by Roze, Robyn
Kat’s lids squeezed shut. “Okay, Williams.” Their eyes locked. “You need to stop calling me darlin’—now.” Had she gritted her teeth?
He sat unfazed, his muscled forearms resting on the tabletop, fingers tapping some annoying tune known only to him. Then his lips twisted in a smile, warning of more torment in her future.
“What should I call you, then? You still haven’t told me your name.”
“You know my name. You can call me Ms. James.”
He laughed out loud. “Nah. I like darlin’ better.”
Before she could lay into him, the waiter asked if they’d like anything from the bar.
“Yes, Darren. I’d like Screaming Sex with the Bartender. Would you make sure Roberto makes it for me, please?”
Darren seemed unperturbed by Kat’s agitated tone.
“Yes, of course. And you, sir?”
Tucker sat silent, assessing Kat.
“The big boys, huh? Didn’t think you’d be ready for somethin’ stiff so soon.” He pestered her with a sexy curve of his lips and cock of his brow.
Damn him!
“We’ve already established you’re an eavesdropper.” She kicked him under the table and, to her surprise, his eyes lit up with raw desire. His demeanor shifted, and his new vibe unsettled her.
He angled toward her with deliberate self-assurance. “Just bring me a soda, Darren. Because I want to make damn sure come sun up, I’ve remembered everything that’s gonna happen tonight.” The heat from his body and the authority in his bold pronouncement caused Kat’s belly to flutter with anticipation.
What the hell? Her flesh sizzled as his eyes raked over her without apology, devouring her like a man just freed from prison. Who did he think he was?
She’d met plenty of cocky assholes in her day, but this one earned top honors. Why did he bother her so much? How had he gotten under her skin with such ease, without her allowing it? Then the realization hit Kat hard, the understanding now clear. She knew why Tucker Williams’s arrogance abraded her so much.
She believed he could back it up.
Damn, she was beautiful all fired up and pissed off. Her eyes blazed with curiosity; her skin flushed with fresh desire. Tucker groaned in his head with a need he felt certain could pull him under if he let it.
She was no ordinary woman; she was a hellcat. He had to remember that, keep his wits about him. Maintain his control. Or at least keep her off balance enough to remain on an equal footing. Tucker had no doubt this woman chewed up and spit out men at the first sign of weakness. She needed an equal.
She needed a challenge.
He’d always prided himself on reading people. Hell, his success in life proved he had top-notch skills in translating the subtext of body language. And right now, he sensed underneath her cool, creamy surface, something wild wanted to break free ... Vivid images of their bodies sweaty and tangled made him squirm to adjust the fire below. He couldn’t let this woman walk away.
He’d noticed her immediately, but she’d never given him a second look, let alone a first. He’d seen her on the street, bobbing and weaving through the crush of people. He’d never forget the moment a gust of wind lifted her umbrella, exposed the soft line of her throat, her dark hair striped across her mouth and cheek, her eyes bright with determination. She had seared him from head to toe, inside and out. And he’d known right then, with complete certainty: his life was about to change. He’d felt it as sure as he’d felt the raindrops on his face.
But she hadn’t paid him any attention when he’d opened the door for her in the pouring rain. He’d wanted to help her peel off her drenched coat, see what kind of heaven lay hidden underneath, but she’d moved away too damned fast. Then he’d heard her check in and decided to go straight to the bar and wait.
His heart pounded harder. She was perfect. And not in the bullshit-airbrushed-anorexic-cover-model sense, either; no, beautiful in just the way he liked. She had curves like a woman. Her hair shimmered under the lights. What’s the color called? Didn’t matter, he liked it and the way her bangs hung sexy around her eyes, like she’d just gotten out of bed after having some fun ... Yeah, bedroom eyes. Big and green and tipped up at the corners, full of piss and vinegar. Her skin looked velvety smooth, with some cute-as-hell freckles too. God, he would bet the ranch she’d feel like silk in his hands.
