…
The sound of breaking glass made Joe wince as his trainee bartender dropped a full bottle of single malt whisky. At a nearby table, a disgruntled customer pulled a face at the scorched patty in his hamburger. Joe approached the man—one of his regulars—and whisked the burger away, telling him his meal would be on the house. He gave instructions to one of the kitchen staff to get the man a replacement burger, then returned to the bar, where Vince was overseeing the trainee and his mess.
“What’s going on tonight?” Joe asked Vince when they had a moment alone. “Everyone’s dropping things, mixing up orders, burning food. Is there a full moon or something?”
Vince picked up a cloth and began wiping the bar counter. “You can’t guess?” he said, almost sullen. He’d been unusually clammed up all evening.
“No.” Joe looked him in the eye. “You going to tell me?”
His friend paused his polishing. “You really can’t guess why everyone’s acting weird? It’s because of you and Nina.”
Joe’s stomach muscles tensed. “What about me and Nina?”
“You know.” Vince shrugged. “All that flirting going on between you two.”
Joe’s mind raced.
“You mean yesterday with the spatchcock? That was nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing. You were practically making out in front of everyone. And it’s not just the spatchcock. Every time you and Nina are in the same place together it’s like happy hour at a pickup joint. You’ve got a thing for her, and don’t even try to deny it.”
The truculent tone in his friend’s voice irked Joe, but he kept his own voice steady as he said, “Are you jealous? Thinking you want a crack at her, too?”
Vince’s cheeks grew ruddy. “I like Nina, but we’re just friends. That’s not why I’m pissed off.” He rubbed at a spot on the counter vigorously. “You must have noticed how upset Sarah was when you started fooling around with Nina at the table. Sarah’s bad mood affects everyone around here. Hence the accidents happening tonight. Sarah’s never liked Nina, and you made things worse by agreeing to Nina’s idea about the craft beer thing.”
“But it’s a good idea.” Joe stared at Vince. “And she did it for you, you ass.”
“I’m grateful for that, but to Sarah it looked like you only agreed because you want to fool around with Nina.”
“I don’t see how it’s any of Sarah’s business who I fool around with.”
“Come off it, Joe. You know better than that.”
Vince moved down the counter to serve a customer, leaving Joe to brood over what he’d just said. Joe rubbed his hand over his face, feeling like a jerk. Yeah, he’d been aware for some time that Sarah had a soft spot for him, but he didn’t think it was serious; she kept it well hidden, and he’d never thought others would notice. But apparently Vince had.
He waited until Vince was free before drawing him aside where they couldn’t be overheard.
“Look,” Joe said quietly. “Whatever you suspect about Sarah, keep it to yourself. She and I have never talked about it, and I get the impression she’d like to keep it that way.”
Vince cocked his head to one side. “She’d be a good match for you, you know.”
Joe compressed his lips. “You also know I’m not interested in a relationship.”
“So this thing going on with Nina—it’s just a casual hookup?”
“It’s not a hookup. It’s…” An obsession. A compulsion that grabbed him and overwhelmed all his usual rationality. He thrust his fingers through his hair in frustration.
God damn it. Why did everything have to be so complicated? He wanted Nina so badly at times he couldn’t think about anything except the need to touch her, pleasure her, take her. Didn’t matter how many times he had her, it was never enough.
Nina was like a carnival that had sprung up out of nowhere on the side of the road, luring him with her bright lights and crazy rides and cotton candy. Distracting him from the journey he’d mapped out for himself. But it wasn’t her fault he kept putting his desire for her ahead of everything else. That was all on him. He just wished there was a way he could stay at the carnival without straying off course.
“So you do admit you’re involved with Nina,” Vince persisted.
Joe shrugged. It felt like he was being backed into a corner. “I’m not big on semantics. Whatever it is, it’s temporary. You know me, Vince. Since when do I have the time for anything serious?” He was on firmer ground here. Everyone knew he was too busy for a girlfriend. His track record spoke for itself.
