Tony chooses that precise moment to grace us with his presence. He breezes over to me and smiles.
“Speak of the devil,” Jessie says flatly. I almost choke.
Tony regards us both for a moment. “You ladies talking about me? I’m flattered. I hope you’re saying nice things?”
“About you? Always,” Jessie purrs. She’s such an outrageous flirt!
Tony briefly glances my way and winks. I smile back at his rugged face. He is obviously pleased by the idea that we were talking about him.
Jessie notices our little interaction, and without making herself obvious, she says, “I’m off to the ladies’ room. Tony, why don’t you take Ana to the bar? I will meet you two there.”
I roll my eyes at her. Tony, on the other hand, is standing a little bit straighter. His enthusiasm is both obvious and apparently genuine. With a big, beaming smile, he looks at me and says, “I’d be happy to.”
I want to hit Jessie so badly right now—the conniving little minx. Tony is lovely and all, but I also know that he likes me in a romantic way. It’s not that he isn’t good-looking or a nice guy. He is both, strictly speaking. He has wavy light-brown hair and brown eyes. He looks a little like John Travolta with a dimple in his chin. He’s very polite and always treats me like a lady. There’s just no spark for me, though. One always needs to have a spark.
“You look exceptionally beautiful today, Miss Sinclair. That is a lovely dress you’re wearing.”
I stare at him and am about to reply when a delicious voice seems to come out of nowhere.
“Accosting my staff again, Andrews?”
I glance up and see that Jake is staring at us. I know the relief I feel due to his timely interruption must be clearly evident on my face.
“No, Captain. I was just paying Ana a compliment. Don’t you think she looks nice today? Like she always does, of course.”
My head naturally follows in Jake’s direction only to find his piercing green eyes boring into mine. My legs wobble slightly, but Tony catches me. “Whoa, steady girl. We haven’t even gone to the bar yet, and you’re already all over the place.” Tony keeps his hand on my waist, and Jake looks pissed as hell when he notices it. “Don’t worry, baby. Tony will look after you,” he says, smiling.
“Did you finish the report I asked you for?” Jake asks, glaring in Tony’s direction again.
Tony looks bewildered for a second, but then seems to remember. “It’s on my desk, Captain.”
“Well, it’s not doing anyone any good on your desk. Would you please go get it and put it in my inbox now? I’ll take Ana, and we will meet you there.”
Tony’s obviously affronted, but he nods his head in agreement and walks off, nevertheless.
Once Tony is out of earshot, Jake steps forward. “Are you okay?”
I’m a little breathless now that Jake is near me, but that is always the case. Maybe Jake thinks I am just naturally like this with people. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.
“I’m fine, thank you. Tony is just a bit excitable at times.”
Jake laughs back at my comment. “I know. That’s why I thought I would come over and see if you needed rescuing. If he’s bothering you, just let me know, and I’ll have a word with him, okay?”
I shake my head with a smile. “No, it’s fine. Really. Tony’s harmless.”
I suddenly find myself staring at him for a while, completely transfixed by this hunk of a male.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks, staring at my lips for a moment.
Jake clears the way to let me pass, allowing me to snap out of my daydream yet again. I take in a much-needed deep breath.
I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.
2
We make our way into Harley’s to find it already buzzing with lots of people. The usual Harley Davidson bike is in the bar window in all its glory. The bar itself is not actually a bikers’ bar. The owner is a man named Sam Harley, and he thought the Harley bike theme was suitable. I just think it looks cool.
As I sit on the bar stool, I notice familiar faces from the office. Most are already drinking.
“What are you having?” I look up at Jake and am a little surprised by how close he is to me.
I clear my throat and think for a moment before making my decision. “Um, I think I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.”
He smiles at me, and I almost fall off the stool. Boy, do I have it bad!
“Hey, Sam. Can I get a Bud for me and a gin and tonic for Ana, please?”
Sam smiles at us and bends down to retrieve a Bud out of the fridge. “Coming right up, Jake.”
The drinks are soon on the bar top, and Jake hands Sam a twenty. With his drink in his hand, he turns to me. “Cheers.”
I smile, returning his toast as we clink our glasses. I take a swig of my drink to steady my nerves as the close proximity of Jake’s body to my own is having an unwanted—if not unexpected—effect on me. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, that damn shirt of his, which I’m always fantasizing about, brushes against my arm, causing my pulse to skyrocket.
“How was work today?” I ask, trying to cool my nerves. My efforts to calm down are thwarted when he turns towards me, and I catch a whiff of his aftershave. Without even meaning to, I close my eyes, trying to capture and memorize the scent for as long as possible.
Jake frowns. “Same shit, different day. And what about you? Are you okay?”
“Me?” I shriek. “I’m fine. I guess I’m just a little tired. I don’t know why.”
“Are you sick?” he asks with a worried frown. He lifts his hand to touch my forehead. As I watch it move towards my head, I forget to breathe.
My God, what is this man doing to me?
As his skin touches mine, a fire like none I’ve ever felt before races through my veins and burns me from the inside out. It almost feels like my blood is boiling as it all seems to flow directly to the one place I know it shouldn’t. Longing in the pit of my stomach grips me with such force that it almost knocks the wind out of me. I can’t bear this feeling. I must get him to stop touching me at all costs. I lift my hand, touching his as I move it away from me. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Honestly.” I give him a weak smile because I’m fully aware that my cheeks must be a scarlet red right now. God only knows what he must be thinking.
Jake stares at me for just a moment, and he allows his hand to simply remain in mine. Silence descends as the air crackles around us. It’s almost as if I’m in another world where only he and I exist. He swallows hard, and I notice his Adam’s apple bob as he inadvertently grips my hand a little tighter than necessary. I gasp, unable to keep my emotions in check. He is only touching my hand, and yet I am a lust-filled mess due to the feelings evoked by that simple contact.
Upon witnessing my reaction, however, he releases his grip and clears his throat. He even looks embarrassed. “As long as you’re feeling okay.” He rigidly faces the bar, and the moment is immediately lost. It’s as if he can’t stand to look at me now.
“I’m fine. Really.” Jake tries to glance my way, but it’s obvious that something is stopping him. There is a brief second filled with an obligatory nod and smile, but soon, his eyes are fixed dead ahead. I gulp and take a few more sips, but I soon realize that this isn’t going to help the situation. Luckily, Jessie and Tony walk in just in time to save the day—or night as the case may be.