Taming His Tutor(44)

But she was still nervous.

He was leaning against the bar, facing the door, obviously waiting for her and looking so totally off the charts. Jeans of course, but not the faded worn-in kind. These were dark, and with the black muscle-hugging tee, he looked like some super-sexy avenging warrior of the night—all tall and muscled and handsome way beyond everyday.

She stopped just inside the doorway, her attention all on him already.

He lifted the beer bottle to his lips and took a swig, not taking his eyes from her. She stepped forward, watching him swallow, irritation spurting. His drink was more important to him than coming to say hello?

Well, she wasn’t going to walk right over to him. She wasn’t making it that easy for him.

Not this time.

She walked to the bar, halfway along from where he was. Joe’s eyes felt like lasers, burning through the black dress. She knew he knew there were no panties underneath. One hell of a bra, yes, but no panties.

The bartender immediately materialized.

She knew why. She had cleavage on show. She never wore a dress cut this low normally. But then she never normally took home strangers from the bar either. Except for that once. But tonight was all about obliterating that memory and replacing it with something far more satisfying. This would be a new, better experience for her to build on.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked, giving her an I’m-cool-but-I-know-I’m-hot look.

“Vodka. On the rocks with a twist.” She barely glanced into his face, but she watched his hands as he fixed her drinks.

She didn’t look over to Joe by sheer force of will. She was going to play this one cool. Question was, what did she have to do, to have him like putty? Ought she approach him? Hell, did she need to dig out her phone and search the beta version of the app for cheesy pickup lines? Why hadn’t she thought through her strategy sooner?

She’d been too busy replaying last night’s super-hot-sex in her head.

Peripherally she knew he still stood exactly where he’d been the moment she walked in the bar. He wasn’t moving. Nor was she. So…the putty thing was to be achieved how exactly?

She looked up as the bartender placed her drink on the bar, catching his eyes. He smiled. She blinked. Of course. How could she have forgotten Nadia’s “no fail” four-second eye contact rule?

Ignoring the still-looking bartender, Abbi glanced along the bar to where Joe stood. Her gaze collided with his. Held. Desire thrummed within her. Could he feel it? Could he read the message she was sending?

One. Two. Three—

His gaze suddenly shifted, beyond her. His brows lowered even as his eyes widened. He actually flinched and then tensed up all the more.

Abbi blinked. She hadn’t even made it to the four seconds, hadn’t done the look down and back up thing.

It had failed. With the one guy supposed to be guaranteed for her tonight.

But his attention was so totally on something else. Someone?

Her skin had gone as cold and clammy as if she’d dived into Arctic waters. But Abbi slowly turned her head to see just what was so interesting behind her.

A woman. She was beautiful. Very tall, slim. She had the athletic sort of physique that would fit right in at Joe’s gym. Not that Abbi was jealous of that. It was the way he was looking at her that sucked. He was looking at her like he was starstruck or something. And the woman?

Looking right back at him. Totally floored.

Abbi turned back to her drink, her hands freezing but her cheeks flaming. She lifted her vodka and took a huge swig. It burned. But not as much as she wanted.

No way was she walking up to him now. No way was she staying. She glanced at him again. He was still looking at that woman. Abbi couldn’t resist another glance over her shoulder at her again too.

Yeah. Tall, willowy. Striking.

Swallowing the hideous disappointment, Abbi turned back, unable to stop her glance from sliding to Joe once more. He’d managed to tear his eyes from the other woman. Now he was watching her. He knew she’d been looking at the other woman. He knew he’d been caught. And that she was bummed.

How freaking mortifying.

Just as she stood up from her stool, he walked toward her.

“Come here often?” he asked roughly.

“Seriously? That’s the best you’ve got?” She didn’t want to do this anymore.

She got that this was just an arrangement for him, but to know that she was still so boring, he couldn’t even get through a few lousy lessons without being distracted by someone more…whatever that other woman was more.

Joe said nothing. There was no easy smile. No tease. It was like he was a different person.

“I’m leaving,” Abbi muttered.

“I’ll come with you.”