And her smart-ass, flirty mouth. Oh, she was a hellcat, all right, and he wanted it all directed squarely at him. He could handle her, and she could handle him—no doubt in his mind. He needed to keep her pissed off just enough she didn’t get bored and hightail it back to the pretty boy behind the bar.
He knew she’d written him off, didn’t think he fit whatever list she had for the right kind of man. But he knew better. And he’d make damned sure she did too.
“So tell me, Tucker, does this macho caveman routine work with most women? Or am I the unfortunate guinea pig you’re testing with this alpha-male bullshit?”
He guffawed. Couldn’t help himself.
Tucker held his hands up. “What you see is what you get, darlin’. Besides, it’s your fault.”
“Excuse me?” Kat huffed.
“Have you had a chance to look at the menu?” Darren stood ready to memorize their order.
“You know what, Darren, just bring us a sampler appetizer. You have one of those, don’t you?” Tucker asked.
The waiter nodded.
“This is two checks, Darren,” Kat’s fingers wiggled in the air, “so make sure the appetizer is on his bill, the whole thing. I’m not paying for half.”
Tucker appeared offended. “I wouldn’t expect you to, darlin’. A gentleman always pays on a date.”
“What! This isn’t a damn date! And you’re no gentleman.”
Tucker glanced to the waiter.
“Just put everything on my bill, Darren,” he said, his expression smug.
“No! I’m paying for anything I order.” In the grip of a stubborn streak, her laser focus bore into Darren’s.
Tucker stared hard at the waiter, shook his head in clear warning.
“She’s a terrible tipper, Darren.”
Kat’s head whipped back to Tucker. The amusement glinting in his eyes only seemed to infuriate her further. Tucker took a drink of his soda, his eyes creased in a smile over the top of the glass. Kat collapsed against the padded booth, crossed her arms, and glared at him.
“Wow. You are full of yourself, aren’t you? No doubt you can find women who think your brand of bullshit is amusing. I get that. But I’m not one of them. Stop wasting your time, Tucker. This isn’t going to work out the way you’ve imagined in your thick head.”
His chin lifted, then dipped down, slowly, as he took his time soaking in every inch of her, every freckle that dotted her porcelain skin, every thump of the pulse at her throat, the nervous twitch of her lips. He noted the hitch in her breath, her subtle fidgeting, the widening of her pupils as he inspected her at his leisure. He smiled inwardly, his confidence intensifying. Her physical reaction to him contradicted her words.
“Yeah, I know. I’m startin’ to think it’s gonna be a whole lot better.”
She quaked in mounting frustration, but she hadn’t made a move to leave, yet.
“So, what kind of business are you in?” She stiffened. “That’s why you said you’re here. A meeting. What about?”
He took another slow drink and waited. Her chest expanded, then she exhaled loudly. Her fury appeared to have dialed down a notch.
“I’m supposed to meet a potential investor, something my business partner, Cassie, typically does. She’s the people person, not me.”
His face lowered in a grin. “Yeah, I can vouch for that.”
She shot him a perturbed look, her jaw clenched. Damn, he’d bet she had a pretty smile. He’d caught a glimpse when she’d wasted her time on the fluffy bartender, but he wanted to see it full on.
“So, you’re an entrepreneur?”
Her brows raised in mock su
rprise. “My, that’s kind of a big word for you, Tucker.”
Oh, she almost smiled.
He sat up straighter, angled closer to her. “Yup, I got me one ’a them thar dictionaries ’er such.”
He waited and watched. She bit her lips together in repressed laughter, then snorted and looked away, smiling. Damn, only a glimpse again.
“What kind of business is it?” He inched closer, breathed in her clean, sweet scent.
Kat cleared her throat and regained her composure before answering. “We make a product used in textile manufacturing. Cassie developed a compound that’s applied during the finishing process and results in fabric that’s impervious to stains—not resistant, but impervious. It’s a green product, so we targeted eco-friendly companies with our pitch in the early years.”
“Why’s that?” He bent closer to her. The answer mattered to him, but his interest seemed to make her uneasy. “I’m just curious why it would make a difference to you whether they were eco-friendly.”
