by Lori Foster
“I’m not just here because of you.” The second the words left his mouth, Jordan felt hemmed in by his own deceptions. He came because of Georgia, but he did have another purpose.
He truly detested the place, the smells of sour alcohol, sweat and dirt, the foul language and the overall atmosphere of depression. He considered The Swine a major nuisance, perhaps even a threat to the peace. It wasn’t a quaint small-town saloon. It didn’t provide lively conversation or a relaxing ambiance.
It was run-down, dirty and bred trouble because of a distinct lack of conscience on the owner’s part. It didn’t matter how staggering drunk the patrons might be, they could always get one more drink.
But because of Jordan’s personal bias against alcohol, he’d have left others to deal with the bar if it hadn’t been for Georgia. With her working at night, dressed so provocatively, he couldn’t bear the thought of any of his friends or acquaintances seeing her.
Georgia looked shaken to her soul. She turned away and began pulling on her clothes over the costume. “If…if you’re not here because of me, then why?”
“I’m here,” he said gently, trying to ignore the demanding throb of his body, and the pleasant buzz of satisfaction despite his still raging lust, “because the Town Advisory Board had another meeting.”
She turned to him with open anxiety.
“After Zenny and Walt and the others told them what they’d seen that first night, they’ve been outraged about the whole thing.”
“Zenny and Walt?”
Jordan nodded. “I told you I was here with other men that first night? Well, they’re the elders of the town, fairly set in their ways, too. When the trouble started they didn’t even wait around to see how it’d turn out. They took off and by that next morning everyone in Buckhorn knew what had happened.”
Her mouth opened and she breathed deeply. She stared at the far wall. “They know about me dancing?”
He nodded. “That, and the fact the police were called. I’d say folks are suffering equal parts of morbid fascination and outrage.”
Georgia closed her eyes on a grimace.
He wanted to protect her from the opinions of others, but she deserved to know what was going on. Given a choice, many of the townsfolk would prefer the bar be shut down. That’d put Georgia out of a job, and into one hell of a predicament. “Sawyer and I cautioned them not to get up in arms, but then last night Morgan arrested two men who were menacing a mule.”
Georgia’s eyes snapped open again. “Menacing a mule?”
“That’s right. They drove straight into a pasture, knocking down fence posts and tearing up the ground. The mule is a gentle old relic, but those bastards drove around with their horn blaring and their bright lights on, chasing her and scaring her near to death.”
His fists clenched. He couldn’t abide cruelty of any kind, but especially cruelty against women, children—or animals. “They’re lucky Morgan found them instead of me. I’d have been tempted to teach them a better lesson than a night in jail, three-month suspension of their licenses, and a large fine.”
Georgia’s gray eyes were soft and sympathetic. “I thought you were the least militant one in the family.”
“They were chasing a poor mule, Georgia, and they destroyed a good deal of property. Of course I’m feeling militant.”
She touched his chest, her small hand gently stroking. Since his lust was unappeased, she nearly sent him into oblivion. “They had been drinking here?”
“That’s right.” Jordan felt far too hot. He wanted her hand on his bare skin. And he wanted it a good deal south of his chest. Just the thought of her slender fingers curling around his hard swollen flesh made him quiver like a virgin. He hurt with wanting her. “Your boss,” he rasped, “knew they were drunk when they left here.”
She nodded. “Bill could care less as long he’s getting paid.
Jordan struggled for breath. He flattened his own hand over hers, stilling her caressing movements. “Morgan is meeting with the sheriff here. He thinks they might hit the bar with a heavy fine.” Jordan braced himself against her reaction and admitted, “A lot of people are pushing for it to be shut down.”
With an embarrassed little shrug, Georgia said, “I understand.” Then she moved away from him. “I need to get going. It’s late and I’m tired and I’ve got some things to do when I get home.”
