by Lea Kinkade
Things had been this way since he had met her that first night at the club. He hadn’t called Sheila and hadn’t been with a woman since he and Samantha had started having lunch together. Maybe that was the reason that Samantha was getting to him. He hadn’t had any real desire for another woman since he had met her. Maybe he just needed to get laid again.
He should call up Sheila tonight and see if she was up for a little horizontal action. Sheila knew the score and didn’t ask him for more than he had to give. He wasn’t ready to settle down yet. Sure, he wanted what his brothers Xander and Levi had someday, but he was still sowing his wild oats. He wasn’t looking for forever, and he saw Samantha as a forever kind of girl. He’d call Sheila and things would get back to normal. Yeah, right. He couldn’t get Samantha Michaels out of his head.
“Thanks for having lunch with me, darlin’,” Ryan drawled as he stood up to walk her back to the flower shop. He still had time to make it into Chaps & Spurs and get the paperwork finished that he needed to get done before things started hopping at the club. He thanked Samantha for lunch and the company, trying to keep his eyes off her considerable assets.
“Good-bye, Ryan. Thanks for the company,” replied Samantha softly. Ryan wondered at the hunger he thought he glimpsed in her eyes and was heartened by it. Maybe getting closer to Samantha wouldn’t be as difficult as he had believed it was going to be.
* * * *
Samantha allowed Ryan to escort her back to the shop so that she could pick up her purse. She was taking the afternoon off to check out some of the downtown shops. There was one in particular she really wanted to visit. It was called Body Boutique and carried scented lotions, soaps, and shampoos. Samantha loved scented lotions and things like that, but she’d never really had the money to spend on them before.
Once she walked into the shop, she was assailed by a dozen heavenly scents. She immediately started smelling each of the wide variety of fragrances. Samantha quickly found that a scent called Midnight Pomegranate was her favorite. She tried others but kept coming back to that one. Samantha was surprised to see that they not only had lotions but shampoos, conditioners, and shower gels as well as other soaps. Splurging, she bought one of each of the products in the Midnight Pomegranate.
As she was leaving, Jordan and Jessie walked into the store laughing. Once they saw Samantha, she was immediately enveloped in hugs.
“How has your week been?” asked Jordan.
“Busy,” replied Samantha. “Good, but busy.”
“We’re still on for tonight, right?” Jessie looked at her sternly, like she expected Samantha to try to bow out of the evening’s festivities.
“Yes, I’ll see you at 7:00 p.m. I’m looking forward to it.”
“We are, too. See you tonight, Samantha,” said Jordan as they moved away from the door to the shop so that another customer could enter. Waving good-bye, Samantha left the shop and headed home. She really was looking forward to tonight. Okay. Okay. What she was really looking forward to was seeing Ryan and possibly dancing with him.
Samantha entered Chaps & Spurs a little after 7:00 p.m. and immediately saw Jessie waving frantically from a large table across the room near the dance floor. It was the same table they had sat at last Friday. Samantha remembered all of the women from the week before, said hello to each of them, and found a seat.
As they were getting settled, a waitress came around to get the drink orders from the table. Most of the women ordered beer, but a few ordered wine coolers. Jordan, now nearly six-months pregnant, ordered Perrier with lemon. Samantha ordered her usual. A shot of Jameson and a Diet Coke. Samantha’s drink of choice was influenced by her old friend and mentor, Sandy. It had been Sandy’s drink of choice, and Samantha had spent many a night at Sandy’s house sipping on Jameson as they talked for hours.
“Looks like you’re being sized up on both sides of the aisle, Samantha,” said Jordan, giving her new friend a wicked smile.
“What are you talking about?” asked Samantha.
“You’ve got the men looking at you with cow eyes and the women looking like they want to scratch your eyes out,” laughed Jessie.
