Cassie sighed and looked toward the pool table. When she did, she saw the interested glances of women trying to catch the eyes of the brothers there, including Shane. But when he looked up, it was she his eyes sought out, not anyone else.
He must have seen her distress because he handed his cue to Matt and came toward them.
Not wanting to have a conversation at the table with the other women listening, she got up and met him halfway, near the arches that separated the seating area from the games section with the pool tables, darts and pinball machines.
Stopping just a hair’s breadth away from her body he lifted a hand to touch her face. “You okay, darlin’?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you dated Maggie?”
He looked over her shoulder toward the table but Cassie’s voice brought his gaze back to her face.
“That’s the kind of sneaky thing that bugs me. Why look over there for clues if you didn’t have anything to hide?”
“You looking for a reason to push me away, Cassie? Hmm? Because I am quite sure Maggie told you what it was between she and I—nothing. Two dates. I dumped her because she was nice and I was worried I may actually have feelings for her at some point. I was an ass**le. But it was her and Kyle from day one. Once they got together it was forever.
“I didn’t think to tell you. It happened years ago. You said you knew about my history. I’ve dated a lot of women, hell a lot of women in this bar right now.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.”
One of the corners of his mouth lifted and the furrows in his brow smoothed. “You’re jealous, darlin’? Because flattering as it may be, it’s unnecessary. I’m with you. You and no one else. Not ever again. But I can’t change my past. I’m sorry if that hurts you. I really am.”
“Jealous? Puhleeze.”
He laughed out loud that that. “Darlin’, you don’t think it’s hard for me to see the men watch you as you walk through any room you’re in? I also have a history of being cheated on. It’s hard to trust you. All I can do is take it on faith that you wouldn’t do that to me. And all I ask is that you do the same.”
“It’s weird, knowing one of my friends has had sex with you.”
“Maggie told you we had sex?” His voice rose a bit.
“No, not in so many words. You dated, you’re a very…sexual man, I just put two and two together.”
“We did not have sex. Do you want to know how far it went? If you do, I need another drink because it’s kinda creepy now that I think of her like my little sister.”
“Was there naked?”
He thought about it. “I can’t remember. There wasn’t orgasm. Nothing like what we shared in your apartment on Wednesday.”
She shivered at the memory and he nearly purred in her ear. “Oh, darlin’, seeing you react that way as you think about my hands on you, my mouth, your taste in my throat, it does me in.”
“Wh-where do you get all this stuff?” Her voice was shaky. The way he affected her shook her to her core.
“That’s not a line. I want to tell you all the things you do to me, all the things I want to do to you. You have no idea how you make me feel do you? Standing here in the middle of this crowded place, I want to back you against the wall and take you. I want to lay you on one of the pool tables and look down on your body as I thrust into it. I want you so much my hands are in my pocket because I’m afraid they’d shake.”
A flush ran through her. “Oh. My.”
“Oh my indeed, darlin’. I’m going to kiss you now, here in this bar and I don’t care who sees it.”
“Oh, okay,” she said faintly as her arms encircled his neck like they’d wanted to all along.
He kissed her, not with the raw sexuality he’d shown in her apartment but it was still a kiss that she felt all the way to the tips of her toes. Holy cow the man could kiss. He tasted of beer and the spearmint of his gum and Shane and everything in her body tightened in response.
When he released her, she dimly heard applause and some hooting from his brothers.
“Wow.” She licked her lips.
“Wow isn’t a big enough word for the way you make me feel, Cassie. There is no one else. There hasn’t been since the first moment I clapped eyes on you.”
“You make me weak in the knees, Shane Chase. And you make me think I may not be as broken as I’d feared.”
He smiled. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
“Yeah? Come on back to my apartment and I’ll give you a few more.”
His joyous smile turned wicked. “Is that so?”
She nodded.
“Give me ten minutes to finish up with my brothers. Why don’t we go to my house? You haven’t seen it yet and you can, if you want to, sleep over. In my bed or in my guest room. I’ll let you decide that one, I’m rather biased on the subject.”
“Got any food there?”
He grinned. “I just went grocery shopping earlier tonight. I have fresh peaches and strawberries. I can think of a few things to do with them before eating them.”
“Oh?” Her voice was faint as she pondered the possibilities.
“I’ll let you think on it. Be by in ten to grab you. You okay? Are we okay?”
She nodded. “I don’t like being taken by surprise. I don’t expect you to be a virgin. I knew you were a player and all. But that it was Maggie just surprised me. You haven’t been with Penny, Liv or Dee have you?”
