignored it. Just like the hand on the small of her back and his clean woodsy scent.
One meal together wasn’t going to change a thing, and he’d soon realize it.
Cole McCallan had met his match when it came to stubborn, and she bet that would be illuminated well before they finished their meal.
***
Cole pulled his truck into Ferraro’s restaurant and decided, if she was agreeing to a meal together, then he was going to make it a long one. Since she seemed to like Fabrizio’s cooking over at the Red Door, he knew she’d love what Gino’s chefs created.
“I thought we were going to grab a sandwich.”
“What kind of prick would I be if I didn’t take you out for a nice meal?” When she gave him a fake smile, he decided not to say more and climbed out of his truck. Before he could get around to open her door, she had climbed out and was standing next to the bumper. “I was going to get your door.”
“Not necessary.” She gave him a smile, slung her purse over her shoulder, and strode toward the entrance.
“You can run, babe, but I’ll always catch you,” he said to himself as he took long strides. He was at her side in time to open the front door and enjoyed her soft curves as she brushed passed him.
The host greeted them, and they were seated in a booth within minutes. Sliding in next to her, he decided perhaps it might not be a bad idea to end their professional relationship after all.
There was no way either of them would cross the line from flirting to fucking while they worked together, and he knew the thing flaring between them needed to be handled.
And not for one night like she suggested.
Was it something that could result in an explosion?
Probably.
Did he have the balls to find out?
Yeah, he sure as hell did.
He’d done a shit job of pretending otherwise, so he might as well dive in and see what happened. As the waiter approached, he decided it was time to go big, and for that, they needed a bottle of wine. “We’ll have the 97 Luciano Sandrone, Barolo.”
“Excellent choice, sir.”
No shit, he thought to himself. It was a five-hundred-dollar bottle of wine, and he didn’t have it very often. Gio had given him a bottle at Christmas for the last couple of years, and he loved the shit and hoped Kelly would too.”
“Guess this is a celebration if we’re having that with our meal.”
He gave her a wink and sat back. “Probably should’ve taken you out for a meal sooner, considering how much you’ve done for us.”
“Not necessary.”
He watched as she picked up her menu and wondered if the nerves she was showing had anything to do with how close they were sitting. He’d made sure there wasn’t much room separating them and he, for one, was enjoying the feel of her leg against his.
The waiter returned and went through the ritual of opening the wine and once they had their glasses in hand, he offered his up in a toast. “Thanks for saving our asses and helping prepare us for the next surge of success.”
Smiling, she tapped her glass and then took a sip. “My pleasure.”
He drank some of his wine and then grinned. “That’s some polite bullshit, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
She set her glass down slowly and shrugged. “It’s the truth. I love helping businesses succeed. You and your brothers have an impressive company, and the next year is going to cement your future.”
“I agree and believe we’re right on the cusp of having something that will outlast us and can be passed on to our kids.” Lifting his glass, he studied her and was hit once again by her fucking beauty. She looked a little like Audrey Hepburn but had mischief and fire burning in her eyes instead of innocence. He loved the fact that she stood up to his dominant ass, holding her own, and knew it was one of the many reasons he was so attracted to her.
Her smokin’ hot body also didn’t hurt.
“So, who will be the first McCallan brother to start the dynasty?”
“It should be me, by all rights, since I’m the oldest, but it will probably be Seth. He’s the most optimistic, and that’s certainly necessary when falling in love.”
“I think you’re right. The whole matrimony thing takes a huge leap of faith and believing in the concept of happy ever after is probably essential.”
He refilled her glass and topped his off. “Have you ever gotten close to walking down the aisle?”
She lifted the corner of her mouth and nodded. “Once.”
“Your face tells me it wasn’t a great experience.”
“It wasn’t fatal, and for that I’m grateful.”
“For him or you?” When she didn’t respond and lifted her glass, drinking down a good amount, he figured it was time to leave the subject alone. He was here, after all, not only to thank her for doing an incredible job but also to determine if she had any interest in moving their fighting to the bedroom.
He was ready to call a spade a spade and knew the bickering they’d done was foreplay.
Plain and simple.
Whether she saw it that way had yet to be determined. The waiter approached, and he glanced over at Kelly. “Let me order.”
“Why?”
“Because.” Not able to articulate why it was important, he hoped she’d give in and allow him to give her what he knew she’d enjoy.
“Fine.”
He took her hand and kissed it gently, watching her eyes flare with surprise. “Thanks, babe.”
“What would you like?” the waiter asked, his attention fully on Cole.
“We’ll start with the frito misto, then have a couple of Caesar salads, and for our entrée, we’ll both have the pappardelle mimmo and finish with torte all’olio.
“Perfect.”
He watched the man walk away and turned back to Kelly. “The pasta was created by Gino’s son, and it’s got scallops, lobster, and asparagus in some kind of crazy sauce that’s freakin’ amazing.”
