Page 6 of Bountiful
She returned to the bar and ditched the empties inabin.
“You grow up around here?” I asked her as she turned her attention to closing out the cash register. I was perfectly capable of bland, nice-guy small talk if it put a womanatease.
“Look,” she said, her eyes on her work. “Let’s skip the twenty questions. How about you keep your trap shut for a couple of minutes so I can finish up here. If you’re good and quiet, I’ll take you upstairswithme.”
That shut me up for a second. She’d beat me at my own game. But I wasn’t going to complain. “Upstairs, huh? Nicecommute.”
“It works for me. Especially in a moment like this. If I had to give you directions to somewhere else, I might decide you’re not worth thetrouble.”
“No you wouldn’t,” I said quietly. “You’ve been watchingme,too.”
Her dark eyes lifted briefly to acknowledge the truth in this statement. But she didn’t admit it out loud. “Do me a favor,” she said instead. “There’s a security camera in the corner over the juke box. Walk toward itslowly.”
“Sure, gorgeous. I’ll do even better.” I took my wallet out of my back pocket and fished out my driver’s license. Then I walked toward the security camera, looking it in the eye, and held up mylicense.
Zara was watching me when I turned around again. “Thank you. A girl has to becareful.”
“I’ll bet.” I sat back down on the barstool.
“I’m Zara,” she said in a lowvoice.
“I know. Learned that the second time I came in here. I’m DaveBeringer.”
“Well, Dave.” She closed the register drawer. “Don’t move off that stool for a minute. I’m going to lock this in the safe, and thenwe’llgo.”
“Take your time,” I said. “I’ve got allnightlong.”
Her eyes flared as sheturnedaway.
Not a half-hour later, I knew I’d have her gripping the headboard of her bed as I took her hard from behind. And a minute or two after that I’d make her sobmyname.
ChapterThree
Zara
You are insane,I whispered to myself as I dropped the cash bag into the safe and lockeditup.
Taking strangers up to my room wasn’t something I ever did. Too risky. I didn’t even have a credit card receipt with this guy’s name on it. Dave alwayspaidcash.
But that wasn’t even the biggest problem with this plan. I knew in my gut that Dave wouldn’t have gotten that invitation to my bedroom if it weren’t for my Griff Shipley heartache. I was going to let my disappointment in one man guide me toward a bit of foolishness withanotherman.
Smooth, sister. Reallysmart.
Griff and I had been finished three months ago, and I’d told myself I was over it. But tonight was the first time I’d seen him with someone else. Audrey something-or-other. A cute little blonde, all smiles and curves. My polaropposite.
Of courseshewas.
If Griff were a different man, I wouldn’t be feeling so much rage. But he was a smart guy with a degree in chemistry, a zeal for farming, and a head for business. When he broke off our arrangement, he’d said he was too busy. But what I heard was,You’re not a good fit for a man who’s moving up in theworld.
Enter Audrey. When I’d taken the recycling outside, I’d caught them together. Bad timing. Griff had her leaning up against the side of the building, his mouth inches away from her adorable rosebud lips. But it was the expression on his face that had really killed me. It was so…warm. Like something in her eyes fedhissoul.
The excuse he’d given me played on repeat in my brain:I’m not in a place in my life where I can make time for a woman. But he had time for cute little Audrey from out of town. He’d never once looked at me the way he’d looked at hertonight.
I’d felt such anger when I’d seen him so happy. I’d wanted to burn my whole life right to the ground. They were probably having fantastic sex right now while I closed down the bar for the millionth time in a row. Afterward, they would probably plan theirwedding.
Tonight made me so damn lonely I wanted to punch something. Since I couldn’t do that, I was going to settle for a few hours with Mr. Green Eyes.Dave. He wasn’t my type at all. Coppery hair and a clean-shaven face? I usually liked ’em scruffier. Dave was wearing casual clothes like everyone else in the bar, but somehow he gave off a rich-guy vibe. Maybe it was the luxury watch on his wrist. Maybe it was the small pack of friends he often turned up with—they dropped fifty and hundred dollar bills for their tabs and never drankcheapbeer.
I knew I should send him home alone. But I wasn’t going to. I wanted his eyes on me a little longer. And his hands, too. I wanted to feel the way I felt when his eyes traveled overmybody.