He hated seeing her withdrawal. “Georgia…” He was uncertain what to say. “I don’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know. But if I lose this job…I don’t know where I’ll be able to make as much money.” She went about pulling on her shoes and slipping on her lightweight jacket. Jordan watched her movements with barely leashed possessiveness.
“You could work for me.” He didn’t really need more help, but he’d hire her in a heartbeat. In fact, he really liked the idea once he said it out loud.
Her eyes looked silver rather than gray in the dim light. “I’m sure Elizabeth will have something to say about that.”
“She’d be glad for the help.”
“Nonsense. You bragged to me yourself that she keeps everything running smoothly.” With her purse and her bag hanging from her shoulder, Georgia clasped her hands together and silently requested that he stop blocking the door.
Even in his wildest dreams, Jordan couldn’t have imagined how badly he’d dread leaving a damn closet. But he had no reason to keep her inside now that she was ready to go. He opened the door and stepped out. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“I would object, but I suppose you’d start insisting?” In spite of all that had just happened, she sounded shyly teasing, and Jordan smiled in relief.
“Of course.”
Because they were looking at each other rather than where they walked, they almost bumped into Honey and Elizabeth.
“Hey,” Elizabeth said. “Great show, Georgia!”
Jordan gaped at them. His sisters-in-law? In The Swine? He said, “Uh…”
Honey pulled Georgia—who was speechless with astonishment—into a tight hug. “I had no idea you were so talented. And I love the costume!” In an audible whisper, she said, “No one would ever guess you’d had two kids. You looked fantastic.” Then in a further confidence, she added, “Sawyer would keel over dead if I wore anything that sexy.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Gabe would probably faint. After.”
“After?” Georgia asked, still looking bewildered.
“Yeah, after he wore himself out.” She chuckled. “The man does like to—”
Jordan said again, “Uh…”
“Oh, relax, Jordan,” Honey told him, patting at his chest. The touch didn’t feel at all the same as when Georgia did it.
He caught Honey’s hand and gathered together his wits. “What are you two doing here?”
In unison, they said, “We came to watch Georgia dance.”
“I…I didn’t see you,” Georgia told them, glancing nervously at Jordan.
Jordan felt poleaxed. When his brothers found out, there’d be hell to pay and somehow he’d probably get blamed. “Neither did I.”
“Well, we didn’t just sit out in the open, silly.” Honey looked at him as though he should have figured that one out on his own. “We didn’t want to make Georgia nervous. We were in the back corner booth. The bouncer—what was his name, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Gus.”
“Yes, Gus made sure no one bothered us.”
Jordan glanced at the big no-neck ape who he’d tangled with that first night, and got a sharp nod. Jordan nodded in return. Good grief.
“Anyway,” Honey said, waving away the remainder of that topic, “I was positively amazed how well you dance. It’s incredible. Even when Jordan fell off his chair, you barely missed a beat.”
Elizabeth snickered.
His face red and his temper on the rise, Jordan asked, “Where does Sawyer think you are?”
“At the movies.”
His grin wasn’t nice. “Not
for long.”
Honey gasped. “Don’t you dare tell! You know he’ll have a fit.”
“Rightfully so.”
Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t care if you tell. Gabe’s not my boss.”
Honey considered that, then shrugged, too. “Well, Sawyer’s not my boss, either, but he is somewhat overprotective.”
“Somewhat? Ha!” Elizabeth flipped her long red hair over her shoulder then leaned toward Georgia. “Before you get too involved with this family, you should know that they’re autocrats. All in different ways, of course, but they sure do like to hover, if you know what I mean.”
Jordan couldn’t wait to deliver Elizabeth back to Gabe. “I do not hover.”
Elizabeth raised an auburn brow and gave a pointed look at Jordan’s arm squeezing Georgia’s shoulders.
Muttering to himself, he asked, “Instead of debating this now, why don’t we get the hell out of here? Bill’s not too happy with me tonight anyway.”
“He’s not?” asked Georgia.
Jordan didn’t want to explain exactly what her boss had said about a drinking limit, or how Jordan had reacted to his apathy. Luckily Honey saved him.
