It's A Crime

by C. E. Hansen

  When the car pulled up in front of Luke’s, Cole climbed out of the black BMW SUV and leaned in telling the driver he’d call him when he was ready to leave. He reached out to open the bar door, holding it open for two women who eyed him as they entered.

  “Oooh, hello there, handsome,” the brunette purred.

  Cole just smiled while he held the door. Not tonight, ladies. Not in the mood. He walked down the length of the long bar, spotting a stool at the other end, and made his way to it.

  He pulled out a bill and called the bartender over.

  “Blanton’s neat.”

  “Right up.” She went off to get his drink. Cole handed her the fifty he pulled out and with a wave of his hand indicated the change was hers.

  “What…um, thank you very much.” She quickly shoved the money into her bra. “You’re not from New York, are you?”

  “It’s that obvious?”

  “Well, not really. But it was a good way to get you talking.” She smiled broadly. “Hi, I’m Sarah.”

  Cole smiled back. “Cole Grayson. Nice to know you, Sarah.” He eyed her; she was pleasant to look at and his physical aggravation over the day’s events began to diminish. But he wasn’t interested in company.

  “So, where you from then?” she asked him.

  “Denver,” he answered curtly.

  “Here on business?” she persisted.

  “Yeah, you can call it that. I have another name for it…” Cole’s smile returned to its proper place. Its effect on Sarah was immediate. She leaned in closer to the bar, her cleavage about to spill out of her top.

  Nice girl, not my type.

  Cole liked a woman who presented a challenge, at least a little one; he had standards.

  As Sarah was called away to assist another customer, he sat back in the chair and turned his body sideways, trying to gauge the mood of the crowd. He liked New York City, if only for the anonymity it offered. In Denver, it was rather difficult to go out without being noticed either by the paparazzi, aggressive money-seeking woman, or pushier-than-thou businessmen. He was known in Denver. Here, he was just another guy out for a drink.

  He scanned the patrons looking for interesting individuals. He was bored, wanting a diversion. However, right now, he needed another bourbon. He looked back to the bar ready to call Sarah, only to find her on standby standing in front of him.

  “There you are. I’ll have another,” Cole requested.

  Sarah giggled. “Certainly, but this one’s on me.” She grabbed a clean glass and poured him another, this time heavy in her pour.

  “Thank you, Sarah.” He took a sip. He once again leaned back in his chair and looked down the row of booths. He briefly scanned over the tables, immediately stopping when he spotted the blonde. She sat at a table for two near the door, chatting with a tiny brunette, obviously her friend. She was what his overstimulated mind needed right now. A golden goddess, a pretty face, a woman to admire from afar. He wanted a better look, but short of walking over to her table and introducing himself, it wasn't happening. From what he could see, she was absolutely beautiful.

  With my luck, she’ll be one of those incessant chatty types.

  Thinking better of his self-introduction he turned to Sarah and asked her if she knew who the woman was.

  “Who are you talking about, where…?”

  He indicated with his eyes, but Sarah was unable to focus on what Cole wanted her to in this crowd. He resorted to pointing in the direction of the woman’s table. That along with the physical description was enough to guide Sarah to his intended target.

  An expression flashed across Sarah’s face that showed she knew who the woman was. He also figured whatever Sarah told him about the woman was most likely not even close to the truth. A kind of rivalry seethed from Sarah; obviously she and the woman were competitors, although he found it hard to believe. Sarah was a nice bartender; the blonde, however, was unattainable.

  Cole looked back in the direction of the blonde’s table as she got up and walked toward the bar. He nearly fell off the stool.

  Well fuck me please...She was smokin’ hot.

  She was tall, with long, perfectly shaped legs as outlined in her tight jeans. She had large breasts, evident from the fit of her tee shirt. She looked up from the bar in his direction, trying to get Sarah’s attention. Cole was able to see she was indeed exceedingly beautiful.

  “Sarah, I believe you have a customer at the end of the bar,” Cole prodded.

