Beefcake & Retakes

by Fennell, Judi

  She laughed again and patted his arm. “You are just too much fun to tease, Tanner. Just because I’m a grandmother doesn’t mean I’m not a woman. I have been known to frequent establishments such as yours on occasion. Maybe I’ll even come see you and your friends once you set up shop around here.”

  He wanted to crawl under the seat and block out the images she was putting in his head. “Uh, Nana?”

  “Yes?”

  “Could we, uh, maybe change the subject? I don’t know how appropriate this conversation is given that I’m married to your granddaughter.”

  “That’s right, you are. And don’t you forget it.”

  With the grip she had on his arm, Tanner wasn’t going to for a very long time.

  If ever.

  ***

  He’d never been so glad to see an empty building in his life.

  Tanner was still trying to put Nana’s conversation behind him. From the fact that she knew what he did for a living, to the fact that she actually knew what he did, to the whole married-to-her-granddaughter comment that had just slipped out… The woman might be ailing but she could still pack a wallop.

  “Doesn’t look like much.”

  He glanced at Juliet in the passenger seat. Her grandmother had insisted that Juliet come with him, that she didn’t need Juliet staring at her while she got her hair done so she might as well learn something about Tanner’s business since that was what married people did.

  Neither of them could argue with that logic and keep their cover story going, so Juliet had come with him.

  He’d called the agent to arrange the meeting, but after that, it’d been a silent ride—for which he was thankful. The other night just got bigger and bigger the longer they didn’t talk about it, but what could he say? Thanks for the lay?

  He wasn’t about to propose his undying love and suggest they get back together, so, really, there was no point. It was what it was.

  And it’d been pretty spectacular.

  He shook his head. Time to get his mind off sex and onto business. “It’s not the outside of the building I’m concerned with.” Well, aside from the access, which was off a main thoroughfare so that was good, and the parking, which was plentiful—he smiled as he remembered Nana’s comment—so that worked as well. The locale wasn’t bad either; the area hadn’t become too rundown, and with the development of this site, it could be revitalized. “I have to see inside to see if the space can support the staging and the bar and seating areas.”

  The real estate broker was waiting for them when they pulled up.

  “Wentworth? James Pfeiffer.” The guy held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Thanks for meeting me—us—on such short notice.”

  Pfeiffer shook Juliet’s hand next, then nodded at the building. “This place has been empty too long. It’s becoming an eyesore. The city is giving me good money to find a tenant, so I’m more than happy to. Shall we?” He swept his hand toward the plate glass door.

  The façade needed work, and the corrugated tin awning would have to go, but the exterior seemed large enough to house the facility Tanner was thinking of.

  Pfeiffer gave them the tour, showed them the electrical hookups and water lines, walking them through the utility section that could be incorporated into a kitchen. Now that Bryan and Gage had included dancers of both genders in the shows, the club was becoming an evening destination, and the demand for more than bar food had made them add a make-shift kitchen in their flagship location. Subsequent sites would have the kitchens built in.

  Pfeiffer left him and Jules to walk the space themselves, pulling out his phone and saying he’d be outside making calls if they had any questions.

  Tanner pulled out a laser tape measure he’d bought on the way here and took some measurements. The staging would work if they ended it where he was standing.

  He looked around. “Jules, can you hand me that bucket over there?”

  “This?” She picked up the empty drywall compound bucket.

  “Yes, put it there.” He pointed to where the corner of the stage would be. “And that crate. Grab that for me, but be careful of splinters.”

  He took it from her and put it at his feet.

  “This is the stage?”

  “Yeah. We’ll put tables there.” He circled his hand in front of the stage. “That ought to leave enough space for dressing rooms backstage.”

  “Don’t you mean undressing rooms?” Juliet muttered beneath her breath.

  Tanner bit back a smile. What he did for a living did bother her. And if he were honest with himself, he’d admit that he liked that it did.