“He’s a smarmy one, isn’t he?” Honey asked.
Jordan stopped dead in midstep. In lethal tones, he asked, “Did he say something to you? Did he insult you?”
Both Honey and Elizabeth rushed to reassure him, patting his chest and shaking their heads. “No, of course not. He just looks like a weasel.”
Georgia laughed. She looked at each of them, saw that they had no idea what she found humorous, and laughed some more. Jordan smiled, too. The ways that she affected him were numerous. Georgia breathed and he got aroused. But what her laughter did to him was enough to cause spontaneous combustion.
Still chuckling, she said, “I really do like your family, Jordan.”
Elizabeth and Honey grinned widely.
The moist night air was very refreshing after being in the stale bar. A light breeze teased through the trees, ruffling Georgia’s loose curls. She lifted her face into the breeze, breathing deeply. Jordan watched her, wanting her more than ever.
When they reached the parked cars, he played the consummate gentleman. He opened car doors and kissed cheeks and when his sisters-in-law were finally ready to head home, he cautioned them to drive safely.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Honey told him to do the same. They waved to Georgia and drove off.
When Jordan looked down at Georgia, there was still a small, very sweet smile curving her mouth. He tipped up her chin with the side of his hand. “Do you know how badly I want to kiss you right now?”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“And you’re breathless, which means you want me to kiss you, too. Don’t you?”
“I’m breathless,” she said somewhat smugly, “because Honey and Elizabeth were so complimentary. It’s been a long long time since anyone praised me for my dancing skills. And no, don’t you dare say anything. The way men view what I do on stage has nothing to do with my actual talent.”
Jordan blinked at her. An idea bloomed in his mind, growing, gaining momentum. “Where’d you learn to dance?”
“I took lessons as a child. All the other kids made fun of me for it, but I loved it. I’ve always enjoyed moving to the music. By the time I was a teenager, I was helping to teach the rest of the class. It’s something that’s always come naturally to me.”
Jordan caught her shoulders and pulled her to her tiptoes. He kissed her soundly before she could object. For the first time since meeting her he felt like he had the upper hand. He could help her while helping himself to get closer to her. He pulled Georgia into his arms and spun her around, lifting her off her feet.
Georgia laughed in surprise while clinging to his shoulders. “What are you doing?”
“Dancing with you.” She started to say something more, but he stopped and asked, “You won’t forget about this weekend, right? The cookout? Honey has been planning it all month and the kids are looking forward to it. Sawyer has promised to make them his famous fruit salad with melon balls—kids love melon balls—and Casey intends to take them boating.”
She ducked her head and said, “We’ll be there.”
Tipping her chin once again, Jordan asked, “You don’t sound very happy about it. What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, refusing to answer. But then, he didn’t really need her to. He knew she resisted their growing closeness and the need that got harder and harder to ignore. She was afraid if she relied on him, he might let her down. Jordan smiled, remembering that she wanted options.
He’d start working on that first thing in the morning.
9
THE KITCHEN was filled to overflowing with meddling relatives when Jordan walked in for breakfast. Even though Morgan and Misty now lived up on the hill, they often came down for breakfast. Honey insisted on it. And since Gabe and Elizabeth were still living downstairs in the renovated basement of the big house, they were always there in the mornings, too. The women generally helped each other out, cooking, watching babies, laughing and providing a nice feminine touch to what used to be a totally masculine gathering.
Casey, he noted, wallowed in all the attention. The women doted on him shamefully.
Jordan saw everyone look up when he closed the kitchen door. His own apartments were over the garage, converted years ago when he realized he was a little different than the others, that he wanted and needed more privacy than they did. “Morning.”
Morgan, with his daughter Amber perched on his lap, leaned back and grinned. “I hear you’re checking into property around town. You thinking of moving?”
