Hot Under the Collar

by Roxanne St Claire

  “What, and break Jelly Bean’s heart?” Cassie managed a casual shrug.

  “Wise move on your part,” Jace said from her other side. “That woman wasn’t about to be outbid.”

  “But Braden’s her—”

  Cassie held up her hand, not because she didn’t want Jace to know Braden was her boyfriend. He’d surely figured that out by now. But Jace’s arrival had taken this from a fun afternoon to something more professional. He was the underwriter for Paws for a Cause, and she was the planner for more than one event.

  “This is a huge coup for the fire department,” she said brightly. “A thousand is going to go a long way for that new pumper truck.”

  Jace leaned a little closer. “I have to go to that event at the winery tomorrow, as well,” he said. “I even had to pack a tux. I’d love if you’d go with me and introduce me to the people I need to know, Cassie. Otherwise, I’m pretty sure I’ll end up tagging along with Bill Maddox.”

  “And his wife,” Cassie added, turning the offer over in her brain. It couldn’t hurt to socialize with the representative of the underwriting corporation, and it would easily turn the event into “work” for her.

  “Spare me that?” he asked, adding a devastating smile.

  Yiayia leaned right between them from the row behind. “That’s not a bad idea, Cassie.”

  Cassie slid her a side-eye with enough I told you so to silently make her point. Matchmaking her with Braden as Yiayia’s purpose in Bitter Bark would soon be forgotten, as all other men would pale in comparison to a Greek.

  But suddenly, Gramma Finnie was on the other side, inching in to offer her opinion. “I’m sure Braden would be happier if you were there,” she said.

  Jace laughed softly, clearly no stranger to the meddlesome grandmother. “I know I would be,” he said.

  She gave a quick glance to Ella on the other side, looking for an assist. Cassie didn’t mind escorting the new guy, but it couldn’t be a date. “Ella, why don’t you come, too?”

  If looks could kill, Cassie would be six feet under. Ella still wasn’t over the phone call, it seemed, and had done her level best to avoid even cursory conversation with Jace. “I’m actually already tagging along with your brothers Alex and John. They wanted to check out the wines to see if they could include them on the Santorini’s menu. I figured you were going with Braden, so…”

  “Why don’t we all go together?” Cassie suggested, giving her another pleading look. “A group would be fun.”

  Ella just stared at her. “Fun.”

  “Ella,” she whispered as Jace got involved in a lively conversation with Yiayia behind her. “I don’t want him to think it’s a date. Please?”

  Ella sighed and rolled her eyes. “Only for you.”

  “Perfect,” Cassie said, giving her friend’s leg a squeeze, then turning back to Jace. “We’ll go with Ella and my brothers.”

  He inched forward to look past Cassie at Ella. “Great. Thanks.” He said it as if he knew exactly how not great that was for Ella.

  “I haven’t lived here that long,” Cassie said quickly to cover the awkward exchange. “But Ella knows everybody.”

  “Sounds good,” he said, pulling out his phone. “Let me get your number so I can text you about getting to the winery.”

  As she was giving it to him, she glanced up to see just how smug and satisfied Yiayia looked. But she and Gramma were exchanging looks that didn’t seem very smug at all. Gramma looked a little horrified, and Yiayia looked panicked.

  Okay. Enough of this. “Aren’t you supposed to meet Bill Maddox here?” Cassie asked Jace.

  “If you can tell me where to find…” He tapped the screen. “A guy named Thaddeus Ambrose Bushrod?” He cracked up. “Bushrod? You can’t make this small-town stuff up.”

  Next to her, Ella could barely contain a disgusted sigh. “He’s this small town’s founder, and you’re sitting in Bushrod Square.”

  “Oh, I…” He started to smile, but then just lifted a brow. “Looks like I need to dial back my big-city snark.”

  Whoa, trouble left and right up here. Cassie stood and gestured for him to do the same. “Well, dialing back snark isn’t usually my strong suit, but I’ll show you where the statue is. Come on. Be right back, you guys.”

