Things Good Girls Don't Do (3 page)

“You looked like you could use another.”

Katie’s head snapped up from her list and she covered the napkin quickly. “Hi, Chase. What are you doing here?”

Stupid question. Why else did someone go to a bar? To drink.

He slid into the seat across from her and passed her the mojito. “Shop’s closed Mondays. Didn’t feel like hanging out at home.”

“Oh. Well, thanks for the drink, but I probably shouldn’t. I need to head out soon so I can get up early. You know what they say about worms and birds.” She could tell she sounded like she was rambling, but she couldn’t help it. It happened when she got nervous.

“So you have to be up early, which begs the question . . . What brings
you
here?” he asked.

“I didn’t have any food in my house and didn’t feel like grocery shopping.” She tried to act casual, but the way his eyes kept shifting toward her hand was making her heart pound with anxiety.

“So you chose to come to a bar on a Monday night?” he said, his dark brow arched.

“They have great chili fries and I was in the mood for something greasy and really bad for me,” she said defensively.

He nodded toward her hand with a grin that was nothing short of evil. “What were you writing? You looked like you were thinking really hard.”

“Just my . . . to-do list. I have a lot of things to do for the Extravaganza. I was trying to remember everything, but this mojito’s really getting to me. Besides, my handwriting is so messy, I can’t even read what I wrote anyway.” She swallowed and let out a nervous giggle.

“Huh. Well, if you’re feeling a little tipsy, I could finish writing it for you.”

She watched his hand creep across the table and yelped in terror. “No thanks! I think I’ll just save it for tomorrow, you know, go after it with a clear head.”

She started to slide the napkin closer to her, but quick as a snake, Chase pulled the napkin out from under her hand. Panic rose up, tightening her throat, and she cried hoarsely, “No!”

But Chase had already brought it under his nose, and those teasing eyes shifted as he scanned the first line. “‘Number one. Get purple streaks in my hair.’”

She wanted to die. She wanted to curl up in a ball and die a slow, horrible death. Grabbing her purse, she threw some bills down for Grant before bolting for the door. She couldn’t just sit there and listen to him read off each idiotic idea that had come into her head after one mojito.

Note to self: Next time you decide to make a crazy list of things you want to try someday, do it at home.

C
HASE WAS TOO
startled by Katie’s abrupt departure to stop her. He hadn’t meant to upset her; he’d only been playing around. He looked over the list again, and could see why she was so spooked. A surprised smile spread across his face as he read:

• One. Get purple streaks in my hair.
  
• Two. Get a tattoo.
  
• Three. Steal something.
  
• Four. Say the first thing that comes to mind.
  
• Five. Go skinny-dipping.
  
• Six. Go to a sex shop.
  
• Seven. Try handcuffs.
  
• Eight. Tell Jimmy exactly what I think of him.
  
• Nine. Drink and flirt too much.
  
• Ten. Have a one-night stand.
  

Chase folded up the list and put it in his pocket. Who would have thought little Miss Play by the Rules would make such a naughty list?

Smiling as he left the bar, he decided that first thing tomorrow he would call K.C.’s Salon and get an appointment with her. This was the perfect chance to satisfy his curiosity, and get over his crazy attraction to the uptight blonde.

If the only way he could get her undivided attention, and pitch his master plan to help her complete any and all of the items on her list, was to get a thirty-dollar haircut, then so be it. Besides, he couldn’t wait to see prim-and-proper Katie Connors get a little hot under her collar.

Chapter Two

K
ATIE ENJOYED HER
little salon, loved the laughs that came from being in a room with a bunch of women. She’d rented a chair in a larger salon for years, which hadn’t been cheap but was a lot less than owning her own place. The problem with renting a chair was that you had no say about who would be renting next to you, and Katie had gotten tired of the backstabbing and client stealing. She wanted to be able to choose who she worked with. She’d always planned on buying a salon someday, but she’d also planned on being married before that ever happened.