She hesitated, but then seemed to relax. “The textile industry is notorious for polluting. It only follows that manufacturers already operating green factories would have a keen interest in a product like ours.”
He couldn’t stop his smile. “You run an environmentally conscious company. That’s always a good thing in my book.” She nodded in agreement.
“Okay, it was Cassie’s idea, and she’s clearly the only reason you have clients,” he paused on purpose and gave her a wicked grin, “so, what do you bring to it?”
“Everything else. I have an MBA, and I handle all of the backroom operations that keep our company running like a well-oiled machine.”
Tucker looked confused. “If this was a meeting with an investor, why was Cassie gonna handle it? Sounds like your area to me.”
“Like I said, she’s the people person. It’s one thing to go to a bank and deal with those blowhards. As long as you fill out their boilerplate forms and jump through some hoops, you’re fine. But having to wine and dine pompous venture capitalists and sell them on why they should part with their money is not my cup of tea. Cassie’s great at that part—art of the deal ...,” Kat said, looking around for the hostess.
Darren placed an appetizer plate on the table between them.
“Why didn’t you just go to the bank and get more money?”
She looked at Tucker as if he were a moron. “Geez, now why didn’t I think of that,” she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
Tucker shrugged. “Honest question. Books not in the black, darlin’?”
Indignation flashed in her eyes and her posture hardened. “I can assure you we’re financially sound, not that it’s any of your damn business. Banks have to work within certain regulatory boundaries, especially after the financial crisis, and independent investors don’t have those restrictions. That’s all it is.” She reached for a stuffed mushroom, then thought better of it. “When we get the funding we need, in a matter of two to three years, whoever invests in this project will be extremely happy—trust me. We’ve never left anyone holding the bag, and we’re not going to start now.”
Tucker tossed another coconut shrimp in his mouth, then tipped back a drink of his soda. This woman fired on all cylinders: smart, sexy, feisty as hell. Jesus, she’d made him damned glad he’d rolled out of bed today. He noticed her hungrily eyeing the appetizer plate, and grinned at her stubbornness.
“Help yourself, darlin’, it’s on me.”
“Stop calling me that.”
He raised his hands. “Got nothin’ else to call you, but you could fix that ... darlin’.” He popped a stuffed mushroom in his mouth and smiled as he chewed. She’d closed her eyes, appeared to be counting to ten. Tucker decided to poke this hellcat one more time.
“You haven’t touched your drink. Why is that? Have you come to your senses and decided you don’t want Screaming Sex with the Bartender, after all?” He paused for effect. “Rather have a man, instead of a boy?”
Kat James had never encountered a more exasperating man, and not because of a lack of experience. She had three brothers, had had her share of men and relationships, and had survived as a single adult woman in a city and profession swirling with testosterone. She’d seen a lot, and when it came to men, not much surprised her anymore.
Tucker Williams, on the other hand, amounted to a frustrating anomaly she struggled to wrap her head around. Common sense told her to get up and walk away. But she remained stuck to her seat, wanting to know what would come out of his mouth next. Plus, she knew all about sexual tension, and for some damned reason, he had her body buzzing.
Her competitive nature factored in too. She liked to win, and, to Kat, walking away meant defeat. Not acceptable. No, she would defeat him.
She decided to change tactics.
Her features softened and her body relaxed. She angled into his personal space, seduction in the air. “I want a clear head too, Tucker.” The sultry purr drew his full attention. Her tongue swept a shine across her lips, caused his cocky grin to fade. “I want to remember the look on your conceited face when I leave your smug ass sitting at this table.”
For a split second, concern crisscrossed his rugged features. But then he laughed, pushed the appetizers closer to her. “Eat up, darlin’, you’re gonna need plenty of fuel for later. Trust me.” His throaty rumble heated the blood in her veins. His chin lowered and he zeroed in on her, daring her to prove him wrong.
She could not believe his overgrown ego and total lack of filter.