“What’s that all about?” she asked as she looked around the bar and saw that Jessie’s comments were true. She didn’t know why the men were watching her so closely. She had dressed fairly conservatively by wearing a pair of jeans and a royal-blue blouse. The blouse buttoned up the front and showed just a hint of her full breasts at the neckline and ended just an inch shy of her low-slung jeans. She wore a pair of high-heeled ankle boots and had her hair pulled back from her face with a blue hair band that matched her blouse. Must be the fact that she was new that drew their attention.
“Well, to the men you’re fresh meat. To the women, you’re competition,” drawled Taylor.
“Competition? Competition for what? I haven’t even danced with anyone yet.”
“And there you have it. ‘Yet’ being the operative word.” Jessie smiled. “Don’t let it bother you, Samantha. The men are looking because you’re a beautiful woman. The women are staring because their men are looking, or they see you as a threat with the men who aren’t already taken.”
“Great. Now I’ll have to worry if I’m going to get into a catfight over any man I dance with. Maybe I should just go home.”
“Don’t be silly, Samantha. We’ll let you know if there’s any potential for a smackdown. Some of the women see any guy that hasn’t got a ring on his finger as theirs. Hell, some will even go after the married ones. We’ll show you who they are so you can decide whether or not the man’s worth it. Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘What the fuck’ and go for it,” said Emily.
“If you say so,” muttered Samantha under her breath.
“We say so,” said the women at the table, letting Samantha know that her mutterings had been heard regardless.
As the DJ began spinning the tunes, Jessie was asked to dance almost immediately by a handsome, dark-haired man she called Rio. He was tall and muscular and, all in all, quite good looking. Samantha sighed when she felt not a single tingle. Jessie seemed reluctant at first, but did agree to dance with the tall drink of water, and they melted into each other’s arms as they began the two-step.
Several other men came up to the table angling for introductions to Samantha. She was introduced to so many men that, although usually good with names and faces, she knew she would never be able to remember them all. She refused all dance invitations, telling them she might be ready to dance later in the evening. She wasn’t waiting for Ryan. She wasn’t. Really.
* * * *
“I see Ms. Michaels is here again tonight. Made any progress on that front, bro? You’ve only got one week left.” Ryan knew that Ryder was deliberately goading him.
“I’m making progress.”
“So when did you take her out and why am I just hearing about this now?” asked Ryder curiously.
“We’ve had lunch together a few times,” hedged Ryan. He didn’t want Ryder to know that Samantha had turned him down when he’d asked her out for dinner and dancing.
“So what’s her story?”
“She’s originally from Corpus Christi and sold her interest in a flower shop there to move here to invest in Bach Florists.”
“And…?” coaxed Ryder.
“And what?” Ryan didn’t want to give his brother any information about the lovely Samantha. “That’s all you need to know about her. I saw her first. I’ve called dibs.” Ryan reminded his brother of their discussion last Friday.
“So that’s the way it is.” Ryder looked at his twin curiously. “When’s your first real date? Lunches don’t count.”
“I asked her to go out tomorrow night, but she said she didn’t know me well enough yet,” admitted Ryan.
“If she won’t go out with you, how did you manage to have lunch with her?” Ryder asked.
“I saw her eating her lunch in the park under that old oak tree and I invited myself to join her. I’ve been doin
g it all week,” answered Ryan. “I think she’s a little gun-shy. It’s going to take some time before she’ll go out with me.”
“I’ll give you an extra week. You’ve got two weeks from tonight. If you’re not dating her by then, dibs be damned. I’ll go after her myself,” retorted Ryder.
“Oh, don’t worry. We’ll be dating, and I’ll be in her bed. I haven’t dated a woman for longer than two weeks without getting her in bed yet. I don’t intend to break that cycle with the lovely Miss Michaels,” drawled Ryan confidently.
“Be careful, bro. There’s something different about this one.” Ryan watched Ryder as he watched Samantha Michaels throw back her head and laugh at something Jordan said. She was beautiful but had a vulnerability about her that drew people to her. His brother turned to him with worried eyes. “Run her down too hard and she just might catch you,” Ryder warned.