“Sounds great; I better let Gio know I won’t be joining him for dinner tonight because, after this, I’ll need to go home and pass out.”
Feeling a sting of anger and probably jealousy, he did his best not to let it show on his face. “You never answered my question; do you and Gio have a thing?”
“We thought about it for a minute or two, but both decided it would never work, so we’re just friends and business colleagues.”
“Interesting.”
“Your expression’s telling me you find it no such thing.”
“You and a mafia guy doesn’t compute. You’re a straight-laced, rule-abiding woman and I can’t see you with a man who owns sex clubs and will eventually inherit the family crime business.”
“First off, they’re adult entertainment clubs and I’m not a prude, nor do I judge how people choose to spend their time and money. And second, he’s not going to inherit his father’s crown. His younger brother Eduardo is going to take over.”
He held up his hands and nodded. “Thanks for clearing that up.”
“You don’t know anything about me, so don’t make assumptions.”
“You’re right. Why don’t you fill me in, so from now on I can make informed ones?”
“Why do you want to get to know me?” Looking out at the room, she let her finger tap on her wine glass.
Nice tell, he thought to himself. His interest was making her uncomfortable, and he guessed it meant she was interested too. Which was probably pissing her the hell off since she likely wasn’t into bad boys. Not that he was one anymore, but he sure as hell wasn’t a rule follower.
And the woman loved rules.
“I’ll start with an easy question; what brought you to Vegas?” Their appetizer was delivered, and he took the silver fork and served each of them some of the fried calamari, shrimp, and fennel.
“I came to Vegas when I was promoted to manager by KPMG. I sta
rted in the Arizona office after I graduated college and spent a lot of time here when I was part of the audit team.”
“Vegas doesn’t seem like it would be your first choice. What made you decide to accept the position?”
“I actually like Vegas and thought it would be a great place to figure out who I was and what I liked.”
“And what have you discovered?”
“You really want to know?”
“Why are you busting my balls? If I’m asking, then I want to know the answer.”
“All we’ve done is bicker since I came to work for you, and we rarely get personal with one another, so it seems a little weird.”
“It’s not weird.” Her mouth twisted up and he knew it was time to lay it on the line. “I think we fight because it’s easier than admitting we want to…”
“Don’t say it, Cole. Not if you value your life.”
“I was going to say kiss.”
She let out a laugh. “You’re such a liar.”
He poured more wine into her glass and winked. “Now, you’ll never know.” She lifted her fork and speared a shrimp, and before she put it into her mouth, she gave him a smile that broke his chest open. “Since you’re so intent on leaving the company, then I think it’s time we see about the chemistry we’ve got.”
“Who says it’s chemistry?”
“You want to play that game or cut the bullshit and just admit we’re both curious?”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“It’s not a horrible one either, so just think about it.” When she drank her wine and kept her mouth shut, he decided not to say more. He’d planted the seed, and now he needed to be patient.
Eventually, they were going to dig into this thing between them.
How, when, and where was up for debate. But at some point, he was going to have his mouth on hers and discover once and for all if she tasted as fucking good as he imagined. “Since you don’t want to talk about kissing, then tell me what you like to do in your free time.”
And the floodgates opened as she began talking about things she enjoyed. Lifting his arm, he draped it over the back of the booth and relaxed as the sound of her voice settled something in his chest.
Something he hadn’t known existed.
CHAPTER SIX
Cole closed his laptop and checked his watch, groaning when he saw it was past nine. Just another crazy Saturday night in Vegas for the head of McCallan Security. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his face and stretched. He’d gotten a ton done and felt better about how his week was going to go and the meetings he had scheduled for Monday and Tuesday with the UFC.
They had a shot at handling security for not only the MMA fighters who came to town but for the celebrities who attended the events at T-Mobile Arena. If the company was chosen for the job, they would act as backup for the personal security celebrities brought, ensuring the organizations’ interests were protected.
Several incidents occurred last year, and the company wanted to make sure they had themselves covered. And he was ready to show the UFC team that McCallan Security was the only answer.
This was the next level for their business, and he was more than ready to catapult them into the stratosphere.
His phone buzzed, and he saw that it was Gio Zanetti. “What the fuck?” he muttered. Sliding the bar, he answered. “Talk to me, Gio.”
“Where are you?”
He didn’t like the tone and wondered if shit had gone sideways at the club. “At the office.”
“I’ve got a situation, and I’m calling you because, based on our conversation last week, I know you have a vested interest.”
“Spit it out.”
“Kelly was roofied, and she’s in my office passed out. I’d rather not send her home with one of my guys because she’ll freak the hell out. I’d do it, but I can’t leave the club since I have to make sure we find the man responsible.”
Jumping out of his chair, he grabbed his keys and was locking the office door before Gio could say more. “Call the paramedics, and I’ll be there in ten.”
“I have an in-house physician assistant; he’s checked her out, and she doesn’t need the ER. Her heartbeat is strong, and she’s not in danger.”
