“Hi,” Harper said to the bartender as she sidled up to the bar. “Are you the one who made my old fashioned?”
“That’s me,” he said as Harper read his nametag. Rudy appeared to be in his early fifties, and by the spotless organization of his bar, he was an old-school bartender who would make margaritas from scratch instead of using the premix that she’d seen behind Brody’s bar. “Was everything okay with it?”
Harper smiled kindly at him and leaned forward to separate herself from the other couples sitting at the bar. “I’m a bartender myself and you made the best old fashioned I’ve ever had. Would you mind telling me how you made it?”
Rudy puffed up with pride. “I’d love to. Too many of you young bartenders never learn the art of making the drink. It’s all about the show when it should be all about the taste.” Harper didn’t take offense. He was right. Brody was all about spinning bottles and doing high pours as girls giggled. Rudy was an artist.
“Which bourbon did you end up using?” Harper asked as she was caught up in watching him prepare the drink. He even had a glass bell jar that would cover the drink as smoke was pumped into it to develop the taste.
“This is my bourbon of choice,” Rudy said, handing her the bottle after he poured it. Harper continued to watch and when it was finally ready, she smiled with the pleasure of taking a sip of a really well-made cocktail.
“You’re an artist, Rudy. I’ll have to see if my distributor can get this bourbon. I use Doug Workman. Is that who you use?” Harper asked before taking another sip and handing it to Dare to try.
“Doug and his crew are great guys. We have to use BGM Resort Distributors because that’s who the owner uses at other properties.”
“Oh, I didn’t know this was part of a chain,” Dare said, taking another sip of the drink. He had an agent in the office running down the owners and employees since it had been buried somewhere under the regular search he’d run. That was one of the red flags that had popped up during his investigation.
“Not a chain, really, but a family business. This is their first resort in the United States. I haven’t heard much except that the CEO is the owner’s daughter. She went to college around here and that’s why she started the resort here.”
“Who is the CEO?” Dare asked but was cut off by the arrival of a man in a navy blue polo with BGM written across the chest.
“Hey, Rudy. Can I get you to look over this order real quick?”
“I was just talking about you, Manny.” Rudy took the clipboard to the man who appeared to be around Rudy’s age. His dark brown hair was beginning to gray at the temples and his tanned face had laugh lines around his eyes. However, his rough hands and slightly stooped back showed years of manual labor lifting heavy crates of liquor.
“Oh, yeah? Don’t believe anything he tells you,” Manny chuckled and his thick mustache wiggled.
“They got a bar and are interested in your bourbon list,” Rudy told Manny.
Manny turned to Dare and nodded. “Who is your distributor?”
Dare shook his head. “Not me, man. I’m just the arm candy. She’s the brains and bar owner.”
Harper was used to being overlooked as the owner. Bartender, sure. Chicks were bartenders. A woman owner? Nope. The liquor business was still a good ol’ boys club and they didn’t always like when a woman half their age made demands on them. Demands like a fair price on alcohol. She’d fought for it and finally found it with Doug Workman.
“I use Doug Workman. Great guy, but his prices have gone up recently. They really cut into my profit,” Harper said truthfully. “And this bourbon was certainly not on his list.”
Manny chuckled as he shook his head. “Doug can’t get the things I can since BGM is a larger distributor. Where’s your bar?”
“It’s in Shadows Landing,” Harper told him as he dug into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to her.
“If I recall, Shadows Landing only has one bar.”
Harper smiled and held up her hand. “That’s me.”
“Nice corner on the market. Give me a call and I can come out and see what you have and what you need. I guarantee I can beat Doug’s prices.”
Harper took the card and was about to put it into her back pocket when she realized she was in a dress—yet another reason why she hated dressing up. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“I look forward to hearing from you,” Manny said as Dare began to lead her away.
“And I look forward to saving some money,” Harper shot back, leaving the two men chuckling behind her. Harper looked over at Dare and smiled broadly. She could do this undercover stuff—no problem.
Dare was fuming as he led Harper from the restaurant. He was impressed. She’d gotten more information that he had, but she’d also given more information than he’d wanted her to.
“That was so much fun,” Harper finally whispered as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop in the lobby.
Dare let out a long breath to calm himself. “Harper, this isn’t supposed to be fun. It’s dangerous. You just gave them your name and where you work before literally inviting them inside.”
He saw her smile fall and he hated that he did that. “I was so caught up trying to get you information that I didn’t think about that.”
“You got me great information, Harper. Really, you did, but I don’t want you at risk.”
She nodded but he saw the wheels working in her head. “Well, I’m in it now. I’ll see what information I can get when I meet with Manny.”
“You’re going to call him?” Dare asked with surprise.
Harper shrugged. “Yeah. If he’s legit, I might use him. Did you see the liquor list he had?”
“And if he’s dangerous?” Dare asked in a hushed whisper as he tried to smile so the people walking wouldn’t notice their spat.
Harper shrugged again. “I can take care of myself.”
Harper had spunk. He liked that, just not in this situation. “While that’s commendable and I believe you, it won’t help my case if I don’t have evidence.”
