Be My Hero(27)

Weaving my way to her, I replenished her stock of nuts and rested my  elbows on the bar top to watch her gnaw on her bottom lip as she stared  at the second bowlful, silently debating with herself if she should eat  more or not.

"If you're still worried I'll let any woman buy Lowe, I promise you I won't."

She gave in and scooped up another handful before answering me with a  perky smile. "Oh, I'm not worried about that at all. I have no doubt  you're good for your word."

I swelled with pride. I was a complete stranger who'd majorly unsettled  her peace of mind the first time we'd met. Yet here she was, claiming to  trust my word.

That didn't explain why she was still here, though. "So, you're sticking  around because . . . ?" I lifted my eyebrows. "You want to see who ends  up buying me?" I gave a sudden, naughty grin. "You jealous, Tinker  Bell?"

She rolled her eyes. "Cute. But, no. I'm waiting for my ride. Reese should be back to pick me up in a few minutes."

Shit. She was stuck here. I loved that because it meant I got to bask in  her presence longer. And yet I hated it because my nerves were going  ape-shit, knowing there'd be no way to keep a constant eye on her in  this crowd.

"You know, if you get uncomfortable out here, I can show you a room in the back you can chill in until she shows up."

She laughed. "Trust me, I'm pretty comfortable with the whole bar scene."

"Yeah, but-" When my gaze fell to her stomach, she held up a finger and shot me a look that told me not to even go there.

"If you say anything like in your condition, I'm liable to turn into Eva the super bitch and go off on you again."

I grinned. "Duly noted. But seriously, I don't like this. At all." My  palm drifted over her belly before falling away. She jumped at the brief  contact. "If someone messes with this precious bundle, I'm going to  lose my shit."

Her eyes lit and she drew out the word, "Oooh. So that's what it's about?"

I blinked. "What?"

"Your overprotectiveness." She twirled out her finger. "I was confused  why you were so nice, yet controlling, that first night we met. But now  that I know you're a daddy . . . " She shrugged. "It makes more sense."

I pulled back, confused. "What makes you think I'm a daddy?"

"Because . . . " She popped more nuts into her mouth and chewed. "Reese  said so. Mason told her you needed a new shirt because your baby had  thrown up on the other one."

With a nod, I shifted a step back, reminding myself why I needed to keep  my distance from her. Julian needed me. And to keep Julian in my life, I  needed to keep Tristy in it. And I couldn't exactly be a good, faithful  husband to Tristy if I was here drooling over Eva, the one woman who  could make me do anything.

I blew out a breath, not caring for that little reality check.

"Want to see a picture?" I asked, forcing a smile and thinking that  seeing a picture of Julian might help cement my faithfulness into my own  head.

"Of your baby?" Her face brightened. "Sure."

I pulled out my phone and typed in my password to get into my apps.

Leaning in to watch, Eva gasped and covered her mouth as she zipped her eyes up to mine.

"What?" I asked, dropping the phone to my side. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

When I reached for her stomach, worried about the baby, she shook her  head and slapped my hand away, but continued to stare at me as if I'd  lost my mind. Then she motioned toward my phone. "I just . . . you . . .  your passcode. One-one-two-zero."         

     



 

I nodded and shrugged as if it were no big deal. "Yeah. What about it?"  But my eyes were intent on her as I held my breath, anxiously waiting to  learn why that number was important to her. Because it was sure as hell  important to me.

"Nothing," she tried to say, but I knew-

"Oh, no." I rolled out my hand, coaxing her to keep talking. "It's definitely something. Now spill it."

Her face flushed as she motioned to the phone. "It's a date, right? November twentieth?"

My stomach clenched as I nodded. But, shit, if the same thing had  happened to her on the same day that it happened to me, I was going to  freak.

"Is it your birthday?" she hedged. When I shook my head, she guessed, "Your baby's birthday? Your wife's."

I laughed. "No. It's no one's birthday. It's just . . . a special date."

