Irresistible Force (16 page)

She shook her head, afraid if she spoke lust would coat her words with too much meaning.

When he put his arm around her anyway and pulled her in against him, a hurricane couldn’t have forced her to move even one inch away from his muscular warmth.

Pushing through the door of the restaurant, they were met by the lights, noise, and crowded warmth of Raleigh TGIFers in full happy-hour mode. Surprisingly, a waitress with menus in hand waved them right in. She led them through the long, narrow establishment with a bar running the full length of the right wall and tables and booths filling the left. The aisle was clogged with patrons who, having spent the day at desks or in cubicles, preferred standing at the bar to sitting, while a thumping bassline filled the air with a heartbeat rhythm. The back room was less crowded only because the bar didn’t reach that far.

“What’ll it be, folks?”

Shay pointed to the beer menu for James’s benefit. “This place carries beer from practically every brewery in North Carolina. Should be something there you’ll like.”

He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m driving a government vehicle. But you go ahead.”

Shay looked up at the waitress. “Two O’Doul’s, please.” She didn’t glance at James for fear of what she might see in his expression, perhaps gratitude she’d chosen to share a nonbeer with him. She wasn’t certain she could handle any more positive vibes from him without embarrassing them both in public.

Her phone rang. It was Angie.

“Did he find you?”

“Hi. Yeah. Thanks.”

“You sneak. He’s gorgeous! Is he really a policeman?”

“That’s right.” Shay didn’t look James’s way because she didn’t want him to know she was talking about him.

“Where are you? I hear music. And people. Is he taking you out?”

“I’m grabbing a burger.”

“Is that safe, taking him out in public? Half the single female population of Raleigh will be on the prowl tonight. You are dressed to impress, right?”

Shay frowned. “Let me call you later.”

“I hope you can’t call back until tomorrow. And I’ll want details.”

Shay hung up and glanced around the room. Angie was right. The crowd was young, and hip, and dressed to mate. By comparison she looked, well, dull.

She stood up. “If you’ll excuse me a minute.”

James reached for her wrist as she popped up out of her chair. “You are coming back?”

She smiled. “I haven’t eaten all day. Order me a burger?”

He let her go with a grin.

Shay pushed into the ladies’ room. When she caught a good look at herself in a mirror, she groaned out loud. She looked like a repressed librarian. But it was exactly because she hadn’t wanted to attract attention at work, in case Eric did show up, that she’d been dressing down. The only not-ugly thing about her outfit was the sexy camisole she wore underneath her suit to make her feel better about herself.

She took off her jacket and rolled up the waistband of her skirt until four full inches of her legs were visible above the knee. The floating hem of her camisole hung loose, hiding the extra material at her waist. Nothing she could do about her sensible heels. No, wait! She kept a pair of cute flats in her bag. She fished out a pair of silver ballet flats. Okay, where was her makeup?

“Here, try this.” The young woman next to her had opened a full bag of makeup. Dressed in frayed denim short shorts, a Mickey Mouse muscle shirt, and western booties, she held out a teal mascara wand. “It goes with everything, trust me.”

“Thanks but I found mine.” Shay pulled out her old reliable black and began touching up her lashes.

The woman persisted. “I saw your date when you came in. He’s hot.”

Shay smiled. “Yeah. He is.” She reached into her bag for lipstick.

“You so need this.” She offered Shay an eyeliner pencil. “I mean that in a good way. You’ve got amazing eyes but your mascara needs a little help. Here let me show you.”

Shay didn’t know why she was letting a stranger line her eyes but it was sort of fun to have someone fussing over her. She checked herself in the mirror. “Thanks.”

The woman grinned. “Anything to help a girl with a hunk in hand. I’m Carly.”

“Shay.”

“He’s not from around here. I know all the local guys. I’d surely remember him.”

“He’s from Charlotte.” Shay wondered why she was giving away information to this stranger. Except that she’d been really friendly and helpful.

