She hissed as the rough towel scraped her sensitive knuckles. “It’s no big deal. Couple of drunks getting handsy. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It happened so fast. I overreacted.”
“I’m sure you didn’t overreact.” Joe’s voice turned hard again. “Those two are a pain in my ass.” He shared a knowing look with Jake. “And they’ve just had their last beer here.”
“They were almost a pain in my ass, too,” she joked. “But I’m good. Won’t be the first time I’ve nursed sore knuckles.”
“You fight a lot then, slugger?”
She laughed at that. “Did I mention that I’ve got three brothers?”
He gave her a smile that had her nipples aching and pushing through her T-shirt. She squirmed in her seat, which only served to rub the seam of her jeans harder against her pulsating clit. She bit back a moan. So this is what it feels like to be aroused to near pain. She was close to throwing herself at him, audience be damned. Anything to relieve the tension building in her panties.
Joe noticed her distress. She watched as he slowly took stock of her. She knew the minute he saw the pearled buds of her chest, protruding shamelessly for his inspection. His jaw clenched and his back stiffened. She dared a quick glance at his lap. She hoped his back wasn’t the only thing that had turned rigid. His eyes narrowed; his nostrils flared as if he could smell her arousal.
She watched in fascination as his gaze turned dark, smoky.
What would it be like to spend the night in the arms of a man like him? What kind of lover would he be? The thought caused her insides to turn to jelly. There was only one way to find out.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Mandy?” His voice was hoarse. His fingers were stroking her palm as he continued to hold her injured hand. She desperately wanted him to be stroking her somewhere else.
It’s now or never.
“That depends.” Amanda gave him a seductive smile. “You wanna get out of here?”
Joe shook his head, his expression filled with genuine confusion. “Excuse me?”
Amanda felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. This man was a walking god and here she was, Miss Plain-and-Ordinary, propositioning him. What was she thinking?
She stood a little too quickly, causing her bar stool to wobble before righting itself again. “Never mind. Sorry.” She threw two twenty-dollar bills on the bar. “This should cover it.” She hollered thanks to Jake as she made her way to the door.
“Mandy, wait.”
Chapter 2
“Where is she?” Caleb Martin slammed the door and glared across the desk at Samantha.
“Jesus, Caleb.” Her hand flew to her heart as she leaned back in her chair. “Knock much? You scared the hell out of me.” She took a deep breath. “We really need to work on your people skills.”
Caleb placed his knuckles on the desk and slowly leaned in. “Where. Is. She?”
Sam took her time smoothing her dark auburn hair away from her face. “I can see this is going to be a one-track conversation, so let me make this easy for you. Get out.”
He walked around to her side of the desk and perched himself on the corner. He crossed his arms over his chest and settled in. “Nope.”
Sam glared at him as she hit the Intercom button on her phone. “Caroline? Call Security.”
She heard her assistant chuckle. “Ah, sure thing, Miss Quinn.”
“I am your security,” the annoying male on her desk replied drily.
“Good, that’ll save us some time. Escort yourself out.” She waved her hand to shoo him off.
“I’m not going anywhere until you tell me where my sister is.”
Sam narrowed her eyes at the man sitting on her desk. Tall, blond, and commanding, with eyes the color of emeralds when he was pissed. And yep, two shining emeralds were fixated on her.
He’d never made any bones about the fact that he didn’t like her. For years they’d argued and fought, needled and picked.
Now he barges in here without so much as a word, clearly showing how little respect he has for me.
God, she didn’t think there was a man on the planet that drove her crazier than this one, so she felt perfectly justified in giving a little of that crazy back to him.
And she knew just what buttons to push.
Tossing her hair off her shoulder, she revealed her cleavage. “Nope.”
Caleb’s gaze cast to the skin she revealed. “I’m not leaving.”
Pig. “Suit yourself, but you may be more comfortable in a chair.” She gave him an irritated stare. “There are plenty in the conference room down the hall.”
