He felt Rusty’s judgmental gaze on him, and he lifted his eyes to confirm. She looked down right pissed. Maybe she was jealous. Yeah, right, pal. Why would she be jealous of a woman throwing herself at you? She can’t stand the sight of you.
“So, what do you say we pay the check and head over to your place, Lehman,” Luke suggested. “Hope that hot tub’s all ready.”
“I thought we could stop by the Red Door,” Claudia said, straightening and pressing her breast against him again. “They have a band on Friday nights. We can have a few more drinks and then go to Brad’s.”
“That sounds like a great time,” Lehman agreed, frowning when the waitress set the check beside him.
Luke could have been a gentleman and offer to split the check with him, but he was having way too much fun watching the guy as he mentally checking the addition. “You can afford it, right, Lehman? I’ll get it the next time.”
Rusty glared at Luke. Obviously she didn’t think he’d behaved like a gentleman either.
Lehman looked sheepishly at each of the women before digging his wallet out of his suit jacket and laying his credit card down with a brittle sigh. “Sure, Galloway, I got it.”
The honky tonk, or whatever the Red Door was called, was smoky and noisy, and Rusty couldn’t help but think her mink coat would be ruined after tonight. But she sat in the rickety folding chair with a forced smile and tried to pretend she was enjoying hearing the band play and watching the people dance. She didn’t dare complain.
If she did happen to open her mouth to voice an aversion to her surroundings, Luke would only be too happy to tell her how she thought she was too good for the place. So, button lipped she remained. She refused to give him the satisfaction.
Besides, she wasn’t too good to be here, she simply wasn’t used to places like this, she thought. Her idea of a nice evening out was a quiet dinner, followed by soft music. Perhaps a piano bar, or jazz bar, not this head banger atmosphere that was giving her a headache.
“Dance with me, Luke,” Claudia purred, trailing a fingernail across his cheek.
Couldn’t she keep her hands, mouth and oversized breasts to herself? Rusty wondered. She’d been coming on to Luke all evening, when she hadn’t been monopolizing Brad that is. The woman didn’t seem to care that people were staring. Or were they?
Maybe it’s only me who is staring, she told herself, still feeling a pang of jealousy and hating herself because of it. She had no reason to be jealous. She was not interested in Luke Galloway in any way, shape or form. Claudia Cross was more than welcome to him.
Luke allowed himself to be dragged away by the blonde haired, blue- eyed vixen and onto the wood dance floor.
Brad touched Rusty’s arm, and it was the first time she’d noticed him since their arrival twenty minutes ago. “Let’s give a try,” he said, nodding toward the couples who seemed to be having fun bouncing and jerking, and bumping and grinding to the music.
Other than an occasional two-step or waltz, she had never danced with a man. Not to anything so primitive sounding, anyway. But she refused to be a party pooper. Smiling, she said, “I’d love to.”
Brad led her to a space close to Luke and Claudia and dropped her hand so he could throw his arms in the air and stomp his feet on the floor. His nostrils flared and his face turned all serious. He looked like a bull getting ready to charge.
Rusty swayed her hips in time to the music, barely concentrating on her date. She was too busy watching Luke and Claudia. The woman’s red leather skirt was so short it barely covered the tops of her thighs, and every time she dipped her knees, the leather climbed even higher. Rusty prayed the hussy had had the sense to wear panties. The low cut sequin tank she wore showed a good amount of cleavage. Her enhanced breasts barely jiggled in spite of her movements.
She grew a tad claustrophobic as the dance floor filled with more sweaty bodies, but she refused to give in to her abhorrence. Instead, she forced herself to relax and go with the flow. Picking up her arms, she flung them in the air and jerked her hips from side to side. After a minute or so, she decided she was actually having fun.
Luke’s gaze crawled up and down the length of her, and his mouth hung open, but she paid him no mind. Flinging her hair off her shoulders, she spun around and lost herself in the music.
She hadn’t noticed the song had ended and a slower one had begun until Brad reached for her, pulling her into his arms. But she barely paid attention to Brad because she was suddenly focused on the way Claudia was draped over Luke. The woman deliberately guided his hands to her butt as she planted tiny kisses on his neck and throat. It was all too much to watch, and yet she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
Until she felt a pair of hands kneading her own butt. Rusty quickly stepped away from Brad and was about to reprimand him, when she realized she’d backed into Luke.