“Known him long?” When Shay hesitated, Carly grinned and laid a hand on her arm. “I know, I’m being nosy but you make such a cute couple. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

Shay returned to her reflection. Okay, her hair needed work. She unclipped her bun and pulled a comb through the heavy fall of dark hair, then smoothed out her bangs.

James’s eyes widened in interest as Shay came toward him. In place of her business jacket she wore a skimpy little green tank top with a plunging neckline edged in some sort of sparkly beads. And her skirt was definitely shorter, revealing long curvy legs. She’d let down her hair and it fell over her shoulders like a dark shiny waterfall. Her lips were pink, but not shellacked with that gooey kind of gloss that made him feel like his lips were going to slide off a woman’s face when he tried to kiss her.

Best of all, a shy little smile tugged her mouth. She wanted him to be pleased. So he wasn’t about to admit that, nice as she looked, he preferred her makeupless and in a ponytail, jeans, and scuffed boots. Or, better yet, nothing.

He lifted his mock beer in a little salute. “Nice.”

“Thank you.” She slid into the chair and picked up her own order. “So, why are you really here?”

James gave his head a little shake. She had a directness that most women he knew wouldn’t know how to pull off. At least he was never in doubt about where he stood with her.

He, on the other hand, was feeling downright underhanded. He couldn’t keep his mind on his mission when she was offering him an unrestricted view of the cleft between the twin swells of her breasts.

He crossed his legs under the table to cover his need to reposition himself. One glance into her big dark eyes and he knew he was going to lie a little longer about why he was here.

“It’s like this. You’ve stolen my partner’s heart. He can’t concentrate at work. He’s agitated at home. He won’t even eat my cooking anymore. You ruined him for anything beyond fried oysters and corn muffins.”

“Is that so?” Was that humor sparking in her dark eyes?

“Absolutely. Bogart’s a simple sort. He likes a good meal. Hard work. Hard play. A little cuddle. And a nice soft place to put his head at the end of the day.”

James would just about swear he saw her struggling to hold back a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

She leaned back in her chair and folded her arms under her very nice bosom. “Don’t you think you’re interfering in something that isn’t your business?”

“Everything about my partner is my business. He can’t speak up for himself so I have to. Are you serious about him? Because if you’re not, you need to back off and let the poor boy be.”

“Isn’t that sweet?”

A waitress neither of them had noticed stood by the table with their orders.

She gave Shay’s shoulder a little bump with her elbow. “You don’t find many men who’d go to the trouble of looking out for a friend that way.” She looked at James. “What kind of partners are you?”

“We’re police, ma’am.”

“And your friend is sweet on this young lady?”

“That’s how it appears to me.” James gave the waitress a by-the-book expression. “She took him in and won his total devotion. Since they parted he just doesn’t know what to do with himself.”

Shay was biting back laughter now. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

“No, now, hon. He’s just being honest.” The waitress put a hand on James’s shoulder. “I know neither of you are asking, and it certainly isn’t my business, but I was married to a police officer for a lot of years. They tend to be moody and men of few words. But that’s all right if he loves you and you love him. He’ll show his feeling in other ways.”

Shay lost the battle with her laughter. “I get great big slobbering kisses every time I see him.”

“Hm, maybe you can teach him a little better way to go at it, if that’s not something you like. I find most men are eager to please a woman they care about.” She looked at James. “Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, ma’am.” James’s gaze remained on Shay, fascinated by her laughter.

“Here you go. Now, I have two orders of bacon cheeseburgers with onion rings.” She set the plates before them. “All set?”

Shay nodded at the waitress.

“What about you, Myles Standish?” The waitress winked at Shay.

James looked up. “I’m good.”

When the waitress had moved on, James looked at Shay. “What was that about?”

Shay picked up her burger and took a bite. She wasn’t about to tell him. Besides, the waitress had gotten the reference backward.

James reached for his phone. “I’m going to look it up. Miles who?”

“Myles Standish. Pilgrims? What? Did you sleep through American history?”