“You sure you’re not playing with fire here?”
“Don’t worry about me, man. I can handle it.”
Vince threw him a skeptical look. “If you say so.”
Of course he could handle a fling. He was a man with experience in brief relationships, and whatever label he put on this thing with Nina, he knew it could only be temporary, because carnivals always moved on. They brought fun and excitement for a short while and then disappeared as quickly as they arrived. They never put down permanent roots. So he and Nina would enjoy a few wild nights—or maybe more—before she packed up and moved back to the city. That was the most likely scenario. And sure, he admitted his obsession with her was causing a few problems with his friends here at the inn, and that was affecting his staff, too, but he had the situation under control. For a few more nights, the hassle was worth it. Right?
…
Mindful of the minor rebellion among his staff, Joe avoided Nina the rest of that Friday and went home by himself, where he spent a restless night alone, horny and frustrated. The next day was no better. As soon as he laid eyes on Nina sweeping the barroom floor, he wanted to bend her over one of the tables and have his way with her.
He managed to stay away from her for several hours, but later, as he emerged from his office, he spotted Nina entering one of the storage rooms at the end of the hall. He hesitated, aware of how full the inn was, but the thought of being alone with Nina was too damn irresistible. He scanned the area for witnesses then quickly followed her into the room.
Nina whirled around as the door clicked shut. “Oh. Hi. I’m here for napkins.” She seemed surprised to see him.
He drew in a breath, and her scent pulled him in. Avoiding her last night had done him no good at all. He still wanted her, more desperately than before. So desperately that he was willing to risk discovery.
“I missed you last night.” The huskiness in his voice echoed his need.
She widened her eyes. “I missed you, too.”
Their eyes met, and the fuse between them crackled alight, drawing him in, licking fire in his veins.
The overhead glow picked out the golden tips of her hair and the soft curve of her lower lip. He’d meant to pull her into his arms, but something about her made him pause. She was like porcelain china, delicate yet strong, exquisite and durable at the same time. He traced the contours of her face with his fingers, marveling at her bone structure.
“Did I ever tell you you’re incredibly beautiful?” he said.
She drew in a breath. “You’ve called me a lot of things.” Beneath his fingers, a pulse in her temple fluttered. “But never incredibly beautiful.”
“Well, you are.” He hesitated, confused at how a simple urge to kiss her had morphed into something more complex. “But you probably hear that all the time.”
“Not as often as you imagine.” Stepping up to him, she slid her hands up his chest, bringing them to rest at his shoulders. “If you think I’m beautiful, it’s because of you.” A shy smile lifted her lips. “When you touch me, I feel amazing.”
“Yeah?” He snaked an arm around her waist to haul her in. “Guess I’d better touch you some more, huh?”
He bent his head and took her mouth with his. The kiss was fiery, explosive, far hotter than he’d expected. Kissing Nina awakened something deeper in him, something that went beyond animal lust. As he moved from her lips to explore her smooth, delectable neck, Nina purred a thrilling moan that jolted him into fierce action like a shot of nitro.
He pushed her up against the wall, lifting her at the waist so she could wrap her legs around him. He kissed her neck, at the same time working one hand under her T-shirt. Her torso quivered and tensed as his fingers glided over her soft skin. When he reached her bra, her legs tightened around his hips as she arched her back. He pushed up her bra, and as his hand closed over her breast, he grew light-headed from lack of oxygen.
Despite the fuzziness, something niggled at the back of his mind, making him lift his lips from her honeyed mouth. “This doesn’t seem right,” he muttered, not sure what he was thinking.
She rubbed her pelvis up and down against him. “Feels very right to me…” Her syrupy voice dripped with arousal.
He gave a brief laugh. “No, I mean doing it here in the storeroom.”
“Oh? You want to lock the door?”
The idea of taking Nina against the shelves excited him, but was that good enough for her? She was luscious and beautiful and about the most amazing woman he’d ever met. Surely she deserved more than what he was offering?