  Jace said goodbye to everyone—including an actual kiss on the cheek for his “new Yiayia”—then they headed down the bleacher steps. As Cassie reached the bottom, she couldn’t resist a glance over her shoulder, past him, to see if she could catch Yiayia practically drooling.

  Except she wasn’t drooling. She and Gramma Finnie had their heads close in deep conversation and—

  “Oh!” She walked right into someone coming up. “I’m sor…” Braden.

  “You’re looking the wrong way, Cass.”

  “Hey, sorry. Nice work up there.” She gave a sly smile. “Where’s Jelly Bean? Still licking the auction winner?”

  He closed his eyes, looking unhappy with the auction outcome. With everything at the moment. Including the man right behind Cassie.

  “Oh, Braden. This is Jace Demakos from Family First Pet Foods. You know, the Paws for a Cause underwriter?”

  The fire chief’s voice over the loudspeaker drowned out the introduction, so they stepped around to the side of the bleachers, away from the crowd.

  Jace shook Braden’s hand then. “Congrats on all that cash,” he said. “Got pretty fierce for a while.”

  Braden searched his face for a moment, maybe sizing him up, maybe just wanting to get the conversation off the auction. “Well, it’s a good cause, but…” He shot a wry look to Cassie. “Guess our five-hundred-max plan didn’t work.”

  “Who could have guessed that fabulously well-behaved dog of yours would throw the auction?” she joked.

  But Braden shook his head, clearly not able to laugh about it yet.

  “Well, I better get to my meeting,” Jace said. “You stay here, Cassie. I can find it.”

  She pointed to the center of the square. “Head toward those trees, and you’ll see a statue. But if you want, I can walk you over there and introduce you to Bill Maddox.”

  He gave his head a quick shake. “Bill can find me. I told him to look for a tall Greek guy,” he said on a laugh. “Thanks for making me feel comfortable, and I’ll see you tomorrow night for, uh, Yappy Hour? I’ll text you.”

  “Okay, great.” She extended her hand, suddenly seeing this exchange through Braden’s eyes and knowing he might not realize this was business. “Bye, Jace.”

  They shook, and he took off, leaving Cassie and Braden alone in the shade with the echoes of another auction behind them.

  “You’re going to the black-tie thing with him?” Braden asked, obviously working valiantly—and failing—to keep any emotion out of his voice.

  “With a big group,” she assured him. “He doesn’t know anyone else involved with the event—”

  “Except Bill Maddox.”

  She blew out a rueful laugh. “So, you’re going to come over here and get jealous after your ex just paid a thousand dollars to make me look like an idiot and snag you as her date?”

  “You know I didn’t want that to happen, Cassie.”

  She lifted a brow.

  “And I know you saw her get all kissy with me before it started.”

  “I did.”

  He reached for her hands. “And you know she’s been just this side of a stalker lately.”

  She searched his face for a long time before responding. “I trust you,” she said simply, and his big shoulders dropped with relief.

  “And I trust you.” He glanced in the general direction that Jace had gone. “Is he really Greek?”

  “Oh yes. And he knew all the right things to say to my grandmother.”

  He looked skyward. “And he’s taking you out tomorrow.”

  “No, he’s coming with my brothers and your sister, and it didn’t even cost a thousand dollars.”

  “Exactly. I’d have lost my job if
I said no to that, but you have no excuse.” She heard the tease in his voice, but there was an edge, too. An edge she wanted to resent, but didn’t. Damn it, she kind of liked that he cared so much.

  “Is this our first fight?” she asked.

  He almost smiled—finally. “Yeah.”

  “It is?”

  “And you know what that means.”

  She bit her lip. “Makeup…kiss?”

  He reached for her and stepped them both under the bleachers, which were rocking with cheering, hollering women. “Kiss for now,” he said gruffly, sending an unholy thrill right through her. Then his mouth came down on hers as he pulled her whole body against him and opened his lips and melted her right into the grass of Bushrod Square.

  She clung to him, digging her fingers into his shoulders, holding him close so the delicious, slow, hot kiss didn’t end too soon.