So she’d saved every tip, every extra penny to pay for a dream wedding that never happened. Instead of using her money on the perfect dress, she’d put a down payment on her house and rented the salon space from Maeve Kettle, who’d done the rinses and styles of the ladies of Rock Canyon for forty years. Katie had done some painting and updated all the equipment, but it had been hard finding beauticians and manicurists who wanted to work in such a small shop, let alone a small community. After six months, though, she had two other stylists and two manicurists who were all easygoing and worked well together, and she’d just hired Kitty the month before to help organize their schedules. Overall, K.C.’s Salon was doing great.

Katie had a pretty light day on Tuesday and was just finishing up a cut and highlight when Chase walked in. Ducking down and slinking off to the storage room seemed like the best plan, but she couldn’t leave Daphne O’Neal’s hair wet, and with her luck, someone would ask her what she was doing, thus drawing more attention to herself. She didn’t know how she would face him, though, knowing he had probably read every word on her list and laughed at her expense. She was mortified and yet ticked off that he had the nerve to poke his nose into her business.

When Chase caught her gaze, he smiled with so much sexy arrogance her cheeks burned.

“Be right with you!” she called shakily.

Turning her back on him to finish blow-drying Daphne’s hair, her eyes kept straying to his reflection in the mirror. He had on a pair of loose jeans and a blue T-shirt tight enough to show off some very drool-worthy pecs. Jimmy had been short and stocky, whereas Chase was tall, with lean muscle. He leaned over to say something to Kitty, and Katie noticed that every female eye seemed to be watching him, and if the way he flashed that pearly white smile around was any indication, the cocky jerk knew it.

Bigheaded jerk.
Showing up here with his charm and his hotness, all to tease her. Well, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of letting him fluster her. Turning off the dryer, she smiled at Daphne and said, “You’re set. See you back in a couple of months. Make sure the shampoo and conditioner you’re using is for color-treated hair, okay?”

Daphne turned her head from left to right and gushed, “Of course, Katie. You do such a good job on my hair. I love it!”

Katie smiled, although her eyes were on the hunk of juicy male resting against the reception desk, watching her every move. Turning away from the mirror and his blatant perusal, Katie grabbed her broom and started her post-appointment cleanup. Daphne left her tip on the station desk, and despite her resolve to not let him get under her skin, Katie looked over in time to see Daphne flashing him an inviting smile. Chase just nodded at her, ignoring her disappointment, and turned his unnerving gaze back on Katie. He gave her a knowing grin, and imagining what he must be thinking about, she swept harder.

When she couldn’t stall anymore, she put the small broom back and tried for casual, but it sounded a little squeaky to her ears. “Hey, Chase, what brings you by?”

Kitty, always so helpful, answered, “Oh, Chase is here for a haircut. He called this morning.”

Katie’s nerves went from frazzled to haywired. She eyed the already short strands and could tell that it hadn’t been too long since his last haircut. “Looks like you just had one.”

“Yeah? I did a few weeks ago.” He stood up and moved closer to her until she had to look up at him. She tried not to think about how good he smelled as he said, “Is it a problem that I like having my hair cut? For me, nothing feels better than having someone’s fingers run through my hair.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Well, almost nothing.”

At his suggestive words, her heart pounded like a hundred hoof beats and she tried to ignore the way his mouth tilted up in a small smile, a smile that said
I know exactly what I’m doing and you want me bad, don’t you?
The guy thought he was so irresistible.

Well, he kind of is. I mean, between the eyes, chin, and that body, who wouldn’t go a little gaga over him?

How could she be attracted to the man who had taken something so personal from her last night and was here now, teasing her, taunting her with his presence? When had she gone completely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs and started lusting after any hottie with a body no matter how despicable he may be?

Trying to regain some composure, she said, “Oh well, sure. Come on back. Do you know what you want to have done?”

“Just short on the sides and a little longer up top so I can spike it,” he said, easing into the chair of the washing sink, his lips still twisted in that annoying smirk.

Sliding the cape over him, she tried to focus on her irritation and not on his very nice lips. She turned on the water to hot, slowly decreasing the temperature until it felt good on her skin.

“All right, just let me know if it’s too hot or cold.” She ran her hands through his already short hair and over the skin of his neck, helping him lean back. She relaxed as those gorgeous eyes closed, no longer looking at her like he could see inside her head, and said, “Feel good?”

