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WhenMaxset her new drink in front of her,Westtold him to put it on the house before turning back toAllie. “Thatsounds like a big project.Ihope you have someone helping you out.”Justnot a husband or boyfriend or anyone who wanted to be one or the other.
“Mycousin doesn’t live far—she’s coming over this weekend with her husband and kids to help sort through some things.”
“Well, that’s good.Letme know if you need anything, like a dumpster or a storage unit.Thanksto this place,I’vemade connections with a lot of people in different businesses over the years.”
“Sofar, we have everything covered, but thank you for the offer.”Shesipped her drink, then asked, “Howlong have you owned the bar?”
“Alittle more than a decade.Iwas a football player in college but knew ifIdidn’t make it to the pros, or ifIdid and got injured,Iwould need something to fall back on, soIgot a business degree.AndI’mgladIdid because, althoughIplayed for two years with theJacksonvilleJaguarsas their backup quarterback,Igot sacked in a game by two guys twice my size and landed on my arm wrong.Toremy left bicep to shreds,” he pointed to the old injury, “and that was the end of football.So,Ieventually took the moneyI’dsaved and bought this place when the original owner passed away.Hiswidow didn’t want to keep it.Ikept most of his staff since he’d already made it a successful business.”
Herealized he’d told her way more than she’d asked about—for some reason, she was easy to talk to, even though he barely knew her. “Anyway, that’s the long answer to your simple question.Whatabout you?Whatdo you do inDenver?”
Shesmiled, and his dick stirred at the sight again.
* * *
“I’maCPA,”Allietold him, not wanting to reveal her true career as a forensic accountant with theDrugEnforcementAgency.Whilenot a gun-carrying agent, she worked in an office, tracking the financial transactions between drug dealers and their suppliers.Thecartels often laundered money through legitimate businesses, and it was up toAllieand the rest of her team to figure out which ones.
Thatwasn’t the only half-truth she’d told him tonight—she’d usedSadie’slast name to avoid havingWestput two and two together and realizeAlliewas the gawky teen he’d known asAllondraDawson.She’dlearned fromDEAagents who’d worked undercover that the more truthful you were with a backstory, the less likely you’d slip up and blow your cover.Shenever thought that information would come in handy, but now she was glad she had it.
She'dmanaged to sidestep his earlier question when he’d asked if they’d met before, so that technically wasn’t a lie.She'dbe okay as long as no one from her youth or aunt’s funeral walked in and recognized her.Thatwould be completely embarrassing.
“Somepeople think accounting is boring,” she said with a shrug, “butIenjoy my job.”
“That’sall that matters then, right?”
Heheld out his beer bottle to her, and she picked up her glass and clinked them together in a nonverbal toast. “Right.”
Theyflirted and chatted for a while—the usual getting-to-know-you stuff that wasn’t too personal—andAlliehad to keep reminding herself that, despite how sweetWestwas to her now, it hadn’t always been the case.
Hergaze flitted from his beautiful blue eyes to his luscious mouth and back again as he spoke.Afive-o’clock shadow dusted his jaw and upper lip, and her fingers itched to feel the coarse stubble.Hereally had aged well.Whatwould it be like to kiss him?
Hmm.Maybeshe could take her revenge a step further and find out.Thatwould definitely get him all hot and bothered, and then she could leave him flat—or hard as the case might be.
Shesipped her drink before noticing it’d been refilled again.Wasthat her third or her fourth?She’dlost count while they’d been talking, and more customers had entered while others had left.Howlong had it been since she’d finished her dinner and he’d sat beside her?Anhour, at the very least.Despiteeating earlier, she was glad she only had to walk the short distance back to the hotel because a nice buzz had settled in her brain.Glancingat his beer bottle, she noted it was also fresh.
Afew more drinks.Somemore flirting.Akiss or two, and then she’d leave, letting him wonder where the night went wrong and how he’d lost his chance with her.Wouldhe lie awake that night, masturbating to dreams of her?Hernipples tightened and her clit throbbed at the thought.Shecrossed her legs and tried not to moan as the material of her capris rasped against the tiny bud.
“So, tell me,” he said, “why is such an incredible woman like you single?You’resmart, beautiful, funny—Idon’t understand why some guy hasn’t snatched you up.”
Oh, yeah, he was coming on stronger now.Withouta doubt, he was thinking about fucking her, and she had to admit to herself the thought had crossed her mind—more than once.Heck, more than a few times.
Shesmiled coyly and ran the tip of her finger down his arm, starting from the hem of his shirt sleeve, wrapped snugly around his bulging bicep, to the back of his hand.Shehad a thing for “arm porn,” and he had the goods in spades. “MaybeIhaven’t found the right guy yet?”
“Well, that’s an absolute shame,Allie.Themen inDenvermust be deaf, blind, or gay.”
“Allthree-hundred-fifty-five thousand and five hundred of them?”
Hiseyebrows shot up. “Youknow how many men live inDenver?”
Shelaughed. “It’san estimate.Accordingto the last census, over seven hundred and ten thousand people live inDenver, soIsplit that in half.”
“Offthe top of your head?Wow!Imay have a business degree, butI’dstill have to take some time to figure that out or at least use a calculator.AndIsure as hell wouldn’t have been able to pull a census count out of thin air.I’mimpressed.”
“WhatcanIsay?I’ma numbers person.”
Heshook his head as a combination of awe and desire crossed his face. “You’rean incredible woman.”
“Youalready said that.”
