Page 37 of Armed ’N’ Ready

She set the last of the candles on one of the tables, then looked around the room with satisfaction. Everything was set for tonight. There wasn’t anything left to do except wait for her musician.

Barry Schultz had been playing at a club in Boston when she’d first heard him. She’d been instantly drawn to his combination of contemporary, crowd-pleasing songs everyone was familiar with and his own original music. Barry was a one-man show, alternating between the piano and the guitar. She’d invested a fair amount in advertising, and it had paid off. The DPC had nearly sold out in advance. There was still a chance this live entertainment gig could carry her through until Joe showed up and exonerated her. Otherwise… I can’t fail. I won’t.

Across the room, Nick cleared away a few plates and glasses from a table, then carried them to a bin. She liked how he pitched in when things got busy. As she watched him head for the bar, she couldn’t stop staring.

A black T-shirt stretched tightly across his back as he leaned over to deposit the dirty dishes in the bin. Faded jeans cupped his perfect ass and long legs.

Several women twisted their necks to check him out. One of them said something to him, and he walked over. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but all the women were grinning like idiots. Even Nick was smiling as he carried on what she assumed was an inane, flirtatious conversation. One of the women handed him her business card. He accepted the card and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. As he disappeared into the kitchen, the women leaned in to whisper amongst each other, giggling.

A spurt of unwanted jealousy shot up her spine. The Napkin Girls now had business cards. Groaning, she shook her head. She had no business tallying the number of times he’d been hit on.

Tucking the empty tray under her arm, she went to the bar and stowed it away. When she turned around, Nick was carrying a plate loaded with fries and a panini, something she’d learned was his favorite food.

With his free hand, he tugged the business card from his back pocket and surprised her by dropping it in the trash container under the bar. “Any calls?” He nodded at the phone clipped to her waist.

“No.” She lifted her chin, incensed that he’d think she would keep something that important from him, and secretly pleased that he’d trashed the card.

When she began to walk away, he reached out to rest his hand on her bare shoulder.

“Hold on.” The second his fingers contacted her skin, delicious tendrils of heat swirled up her neck, warming her face. “I didn’t mean anything by that.”

“Hey, Nick.” Tess squeezed past them and grabbed the soda dispenser, filling a glass with seltzer.

“Hey.” He smiled, dropping his hand then heading to the other side of the bar. Along the way, he cast Andi a quizzical look over his shoulder.

Shit. I’m turning into a b-i-t-c-h.

Andi watched as he popped a fry in his mouth.

Tess leaned in. “I know you’ve sworn off men for all eternity, so what’s going on between you two?”

“What do you mean?” She really didn’t want to have this conversation.

“You know exactly what I mean.” Tess urged her away from the bar and out of Nick’s earshot. “Two weeks ago, I catch you guys in not one but two torrid embraces hot enough to fry an egg. Since then, you’ve been avoiding each other, but you both look like you’re ready to rip each other’s clothes off.”

“That is not true.” But it was, a little, and she was embarrassed that others had picked up on it. On her emotions, anyway. He probably hadn’t given her another thought since the night he’d nearly kissed her. “If he wants to get laid while he’s here, I’m sure he’s got a long list of Napkin Girls waiting beside their phones for him to call.”

“Puh-lease, girlfriend.” Tess crossed her arms over her sequined tank top. “Marty, Kara, Zoe, and I have a betting pool as to when the two of you are gonna quit with the foreplay and just do it.”

More heat crept up her neck to her face as she dragged Tess outside onto the deck. Luckily, it was still so hot only a few tables had customers. “Nothing is happening between us. Nothing.”

Tess laughed. “I know I warned you to be careful around him, but I really think the feeling is mutual on his part.”

“What feeling? The only feeling he has for me is the hope that I cooperate with his investigation.”

“Are you blind? He can’t keep his eyes off you. As soon as your back is turned, he watches your every move.”

“Yeah, but not for the reason you think. He’s only keeping tabs on me so he doesn’t miss me taking another call from Joe.”

“Honey,” she continued, “that’s not the only reason he keeps tabs on you. Trust me. Hunky, gorgeous guys like him who actually have brains don’t come along every day. For a cop, he might be all right after all.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Andi shook her head. “He’s off-limits to me, and I’m off-limits to him.”

“And why is that?” Tess prodded.

“For starters, I’m still a suspect he thinks may be helping Joe. And my personal rule still stands. No. Men.” At least until one she could trust again came along.

“If he really believed you were a suspect, I don’t think he’d be making with the touchy-feely so much with you. What else you got?”