She could see the muscles in his jaw working overtime as he reined in his temper. “She’s been missing for three days.”
Samantha rolled her eyes. “Not missing, you dolt. Away. There is a difference.”
“Away where?”
“Nice try, horseman. But my lips are sealed. She’s in a ‘no-man’ zone.” She hesitated a moment and laughed wickedly. “Well, a ‘no-brother’ zone, anyway.”
“What does that even mean?” Caleb made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. “What did you do?”
“Me? Why on earth would you think I did anything?” She blinked innocently.
Amusement flashed in his eyes a second before he got in her face. “Need I remind you of the time you got Amanda arrested for attempting to bribe an officer?”
“Charges wouldn’t stick. We were framed.”
“How about the citation for indecent exposure?”
“Case of mistaken identity.”
“The bar fight?”
Her shoulders slumped a little. “Okay, that was—”
Caleb threw his hands in the air as he surged to his feet. “For the love of God, you’re a lawyer!”
“Damn good thing for us that I am, too.”
“Tell me where she is.”
“No.”
“Samantha.”
She lowered her voice to mimic him. “Caleb.”
“Jesus.” He shoved his hands through his thick, blond locks. “You’re the most annoying—”
“Be careful how you finish that sentence, horseman. Remember, I have what you want.” She wagged her eyebrows suggestively.
“Stop calling me that,” he snapped. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not the harbinger of chaos.”
Sam barked out a laugh. “That is debatable. But I’m still not telling you where she is.” She sighed at the stern look he threw her. “In case you’ve forgotten, Amanda is a grown woman. Perfectly capable of making her own decisions without your approval or, hey, even your input.” She returned to the papers on her desk, dismissing him. “Time to cut the cord, big guy.”
“Why didn’t she tell us where she was going?”
Sam rolled her eyes again. “Seriously? One guess.” She threw her hand up to stop him from answering. “No, wait, I’ll go ahead and tell you because you’re sure to get it wrong. She needs time alone. She needs space.”
“Space? Space from what?”
She screamed in frustration. “You’re unbelievable! Just leave her be, Caleb. She’s fine. She isn’t in any danger, and she’ll be back before you know it. Stop being the controlling older brother for one second and let her do her thing.”
She reached up to rub her temples. Yet again, her dealings with Caleb Martin caused her head to throb. Today was definitely one of those days she regretted relocating her private law practice into the offices of Martin Tactical and Security. She cursed Amanda for talking her into it after her old office had been broken into and vandalized. What good was cheap rent, secure or not, when she had to work from home? Pressing the Intercom button again, she said, “Caroline, please forward my calls to my cell. I’m working from home this afternoon.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Caleb barked.
“You deaf?” She slammed a file closed. “Home. To work. Since it’s obvious I won’t get anything done here today.” She stuffed a handful of files into her b
riefcase and slung it over her shoulder.
“Dammit, Samantha, I’m done playing with you.” Caleb looked dangerously close to losing his temper. He pressed forward until they were nose to nose. “I want to know where my sister is, and I want to know right now.”
Not cowed in the least, Sam smiled at him. “If she wanted you to know where she was, she would have told you. You think I’d betray her trust?” She blinked teasingly.
Caleb sneered. “I think you’d betray your own grandmother if it suited your purpose.”
Ouch.
Sam felt the sting as if he’d slapped her. “Fuck you, Caleb,” she said as she shoved past him, “and the horse you rode in on.”
*
I’m such an ass.
Caleb watched Samantha stalk away. He hadn’t meant what he’d said. Hell, he didn’t mean most of what he said when he talked to her, but he wouldn’t apologize for it either. That woman pushed his buttons something fierce, and she knew it. So, no. He wouldn’t apologize. Not to Samantha. His sister had taken off to parts unknown, and he wanted to know why. If it had anything to do with that idiot she’d been dating, well, then he and the boys were about to have a little fun. He was responsible for her. For all of them. He wouldn’t let them down again.