“No!” Honey put down the spatula she’d been using to turn eggs and turned to Jordan with a horrified expression. “It’s bad enough that Gabe and Elizabeth are planning to move. I like having you all here!”
Misty picked up the spatula and took over for her sister. “He’s been looking at warehouses, not homes.”
“Oh.” Honey seemed so relieved that Sawyer walked up to her, put his arms around her from behind and began kissing her nape.
“You can’t keep them all underfoot forever, sweetie.”
She looked dreamy for a moment—a common occurrence when Sawyer kissed her or touched her—then scowled at him over her shoulder. “Don’t say that. You’ll have them thinking we want them to leave.”
“My brothers know they’re always welcome.”
“And their wives.”
Sawyer nodded. “I think I hear Shohn.”
He left the room, oblivious to Casey’s chuckles. “How the heck does he hear Shohn,” Casey asked, “when no one else does? What’d the baby do? Burp?”
Everyone laughed except Honey. She, being as attuned to the baby as her husband, said matter-of-factly, “No, he yawned.”
Morgan brought the conversation back around just as Jordan sprawled into his seat. “So why are you checking out warehouses?”
Jordan tried to stare him down before everyone started questioning him, but it didn’t work. Amber reached up and pulled on her daddy’s nose, and Jordan had to smile. He adored kids and Amber was a real cutie. Luckily, she looked just like her mother.
He wondered how they’d found out about his property inquiries so soon. Granted, he’d started checking into it yesterday morning, right after the idea had come to him the night before. But he’d barely called five places. Half the time he thought his family had radar.
Misty, long since recovered from her bout with the flu, jumped in, saying, “According to what Honey and Elizabeth told me about Georgia’s talent, I bet he’s thinking of putting together a dance studio. Buckhorn doesn’t have anything like that, you know. A little culture wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
If he’d been prepared, if he’d had any forewarning at all that Misty might guess so close to the truth, Jordan could have blustered his way out of it. But he didn’t. He simply stared, in awe of Misty’s ability.
She felt
him looking at her and glanced back. “What? Am I right?”
Morgan laughed. “Damn, you’re good, sweetheart! And Jordan, I personally think it’s a helluva idea.”
“Helluva idea,” Amber said, and Morgan quickly tried to hush her, but not quick enough. Misty glared at him with one of her you’re-in-trouble looks.
“Amber, sweetie,” Misty said, “Daddy’s got a nasty mouth and says things he shouldn’t. You can’t always copy him or people will say you have a nasty mouth, too.”
Amber pursed her cute little rosebud mouth and nodded. “Daddy’s nasty.”
“That’s right.” Misty kissed her daughter, who kissed her nasty daddy, just to make him stop looking so guilty.
Sawyer walked back in with Shohn on his shoulder. The baby still looked sleepy and had a soft printed blanket clutched in his chubby fist.
Honey said immediately, “Jordan is going to buy Georgia a dance studio.”
Sawyer drew up short. “He’s going to what?”
Jordan leaned forward, put his head on the table, and covered it with his arms. Amber patted his ear.
“A dance studio?”
“Yes.” Honey took the baby and snuggled him close. “Georgia would be a wonderful dance instructor.”
“How do you know?” Jordan asked, his voice muffled because he hadn’t sat up yet.
A heavy pause filled the air. Everyone looked at Jordan. He sighed and propped his head up on his fist. “What makes you think she’d be a good instructor?”
Knowing his ploy, Honey lifted her chin and said, “Because I watched her dance two nights ago, as you very well know.”
Jordan couldn’t have been more amazed by her admission than if she’d thrown an egg at him. “You told him?”
She nodded. He glanced at Elizabeth who sat in Gabe’s lap. “Of course we told.”
Jordan stared at his brothers’ red faces. “And neither of you are angry?”
“Damn right I’m angry,” Sawyer admitted. “I told her she should have told me if she’d wanted to go and I would have taken her.”
“Damn right,” Amber said. When Sawyer groaned, she asked, “Unca Sawyer nasty, too?”