He must have seen her distress because he handed his cue to Matt and came toward them.
Not wanting to have a conversation at the table with the other women listening, she got up and met him halfway, near the arches that separated the seating area from the games section with the pool tables, darts and pinball machines.
Stopping just a hair’s breadth away from her body he lifted a hand to touch her face. “You okay, darlin’?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you dated Maggie?”
He looked over her shoulder toward the table but Cassie’s voice brought his gaze back to her face.
“That’s the kind of sneaky thing that bugs me. Why look over there for clues if you didn’t have anything to hide?”
“You looking for a reason to push me away, Cassie? Hmm? Because I am quite sure Maggie told you what it was between she and I—nothing. Two dates. I dumped her because she was nice and I was worried I may actually have feelings for her at some point. I was an ass**le. But it was her and Kyle from day one. Once they got together it was forever.
“I didn’t think to tell you. It happened years ago. You said you knew about my history. I’ve dated a lot of women, hell a lot of women in this bar right now.”
“Yes, so I’ve heard.”
One of the corners of his mouth lifted and the furrows in his brow smoothed. “You’re jealous, darlin’? Because flattering as it may be, it’s unnecessary. I’m with you. You and no one else. Not ever again. But I can’t change my past. I’m sorry if that hurts you. I really am.”
“Jealous? Puhleeze.”
He laughed out loud that that. “Darlin’, you don’t think it’s hard for me to see the men watch you as you walk through any room you’re in? I also have a history of being cheated on. It’s hard to trust you. All I can do is take it on faith that you wouldn’t do that to me. And all I ask is that you do the same.”
“It’s weird, knowing one of my friends has had sex with you.”
“Maggie told you we had sex?” His voice rose a bit.
“No, not in so many words. You dated, you’re a very…sexual man, I just put two and two together.”
“We did not have sex. Do you want to know how far it went? If you do, I need another drink because it’s kinda creepy now that I think of her like my little sister.”
“Was there naked?”
He thought about it. “I can’t remember. There wasn’t orgasm. Nothing like what we shared in your apartment on Wednesday.”
She shivered at the memory and he nearly purred in her ear. “Oh, darlin’, seeing you react that way as you think about my hands on you, my mouth, your taste in my throat, it does me in.”
“Wh-where do you get all this stuff?” Her voice was shaky. The way he affected her shook her to her core.
“That’s not a line. I want to tell you all the things you do to me, all the things I want to do to you. You have no idea how you make me feel do you? Standing here in the middle of this crowded place, I want to back you against the wall and take you. I want to lay you on one of the pool tables and look down on your body as I thrust into it. I want you so much my hands are in my pocket because I’m afraid they’d shake.”
A flush ran through her. “Oh. My.”
“Oh my indeed, darlin’. I’m going to kiss you now, here in this bar and I don’t care who sees it.”
“Oh, okay,” she said faintly as her arms encircled his neck like they’d wanted to all along.
He kissed her, not with the raw sexuality he’d shown in her apartment but it was still a kiss that she felt all the way to the tips of her toes. Holy cow the man could kiss. He tasted of beer and the spearmint of his gum and Shane and everything in her body tightened in response.
When he released her, she dimly heard applause and some hooting from his brothers.
“Wow.” She licked her lips.
“Wow isn’t a big enough word for the way you make me feel, Cassie. There is no one else. There hasn’t been since the first moment I clapped eyes on you.”
“You make me weak in the knees, Shane Chase. And you make me think I may not be as broken as I’d feared.”
He smiled. “That’s the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
“Yeah? Come on back to my apartment and I’ll give you a few more.”
His joyous smile turned wicked. “Is that so?”
She nodded.
“Give me ten minutes to finish up with my brothers. Why don’t we go to my house? You haven’t seen it yet and you can, if you want to, sleep over. In my bed or in my guest room. I’ll let you decide that one, I’m rather biased on the subject.”
“Got any food there?”
He grinned. “I just went grocery shopping earlier tonight. I have fresh peaches and strawberries. I can think of a few things to do with them before eating them.”
“Oh?” Her voice was faint as she pondered the possibilities.
“I’ll let you think on it. Be by in ten to grab you. You okay? Are we okay?”
She nodded. “I don’t like being taken by surprise. I don’t expect you to be a virgin. I knew you were a player and all. But that it was Maggie just surprised me. You haven’t been with Penny, Liv or Dee have you?”