The day I'd met her, had sex with her, fallen in love with her, and  pretty much became utterly and completely obsessed with her . . . or  rather, the day I'd had my glimpses and learned she existed.

"Your wedding day?" she started in with more guesses, not letting up.

Since there was no way I was going to tell her why November twentieth  was special to me, I asked, "Why do you care? What's that date mean to  you?"

She hesitated before meeting my gaze. "It's my birthday."

I gulped. Shit.

What were the odds I'd be shown a vision of her ten years ago on her birthday?

A strange cold prickle rose up the back of my neck. Fucking voodoo shit.  This was beginning to creep me out. When I shifted away from her, her  eyes widened.

"What? What's it mean to you?" she asked.

"Not telling," I said and quickly re-entered the passcode because my  phone's screen had gone dead again. She huffed in irritation, but I  distracted her as quickly as I could by pulling up Fighter's mug shot  and spinning my phone around for her to see him.

And, yep. Just like that, her mind was jerked elsewhere. Oh, the power of an adorable kid.

"What a little cutie," she cooed. "What's her name?"

My chest swelled out with pride-my boy certainly was a little cutie-right before I scowled. "His name is Julian."

She blinked, and then pointed at the picture. "But he's wearing pink. Why do you have a pink onesie on a boy?"

"Uh . . . he's . . . a big supporter of breast cancer awareness?" I  posed it as a question, hoping I didn't have to confess that all of my  kid's clothes were hand-me-downs from Mrs. Rojas youngest daughter.

Eva laughed, warming my whole heart with the amazing sound. "And  apparently he's not at all insecure about his masculinity," she quipped.

With a snort, I shot back, "My boy? Oh, hell no. We Ryans invented masculinity, thank you very much."

She smiled at me, her entire face lighting up. "I think I'm going to  like you, Pick Ryan," she stated, making my heart pound in my chest.

No, the real, live woman in front of me wasn't quite as I'd imagined  she'd be for the last ten years. But some parts of her were even better.  And that glow on her face was one of them.

I had a very bad feeling I was going to end up more than liking her in return.

"Yo, Pick!" Ten appeared, thrusting a cordless microphone at me. "You're going to emcee this thing tonight, right?"

"Sure," I said, glad to focus on him before I admitted something completely embarrassing to Eva.

"Well, let's get to it, already," Ten pressed. "I've got some cash to win, fucker."

I turned back to Eva as I took control of the microphone. "I gotta go," I told her, not wanting to leave her side.

Her return smile was sad. "So I see."

I would've stayed, just a second longer. I needed more time with her. But Ten was already dragging me away.





Chapter 10


PICK


As Ten climbed onto the bar's main countertop, dragging me behind him, I  sent Eva a small smile of farewell and followed him up. Once I was  higher than everyone else in the place, I waved my hand to get their  attention. Then I turned on the mic and called into the sound system.

"Hello, everyone! We've got a little something planned for all you sexy  things out there to celebrate ladies' night this evening. Can I get a  hell yeah?"

A round of screams followed, a bunch of chicks waving their drinks in the air and getting in on the fun.

I smiled and pointed at the rowdiest bunch. "Yeah, that's what I like to  hear, right there." Crooking my finger at them, I motioned them closer.  "So, I'm going to need all you single honeys in the house who're  desperate to burn some cash on your favorite bartender to shift closer  to the front, please. We're going to have us a little auction."

The women who'd been through this before screamed and scrambled toward  the bar. After waiting until a good portion of the room had shoved their  way to where they wanted to be to watch the main event, I explained the  rules of the auction. And then I introduced the players after motioning  Mason and Quinn to join Ten and me.         

     



 

"Let's get to know your favorite bartenders then. To my right, most of  you may remember Wild Thing Tenning. Football star for ESU and crazy  freak in the sheets, according to the ladies, Ten likes long walks on  the beach and slow, passionate kisses."

Ten's groupies squealed in approval as he lifted his hands to wave and  wink. Then he turned his backside to them and twerked out his ass until  feminine fingers were reaching up, trying to cop a feel.