“Don’t worry, little bro. Our pact is still in place. I don’t plan on being caught any time soon.”
“See that you aren’t. If you get caught, Mom will start looking at me next. I’ve got too many wild oats left to sow to deal with that shit,” he said with a shudder.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it under control. Tell the brothers that I won’t be joining you tonight but I’ll call all of them sometime this week.” Ryan left his brother and walked toward the table where the delectable Miss Michaels sat with his sister, his sisters-in-law, and their friends.
As he approached the table of laughing women, Ryan saw the light of genuine amusement in Samantha’s eyes, yet there was a wariness there that gave him the sense that she held part of herself back. When he focused his attention on her, the look in her eyes became even more wary.
“Ladies,” he said grandly as he approached their table. “I hope y’all are having a good time tonight.” Focusing his attention on Samantha, he asked, “Miss Michaels, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?”
“Samantha,” he chided gently as he saw the refusal in her eyes, “how can you get to know me better if you won’t spend time with me? I’m sure my sister and sisters-in-law will vouch for me that I’m harmless. Won’t you ladies?” Ryan asked Jessie, Taylor, and Jordan.
“He flirts a lot, Samantha, but he’s basically harmless. You’re safe enough with him,” said Jessie.
“Yeah,” chortled Jordan, “go ahead and dance with the man already.”
“Well, okay,” responded Samantha uncertainly. She knew that Jessie and Jordan were telling her that she was physically safe with Ryan. They probably had no idea that Samantha was already feeling emotionally susceptible to the handsome hunk.
Ryan offered his hand to help her stand and led her to the dance floor where the DJ was playing Blake Shelton’s “Honey Bee.” He led well and, after a couple of dances, Samantha relaxed in his arms.
As the tempo of the music changed, she made a move to leave the dance floor. Ryan stayed her with a hand on her arm, and they settled into a slow rhythm as Billy Currington’s “I Got A Feelin’” started playing. When the song was over, Ryan reluctantly escorted her back to the table full of women. Several of the women were out on the dance floor, including Jordan, who was swaying in a corner of the dance floor with his brother, Xander.
Asking her if she wanted a drink, Ryan took Samantha’s order and let himself behind the bar to get a beer for himself and a shot of Jameson and a Diet Coke for Samantha. While behind the bar, one of the bartenders came over to him and asked him a question about the schedule. Once he got that question handled, another bartender couldn’t find any more Cruzan Rum in the storeroom. Ryan found it stored in the wrong place and got a couple of bottles for behind the bar, telling the bartenders where it was in the storeroom. When he finally got back to the table, Samantha was surrounded by men who were chatting her up. Cutting through her admirers with precision, he sat down in the chair next to her and set the drinks down on the table as he said, “Here’s your drink, darlin’. Sorry it took me so long. Couple of issues behind the bar.”
“No problem, Ryan,” she replied with a dry smile. “I was just getting acquainted with a few of these gentlemen. They’ve told me a lot about you.”
“Oh, really?” Ryan looked around at the men surrounding Samantha and gave them a dangerous look. “I’m sure I can return the favor for most of them.” He looked around at the men pointedly and several of the men seemed to fade away from the circle surrounding them. A few men remained, looking for another opening to get to Samantha. Samantha just smiled slightly and took a drink of her soda. Once she’d taken several sips from the glass, she poured the shot into her soda and mixed the concoction together with her straw. She took a long sip of her drink just as a song by Carrie Underwood came over the speakers.
Samantha took Ryan by the hand and urged him to the dance floor to dance with her. The remaining men, seeing she had chosen Ryan, dispersed back where they had come from. Ryan knew they were just biding their time. Samantha was a beautiful woman. He should have expected something like this, but he’d been so intent on getting her to go out with him that he hadn’t considered the fact that he might have competition for her attention.