Shay put down her burger and turned toward him. “Myles Standish and this other guy, John somebody, were in love with the same woman. Only John didn’t do anything about it because Myles was his friend. But one day, Myles asks John to go plead his case, because he’s too shy to do it himself. The lady hears John out, about what a great guy Myles is and how much he likes her, and then says, ‘Speak for yourself, John.’”

“So, what happened next?” James gave her a slow sexy grin that betrayed he knew the answer.

Shay rolled her eyes, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of making her say it. “Can’t remember. Probably Myles and John ran off together and lived happily ever after.”

James’s laughter made the table shake.

Shay joined in, and felt the weight of the week slide away.

Conversation came to a near halt until all that remained on their plates were smears of ketchup, mustard, and crumbs.

Shay looked up from her empty plate and glanced around in search of the source of the live music that was starting up. Instead, she spied the woman who called herself Carly standing at the near end of the bar. She had been staring at their table. Caught in the act, she lifted her beer bottle in salute and then turned her back.

Shay bit her lip as familiar alarm bells jangled in her head. Why was a stranger so interested in how her date was going? Something told her it was more than mere curiosity. She glanced again at the bar. Carly was talking to a guy.

She scanned the room again, this time looking for hints of something not right. Had Eric sent someone to spy on her? Or was he here now, lurking in the crowd? Waiting for … for what?

Shay glanced away. Oh God! That sounded totally paranoid, even after the day she’d had. She was losing it. More likely that Carly person was one of those female predator drones who got their kicks from targeting another woman’s man. She’d certainly tried to pry personal information about James out of her. Where was he from? How long had they known each other? Now that she thought about it—

“Something wrong?”

Shay was surprised to find James gazing intently at her. “No, just thinking.” She leaned in a little, hoping to block his view of the bar. “Sorry.”

He reached out and ran a finger over her upper lip. “You have a smear of mustard.”

Vibrating from his touch, she reached up and carefully wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Better?”

“The view from here is great.”

Right. We’re on a date. Not part of some thriller movie.

But the mood was spoiled. Shay could feel herself sliding back into her protective shell. It was a short trip from unease to suspicion before her acutely tuned protective instincts slammed into overdrive. No, no, not tonight.

She looked across at James, using his open honest gaze to shock her heart back into its regular rhythm. Nice guy. No, great guy. He deserved better than her. She didn’t doubt he would find that better woman without much effort. “You date a lot?”

He chuckled. “I’m not a horn dog.”

“But you’re dating someone?”

His expression sobered. “Maybe. I’ll know more if she says yes to seeing me tomorrow.”

Shay looked away, embarrassed that she didn’t have enough experience to successfully flirt with a man who made her want to flee one minute, and jump him the next. Her reactions to him were too strong to control.

She shifted her gaze back to the bar. Carly was gone. That should have made her breathe easier but it didn’t. She needed to get out of here.

James had been watching Shay all evening, absorbing details like the fact that for the past few minutes she kept glancing nervously over at the bar. At first, he thought she was on the lookout for someone. Maybe Eric. Then he saw the dirty blonde in Daisy Dukes lift her beer in salute. Shay’s reaction had been to go as pale as his tighty whities. That didn’t make any sense.

On second inspection the blonde wasn’t as young as she first appeared to be. And there was something about her attitude. Then he had it. Cop. It was difficult to shed the posture of a law enforcement officer once it had been learned. This woman was, or had been, on the job. He’d swear to it. That didn’t explain Shay’s reaction to her.

What are your secrets, Shay?

He reached for her hand, as it lay on the table by her plate. His warm palm slid over the back of her cool hand, covering it entirely. “You want to tell me why you need protection? Is it Eric?”

Shay hesitated. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen him in action. Was he abusive throughout your relationship?”

The warmth in her eyes died, and her whole body visibly tensed. She pulled her hand away. “Are you asking as a friend, or a police officer?”

She had asked him that question once before. His answer was still the same. “Whatever you need to be comfortable.”

She stared at him for several seconds, no doubt trying to decide how much to trust him.

“Not here. Okay?” She began looking around as if she couldn’t wait to get out of the restaurant.

He stood up. “Then let’s get the hell out of here.”