“Ready to switch partners, Lehman?” Luke asked, handing Claudia over to Brad.
Luke’s arms came around Rusty, and held her close. “This double dating thing is kinda fun,” he said against her ear. “I get to spend time with two beautiful women in the same night.”
“Is that what you call it? Spending time? The way you and Claudia were molded to each other I naturally assumed one or both of you were going to get naked right here in public.”
“Jealous because your date isn’t spending enough time trying to seduce you?”
“No. I’m not jealous, and neither do I want to be seduced or mauled, especially in a place like this,” she said, turning her nose up in disgust.
Luke chuckled and tightened his hold around her waist. She wished his hands didn’t feel so good, so warm, so masculine. It almost made her forget the room smelled of smoke and body odor.
“I was wondering how long it would take before you showed your true colors. All those smiles and polite little comments all evening didn’t fool me one bit. I know the real you, Rusty, and I bet you can’t wait to get out of here, go home, and scrub the stench off your creamy white skin.”
Rusty didn’t bother arguing with him. Instead, she changed the subject. “Claudia seems to like you. A lot.”
“Yep.”
She searched his face, his eyes, all the while trying to appraise his thoughts. “And?”
“What do you want me to say? That I find her attractive?” He shrugged. “I find her very attractive. But I’ve been down that road. It’s a dead end street as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh.”
“Oh?”
“So you and Claudia were once involved in a relationship?” she asked, trying to sound casual.
“I guess you could say that.”
“How long did you … date?”
“A few weeks, maybe a few months. I really don’t remember. It was last year sometime.”
“You don’t remember? Do you think all women are so eager to jump into bed with you that you can just write them off afterward without a care in the world?” She was surprised she was coming to Claudia’s defense, but someone had to put this man in his place.
“Not all women.”
“Really? Name one you didn’t write off.”
He stopped moving, and stared down at her. “Let’s not go there, okay? I haven’t given you the third degree about who you’ve slept with, have I?”
“That’s because it’s none of your business.” She pulled out of his arms, turned and ran smack into one of the biggest and smelliest men she’d ever encountered.
The man grinned at her with crooked yellow teeth. “Nice,” he said, ogling her and rubbing his gray-streaked beard.
Rusty moved around him and headed back to their table, Luke on her heels.
“And who I’ve slept with is your business?” he asked, not bothering to keep his voice down. She didn’t answer. He didn’t deserve an answer if he was going to shout at her. “That’s what I thought.”
She plopped into the hard wood chair and folded her hands on the sticky table top. “Keep your dirty little secrets, Luke. I’m sure I don’t want to hear about all the sordid details anyway.”
“No, I’m sure you don’t. In fact, I’m positive if I shared some of my sexual antics, you’d probably pass out from shock. We don’t want that, Princess, do we?”
Rusty ignored him, wiping her hands on a soggy napkin.
The barmaid appeared. “You ready for another round?” She cracked her gum between her teeth and yawned. Her short dark hair stood out from her head in gelled peaks.
“I’ll have another beer, darlin’,” Luke said, then looked at Rusty.
“Nothing for me. Thanks.”
The young woman leaned forward, showing off her cleavage, took away the empty glasses and swiped the table with a damp rag before disappearing.
“Women do not like to be called darlin’, or honey, or any other related term. It’s degrading.”
Luke shrugged. “I was only being friendly. Besides, she didn’t seem to mind. You’re the only woman I’ve ever met who seems agitated with every word that comes out of my mouth.”
“That’s because you’re so primitive.”
He raised his brows in surprise. “Really? And here all this time I thought I was being charming.”
Rusty held his gaze for a moment, then turned her head.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Princess. I didn’t go to any of those fancy schools in Europe, like you. I’m just a plain old cowboy with dirty boots and no manners.”
She zoomed in on him. “Do you want to know what I think?”
“Oh, absolutely. I would never pass up the chance to hear what you have to say about me.” He grinned wickedly.
“I think most of your cocky and uncivilized behavior is put on for my benefit.”
He didn’t answer.
