Phoenix Rising(9)

Jessa’s cheeks flamed crimson with embarrassment. The sense of epiphany was replaced almost instantly with total embarrassment. Was she the only once to notice the scene playing out in the dark corner? A furtive glance around didn’t reveal anybody else paying attention. But a lump settled in the pit of her stomach when her eyes locked with the doorman’s.

He knew. His blatant, sexy as hell stare said as much. The effect of that knowledge was devastating. Jessa’s body was already heavy with need from watching the couple screwing in the shadows. Her nipples were painfully hard beneath her shirt. An empty sensation radiated from between her legs and her own juices were soaking the sensible scrap of white cotton between her legs. She was fighting a completely inappropriate desire to slip her hand between her thighs and find relief in a swift orgasm. And he knew it.

His big body was tense. Corded muscle rippled beneath soft caramel toned skin. A massive erection strained against the soft black material of his pants. Sweat beaded on his full upper lip. As if reading her thoughts, he pulled his lip into his mouth, sucking off the moisture. Jessa’s pussy clenched tightly and the primal urge to mate became almost too much to bear.

His gaze never wavered. Eyes blacker than a night in hell held hers until she was certain some kind of electromagnetic energy flowed between them.

“You’ve still got a drink there in front of you.”

Forcing a bright smile to her face, Jessa tried to remember that she was not a common whore out for a night on the town.

“I’m sorry,” she cleared her throat and forcefully reined in her lusty thoughts. “I was just taking a break. I didn’t want to fall asleep right here at the bar.”

He laughed. “I’m Alex Dalesio, by the way. Don’t worry about falling asleep. I’ll keep an eye out for you and wake you before the night is through.”

Alex grabbed a couple of draft beers for another customer and then headed back in her direction. It was almost as if he were hitting on her. The thought was flattering.

“You’re busy awfully early tonight, even for a Friday,” Jessa commented, looking around.

He jerked his head toward a help-wanted sign on the mirror behind the bar. “We’re shorthanded.”

“I need a job.” The words were out before she could rethink the urge to say them.

“Seriously?”

Jessa nodded.

“You ever wait tables before?”

“In a bar? No.”

He looked disappointed.

“In a restaurant with a bar? Yes.”

“You’re hired.”

She blinked in semi drunken surprise. “Don’t you have to ask your boss or something first?”

Alex shrugged. “Connor!”

The world slowed to a crawl as Jessa watched the doorman turn around. He glanced at her for several seconds before heading in their direction.

“What’s up?” His deep voice rolled like distant thunder.

“I hired a waitress.”

“Really.”

Not a statement. Not a question. Connor’s eyes roved over Jessa as if he were removing every stitch of clothing from her body. Her skin heated, tingled, and then caught fire. Creamy juice instantly flooded Jessa’s crotch and she practically panted with sexual frustration she hadn’t realized she possessed.

“Yeah,” Alex turned to Jessa. “Sorry…I didn’t catch your name.”

“Jessa,” Connor said before she could stammer an answer.

The name dripped off his tongue as it had before. He couldn’t have gotten more of a visceral reaction from her if he’d reached down and fingered her vagina right there in front of Alex. Jessa wanted him to yank her panties to her knees, throw her against the bar and fuck her senseless.

A wave of mortification hit her hard. What had happened to sweet Jessa Kincaid? In one afternoon she’d shopped at a porn store, drunk car bombs in a dirty bar in the middle of the afternoon, watched a lewd display of public indecency, and now she was lusting after a dangerous-looking man she didn’t know. If looks portrayed anything, he was probably nothing more than a common thug.

“All right, Connor?” Alex prodded.

Connor’s eyes roved over her body again, lingering over hips and breasts. “S’okay with me. Start tomorrow; we open up around noon.”

Jessa managed to nod her head, but nothing more. She practically melted into a puddle on the floor before Connor swung his big body around and gracefully headed back to his post.

What kind of man was he? Never in her life had she met someone so utterly confident. Jessa hadn’t known that earthbound males were born with that kind of charisma. It was as if Connor were some otherworldly entity. A fallen angel, perhaps?