“Are you for real? You did not just say that.” He continued to stare at her with the same annoying grin. “Where the hell are you from, Tucker? It must be some place without women.”
His focus on her became more serious, and he leaned across the table until they were almost nose-to-nose. His masculine scent wrapped around her, scrambled her logic. Kat could’ve sworn he sniffed her. He took his time appraising her.
Then he spoke in a husky timbre that skipped and teased along her flesh. “I like you, darlin’. I like you a whole lot.” He brushed the tip of her nose with his and her heart skipped from the soft, charged contact. “We both know all this fightin’ is just foreplay. We’re just sizin’ each other up.” He angled his head as if to kiss her. The idea didn’t repulse her. “It’s gonna be a helluva match.” His hoarse whisper and warm breath raised heated goosebumps on her skin.
He made a slow retreat back to his side. The living, breathing epitome of calm, unflappable confidence staring back at her, undeterred, and up for the challenge.
Kat sat riveted, studying him and his unrepentant maleness. So unapologetically comfortable in his own skin. She didn’t need to be a mind reader to know, to feel, the thoughts in his thick head. As a matter of fact, her body hummed from the idea alone of his rough hands all over her, the steamy scene he’d planted in her head seconds ago. The rhythmic pounding of her heart throbbed like a drum in her ears. Kat’s breathing picked up speed as the maddening truth of his provocative comments slammed home.
She wanted him—bad. Why? That girl didn’t exist anymore, the one who’d indulged in casual sex, had tried guys on for size in college. Why did Tucker Williams stir the kind of lust now boiling in her blood?
The bustle around them slowed, quieted, and then she realized she’d scooted closer to him when he’d leaned across the table toward her. Kat’s cheeks flushed with heat and she quickly slid back to her side. She cleared her throat, shook the fog out of her head, and checked the time on her watch. Cassie’s disappointed face popped in her head. Diamond Industries had backed out, a no-show.
“Looks like it’s just gonna be you and me, darlin’.”
His smug expression had been replaced with lust and longing. Jesus, this man didn’t try to hide anything. His directness unnerved her. She needed to get back on track, back in control.
“You didn’t answer my question, Tucker. Where are you from?”
He waited a couple of beats before answering.
“I’m from all over: Texas. Montana. Wyoming. Colorado. You name it. I’ve probably lived there at one time or another.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question, now does it?” Why didn’t he want to narrow it down? “What do you do for a living, Tucker?”
His mouth twitched, lids narrowed. He appeared uncomfortable for the first time, and his attention drifted away from her for a few seconds. He seemed to be making a decision.
“Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that,” he said with a shrug, swinging his eyes back to hers.
Her tight expression indicated displeasure with his answer.
“I see. You’re homeless and unemployed.”
He burst out laughing.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t say that. No, no, no. Far from it.”
“But that’s as close as I’m going to get to an answer, right?”
He swallowed and wet his lips. “Somethin’ like that ... for now.”
Their stare down continued, as each tried to read the unspoken dialogue abundant in the fiery sparks ricocheting between them.
Darren interrupted the contest.
“Can I bring you anything else? Dinner menus, perhaps?”
One corner of Tucker’s mouth lifted in a knowing grin. “Yeah, Darren, why don’t you go grab us some menus. And I think my date’s changed her mind about that drink too.” He tilted his head at the full tumbler. “Doesn’t suit her much.” His eyes locked onto hers. “Too fruity. Why don’t you bring her somethin’ else to go with the dinner we’re gonna have.” Darren nodded and left. Tucker raised his chin in an open challenge, lobbed the ball in her court.
Should she call his bluff? Walk away?
Would he let her?
It pissed her off knowing she’d be disappointed if he did. Damn him! And damn those parts of her that wanted to try him on for size. He definitely brought out the worst in her.
She angled closer to Tucker and answered with a sultry dare of her own. “I certainly hope I can find something that will fill me up. I’d hate to leave here disappointed.”
Tucker’s body rippled in silent laughter. Then he eased his hulking form across the table, an attempt to unsettle her. She didn’t budge, and his smile grew even wider.