Page 31 of Playing for Keeps

Seeing her earlier damn near killed me. It took everything in me not to grab her by the cheeks and crush my lips to hers. Her apple blossom scent alone made my knees weak, the feel of her soft skin against my fingers enough to bring me to my knees.

I walked away from her like a coward, and it took everything in me not to slam my fist into the wall and return to my sister's apartment to take back what once was mine.

What would always be mine.

I missed her so much, and that one little touch wasn't enough. But I had to leave. I only stopped by Vivian’s as a quick favor, so she could get my measurements to get started on my tux. This meeting had been weighing on me since Lee called me two days ago, and I needed to get it over with so I could move on with my life.

Lee held his hands up to me in surrender, the sneer dropping from his face, being promptly replaced with the respect I deserved.

Because the one thing he didn’t know about me? What I was capable of.

My father always loved to impart his wisdom upon his children.

Know when to hold back and when to fire.

Don’t appear too eager. Let your adversary think you don’t need what they have, and they’ll be more than happy to adjust their terms.

Or my personal favorite: Let your enemies see what they think they want to see while you hide the truth.

“So why don't you tell me why you brought me here?” I said, gesturing to the bar around us. The sound of men’s laughter and talking rose up over the clink of glasses, the hiss of the grill, and the Celtic rock music coming from the speakers near the empty stage. It wasn’t my favorite bar in the city, but I’d been here enough.

As if to prove it, the black-haired waitress wearing a flared mini-skirt, a midriff-baring black halter, and these thigh-high boots, came sashaying over to the booth with a tray held at her shoulder. She swung it down toward the table, sliding a beer stein toward Lee before she dropped a tumbler of Jameson in front of me.

“You let me know if you need anything else, okay, sugar?” Her breathy voice was soft, probably as soft as the hand she ran across Lee’s shoulder and chest. Before she walked away, her fingers trailed across the copper hair covering the big man’s face, pausing to trace the outline of his lips with her thumb. She licked her lips as she stared down at him, then popped her thumb into her mouth, giving it a gentle suck as her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. She released a delicate sigh, winked at the man, and turned on one narrow, pointed heel.

Lee’s eyes were glued to the alluring sway of Carina’s hips as she glided away. His lips parted and his eyebrows rose as the girl bent over to pick up a napkin off the floor. I didn’t need to watch her to know what he saw; I’d seen this show plenty of times before. And just like all those times, her performance had the desired effect.

Emerald green eyes swung back to me. They were dilated and sparkling like jewels.

His skin was flushed and his hands clutched at the table like he was trying to control himself.

His tongue flicked out to wet his lips and he swallowed hard as he grabbed for his stein.

Three long swallows of beer, half the glass down his throat.

Lee shook his head and ran a thick hand over his short copper hair. After another swig from his stein, he looked across the booth at me.

Two full minutes to recover.

It was better than the last three guys.

“Where were we?” Lee asked after clearing his throat.

“Why am I here, Lee?”

“Two things,” he said, leaning forward and speaking in a low voice. His eyes flicked to the right, no doubt catching on Carina as she leaned over the nearby table to flirt with one of her customers. “I, uh...”

I gave him time. Carina was beautiful, and her breasts were nearly spilling out of the black halter as she continued her show.

Her hand traced down between her breasts.

Her fingers caressed her bare skin as they slid to the low waistband of her skirt.

In years past, I might have watched her, enjoyed the beautiful woman who knew how to tempt the men who sat across from me to the point they couldn’t think straight. But this time, I didn’t. This time, I kept my eyes on Lee as images of Jen flickered through my mind.

When the emeralds came back, Lee took another swig of his beer and gave his head a slight shake.

He was good, this one.