They danced off and on for several hours. Neither danced with anyone else. As they took their seats several hours later, Samantha looked at her watch and sighed. “I think it’s time for this girl to head on out. I have to work tomorrow.” Ryan took heart at the disappointed tone of her voice. He could make some major headway with her if he handled this just right.
“Can I walk you to your car?” asked Ryan, unwilling to leave her company just yet.
“Oh, that’s okay. I walked here. It’s just a few blocks and it’s a beautiful night.”
“I’ll walk you to your place, then. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with you walking by yourself at this time of night.” Ryan was being totally honest with her. He wouldn’t feel at all comfortable with any woman walking home by herself at this time of night.
“The question is whether it’s safe or not to let you walk me home. According to those guys you scared off, you’re only after one thing. They were kind enough to point out several women in the club that could back them up.” He could tell she was only partially teasing.
“Darlin’…” Ryan was cursing his habit of playing fast and loose with the women in town. If he wasn’t careful, his history was going to cost him a chance with his future. His future? Now where in the hell had that thought come from?
“No, don’t say it. I already knew you were a player, but I don’t think you’re dangerous. My gut tells me I can trust you to walk me home without accosting me. Besides, I trust Jordan and Jessie, and they say you’re basically harmless. I’m ready to go. You coming?” she asked cheekily.
“After you.” He gestured for her to lead them from the bar. Once they were out of the club, he grabbed her hand despite her feeble attempts to shake him off.
They made small talk as they walked in the general direction of Bach Florists. There were a few people in the parking lot of the club but nobody on the streets. They headed down the alley behind the flower shop, and Ryan noticed that the outside light at the top of the stairs leading to her apartment didn’t throw off much light to the area.
As they headed up the stairs, Ryan said, “I’m surprised you don’t have a motion-sensor floodlight out here, darlin’. It doesn’t seem very safe back here. I know Deseo seems like a safe town, but we still have our criminal element. Why don’t you let me install a better light out here for you?”
Samantha looked around the dim alley as if for the first time. “You’re right. But, it’s okay,” she demurred. “I can probably pick one up at the hardware store or Walmart. I’m sure it will come with instructions. I can install it myself.”
“I’ve put in several over at the club and my own house. It will take me less than fifteen minutes to install it. I can put it in tomorrow for you. Do you work tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’ll be at the shop until 5:00 p.m. You really don’t have to do this. I’m su
re I can take care of it.”
“I can pick one up tomorrow while you’re at work and install it for you after you get home, darlin’.”
“All right. Go ahead and put it in. I’ll pay you back for the light though.” She looked a little put out by his refusal to let this matter go.
“No problem. I’ll bring the receipt.” He smiled at her stubbornness.
“Do that,” she said cheekily. She dug her key out of her pants pocket and unlocked the door to the apartment. As she moved to enter the dark apartment, he stayed her with a hand on her arm.
“Let me just make sure everything is safe, okay? Then I’ll leave.”
“Fine.” She waited at the door as he checked all the rooms to make sure she was alone, her face a mask of exasperation.
“No boogeyman?” Man, he loved it when she was sarcastic. It really did something to his libido. Funny, he’d never really liked it in other women.
“No boogeyman,” he said lightly. “Nothing here but dust bunnies under the bed.”
“I don’t have dust bunnies.” Her haughty response made him laugh.
“Tell that to the dust bunnies. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well,” he murmured as he bent in to kiss her gently on her cheek. She looked at him in surprise.
“Good night, darlin’.” He shut the door softly behind him.
* * * *
Samantha locked up after him as she heard his footfalls going down the steps. She wilted against the door. Man, oh, man, was she in trouble! That man got to her on a level she’d never experienced before. She’d expected him to at least try to kiss her good night. A real kiss. A hot kiss. A kiss meant to seduce. She hadn’t been prepared for the chaste little kiss on her cheek.
Samantha decided to take a shower with her new products before going to bed. After she’d washed and conditioned her hair, she poured some of the scented bodywash on a washcloth and pulled it gently over her sensitive mound and breasts. Her body ached for Ryan's touch.