  But that was all he’d admit. Because it didn’t matter. He was going to go home and do what he’d planned before he’d come here, great night of sex notwithstanding. “The bar will go along that wall. Probably twenty stools, so that’s a decent amount.”

  “I can’t imagine too many people are looking at the bar when they’re here.”

  “You’d be surprised.” He dragged a broken two-by-four to where the bar would be. “BeefCake, Inc. isn’t a strip joint, Jules; it’s a night out. Couples come, bring their friends. The menu is growing. It’s becoming a hot spot and not just for the show. I’d like to work in a dance floor if I can, so we can make it a nightclub once the show’s over.”

  She crossed her arms and tilted her head. “You’ve really given this some thought.”

  “Like I said, there’s a shelf life to this body. I don’t want to be dancing long after I should have put the Velcro pants away.”

  Her eyes slid down his torso.

  Lower.

  Just like that, it was the other night again and he wanted her every bit as much as he had then. The difference was, this time he had a recently updated memory of how amazing sex with Jules was to add fuel to the fire.

  And, yeah, he was burning.

  He cleared his throat and spun around, striding away from her. He’d take pictures. Send them to Gage and Bryan. Get his mind off how hot Jules was in her straight red skirt that hugged those hips he’d gripped, and her gorgeous legs that looked even sexier in tan heels that were perfect for the office but whose little bows on the heels begged a man to untie them, and the tailored white blouse that curved in at her waist and opened just above her cleavage and shouldn’t be sexy, but given that he knew what was beneath it… was.

  He took a few photos of the makeshift outline on the floor just to get his mind back on the job. Then he grabbed a few more of the ceiling and its ductwork, then took one of the bar area before aiming his phone around the rest of the place.

  He stopped when he was facing the front door.

  Jules was leaning against the crossbar on the glass, her body silhouetted by the sunlight.

  Her hair fell below her shoulder blades, curling at the ends away from where her back curved in before it reached her backside.

  Juliet had an amazing ass. Tight, firm, rounded… Small enough to get his palm on, but big enough to fill it.

  His fingers twitched at the memory.

  Something else did as well.

  He snapped the picture. The last photo he had of Jules—

  Actually, he didn’t have any photos of her. She’d been the keeper of their photo albums when they’d been together and when he’d left… When he’d left, the last thing he’d wanted was a reminder of her.

  He took another. And another. Couldn’t stop taking them, though it wasn’t as if she was moving.

  Tanner did, though. He stepped to the left. The angle changed and he caught the curve of her cheek.

  It reminded him of Keegan’s.

  The blow to his gut wasn’t as harsh as it usually was.

  She scraped a hand through her hair and tilted her head, sending the waves cascading down her back.

  He loved Juliet’s hair. Loved the feel of it, the texture, the way it glided between his fingers. The way it felt trailing over his skin. The way it looked fanned out beneath her on his pillow.


  Or hers.

  He took a few more shots. He’d love one head-on in full sunlight, but he couldn’t ask her for that. It’d open the door to too many questions. Ones he didn’t have any answers for.

  She moved then and waved to the real estate agent, presumably, outside.

  Tanner glanced at the time on his phone. They should get going. It wasn’t as if there was a ton of stuff to look at in the place, just a bunch of discarded construction paraphernalia and a couple of metal barrels that he hoped were empty but whose removal would have to be part of the deal. They didn’t need to worry about the EPA on top of zoning.

  “Tanner?” Juliet turned toward him. “I think the real estate guy is finished with his calls.”

  “Yeah, I’m about done, too.” He shoved the phone into his back pocket.

  “So? Are you going to rent or buy this place?”

  He shrugged. “Have to hear the terms first. I’m not sure if Gage and Bry have the cash so it can’t happen until I’m in.”

  Juliet exhaled. Deeply. “Right.”

  She wrapped her arms around herself, looking small and vulnerable.

  Dammit, he didn’t want to feel sorry for her. Didn’t want to… to regret that he was going to leave.

  Didn’t want to hurt her.

