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“Do you have one second?” she asked. “Detective Asher has a picture he wants you to look at.”
Wallace shrugged and reached for the photo. He stared at it for a good long while as if there were thousands of faces to page through in his memory. That didn’t surprise Tessa. The man dated a lot. A lot. He tilted the photo back and forth, then shook his head. “Don’t know him.”
“Thanks,” Luke said.
Wallace grunted, put his arm around his date and they walked out the back door without a word.
Luke turned to her with raised eyebrows. “I had no idea Grizzly Adams was gay.”
“He’s not. Grizzly Adams is enthusiastically bisexual.”
“Oh. That’s… Okay, let’s stop calling him that. It’s affecting my childhood memories. I loved that show.” He frowned toward the door. “Seriously, he looks like a mountain man.”
“I know. And he’s grumpy as hell, yet beautiful creatures flock to him like he’s the pied piper. It’s entertaining, to say the least. I’m not sure what kind of powers he has, but they’re potent.”
He shook his head. “I think I need to finish my beer now.”
“I’ll bet. Sorry we couldn’t help with the picture, though.”
“It was a long shot.”
Tessa left him at the bar to finish his beer while she took care of customers, but her neck burned with awareness that he was there. He hadn’t left. But she’d be damned if she’d make the first move tonight. Still, it was hard not to watch him. He wasn’t anything like Jamie had said. Babe Magnet, he might be, but she’d given him full opportunity to have sex last night and he’d declined. Declined. Sheesh.
Half an hour later, there were only two tables left, and Tessa had time to take a seat next to Luke. “You’re still here.”
“I like watching you work.”
“Oh, yeah? Do I wipe down tables with flair?”
He tilted his pint glass and looked into the last flecks of foam. “You smile at people. You’re nice to them.”
/> Warmth prickled over her skin with uncomfortable intensity. She was glad she was sitting next to him and not facing him. He’d paid her a simple compliment, but the honest sincerity in his words embarrassed her. “It’s my job.”
“No, that’s not it,” he said, and left it at that.
Tessa squirmed. “You’re just too used to hanging around criminals.”
Luke set his glass down and turned toward her. “When I’m not around you, I know this is a bad idea.”
Her heart fluttered. “This?”
“I’m too complicated. You don’t need to think about it or figure out if it’s true. I’m telling you straight up. My life is way more complicated than you know. I’m not long-term material.”
“Oh. I see.”
“So you should tell me you don’t want to see me again, Tessa.”
Despite her words, Tessa couldn’t see anything at all. What was he saying? He was warning her off, but he wasn’t leaving. He didn’t want a long-term relationship, but he’d walked out on the promise of sex last night. “I told you I don’t need another big brother protecting me.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “If I were thinking of protecting you, I would’ve left half an hour ago.”
“But here you are.”
“Here I am.”
Tessa glanced up at the clock and then looked at the few people who were left. One of them signaled her. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
Ten minutes of work, and Tessa was left with two messy tables and a wave goodbye to the last of her customers. She cleaned up, drew herself a half-pint of amber ale and tilted her head toward the pool table. “I’ve got twenty-five minutes before I can lock up. Wanna play a few rounds of nine-ball?”