“So, meet me at my bar when Manny comes.” Harper stopped, and for once was a little discomposed. “Of course, you can come before then too. You can come anytime.” Harper closed her eyes as she registered the sexual double entendre. Dare leaned down and placed his lips near her ear.
“I’ll never come until you’re ready for me to.” Her cheeks got redder and Dare’s pants got tighter since he knew they were now both thinking about something completely different from her bar.
“Isn’t that chivalrous of you?” Harper mocked, pulling herself together. His lips lifted into a grin that made his eyes dance. He had to give her credit. She didn’t fold under pressure.
“That’s me. Out to rescue damsels in distress,” Dare said with a straight face.
“Making sure they reach their destination before you go. A true American hero.”
“I’m told I deserve a medal for my service.”
“We’ll see about that.” Harper rolled her eyes skeptically at him.
“I’m looking forward to it.” Dare winked at her and saw the moment she realized she’d gone from snarky to offering herself to him.
“What now?” Harper asked and Dare decided to take pity on her and change the subject.
“If you want to help, come to the nightclub with me.”
Her eyes lit up again as she grabbed his arm. “I can talk to the bartender!”
“Harp, I know you’re a bar expert. But don’t forget I know a thing or two about investigations. Tonight we watch and listen,” Dare told her as he took her hand in his and began to lead her across the lobby toward the path to the nightclub.
“And how are we going to do that without being suspicious?”
“We dance.” Dare almost laughed out loud at the look of horror on her face.
“Dare, I can’t dance.”
“If you can have sex, you can dance.”
Dare stared in shock a
s Harper moved on the dance floor. She wasn’t lying. She could not dance. It was actually frightening to watch. She moved like she was possessed by a demon with vertigo.
“Do you have sex like that?” Dare blurted before he could stop himself as he ducked so Harper didn’t hit him with her flailing arms. She froze and then a completely discouraged look came onto her face. Dammit. He didn’t mean to say that out loud.
“I told you I can’t dance,” Harper snapped at him.
“Whoa,” Dare said, grabbing her arm to stop her retreat off the dance floor. “Has anyone taught you?”
“My brother tried to show me once.”
Dare wrinkled his nose. “You should never dance with your brother the way I’m going to show you. Come here.”
Dare pulled her reluctant body into his arms as the music pumped around them. “Slow it down a little,” he told her as he placed one of her arms behind his neck and her other hand on his chest. “Sway with me for a moment. Just let me lead you,” Dare told her before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her tightly against him. He began to move and Harper’s eyes shot down to where their hips were connected.
“I think I understand why my brother didn’t show me this.”
Dare laughed as he sped up a little. “Let’s not talk about your brother right now. He can kill me later for what I’m about to do.”
“What are . . .?”
Dare slipped his leg between hers while still holding her close.
“Oh,” she gasped. Dare would have laughed, but the way Harper began to move seductively along with him dried his mouth as suddenly things went from light-hearted to heart-pounding.
They danced chest to chest as she partially straddled his thigh and left him feeling suffused with desire for her. And it wasn’t only because of her body. It was all of her. Dare knew he was in deep and didn’t care enough to dig his way out. Instead, he let it take him further down with each bass-thumping beat.
8
Hot and sweaty wasn’t just for sex. Harper clung to Dare as he moved to the music in the dark club. There were colored lights flashing along the ceiling, but the dance floor itself was nice and dark, allowing them to feel as if they were sharing a private dance even as other couples danced all around them.
Harper was able to look over his shoulder as she gave herself over to Dare’s lead. With subtle shifts of his hand and thigh against her, he could pull her closer, push them apart, or turn them any direction he chose. It wasn’t in her nature to give up control, but there was something about being in Dare’s arms that made her feel safe doing so. It sounded insignificant, but for her it wasn’t an easy thing to do.
They didn’t talk as they danced. Instead, Harper let her hands and hips do the talking. She felt the strength in Dare’s body—the muscles on his back, the thick column of his neck when she’d nuzzled him there, and the way his abs flexed when he danced. She felt all of it and more. Especially when she rocked her hips forward.
That was how she felt the slight stiffening of his body even though he didn’t miss a beat. “What is it?” she had to yell into his ear to be heard over the music from a particularly loud song.
Dare didn’t answer. Instead, he moved slightly to the right and pulled back from her body slightly. He glanced at the bar and Harper followed his line of sight now that the bar was visible to her. She saw Brody laughing with some college-aged women and then she saw a staff member behind Brody reach for a bottle of alcohol. She couldn’t see what kind and tried to lean closer, but the man began to turn to look over his shoulder.
Harper was going to ask what was going on but Dare’s hands cupped her cheeks and pulled her lips to his. His hands were warm as they moved from cupping her cheeks to delving into her hair. With his hands wrapped in her hair, he gave her a little tug, pulling her head back so that he could deepen the kiss. A kiss that was as hot as their dancing and became hotter as he pulled her up the length of his thigh until there wasn’t room for air to travel between them.