  “Come here, Jules.” He tugged her into his arms because he just had to, tucking her up against him like he always had, and resting his chin on her head.

  She unwrapped her arms from her body and wrapped them around his.

  He felt her sigh deep into his soul.

  “Hey, are you guys—oh. Geez. Sorry.” Pfeiffer had the door open then closed and himself back outside in under two seconds, but they were enough to shatter the mood.

  “I… I’m sorry.” Jules stepped back and brushed her hair behind her ears, her arms going around her midsection again. Classic hurt pose—draw in the limbs to protect the core. “I shouldn’t—”

  “It’s okay. I know this isn’t easy.” He should step away from her. He knew that. Instead, he brushed a few strands that she’d missed.

  Her lips moved—tightening, then being nibbled on, then tightening again, but she finally managed to get some words out. “Thank you, Tanner. For that. The hug. And… for saying that.” She cleared her throat. “Well. I guess we ought to get going. Let Mr. Pfeiffer off the hook. Poor guy must be so embarrassed.”

  Tanner took a longer look at her. The Jules he remembered would have clung to him, begging him to stay. He wasn’t used to this new, independent, grown-up Juliet.

  But he liked her.

  Which was a dangerous enough thought to get him moving. Liking Juliet always got him in trouble.

  He took two steps to the front door and pushed it open. “After you.”

  He smelled that scent of hers for the rest of the afternoon.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “So….” Sandy sashayed around the edge of her sofa with a bottle of wine and two hand-painted wine glasses. One said Therapy and the other said Excuse. “Which one will you choose?” She waggled them at Juliet.

  Juliet rolled her eyes and grabbed the Excuse one. “This one. Because it’s closest.”

  “Uh huh.” Sandy curled her leg under her and sat on her floral sofa. “So now you can go ahead and do naughty things with that hunk you’re still married to and claim it’s the wine’s fault.”

  Too bad she hadn’t had this glass the other night.

  “Oh my God.” Sandy’s eyes got big. “You already did naughty things with him, didn’t you?”

  “What? Sandy, you’re delusional.” Juliet took a hurried sip of wine.

  “And you’re horny. Or sated. Or horny wanting to be sated.” Sandy used her wine glass to point at Juliet. “You did the nasty, didn’t you?”

  “The nasty? Seriously, how old are we?”

  “Don’t deflect me, Juliet. You slept with your husband.”

  Juliet leaned forward to set her wine glass on the tray on the large ottoman in front of them—and to have a few seconds to get her blush under control. “Will you listen to that sentence? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

  “Unless you’ve been separated from said husband for seven years and wish like hell you can stay married to him forever.”

  Sandy, unfortunately, knew more details than Tamra.

  But she didn’t know all of them and if Juliet could just keep the smile off her face from the memory of the other night, Sandy wouldn’t have any confirmation.

  She sat back and nibbled her lip to contain her smile, confident that she wasn’t giving anything away.

  Sandy cocked her head. “I know you, Juliet. You aren’t fooling me with your lip-gnawing. You slept with Tanner and you’re not sorry about it.”

  “Would you be?” Dammit, she shouldn’t have answered her.

  “Aha! I knew it!” Sandy raised her glass. “’Bout time you got some sense in you. Letting that hunk of burnin’ love live nine states away all these years… You must have rocks in your head, girl.”

  “You know why—”

  “I know why you said you wouldn’t go to him, but any fool can see that you two belong together. I might only have known you since I started working for your father, but it’s always been plain to see. Someone mentions Tanner Wentworth and you light up like a Christmas tree. And if what I saw when we went to his club was any indication, the man feels just as much for you. You two need to work out some sort of forgiveness pact and just make it work already. Hell, I’m three feet from you on the sofa and the man’s not even in the room, and I can feel the heat rolling off you. I have no idea why you’re sitting here with me when you have that waiting at home for you. If I were you, I’d be there.”

  “He’s out tonight.” Juliet adjusted the pillow behind her back. “With his high school friends.”

