Chapter Two
“What the fuck does she see in that wuss,” Aaron “Sin” Sails said over the rim of his bottled IPA. He shook his head in disgust. “I’ll never know what beautiful women find attractive in men like Fletcher. A worm has more personality.”
“Money maybe. Some women like bad boys. Others like men with guns.” Arrow Stonebriar flexed his muscles.
“What would you know about guns?” Echo showed off his toned arms.
“Hey, these are regulation?” Arrow joked.
Echo snorted. “Regulation? Those look like they come standard with desk duty.”
“Desk duty? I bet I can outrun, outsmart, and outdo you any day, buddy,” Arrow shot back confidently.
“Last time you ran it was to grab dinner,” Sin chimed in. “And you pulled a hamstring. True hero.”
The group of men laughed.
“Did anyone ask your opinion?” Arrow smirked.
Sin shrugged. “Just spreading the wealth of my knowledge.”
There wasn’t much the men loved more than agitating one another.
Bear remained quiet. He kept his attention glued to the couple sitting at the bar.
Aasia and Fletcher were leaned in close, and both seemed agitated.
Were they arguing? Was Fletcher breaking up with her as his mother had demanded?
Bear had to ease up on his grip that he had on his bottle, or he might shatter the glass.
A big part of him wanted to storm over and punch the dirty bastard in his perfectly squared jaw.
Aasia shifted slightly on the barstool and her chin came up.
She noticed Bear staring and he didn’t shy away.
She offered him a semi smile. He responded with a dip of his Stetson.
His unwavering gaze stayed on her across the dusty planked floor of Oscar’s long after she went back to her conversation with Fletcher.
The neon light above her painted the curves of her face with a blue glow.
She was beautiful enough to make his heart skip a few beats.
A lone tendril of hair had escaped from the mass of mahogany waves that draped her shoulders.
The lone strand looked stark against her cheek.
The close-fitting top showed off her firm breasts and the sparkling navel ring above the low waist of the cutoff jean shorts.
Although she was dressed pretty much like every other woman in the place, there was something different about her.
Maybe in the way she carried herself with subtle dignity.
Bear admired very few things in life. A well-trained horse, a sunset and Aasia. She could only be described as captivating. She had no idea how much he wanted her. Or did she?
Seeing her with Fletcher sickened Bear.
Her tongue came out to roll across her top lip and his breathing stopped for a second. Her big eyes were sponges to the neon light around her, making them two blue beams. Bear hated that Fletcher was on the receiving end of that look. He didn’t deserve to be in her presence.
Bear sat there in a room full of music and chatter, absolutely intoxicated, not on alcohol but on the woman sitting fifty feet away.
“Are you listening?”
Echo’s question dragged Bear back to the team. “What did I miss?”
“Who do you think killed Silver?” Zane Taylor asked in a lowered voice.
Bear tugged at the wiry whiskers on his jaw and shrugged. “The man had more enemies than there are stinkbugs at the ranch. Your guesses are as good as mine.”
“Far as I’m concerned the world is a better place without him above ground,” Arrow said. “Cheers to another one gone.”
They all lifted their drinks in salute and took a long celebratory draught.
Although Bear could see their point, knowing Silver would kill his own brother if it would help him get ahead, he also saw the situation from a different angle.
Someone wanted the cartel member dead so he couldn’t talk.
Texas Heat had known for a long time that Silver had a list hidden somewhere that could bring down a helluva lot of people in high places.
Whatever he knew was now buried with him—unless they could find that list that several witnesses had made references to in interviews.
There was movement at the bar. Fletcher answered his phone and Aasia sat alone.
~*~
Everything seemed to be extra noisy around Aasia as she sat at the bar with Bentley.
His mood was about as awkward as the thick, stale air inside Oscar’s.
Over the two years they’d been together they’d broken up more times than she could count.
They still hadn’t patched up the last time they got into an argument and he ended things.