  “We should fight more often,” he murmured into her lips, stealing a little more contact before reluctantly breaking away.

  “Mmm. Big fight.”

  He smoked her with a look so sexy, she would have swayed if he hadn’t been holding her. “In fact, let’s have one tomorrow at that event,” he said. “Then come home with me and we’ll make up.”

  She could barely breathe at the sexy invitation. “I thought we…weren’t…”

  “What? Getting jealous of other people? Wanting more than a kiss? Feeling things for each other?”

  Oh Lord. “Are you?”

  “All of the above.” He stopped her response with another long kiss, adding pressure with his big hands running up and down her back. “I have to work a twelve-hour shift starting at seven on Sunday morning,” he whispered. “So it can’t be a late night. Come over after the winery thing, and…we can compare dates.”

  Heat coiled through her, making her ache with need and impatience. “He’s not a date, but you can’t say the same about Simone. She’s crazy about you.”

  “Don’t know, don’t care.” He inched back. “But what about this woman? Isn’t she crazy for me?”

  This woman isn’t going to stick around here long enough to ruin every dream by falling head over heels in love with this big, gorgeous hunk of human perfection.

  “She’s crazy, all right.”

  “And speaking of herself in third person. That means…she’s going to take action.”

  She let her gaze fall over his face and shoulders and body and back to his face, settling on his mouth. “She might…” she said on a whisper, “consider helping you take off the bow tie…with her teeth.”

  He laughed, hugging her closer. “Her teeth, huh? I…” His voice faded as he cocked his head, listening to the crowd and the auctioneer.

  “Going once! Going twice! Sold to the woman in the second row! You just bought Connor Mahoney and Jazz for a record-setting eleven hundred dollars!”

  “He beat me.” He grunted and closed his eyes. “Why do women love that guy?”

  Cassie reached up and kissed him. “Don’t know, don’t care. But you have one date for the party…and a different one for the after party.”

  “Do I?”

  She nodded slowly, so tired of fighting the attraction. “I’ll be there.”

  He held her gaze with one that was so real and sincere and hot that Cassie almost whimpered. “I can’t wait.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “This place looks different.” As Braden parked his truck in a crowded lot, he peered into the early evening light that poured over the entrance of Overlook Glen Vineyards. The rambling fieldstone farmhouse sat about ten miles west of Bitter Bark, perched high on a hill with a commanding view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

  The last time he’d been here was on a call with the fire department because the owner, an older man, had smelled gas and was afraid there could be a leak. The winery had been run-down and nearly abandoned, the rolling hills of the vineyard nearly barren then. But tonight, the landscaping was sharp, the stonework looked like it had been repaired, and rows of rich green grape vines were visible all around.

  “I’ve never even been here before.” Simone shifted in her seat, adjusting the skintight white dress that kept creeping up her legs.

  “I’d heard it was going to go out of business,” he said. “But I think there’s a new owner.” He shot a glance to the woman in the passenger seat, catching her wiping her palms on her thighs. “You nervous, Simone?”

  She gave him a quick smile. “Should I be?”

  “To go to a cocktail party? No.”

  “To go to a cocktail party with my ex-boyfriend? Yes.”

  He considered how to answer that and stuck with the approach he’d taken since he and Jelly Bean had pulled up to her apartment complex to pick her up for the black-tie event. He played it straight, unflirtatious, uninviting, and cool. Every time Simone flipped a little flirt his way, he refused to volley back.

  This was a fundraising arrangement, not a date.

  “Well, your best pal is right there in the back.” He pointed his thumb to Jelly Bean, who sat on his haunches, looking out the window, unconcerned that he wore a bow tie that Simone had insisted on wrapping around his neck.

  Oh, and speaking of bow ties…Braden took a cursory scan around the lot, skimming over the groups and couples headed to the main entrance of the winery. The men all looked alike in penguin suits, the women, like Simone, decked out in a lot of sparkle and bling. The dogs, sure enough, wore either bow ties or glittery collars.

