Winter's Path: (A Seasmoke Friends Novel) (19 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jenny

I
had a toothbrush and shampoo at his house. And not in the guestroom. No, in Matt’s bathroom. I also had, on his insistence, a couple changes of clothes and panties in an extra drawer. With the bar closed Sundays and Mondays, we’d agreed I’d sleep over on those nights and keep the Wednesday dinners since I went in late that day. Matt liked the routine of it. I liked being with him any chance I could.

Filling a Miller tap order on Tuesday evening, I winced at the woman on stage doing karaoke.
These Boots Were Made for Walking
would never sound the same again. Alas,  I cheered when she finished.

Rock came up behind me. “I can’t believe you’re getting laid and I’m not.”

Laughing, I passed the frosted mug to the customer and collected change. “Maybe if you weren’t so picky.” With the orders caught up, I turned to face him. “What do you really think?” I kept my voice low enough to avoid stray ears. We’d briefly talked before opening, but he had been pretty mum on the subject. Matt hadn’t wanted our friends and family to know, but I needed to talk to Rock, and he knew most of the story.

“About you and Matt?” He shrugged. “I told you to go for it. He’s got appeal. I’d do him.”

Laughing, I smacked his chest. “That’s saying a lot, considering you’re even pickier about your male partners than female.” Rock’s door swung both ways, thus he was the perfect person with which to discuss sex. “You know, he and Amber didn’t work out. Had a couple dates. No chemistry.”

One brow quirked. “I’d hope not, seeing as you two are bumping uglies.” He scanned the counter to check customers, then looked at me. “What’s Amber got to do with it?”

“It means she’s still available.” I ignored his narrowed eyes and tilted my head. “You’ve had your eye on her. Ask her out.”

He barked a laugh. “Don’t think she’d go for the likes of me. Thanks, though.”

“She just walked in. Go ask her. Find out.”

His head jerked toward the door. His gaze tracked her to the bar, appreciation heating the depths. “Not happening.”

“Why? Too good for her?”

“Other way around, Jen-Jen.” He tugged my hair. “Your guy just walked in, as well. He’s eyeing us as we speak, and he’s not convinced there’s nothing sexual between us. I’m tempted to give him a show for making you wait so long. Rear his green-eyed monster.”

Keeping my eyes on Rock was difficult. What was Matt doing here on a Tuesday? “I don’t like games, and he doesn’t either. I’m not interested in making him jealous.” I poked his granite chest. “And stop with the not good enough shit. Grow a pair and ask Amber out.”

Not waiting for his comeback, I moved to Amber while Rock headed toward Matt. I leaned on the counter, assessing her outfit. She must’ve come from work as she was in a blue suit that matched her eyes. “Heard it didn’t work out with Matt. I’m sorry.”

She smiled and shrugged. “No chemistry. It happens. We work well together. I’ll go sit with him when I get a drink. I didn’t see him here at first.” She glanced around. “There’s enough single guys here to choose from, if I wanted, right?”

I grinned even as my evil mind started clicking. “True. Want some advice?”

Her smile didn’t falter as she nodded. “Lay it on me.”

Tilting my chin, I indicated she should look behind me. When her gaze scanned and apparently located Rock, she bit her lip. Her cheeks flamed red. Oh yeah. Interested.

I poured her a glass of wine as I spoke. “I’d bet my tip jar tonight Rock wouldn’t say no if you flirted. Just sayin’.” And to give a gal a hand, I set the wine down for her and gestured for her to move seats.

Both Matt and Rock acknowledged her with a nod when she took a stool next to Matt. I gave Amber
the eye
, and she took the hint, engaging Rock in conversation.

“Hey.” Matt took a sip of beer, watching me over the rim, and smiled. “Would it be clingy and unmanly to say I missed you today?”

Be still my pathetic heart. “Not if you mean it.”

“I mean it.” His brow wrinkled after a customer called my name and followed it with a catcall. “Competition?” His gaze hardened.

“Ha.” I turned to find one of my regulars. Harmless guy, but he still needed to be taught a lesson. “What’s up, Kit?”

“Me for you, that’s what’s up.” The guys on his construction crew around him laughed. And Kit was halfway past plowed.

Matt’s hand fisted on the counter, and Rock tensed on my other side. I nodded to Rock to let him know I had the situation and to signal it was time to cut off Kit’s alcohol.

“Come on, baby. What’s your sign? Give a guy a break.”

Matt mumbled something about breaking a certain anatomy part, but I shoved off the bar and leaned in close to Kit. “You want my sign...
baby?
”

Kit grunted at my sultry tone, jaw hanging open.

I pulled a pen from my pocket and took his hand, writing as I kept eye contact. “There you go. Now, be sure to take heed.”

“What’s it say, man?” Others joined his friends, wanting to know what I’d scrawled on his hand.

Rolling my eyes, I stood in front of Matt again. “Some guys never learn.”

Matt’s jaw worked a grind. This protective jealousy thing was kinda cute on him. And unexpected.

Kit harrumphed. “Stop, it says.”

The bar roared in laughter.

Matt relaxed, a smile teasing his full lips. “Do I get a different sign?”