Their parents had been killed twelve years ago, leaving a deployed Caleb in charge of his three grieving siblings. Amanda had been the worst. He’d returned home to find her livid at him for being away, unwilling to even give him the time of day. Not one word.
For a whole year.
He’d struggled to regain her trust, and he wasn’t about to let her pull away again. Period. He was the head of this family and if there was something going on, he should know about it. And he definitely knew there was something going on. Just as he knew Samantha was at the heart of it. Another one of her harebrained ideas, no doubt.
He, Brandon, and Alec had all been calling Amanda’s cell for the last three days. Oh, she’d called back all right. She left a voice mail on the receptionist’s phone over the weekend when she knew no one would be there to answer. Said some shit about getting away and that she’d be okay. Caleb knew he was overreacting, but he somehow couldn’t stop himself. Good God, I’m a controlling bastard, aren’t I?
“Well played, brother.” Caleb glanced up to see Alec, the younger of his two brothers, leaning in the doorway.
“Shut up.” Caleb pushed past him into the hallway. He ignored a scowling Caroline as he walked by and continued down the hallway to the elevators that would take him to his own office. Alec fell into step beside him.
“You knew we were tracking her. Why did you even bother going to Sam?” Alec asked.
“Thought it would be faster.” Caleb hit the elevator button.
“Right. Faster.” Alec spit out a laugh. “How’d that work out?”
“Swimmingly.”
Alec snorted. “You two have been dancing around each other for years. When are you gonna admit you’ve got a thing for her?”
Caleb punched the button for the elevator again. “You’re out of your fucking mind if you believe the bullshit you’re spewing. That woman is a menace. I haven’t known a moment’s peace since she and Amanda became friends. Don’t think I don’t remember who’s responsible for that.” Caleb glared at a guilty Alec.
“Hey now.” Alec raised his hands in defense. “I like Sam. She’s been good for Amanda and you know it.”
Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose, biting off his retort. Whether he liked it or not, Samantha had been the only one to get through to Amanda after their parents died. Which was the whole reason he tolerated her in the first place.
“You realize Amanda will have our balls on a platter when she finds out we tracked her.” Alec leaned against the wall next to him. “I, for one, like my balls right where they are.”
“As long as she’s safe, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass how mad she gets.” Another punch of the button. Where the hell was the elevator? “Wait, tracked her? As in no longer tracking? You know where she went?”
Alec drew out a sigh. “Of course we found her. She’s not hiding.”
Caleb responded with a hard fist to Alec’s shoulder. A devilish smile crossed Caleb’s face as the elevator doors opened. This day was looking up. He slapped Alec on the back, pushing him into the elevator. “Let’s grab Brandon and go see what our little darling is up to.”
Chapter 3
Joe couldn’t believe his ears. Did Amanda just ask him if he wanted to leave with her? Before he could recover his shock, she was hightailing it out the door. From the moment he’d walked into the bar tonight, he’d been captivated. First by the way she defended herself, next by the vulnerability he felt as he’d held her hand, and then by the way she looked at him as if he were a treat she’d like to eat.
Now he was just plain curious. He’d had women come on to him before. What surprised him was his desire to follow through with this one.
“Hold up, sweetheart.” He snatched her money off the bar. “Jake’s gonna cover your tab tonight, aren’t ya, Jake?” Joe looked at his brother expectantly.
Jake shrugged. “Sure, no problem.”
“Give me one minute.” Joe walked behind the bar and grabbed a full bottle of whiskey. “Don’t leave,” he added as he caught her looking between him and the door.
Jake wagged his eyebrows. “Someone’s finally gonna get laid,” he taunted.
Joe smacked him on the back of the head as he walked by. “Just for that, dickhead, you can pay for this bottle too.” He tried to sound irritated, but he just couldn’t keep the smile from his voice.