  He could have sworn Sarah mumbled “fuck me” under her breath as she walked to the other end of the bar. He smiled broadly.

  This was turning out to be a very interesting evening indeed.

  Sarah came back over to where he sat, grabbing the bottle of Blanton’s with a little too much irritation, then walked to the end and poured the woman her drink. Cole leaned forward and watched the scene play out in front of him. The blonde took a sip, and looked right at him, their gazes locked. Beyond her stunning blue eyes, he immediately saw the telltale sign confirming she had never tasted bourbon before tonight. He let out a hearty chuckle at her expense.

  She quickly composed herself and drained the remaining drink in one gulp, a self-satisfied smirk on her lips. She smiled in his direction. His cock hardened.

  She’s good, this one. Very entertaining, to say the least.

  Cole was having a good time watching the play in front of him. She ordered another immediately after and carried it with her to her table.

  Now he had what he needed to approach her. She’d outright flirted with him. My turn...Cole thought. He stood up, and slowly walked toward her table, noticing her uneasiness at seeing him. Here we go.

  “So…bourbon?” Cole asked her, testing the waters.

  “I do now.” Her voice matched her; sultry, sexy and totally fuckable.

  This was going to be fun; she had spirit.

  “Can I get you another?”

  “As soon as I finish this one, Ace”

  “Ace?” Cole laughed out loud.

  Yes, he was looking forward to getting to know this woman.

  Chapter 4

  He walked into Luke’s right past the table I sat at with Michelle. I was listening to her complain about her boyfriend and she was now moving on to her job. Feeling like I heard this story a few times before, not that I didn’t ask for it, I turned my head when I heard the door open. I was looking for a distraction from Michelle’s incessant complaining, and I watched as a tall man walked past and chose a seat at the end of the bar. Mmm. Tall, dark and handsome, at least from the back.

  He walked with a slow but steady gait, over-confident even, and I couldn’t help but watch as he continued to the barstool at the end of the bar. I didn’t pay too much attention as my mind was trying to focus on nodding and shaking my head at the right moment during Michelle’s tirade.

  The atmosphere inside Luke’s was a melting pot of upper West Siders, all of who wanted to see and be seen. It fell short, by a small degree, of being labeled a meat market, but was clean, the food good, the drinks made to my liking. So it never had a shortage of great looking guys, who could be found in numbers any night of the week. Which is what brought in the ladies, and I use that term loosely.

  A place where you could hook up if that was what you wanted or simply people watch. We came here often, usually to meet before going out or to finish off the night with a quick drink. Luke’s was six blocks away from our apartments. On a side note, the eavesdropping was always interesting, adding intrigue to the whole Luke’s experience. Anyway, this was one of those bars that just about anyone could walk in at any time, and usually did from wealthy “pole up their assholes” right on down to bad boy biker dudes.

  As he passed our table, his scent wafted toward our table along with the cold rush of air from the door slowly closing. He smelled sinfully delicious. It wasn’t a cologne type of smell. It was more like soap with a hint of leather, masculine scent. He was mouthwatering. His scent could only be described as p
ure male.

  Michelle didn’t notice the newcomer to the bar. She was still recounting her horror stories at work and was just moving onto discussing her boss, whom she believed wanted her in the biblical sense; I have no doubt he did. We have been best friends since the first grade and I would truly take a bullet for her, but at times like this I wished I had one for myself. When she got started the never ending, incessant carping regarding her job had the ability to turn people to stone, and I was not immune.

  Looking around again, we definitely sat at the worst table here. But I have to admit if it weren’t for the cold air that kept blowing our way each time the door was opened, I’d have fallen asleep an hour ago.

  I was watching, distractedly, as the man leaned in close to Sarah, the bartender, giving her his drink order I assumed. Sarah laughed at something he said. Her flirty laugh, the one she reserved for men she wanted to take home. I watched as she possessively placed her hand on his arm. She smiled broadly and quickly went to get his drink.