I wrote on his hand as patrons called me on stage for a song. “Coming!” Clicking the pen, I winked and ducked under the flap to head to the karaoke machine. On the way, I tapped the kitchen door to alert Antonio I would be singing, since my cook liked to listen.

Once I took the mic, I glanced at Matt, whose mischievous grin and carnivore gaze felled me. Guess he liked my sign for him.
Caution: Slippery when wet.

“What are we in the mood for?” I asked the crowd, paging through the song list book. “We’ve got a couple ballads here.” This earned me boos and tossed popcorn. I laughed. “Only kidding. Simmer down.” I was in a feisty mood tonight. “Country?” A couple cheers. “Not very emphatic on that. Okay, let’s see. I think we’re after a little
hard
rock, yeah?” The patrons went nuts with applause.

I locked gazes with Rock, knowing he’d be thinking the same thing as me. “Bartender’s choice. Whatcha say, Rock? AC/DC or Def Leopard?”

He made a point to look at Matt for several long beats, earning a curious gaze from him. Rock crossed his arms over his massive chest, his slow grin saying enough. “I do believe AC/DC fits the bill.”

I purred. “Naughty, naughty creature.” Punching the code into the machine, I debated just how seductive I was going to go with this act tonight. And hell. Why not? I was flying high from several orgasms and my guy was at the bar watching me. With a nod, I pushed start.

The first strings of the electric guitar started to play, and my patrons went bonkers.

Matt’s lips pressed together to fail miserably at hiding a grin. He swiped a hand down his face and laughed.

I sang the first chorus, walking between the tables, rolling my hips, hand fisting in my hair. By the time I got to the refrain, I could tell the crowd was itching to scream
Shook Me All Night Long
right along with me. And did.

Rock must’ve sensed an issue. He indicated he wanted me closer, so I stepped onto the bar for the rest of the song. Finishing with a heated flourish, I bowed at the cheers.

“Thank you.” I tossed the mic to a customer wanting to go up after me, and turned to Rock as I caught my breath. Hands on my hips, he helped me off the bar to the floor. “What’s up? Trouble?”

“Naw. Just couldn’t see you well enough. Felt better with you up here.”

I nodded and carefully glanced at Matt, not sure what to expect.

Damn. My heartbeat was gearing toward stroke. His flared nostrils and I-want-you-now stare had me debating voyeurism. Who knew my carefully controlled best friend had all this inside him? Cool and collected on the surface, politely friendly with people, and an animal behind closed doors. Not that he hadn’t taken me in a slow seduction either, but the look he was shooting me said his beast was barely caged.

The background faded to white noise as I leaned on the bar, face inches from his. “Thanks for the song inspiration.”

His chest rose and fell rather rapidly, and when he pushed words past his throat, they were scraped with sandpaper. “I’m not going to be able to walk for a week if you don’t follow me home.” At my raised brows, he nodded. “Yeah, I’m that hard.” His gaze skimmed my face, brows furrowed. “What in the hell are you doing to me?”

“Nothing yet, but give me an hour.” Except I knew that wasn’t what he meant, and a tendril of worry slithered into the happy place I’d been existing in for a week.

Matt

T
he woman was killing me. Killing. Me. Dead.

If it wasn’t the strike-me-now bartender/musician side of her personality taking up all available retail space in my head, her sweater-wearing, endearing, generous side managed to complete the task. One minute she was my best friend, making me laugh until I required a respirator, the next she was taking me inside her body with reckless abandon and...making me require a respirator.

For all intents and purposes, we were a normal couple. We shared meals, snuggled after mind-blowing sex, talked all the time. But none of this felt normal to me. I don’t know if that was because it was Jenny or if the blame lay on the fact I hadn’t truly had anything close to a real relationship before. There had been lovers, girlfriends, potentials, yet nothing in this kind of realm. Not like the balance Jenny and I had.

And something was bothering her. She sat across my kitchen table from me, picking at her food. Despite her incredibly petite size, she could eat me under the table. Not tonight. I wondered if she was having doubts, too. If she was experiencing the annoying, needling sensation that something was wrong. Because, shit. We felt too right together.

My appetite started to diminish as the silence grew. Setting my fork down, I ignored the casserole and sipped my wine.

She quietly cleared her throat. “How about we go out next week for dinner?” Her gaze remained on her plate as if unable to look me in the eye.

I thought it through, but I liked having her alone. These quiet dinners were the best damn part of my week. “What’s wrong with what we’re doing?” I thought about a joke regarding my cooking—another thing I enjoyed, cooking for her—but her face paled and abject misery hit her eyes.

“Okay.” Her forced smile had dinner curdling in my stomach. “What do you have planned for the housewarming party on Saturday? Do you need help with anything?”

Not liking her tone or the topic change, I went through my mental checklist. My parents, along with Ian’s and Rick’s, would be here, as well as the Seasmoke friends. Amber and Rock had been added to the guest list. I went the easy route and ordered food platters from a caterer. The maid service would be by that morning to clean.

“I think I’m set. Just bring your lovely self.” I studied her expression with the precision of a shrink, but she wasn’t giving me anything to work with. “Everything okay?”

She rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. Just tired, I guess.”