Page 36 of Long Time Coming

He catches up next to me, and replies, “I would actually.”

“Why?” I work my way around the corner with barstools full of the regulars who are always here and toward Lauralee, who has beat me to the bar and is ordering.

“So I can kick their ass.”

Stopping abruptly, I face him with my jaw hanging and my mouth ready to catch some flies. “Really?”

A smirk lifts steadily on the right side of his stupidly handsome face, and he shakes his head. “No. My fighting days are over, but I’m not opposed to having a word or two with them.”

My gaze deviates from him to the long line of people sitting at the bar. “You’re in luck. There’s one now.”

“Where?”

“Right there. Joey Melvin.”

“What the fuck?” he mutters as he slowly turns to see him seated only a few stools away from us. A deep line cuts between his brows when he returns his eyes to mine. “Are you serious? You had sex with Joey?”

I playfully push him away and laugh. “God, no. That you believe I would is really disturbing. No way would I have sex with him.” The relief that washes over him changes the tension engulfing us since I walked in. “He’s old,” I tease just to push a few more of Tag’s buttons, hoping one day he’ll be pushing mine . . .God, so naughty.And now I can’t stop thinking about it.

“Old?” His voice clogs at the end. He clears his throat. “He’s my age.”

It was way too easy to rile him up. I laugh, grabbing his bicep. “I’m just kidding. I mean, not in the sense of he is your age because he is, but he’s not old.” I give him a wink. I feel someone like Tagger would appreciate that kind of detail to cap off this conversation.

“I need a beer. If I weren’t driving, I’d drink something heavier. You’re a handful.” His gaze dips to my mouth when I lick my lips. He looks up to the heavens like he’s asking for help before shaking his head. “Listen, Pris.”

Why is it so hot when he seems like he’s out of options and handling me like he probably shouldn’t—not as careful as if I’ll break like a dish?

“Yes?” I ask boldly, looking into his eyes as he searches for the words he wants to say.

A heavy sigh eases his chest, and his shoulders fall just enough to relax. “I don’t know what’s going on here?—”

“What’s going on here?” Lauralee asks, shoving a bottle of beer in my direction.

I take the beer and a quick sip before I answer, “I don’t know. He was just getting to that part.”

“Oh, perfect timing, then,” she says with a laugh as we share a wicked exchange. Yep, she knows I got him riled up. Whether I can reel him in, though, is a whole other scenario. And more importantly, do I want to?

Should I really forgive him that quickly?

Make him pay a little longer?

Forget it ever happened, and we go on living our lives separately?

As much fun as it can be teasing him, I can tell by the regret in his eyes that this might not be the time to continue doing it. I touch Lauralee’s arm. “Do you mind giving us a few minutes?”

She reads me like a book, always has. Her smile softens, and she nods. “Sure. I’ll be over there at the bar talking to Joey.” She takes my beer for me, then scowls at Tagger. “Play nice now.”

I can see he’s close to an eye roll, but the corners of his mouth lift. “I always do.”

Now I’m about to roll my eyes, but like him, I can control when I want to.

As soon as we’re alone, relatively speaking since we’re standing in the middle of a crowded bar, he moves closer to me. “You know as well as I do, that something happening between us will only ruin the good thing we have going. So what do you suggest we do about this attraction between us?”

“Well damn, I didn’t expect you to come right out and admit you’re attracted to me.”

“That’s based on a mutual assumption that this attraction travels both ways.”

Shifting my weight, I plant a hand on my hip. “Considering I’m the one who kissed you, I think you already know where I stand.”

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