  When she placed the drink in front of him, he held his money up folded between his two long fingers; I couldn’t see the denomination this far away, but it was obviously substantial as Sarah squealed with delight when he indicated he didn’t want the change. She quickly stuffed the money into her bra. I was staring openly as he lifted the drink to his lips and took a sip. He swirled the amber liquid around in his hand, then took another sip. bourbon, I’d bet on it. He just looked like a bourbon guy to me.

  He was definitely eye candy.

  I continued to watch him through lowered lashes. He leaned back in the stool slowly looking around the bar. He took his time scrutinizing the people, as though on the prowl, then abruptly stopped. His eyes settled on me, looking me up and down, as if contemplating a purchase. A lazy smile touched the corners of his mouth along with a satisfied look, as though he’d hit pay-dirt. My breath caught and awareness of him prickled across my skin.

  Feeling embarrassed getting snagged checking him out, I quickly lowered my head and turned slightly toward Michelle, still watching him from the corner of my eyes. He turned back to the bar and took another long sip from his drink. He gestured for Sarah and leaned in close to speak with her.

  I was miffed he’d prefer Sarah to me; however, when they both looked at me at the same time, a strange tightening clenched my stomach. Without taking his eyes off me, he smiled at something Sarah said as she leaned in toward him, obviously flirting, making sure her cleavage was all up in his face. He didn’t seem to notice the bodacious set she had on display for his benefit.

  Her nickname at Luke’s was Simple Sarah, seeing she was an easy lay. I myself liked her. She was pretty, funny, outgoing and a really nice girl, besides I don’t judge when it comes to women and sex. However, at this moment I found myself thinking of her as competition. He laughed again, I was barely able to hear it with the steady buzz in my ear, compliments of Michelle, but his face lit up and his eyes smiled back.

  His teeth were stunning. White, gleaming and about as perfect as perfect gets. I like teeth. Call me weird, but clean, white straight teeth to me was what a perfect set of breasts were to a mammary fan, a definite turn on.

  I couldn’t stop looking at him. Something, apart from his good looks and perfect teeth, drew me to him. An attraction I couldn’t put my finger on. I found myself instantly thinking of sex. A flush suddenly spread like wildfire on my face. I took a sip of my second wine. It was warm.

  An idea formed in my overactive, over-stimulated brain and I came to a decision of what I wanted to drink next. The flash of a warm, amber colored liquid swirling in a glass. I stopped Michelle mid-sentence with a wave of my hand.

  “I’m going to get something else to drink. This is warm as shit. Do you want anything?”

  “No, I’m still working on this.” She paused gesturing to her glass of warm red wine. “I’m going to the ladies room, be back in a minute.”

  I nodded to her and stood to walk over to the bar. I positioned myself at the corner where I was able to look at him without looking like I was. I raised my hand to Sarah, who didn’t see me. I was about to call out her name when the man, who Sarah couldn’t turn away from, pointed in my direction. So he noticed me too. Sweet.

  When Sarah finally sauntered up to the bar where I was standing, I pointed to the drink Mr. Magnificent was drinking and ordered the same. Sarah knew at that moment I was seriously flirting with her shiny new toy and copped a bit of an attitude toward me.

  “You sure you want one of those, Grace? Not your usual?” Her tone was overly sweet, dripping with envy.

  “Yup. I want that,” I said with the confidence of a boxer. Grace one, Sarah zero.

  She nodded and went to get me my bourbon. When she returned, I told her to add it to my tab.

  I looked directly down to the end of the bar where he was leaning back in his seat watching me. I took a sip. The heat of the strong alcohol burned my mouth and stung my throat as it tricked down. I nearly spit it right out; it was sharp as hell, but I managed to put on my “I drink bourbon all the time” look quickly. Amusement lit his eyes and curved his mouth. He of course saw right through my game and smiled broadly at me with a look on his face that clearly spelled out amateur.

