Page 16 of The Devil in Blue Jeans
Charly followed her gaze toward the front door and her heart skipped a full beat. Somehow Jaxon looked even better than he had yesterday. His jeans were perfectly fitted, his cowboy boots peeking out beneath them. He wore a black cowboy hat and his beard was trimmed, and even from where she stood behind the bar, she swore she could smell how good he smelled—like an earthy spice. The smirk he directed her way told her that he knew she liked what she was looking at.
Dammit!
Steeling herself against his charms, she looked toward his hands and noticed he was carrying a box of chocolates and a knitted teddy bear atop of a heating pad. Those guards she had firmly placed against him began to crumble.
“Sorry for being late for our date, but I had to pick up a few things,” he said. Then he looked to Willow and Aubrey. “Ladies.”
Her best friends both grinned from ear to ear and greeted him.
Traitors.
Regardless, she was stunned into silence, taking in the items he brought. She almost felt herself melt a little, until she remembered the warning she’d received about Jaxon. Players knew how to play the game well. It was clear Jaxon was a damn expert, and he intended to win because she’d made it difficult for him.
Two could play this game...
Aubrey broke the moment by gesturing to the items in his hands with an arched brow. “What’s with the heating pad?” she asked.
“I hear it’s an essential tool for a woman on her period,” Jaxon explained with a smirk.
Aubrey blinked. “And you bought them for Charly?”
He nodded.
Willow piped up, “But Charly’s not—”
“Thank you for the chocolates and the heating pad,” Charly quickly interrupted, fighting against the warming of her face. “They’re both thoughtful, but like I said I can’t go out tonight, the bar is too busy.”
Jaxon scanned the room again, nodding hello to the cowboys in the booth that he obviously knew, before turning back to Charly with that same smirk on his face. “It doesn’t seem so busy here,” he said teasingly, reminding her that he used to own this place. “Willow and Aubrey could handle things.” One slow eyebrow arched. “Or are you reneging on our date?”
Charly took in a shaky breath, trying to quell her erratic heartbeat. Her mind screamed that this was all an elaborate game to Jaxon. A challenge she presented that he needed to conquer. But as she glanced out at the cowboys, who now seemed more settled with Jaxon in the bar—like they cared to be on their best behavior with him there—she began to wonder if he could really help her. The bar had to succeed. And he did own the place before her...
If she lost this bar and failed to make Timber Falls home for all of them, she lost everything, including her dignity.
She had years of experience in knowing what women wanted from a night out, and that knowledge was the reason she got into the nightlife industry to begin with. But she had no familiarity with small-town living or what the locals there desired.
She turned back toward her friends. “Will you be all right if I leave?” she asked.
Willow nodded fervently. “Of course, we’ll be fine. Go ahead. Have some fun.” She gave Charly a gentle push toward the door.
Aubrey’s muttered laughter followed Charly as she stepped forward and allowed Jaxon to open the door for her. He raised an eyebrow again as he stared down at her. “Ready for a good time tonight?”
Charly held his gaze in challenge and returned the smirk. “Notthatmuch of a good time,” she said, adamant.
Jaxon’s mouth twitched, but Charly resisted getting lost in the way his eyes softened with amusement. This evening was about making sure her bar succeeded and they changed the local’s minds about them, not losing herself in the alluring charm of this cowboy.
Steeling herself against him, Charly allowed him to lead her away, armed to stay one step ahead of him.
Five
Twenty minutes later, Jaxon walked into his backyard, feeling totally out of his element. He’d dated, nothing too serious to consider marriage, but a couple relationships that lasted a year. Even though this wasn’t technically a real date, with Charly it felt almost...new, like how a date should have felt like—exciting and almost...nerve wracking. He liked how she challenged him and knew nothing about him. She was looking at him through eyes that didn’t know the Reed name.
On his back deck, he had laid out some mats and pillows, forming a cozy spot for them to relax together. He’d thought about how he could make Charly feel better while she was on her period. He wasn’t sure what she would need, but he wanted to do something kind. He shook his head. Part of him told himself that he was trying to keep Charly and her friends from destroying the bar he had built from the ground up and which had meant a lot to the locals in town...but he knew that wasn’t why he had brought her there tonight.
His gaze fell to her face, seeing the surprise in her expression at the date night he’d planned. He felt a warmth fill him, recognizingthiswas the reason that drew him to her. He cared to impress her. Since his father had passed, life had been a blur. He leaned on his friends. He worked hard to fill his dad’s role, but nothing had ignited a spark. Until he locked eyes with her and that spark quickly became a roaring flame.
“This is quite the view,” she said softly.
He followed her gaze to the pastures where the geldings grazed. The sun was slowly beginning to sink in the west, with a gentle breeze carrying the smell of rich grass. His bay gelding, Altair, who had been bred and born at the farm watched them closely. His brown eyes were gentle as he stared on like he was as curious about Charly as Jaxon was. He smiled back at Charly. “There is only one view better than this.”