  “You’re telling me that his drunken buddies are more of a draw than his gorgeous wife? I don’t think so.” She nudged Juliet’s knee. “If you both stayed in that cozy little house together, you might find you don’t really want to go anywhere else.”

  Juliet sat back with a sigh. “It’s complicated.”

  “Oh, I know. You told me. And it sucks at what you’ve gone through. But if you love each other—and you can’t tell me that you don’t—then it can work out.” Sandy sipped her wine.

  “We’re too far apart.” Juliet raked a hand through her hair. “Maybe if he’d stayed after our wedding, or if I’d gone after him, but… He has a right to be mad at me. He has a right not to trust me or forgive me.”

  Sandy took her wine glass from her lips. “I think you need to forgive you, Juliet. You’ve been carrying this around for all these years. Yes, you made some questionable decisions, but you were young. We all make questionable decisions when we’re young. Hence the divorce rate in this country.”

  “I made two questionable decisions that affected his life.”

  “You didn’t drag him to the altar.”

  “My father did.”

  Sandy rested her arm along the back of the sofa and touched Juliet’s shoulder. “But that wasn’t you.”

  “It might as well have been.”

  “And he still could have walked. But he didn’t. Why?”

  “Because of the mortgage.”

  “Really?” Sandy cocked her head. And her wine glass. Which spilled some on her t-shirt. “Oh, shit. Red wine stains and this is my favorite t-shirt.” Sandy jumped up from the sofa and headed into her kitchen. “You’re telling me that Tanner was going to sacrifice the rest of his life for his father’s gambling debts? Think about that, Juliet. Your parents weren’t going to kick his parents to the curb. They’ve been friends for years.” She opened the refrigerator. “Tanner’s father could have sold his part of the business to him instead. He had choices. Maybe Tanner wanted a reason to marry you—to ease his guilt of having walked out on you after you lost Keegan. Maybe he felt guilty about that, did you ever think about that?”

  “Tanner had nothing t
o feel guilty about. It was all me. If I hadn’t gotten pregnant on purpose, we wouldn’t have lost Keegan.” To this day, she still thought it was karmic payback for what she’d done and no one was going to tell her different. She just hated that Tanner and Keegan had had to pay the price. “And if I hadn’t set up that night—”

  Sandy poked her head out of the kitchen. “Bullshit.”

  Juliet shook her head. “I’m sorry?”

  “I said, bullshit. You keep coming up with excuses, but what you’re not seeing is that Tanner has always come back. Even now. There’s a reason, Juliet, and it’s not because he’s a nice guy.” She ducked back into the kitchen. “I guarantee he wouldn’t do this if one of the strippers he’s friendly with asked him to. The man is into you and you need to make him realize it.”

  Sandy had gotten her hopes up until she added that last sentence. Juliet grabbed her wine again. “No way. All I’ve done all along is manipulate him. I can’t do it again. He deserves better. Hell, I deserve better. Tanner has to want to be with me because he loves me, not because he’s stuck with me or feels obligated or guilty or sorry for me. If I can’t have all of Tanner, I don’t want any of him.”

  “Now that’s the first grown-up thing you’ve said since we started this conversation. You know what the next needs to be?’

  “What?”

  “That you’re going to go out and get your man.”

  Juliet looked at the kitchen door way. “There’s a lot more to Tanner and I than hormones.”

  “Honey, don’t discount the power of the hormones. Things have been known to cause wars.”

  “Exactly. And I don’t need anymore in my life. Helping Nana get better is enough of one these days.”

  Sandy came back into the living room, dabbing at her shirt with a paper towel. “I know. It’s scary. And hard. But I know your grandma and the one thing she is not going to want you to do is let Tanner get away. Why, whenever his name comes up, she gets a smile on her face almost as big as yours. She wants some great-grandbabies. And she wants ’em named Wentworth. And you do, too. Y’all just have to work through your past to get to your future. And having him here is too big of an opportunity to waste. So get that cute little backside of yours home and figure out some way to get him there with you.”