  Would Cassie get all dolled up for her “business” meeting with…Adonis?

  “What’s the matter?” Simone asked, putting a hand on his arm.

  “Nothing,” he lied.

  “You look like your stomach hurts or something.”

  “I’m fine.” But trying to act like this “date” wasn’t the most wrong thing he’d done in ages was kind of making him feel sick. He had to be cordial to a woman he’d long ago stopped thinking about, because she’d bought him, all the time knowing that the woman he wanted at his side was with another man.

  She squeezed his arm. “You’re mad at me.”

  “Nope. I’m happy the fire department got all that money.” He flipped off his seat belt, and she did the same, reaching down to the floor to slide her shoes back on. He noticed that the heels were about the height of an extension ladder, and the entrance to the winery was a decent walk from here.

  “You sure you can make it across the parking lot in those things?”

  She laughed. “I always wore high heels on our dates, Braden. How could you forget?”

  “Because we broke up,” he said dryly, unable to hide the undercurrent of frustration that punched at him. He felt like a damn prisoner tonight, one who had to be polite and nice and fake that he was having fun.

  “So that means you forget how I dress?”

  “It means I…” Don’t think about you, ever. “Don’t want you to trip in a crack or a pothole.”

  “You’re so sweet. Did you hear how sweet he is, Jelly Bells?” She threw the question to the passenger in the back. “Braden is a caring, kind man.”

  “Simone.” He turned to her, knowing he had to set some ground rules before they walked in and she did something that would easily get misinterpreted. “I really appreciate what you did for the fire department, but—”

  “Chief Winkler said I set the bar, and that’s why so many of the bids reached four figures.” She actually sounded like she thought outbidding Cassie had been her civic duty.

  “And like I said, that’s great, but like I also said, I’m seeing someone. You know that, right?”

  “I’ve heard, and, of course, I saw you eating her face off at Bushrod’s.” She dropped her chin, but looked up at him through lashes so thick, he’d bet good money they were fake. “I know you were trying to make me jealous, and God, Braden, it worked.”

  “I wasn’t trying to make you jealous, and you’re too smart to play this game.”

  “I’m not smart,” she said on an achingly
sad sigh. “Or I would never have broken up with you.”

  His gut tightened. He’d known that was where this was going. From the moment she’d said she had something to tell him in the square yesterday, he’d known it was this.

  “Well, you did,” he said. “And that was for the best, so—”

  “No. It wasn’t.” She reached out to him again, curling her fingers over the sleeve of his dress shirt. “I’m not even sure why we broke up, but I know it was a mistake.”

  “You wanted to move in together, and I didn’t.”

  “Because you have this bizarre reluctance about getting married and having kids.”

  Getting married? Didn’t take long to get there. “Even if I didn’t feel that way, I wouldn’t have wanted to move in together.”

  She flinched as if he’d hurt her.

  “I’m sorry,” he added. “But I’ve moved on, Simone. I’m happy right now. I thought you were, too.”

  “But what about when you have the same thing happen with her?” she said. “When you tell her that you have this…this hang-up that you should be alone, and she gets restless, like women our age do, and decides to move on?”

  “I already—”

  “Then I’ll be waiting,” she said, leaning so close he thought she was going to kiss him. “I will be waiting for you, Braden Mahoney. And I won’t care that you won’t commit to me or move in with me or even marry me.”

  He stared at her, not even sure how to respond.

  “I’ll be the very girl you want. We can have great sex, good times, nice dates, and I swear I won’t complain when you work twenty-four-hour shifts.” She dug her nails into his arm, desperation transforming her features into something far less attractive.

  “I’m not interested in a relationship like that,” he said simply.

  But she shook her head as if his words didn’t matter. “You know how I feel about you, Braden. Nothing’s changed. Even when I was with Frank, I missed you every single minute.” Tears welled and threatened her sparkly makeup, but she didn’t seem to care. “I wanted to wait until we had a drink and maybe had some fun before I told you this, but, Braden, I want to get back together. I really do.”