Harper let her hands run down his back and to his ass. She’d wanted to grab it since she’d first seen it. She couldn’t hear the moan Dare gave off, but she felt his chest rumble against hers as she practically climbed him as the kiss turned from hot to scorching. Harper wasn’t one to pretend she didn’t kiss many men. It wasn’t as many as people probably thought, but it wasn’t just a couple either. With full knowledge, Harper could say this kiss stole her senses like never before.
She forgot where she was and that there were people all around them until Dare pulled back and they were resting their foreheads against each other. Slowly, the sound of music could be heard again as she realized Dare was still leading her and now they were on the edge of the dance floor nearest the bar. The bar. The staffer who was about to see them spying on him. It was all coming back to her.
“I deserve a freaking medal for stopping that,” Dare said, taking a deep breath.
Harper blinked. “Was that for cover?”
“Yup.”
“That didn’t feel like cover.”
“The first second was cover,” Dare said with a smirk.
“And the rest?”
“Definitely not cover. But there was no way I could stop after getting a taste of you. You saw that, right?”
“The staffer getting a drink instead of the bartender?” Harper asked even as she realized both of them were breathing as if they’d just ran a marathon.
“Yeah, the staffer who hasn’t been behind the bar all night. The staffer who poured a drink, but I never saw him enter it in the cash register or swipe a key. Then toward the end, I was a little distracted by the best kiss I’ve ever had so I could have missed something.”
Harper’s eyes went to the bottles where the staffer had been standing. “I think it was vodka or rum,” she said now that she was closer and could see better.
“Feel like a drink?” Dare asked, gesturing to the bar.
“I am a little hot and bothered,” Harper shot over her shoulder already walking toward the bar. She heard Dare laugh as she slid up on a stool. “Hey, Brody. Can I get a vodka cranberry?”
“I see you found your date,” Brody said, giving her a wink and a fist bump to Dare.
“I’ll take a beer,” Dare told him when Brody asked what he wanted.
Brody reached into a tub of ice and pulled out an aluminum bottle of beer and handed it to Dare before turning to the shelves of liquor. Harper watched as he grabbed the bottle close to where the staffer had grabbed. They’d found something. She knew it. Why? Because there were two identical bottles of rum sitting next to each other and both were open. Bars never opened multiple bottles of the same liquor.
“Thanks,” Dare told him as he gave Brody a twenty and told him to keep the change.
Harper finally had her breathing under control as she watched Brody working the bar and casually tried to find the staffer she’d seen before, but he was nowhere in sight.
“I think it’s a good time to leave,” Dare said, stepping between her legs and whispering in her ear as his hand trailed down her arm and onto her thigh.
Harper nodded and Dare offered her his hand. After they took a few sips of their drinks, she slid her hand into his and let him lead her through the crowd toward the exit. The absence of music on the path toward the parking lot was shocking. Harper was normally confident and the music and darkness certainly had let her confidence soar. She didn’t know what to do. Dare had her feeling discombobulated.
They walked in silence as Harper tried to get her lust under control. Once she did, she realized lust wasn’t the only thing she was feeling. She liked Dare. She liked him a lot. She wasn’t supposed to like him, especially this much. She would not make that mistake again. She would not fall hard and fast for a man and forget who she was.
“You were amazing tonight,” Dare said as they approached her car. “I’d be lucky to have you as a partner any day.”
Oh no, not that kind of respectful compliment. Why couldn�
�t he tell her she had a nice ass? Then she could put distance between them. She could say he was just another dumb, horny guy. But Dare wasn’t any of those things. He was incredibly smart and perceptive. He might be horny, she’d felt all of him while they were dancing, but he’d never once acted as if sex were his end game. He’d been completely respectful. Then to compliment her on working with him . . . Harper couldn’t seem to stop her stomach from flip-flopping and her heart from speeding up at his comment.
“Thank you,” she said, trying to sound as if it weren’t the best compliment she’d ever gotten.
“It’s late. I don’t like the idea of you driving home alone. I can drive you if you’d like,” Dare offered.
Harper laughed and shook her head. “I’m perfectly capable of driving home. I’ve been doing it for a while, after all.”
“I never said you weren’t capable. I asked so I wouldn’t worry about you. I’ll worry no matter how capable you are.”
“Oh,” Harper didn’t know what else to say. Crap, now he was being sweet.
Dare leaned forward, pressing her back against the car. He placed his hands on her waist and lowered his lips to hers. Only this time it wasn’t hot and heavy. It was light and romantic. Harper was battling with her heart as he pulled away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.”
He didn’t move until Harper nodded. Then he held open the door for her as she climbed in. She looked up at him, leaning down with one hand on her roof and one on the open door. “I know it’s probably the wrong thing to say, but I don’t care. Tonight was the best date I ever had. Thanks for that, Harper.”
And then he closed the door and Harper was left blinking at him as he walked back toward the hotel. It was then she realized he wasn’t going home yet. He was going back to work.
Harper took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. Dare was dangerous. He was making her feel again and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
Dare spent the next half hour trying to find the staffer he’d seen at the bar. He finally had to give up when Brody almost saw him again and that wouldn’t do when the bartender thought he’d left with Harper.
Fierce Shadows: Shadows Landing #4 Page 6