Hah! she thought. She was right. She smiled to herself and sat up straighter.
Luke sat back in his chair and ran his gaze over her. “Well, you’re wrong, Rusty. What you see is what you get.”
Her smile inwardly faded, but before she had a chance to argue with him further, Claudia and Brad returned to the table and squeezed their way into their seats.
The waitress brought a fresh round of drinks for everyone but Rusty, and Luke paid the tab. He handed the waitress a twenty-dollar bill and said, “I didn’t mean to offend you by callin’ you darlin’ a little while ago.”
The woman laughed and leaned forward. “Sugar, that ain’t nothing compared to what some of the assholes who come in her have called me. But as long as they keep ordering drinks they can call me anything they want.” With that she sailed away.
Rusty stared at Luke. She could tell by his smug expression that he thought he was off the hook. Although she wasn’t ready to give in so easily, she had to admit she was grateful he’d apologized. And it confirmed that maybe underneath all that crudeness he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.
AS FAR AS HOUSES WENT, Luke decided Lehman’s wasn’t so bad. In the nineteen century it had served as a schoolhouse. Later it had been renovated and used as law offices. But Lehman’s grandfather had purchased the place a few decades ago and turned it into a residential showplace, or at least that was the story their host had given while taking them on the grand tour.
Lehman turned on the outside lights to illuminate the hot tub and patio area. “Anyone care for champagne?”
Claudia was the first to accept Lehman’s offer. “Anyone else?” Lehman asked after popping the cork.
Luke was about to take the man up on his offer until he saw the scowl on Rusty’s face. “You have to drive us home,” she reminded him.
Not wanting to get into an argument with her, Luke declined.
Lehman passed Claudia a glass of bubbly and took a sip from his own glass. “Great stuff,” he bragged. “My grandfather had a few cases flown in from France.”
Luke wasn’t impressed, but immediately Rusty began quizzing him about the details, saying she had visited the vineyard where the grapes were grown to make the stuff.
Claudia eased close to Luke’s side. “I didn’t bring a bathing suit, did you?” she asked with a giggle.
“Afraid not.”
“Don’t worry,” Lehman said. “I have plenty of suits that have been left behind over the years.” He waggled a brow at Luke.
Luke, Claudia and Rusty followed their host out of the library and up the stairs to the guest rooms. Sure enough, the man had laid out several bathing suits and robes for his guests. Luke grabbed a pair of navy blue trunks and headed for the bathroom.
Once he’d changed he went downstairs and outside. The bricked patio was ice cold on his feet, but once he stepped into the hot, steamy water, he was fine. Lehman was already inside the hot tub, sporting a pair of bikini briefs that looked like they belonged to a twelve-year-old kid, and drinking champagne. Soft music played from an outdoor speaker.
“I bet Claudia is a tiger in bed,” Lehman said.
Luke raised his brows. The man irritated him, yet at the same time Luke was glad—for some reason—that Lehman was interested in Claudia. Maybe that meant he no longer had eyes for Rusty.
“Claudia may be too much for you, Lehman. She likes guys who are well endowed, to put it bluntly.”
Lehman’s face grew red with anger. “Haven’t you ever heard that size doesn’t matter?” Steam flowed freely from his breath.
Luke howled with laughter. “You don’t believe that crap, do you? Of course, size matters. Women just say it doesn’t so they don’t hurt your feelings when what they really want to say is that they were disappointed.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that?”
“Yeah, a few people have shared their views of me over the years.”
Claudia came out the patio door just then, dressed in skimpy, black thong bikini. It looked hot as hell on the woman as she pranced across the patio and practically dived into the tub. But nothing looked as hot as Rusty, who wore a white terrycloth robe, her long hair flowing free with the wind.
Momentarily locking gazes with Luke, she stood on the edge of the hot tub and let the robe slip from her body, revealing an expanse of creamy, white skin and long, shapely legs.
Luke offered her his hand as she made her way down the steps and into the water. She’d chosen a modest, floral one-piece that looked classy and showed off just the right amount of cleavage. An erection formed beneath his trunks.
“Ladies,” Lehman said with a purr, “you look very sexy.” He’d used the word “ladies”, but his gaze was glued to Claudia’s breasts that were spilling from her bikini top.