He opened the door to the stairs and jogged down since he didn’t want to waste time on the elevator. “How the hell did this happen?”
“That, my friend, is the fucking question of the night. I’ve got my guys going through the feeds. Once we determine who’s responsible, we’ll run him through the facial recognition program you installed and take care of it.”
Hitting the bottom floor, he jogged out to the parking lot. “I’d ask for you to save him for me, but I know you won’t give me the pleasure.”
“Kelly is very important to me, and this is personal, so I’ll be handling the situation myself.”
He climbed into his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. “Is your guy confident she’s not in danger? Maybe I should take her to the ER just to be on the safe side.”
“Trust me; if she was in any sort of danger, she’d already be in my family’s personal facility. I’d never take a chance with her or anyone else who’s a guest of my club.”
“I know, man, this situation just pisses me the hell off.”
“Imagine how angry I am.”
“What the hell was she doing in your bar anyway? I thought she only stayed after your meetings on Fridays?”
“We worked this afternoon, and she stayed for dinner.” He cleared his throat. “She doesn’t have a ton of friends in town and is uncomfortable going to clubs by herself. At least here, she knows that we’ve got an eye on her and will handle anyone who steps out of line.”
Turning onto the main drag, he let out a breath. “In a totally fucked up way, I get that.”
“If you would just do something about your feelings, then she’d be with you on weekends and not need to sit at my bar chatting up strangers.”
“If you wanted to kick me in the balls, you could’ve just waited until you saw me in person.”
Gio let out a laugh and then groaned. “I wanted to make sure you got the message. I adore this woman, and I’d like her to be happy. It’s not going to be me, so it might as well be you.”
“Fuck you, Gio.” Another bout of laughter filled his ear, and he decided it was the best he could hope for. “Should I park in back?”
“Yeah, I’ll have Sal wait for you and then I’ll take you up to my office.”
“Roger that, I’m less than a quarter click away.”
“Whenever you get stressed, you speak military.”
He ended the call without responding and pulled into the back lot of the Red Door. As he climbed out of his truck, he took a long breath and let go of the anger roiling in his gut. Now wasn’t the time to think about the person responsible. He needed to focus on Kelly and the tough night ahead.
She was going to be dizzy, nauseous, and not able to control her muscles or speech. And the only saving grace was she’d likely not remember any of it in the morning. Letting out a mirthless laugh, he stalked toward the back door and knew she was going to lose her shit when she woke up in his house.
***
Cole leaned against the wall in his bathroom and wiped Kelly’s face with a wet washcloth. She’d finally lost everything in her stomach and was starting to shake. Holding her close, he tipped a bottle of water to her lips and watched her take a small sip. “Not too much.”
Groaning, she curled into a ball. “Just let me die.”
“No such luck, babe. We’re going to have to ride this one out.” Running his hand over her hair, he noticed it was sticky. Good thing she wasn’t going to remember any of this because he knew she’d be mortified.
A wave of tenderness filled his chest as he looked down at his bedraggled accountant, and it surprised the shit out of him. He was used to feeling lust, frustration, and admiration, but this new soft feeling was confusing.
He’d n
ever felt anything remotely like it in his life and wasn’t sure what to make of it. Rubbing his hand across his chest, he felt a tightness near his heart and prayed all this mushy shit wasn’t going to become a regular thing.
Feeling Kelly move, he loosened his hold and watched her sit up. “Ready for bed?” Her eyes were slightly unfocused, and he figured she was still under the influence. His experience as a medic in the Marines didn’t help when it came to roofies, so he didn’t know exactly how long it was going to take for the shit to clear her system.
“Shower.”
“In the morning, Kelly.”
“No!” Slowly standing, she grabbed the counter and frowned at her reflection. “Now.”
Standing, he watched her sway and put his hands out in case she went ass over teakettle. With more dexterity than he thought possible, she whipped her dress over her head. “Fuck me,” he mumbled.
She was a hundred times better than he ever imagined.
And he was a dick for noticing.
But what the hell was he supposed to do? Kelly Morris stood in his bathroom in a pair of pink cotton bikini underwear and matching bra, and he couldn’t move.
Couldn’t breathe.
And sure as hell couldn’t form a coherent thought.
Every fantasy he ever had was embodied in the woman frowning at herself in the mirror.
A good girl with a hot as fuck body and a smart mouth was his kryptonite, and here she was.
Not that he could do anything about it.
He wasn’t a complete asshole.
“Babe, let’s get you into bed, and you can clean up in the morning.”
She lifted a strand of hair and made a face. “Not possible.” Taking unsteady steps, she moved toward the shower, then stopped, thrusting out her hand. “Toothbrush.”
Shit, didn’t look like she was going to be talked out of it, and the last thing he wanted to do was pick her up. Having that soft curvy body against his wasn’t a torture he felt like putting himself through. “Babe…”
Her head flew around, and she threw him a dirty look. “Can’t go to sleep without a shower and brushing my teeth.”