It had been a long time since a woman had caught his interest and it felt nice. He’d spent his life avoiding commitments. His former job with the military wasn’t really conducive to the white picket fence kind of lifestyle. He’d been alone most of his life, refusing to get attached to anyone or anything. But this woman…
Damn, she looked good. She dug her hands deep into the pockets of her low-riding jeans as she tapped the sexiest pair of cowgirl boots he’d ever seen against the concrete floor. Her blonde curls tumbled downward, teasing the lower part of her back where her T-shirt had ridden up. Imagining the feel of all that temptingly tanned skin under his tongue made his mouth water. He swore he could already taste her. He grunted as his cock swelled at the thought of licking every inch of her.
He was suddenly very glad he’d stopped in tonight.
Joe held the bottle up as he approached her. “Whiskey okay?”
Her vibrant green eyes latched on to his. “Sure.”
Smiling, he just barely resisted the urge to lean in and kiss her. Instead he trailed his fingers across the exposed skin on her back, resting his palm in the sexy little bend above her belt. The feel of her warm skin had his already engorged erection pressing painfully against his zipper. “Ready?”
“Sure,” she said again.
“Things are gonna go very well for us tonight, Mandy, if you stay so agreeable,” he teased with a wink. He chuckled at her sharp intake of breath as he guided her out the door.
The cool air hit them as they walked outside. Amanda was quiet beside him as he led her across the gravel to the only car left in the parking lot that didn’t belong to Jake. Joe had ridden in on his Harley and there was no way he was putting her on the back of his bike without the proper gear.
He glanced at her apologetically. “While I’d love to take you for a ride on my bike, tonight isn’t that night. Only one helmet,” he said at her puzzled frown. “I can follow you or…” He waited to see if she’d jump in, hoped she’d jump in. Anything to get her talking. “Mandy?”
She shook her head slightly. “No, no. It’s chilly out. Why don’t you ride with me?”
“You okay to drive?” He looked at her with mock sternness and gently raised her abused knuckles to his lips. That earned him a sweet smile.
“I’m sure I can manage.”
Joe sighed and let her hand drop. Maybe she was havin
g second thoughts. He wasn’t sure what had caused her to close off all of a sudden, but one thing was for sure—he was going to play this out. He suddenly wanted to break down her walls and see what was there. He wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted her to cry out his name in pleasure.
He wanted her naked.
Oh yeah, he was going to play this out. “Lead the way, Mandy. I’m all yours.”
*
What the hell am I doing?
She’d just picked up a strange man in a bar and was taking him back to her secluded ranch house. They make really scary movies about this kind of stuff.
Amanda glanced at the man riding shotgun. She felt a twinge of guilt that she planned to use his body and walk away in the morning, but holy crap! Had this guy hit the mother lode or what? His tall, sinewy frame ate up the space of her compact car.
I’m all yours. His words drifted through her mind and she bit back a moan.
“Mandy?”
Her gaze shifted back to the road. “You know, you’re the only one who’s ever called me that.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t used to,” she muttered. She had the feeling she wouldn’t care what this man called her, as long as he was naked and whispering in her ear.
Joe gave her a knowing look and chuckled. “Mandy it is then.” He settled back for the ride. “I like that there’s something of you that’s solely mine.”
“Really?” Amanda couldn’t imagine why he’d want that. Or why the thought of it made her heart race.
“Yeah.” He seemed surprised by his own admission. When he looked at her, there was a playful twinkle in his eye. “So, where are we headed?”
“I have a place not far from here.”
“You live here?”
“No.” She hesitated. “I live outside of Austin.”
“Just on vacation then?”
She shrugged.
He appeared to consider her carefully before he asked, “Are you married?”
“God no!” she said in a burst of laughter. Then she sobered. “Are you?” She hadn’t thought about that. Her white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel caused little sparks to ignite in her palms. Please say no. No way she was sleeping with a married man. Or any man involved with another woman.
One Night Stand Page 2