  I rallied pulling myself together, hoisted the drink to my mouth and drank the remaining liquid down in one gulp. This time I was prepared for the onslaught of fire that streamed down my throat into my belly. The warming effect spread languidly through me. Nice.

  Getting bolder, I called Sarah’s name out loud, ordering another. When she brought it, I smiled my brightest smile, showing off my years of orthodontics, took the drink, turned and went back to my table. Michelle was sitting there watching the small show I put on, shaking her head

  “What’s the problem?”

  “What the hell are you up to?” she reprimanded.

  “I don’t know. I just wanted to try it.”

  “You, my friend, are going to feel like shit tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, yeah…Fuck it. It’s been a shitty day, night, week and I don’t care. I’ll reschedule a few appointments. Have Karen open the shop.”

  “Dear Lord, here we go. You’re in one of those moods.” Her condescending tone came on strong.

  “Yeah, yeah.” I waved my hand in the air, immediately stopping any more harping, which I’m sure was on the tip of her tongue. She knew me. She knew my tolerance for hard liquor was almost non-existent. I only hoped I wouldn’t be hugging the toilet later tonight.

  I turned away from her to quickly glance in his direction, and was stunned to see he was walking toward us. I mentally gathered myself together and put my “confident as hell” look on. Meanwhile, a thousand butterflies let loose in my stomach all at once.

  All I could think of while watching him approach was sex and how good he would taste. He exuded sexuality. It was like a glow outlining his body. He was so beautiful he was almost pretty. His chiseled face with its strong jaw and defined cheekbones was the mark of which I will hereinafter grade all other men.

  He had ink black hair long enough to graze the collar of his denim shirt, which clung to his broad shoulders and muscular long arms. His lashes were enviably thick and long, and framed his heart-stopping green eyes, which were truly out of this world. He moved with animal grace that was a major league turn-on. His slim hips and long legs carried that flawless package toward me like a jungle cat with a purpose. I quickly prayed my makeup was right and sat up straight. The bourbon giving me the confidence I lacked ten minutes ago.

  “So...bourbon?” His voice matched his looks and was every bit as sexy as he looked, low, even toned.

  “I do now.” I felt off my game.

  “Can I get you another?”

  “As soon as I finish this one, Ace.” I looked up into his angelic face and melted. Wow. An inexplicable pull drew me to him.

  He raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow and laughed.

  “Ace?”

  “Well, until I know your nam
e, it’s Ace,” I said, feeling bold by bourbon.

  “Cole. Cole Grayson.” He extended his hand.

  “Grace Preston.” I accepted his handshake and introduced Michelle, who was looking at her cell phone. “Well, Cole Grayson.” I paused, winking at him. “I think I’ll call you Ace for a bit, that okay with you?” I liked the feel of his hand. I liked that he continued to hold mine.

  All perfect teeth, gorgeous smile and smelling divine. The electricity sparked to life between us, the pull made turbulent by his sexy assed smile.

  He leaned in close, his breath in my ear gusting in humid pants, its warmth causing the hair on my neck to rise. “You, beautiful, can call me anything you want,” he whispered. His voice resonated, coursing over me in a seductive rhythm.

  Oh, you are smooth, Ace.

  Chapter 5

  Releasing my hand, his eyes still locked on mine, a strange look came over his face exposing an all-consuming force of will that pulled the air from my lungs. He looked at me like he wanted to eat me, as if I were dinner. I have to say, it was sexy as hell and I was sure he knew its effect. I started to feel heated. I was tempted to fan myself, but wisely refrained.

  “Uh-hum.” Michelle cleared her throat, breaking the tension building between the two of us. She walked up to me and leaned in for my ears only. “Jeff has been calling me non-stop. I have like twenty voicemails. I’m going to step outside and call him back before he uses up all of my battery power, I’ll be right back.”

  I nodded.

  She grabbed her coat and cell and rolling her eyes went out the front door, pausing a moment to cast a glance back at us both.