“Awesome,” he said.

Filling her hand with shampoo, Katie began to work it into his hair, using her fingers to massage the scalp and give gentle tugs on the strands. She leaned closer to him, watching his handsome face soften, and when she heard a small groan escape him as she found the two pressure points on the back of his neck she tried to remember he had read some very personal things about her and as a result, had come to her place of business to mess with her. Only a mean-spirited snake would harass someone he hardly knew.

Despite her suspicions as to why he was there, she couldn’t help noticing that he was one of the best-looking guys in town. With his mouth slightly open and his full lips looking soft, she wondered if he was a good kisser. Jimmy had been more of a bird with his kisses and it had made her crazy, until she’d finally grab him by his head to keep him still. Somehow she had a feeling Chase knew how to kiss without any direction.

I bet this is what he would look like during sex
.

“Holy shit, that is amazing. Where did you learn to do that?” His voice broke into her disturbing thoughts, rough and raspy. It was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard.

What is wrong with me? Stop thinking about him. He’s just another turd with nice eyes . . . and lips . . . okay, so his chest and arms are pretty great . . .

Pulling at his short strands again, she tried to control her hormones and prayed he wouldn’t open his eyes. The last thing she needed was for the man who had already seen a list of her biggest regrets catching her with flushed cheeks and wondering why washing his hair was getting to her. The guy was not a nice man, and he didn’t deserve her lusty thoughts. “In school, and I also got my massage therapist license. Just let me know if the pressure is too much.”

“It’s perfect,” he said, opening his eyes. She silently prayed her cheeks were no longer rosy, but if they were, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he surprised her by adding, “I actually came in to apologize. I didn’t mean to embarrass you last night. I was trying to be playful, and I crossed the line.”

Jerking her gaze up to meet his, there was no mockery on his face and he sounded sincere. Maybe she had been wrong about him and he wasn’t such a bad guy. She felt a little guilty for all the angry thoughts she’d been having about him.

She rinsed the shampoo and rubbed the conditioner in, starting the scalp massage over again. While she worked, she decided to follow her mother’s advice about graciousness and said, “Thank you for your apology. I appreciate it.”

They were both quiet for a few minutes, and she assumed it was because that was all he had needed to get off his chest. But while she was rinsing the conditioner out, he said, “I’ve been thinking about your list.”

The hand holding the sprayer slipped and she gasped in horror as the full force of water hit him smack in the face. She turned off the water quickly as he flew up spluttering, wiping water from his eyes. Grabbing a towel from the cupboard, she started patting his face dry, blurting, “Oh my God, are you okay? I didn’t mean to do that, you just . . .”

He opened one of his eyes and grimaced. “I was going to say that if you want to come by tonight, I’ll help you out with number two, but if you’re going to drown me, I take it back.”

She tried to remember what number two was. Then it clicked.
Two. Get a tattoo.

She brought down another towel from the cupboard and started drying his face and hair, avoiding his gaze. “I was just playing around when I wrote that list. Things I would never do, you know.”

He blinked both of his eyes open and grinned. “Right.”

How dare he not believe her?
Biting her tongue and counting to ten, she finished cleaning him up and said calmly, “Okay, why don’t you follow me, and we’ll get your cut started.”

She walked in front of him to her chair, aware of everyone watching them curiously, and motioned for him to sit down.

“So that list you wrote was just for fun? Stuff you would never, ever do?” he said as he slid into her chair.

“Yeah, that’s right. Just me being a lightweight,” she said, pulling out her clippers and comb.

“Huh. That’s too bad.” She couldn’t stop her head from jerking up and locking eyes with him in the mirror. “A couple of those items I’d be happy to help you out with.”

C
HASE CHUCKLED AS
she flipped on the clippers, her cheeks bright pink. She worked on him in silence and he decided to bide his time until she finished. Teasing Katie was starting to become one of his favorite activities. She’d been angry with him; even when she’d tried to hide it, he could tell, but there was something else there too. A little spark of interest maybe? Something that made him certain good girl Katie wanted to try her hand at being very, very bad.