Page 31 of Armed ’N’ Ready

“I know what you’re doing.” The huskiness in her voice surprised her.

“Do you?” He leaned in until his lips hovered over hers without touching them.

Their gazes locked, and she could swear he was about to kiss her. For an instant, she wondered what she would do if he did.

For a moment longer, he stared at her, then took a deep breath and raised his head, releasing her. “I have to get back to work.” He spun and yanked open the door.

A startled sound came from the doorway. Tess stood on the threshold, her fist in the air, poised to knock. Nick glanced at her, then she stepped aside to let him past. Andi could no longer see him, but watched Tess as she stared after him.

Tess came into the office. “What was that about?”

Andi waited for her heart rate to slow. She didn’t know what had just happened between them, but it had been intense. Rather than frightening her and driving home his point as he’d intended, he’d kick-started something else she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. Desire, and with the very last man on the planet she should be thinking about that way.

Tess giggled. “You know, he really is a hunk. They make guys like him at Hunks-R-Us. Have you noticed the size of his biceps? The man’s built like a tank. But remember…” Tess frowned. “Be careful with him. More importantly, of him.”

“You don’t have to tell me that.” Although he was a hunk, she admitted silently, remembering how hard and solid he’d felt beneath her touch. She pressed her fingers to her lips, wondering what it would actually feel like to kiss him.

Stop it. Do not go there.

Least of all with a guy she knew up front was only there to “get his man.”

“Boss?” Tess raised her brows. “Something I should know?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Nothing. Hopefully all that hunkiness will bring in more business at the bar. We need it.”

“Maybe we should make Thursdays Ladies Night.” She grinned. “If there was ever a bartender who could reel in the ladies, it’s him.”

Andi began clearing away empties from the dining room tables, casting occasional glances at Nick. Friday nights at the DPC still weren’t as busy as she hoped. Most of the dining tables were empty, but Nick was managing to keep a full bar. Mostly women, she noted, and the Napkin Girls box was filling up quickly. Soon they’d need a bigger box, a spatial factoid that was beginning to annoy her.

“Just look at him work it.” Tess eyed him appreciatively. “He might be a cop, but he’s great eye candy. All that twisted steel and sex appeal.” She let out a hearty sigh. “And he listens to people.”

Andi grunted. It irked her how she’d unloaded on him earlier about missing her dogs so much, and she still didn’t understand why she’d done it. One minute they’d been standing there, and the next she’d poured her heart out to him. Guess he really was a good listener.

Or a world class manipulator. Like Steve had been.

They watched as he poured Cosmos from a cocktail shaker for two women in their forties. With each shake, his biceps bunched, and she could make out the outline of carved abdominals beneath the T-shirt she knew firsthand was soft and worn. She couldn’t hear the conversation, but one of the women spoke and he smiled, responding with something that made both women titter like a couple of teenage girls.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” All that flirtatious tittering made her want to puke.

After pouring three pints for a group of guys at the other end of the bar, he easily made conversation with the men as if he’d known them for years. She never would have guessed there was another side to the man—a social one. But is that real, or an act? She had to admit it seemed genuine, just part of who he was.

Tess eyed her speculatively. “You don’t have to let him work here.”

“I do if I want if I want my get-out-of-jail card and my money back. Besides”—she bobbed her eyebrows—“he is great eye candy and good for business. The least he can do while he’s here is make up for holding onto my money.”

“True on both counts.” Tess nodded. “Those women have been here for hours, and they ain’t fixin’ to leave anytime soon. Maybe it was fate that Nick showed up just when you needed a bartender.”

“More like fate-ful.” She wiped down another table. “You and Marty can take off. I already cut Kara and Zoe loose for the night. I can close up after last call.”

“Thanks. I’ve got plans later.” Tess waggled her eyebrows, leaving no mistake about what her plans were.

She admired Tess’s free-spirited nature. It wasn’t that her friend was easy or anything. Tess was very comfortable putting herself out there. Though, at times, she didn’t think Tess was content working at the DPC. Her friend possessed keen business savvy and seemed destined for something greater. She hoped Tess made the right choices before too much more of her life passed her by.

Unlike me.

Again, she was hit by that all-too-familiar wave of regret about the decisions she’d made in her life. It had taken her too long to find what she loved most. Entertaining, meeting people, serving up great food at reasonable prices, and all in a dog-friendly atmosphere. Rather than seeming hectic, the restaurant gave her contentment and joy, and that’s all she needed. Although, sometimes she wavered on that basic tenet.

On rare occasions, she found herself wishing there was someone to share her life with. Then the past—the part with Steve, in particular—smacked her in the face, and the stupid idea of sharing her life vanished with the bluntness of a wrecking ball. Now Joe had been added to her list of men who’d betrayed her.