She brushed back a strand of hair and sighed. “What do you need to talk to me about?" she asked him. Lately, she wasn’t certain she cared what he was up to, or who he was seeing. In truth, she would prefer to be sitting with Bear—even though he seemed to be brooding tonight.
Bentley’s cell phone buzzed and he wasted no time in answering. He covered his phone as concern swept over his features. “Sorry, I need to take this.”
“Sure.” They couldn’t even have a conversation without him being dragged away.
Her gaze was drawn to Bear. He seemed…different. He still hadn’t returned her text message from earlier. Did she think he would? He probably wanted to steer clear of her after she’d made a move then pulled away.
“Can I get you another, Aasia?” the cute, bubbly bartender asked.
“I’ll take a seltzer and lime this time, Wendi.”
Wendi took her empty wine glass and returned with the seltzer. “How are you, honey? I haven’t seen you around much these days.”
“I’ve been a bit occupied,” Aasia said. “How are you? I heard your divorce is final.”
“I’m free at last.” Wendi snapped gum then leaned her elbows on the bar. “Boyfriend trouble?”
“That obvious?”
“Yeah…something like that.”
Aasia traced the rim of her glass. “Nothing dramatic. One day there’s joy and the next you’re just an obligation.”
Wendi snorted. “Girl, do what I did and take out the trash.” She winked and sashayed over to take a customer’s drink order.
“Sorry I didn’t get back to you yet.”
Aasia gave a little jump at the sound of Bear’s voice.
He sat down and settled his elbow against the polished oak bar.
His battered white Stetson landed low on his forehead, and the top buttons of his chambray shirt were undone.
He looked every bit of the rugged cowboy she’d been fantasizing over the last two weeks.
Remembering the kiss they’d shared sent the temperature skyrocketing.
She took a slow sip of her seltzer. “But you did read my message?”
“I read it. I’ve been wanting to speak to you—”
“Sorry about that,” Bentley said in a rushed tone as he returned. He looked tired and scattered. “I need to run off and handle an important piece of business. Will you be okay?” he said to Aasia as he shoved his phone into his jacket pocket.
“Yes, I’ll be fine, but didn’t you want to speak to me about something?”
“It’s nothing that can’t wait.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and took a step then he noticed Bear. “Take care of her, will you?”
“Sure. I’ll make sure she’s safe,” Bear said with a nod.
Aasia shifted on the stool. Bentley had no clue about the kiss between her and Bear.
They’d barely had time to talk since the kiss.
She should be plagued with guilt, any yet why?
She and Bentley had been broken up, and she’d found comfort and validation in Bear.
He’d always been there for her. A good friend.
But friends don’t kiss.
Or imagine each other naked.
Or fantasize about having sex with each other.
Maybe some friends do. Shouldn’t all relationships start with two people as friends?
Bear made her feel…excited. Alive. Wanted. She hadn’t felt those sensations with Bentley in so long that she’d lost track of when he’d looked at her with desire last. These days he’d been more interested in his campaign than spending time with her.
A girl had the right to change her mind when it came to most things. “Wendi, can I have a whiskey?”
“Coming right up.”
“Whiskey, huh?” Bear scratched his broad whiskered chin.
“It seems appropriate.”
“Want another IPA?’ Wendi asked once she set Aasia’s glass in front of her.
“Make it a draft this time.” He shifted on the seat. “You wanted to talk to me about the kiss? Maybe you were hoping for another?”
That grin and his blatant flirting reached into her center and plucked her awareness strings. “I’ve had a long-standing rule to never kiss a man who smells better than my perfume. I broke that rule once. I can’t do it again.” She twirled a piece of her hair around her finger.
A slow, lazy grin spread his lips. So wide she thought his face might burst. His eyes were warm and deep green, a little rare and a little wild, offering her an invisible hug.
His looks were dangerously sexy. His beard didn’t hide the angle of his broad jawline.
The faded Wranglers stretched over his long muscular thighs in such a way that made her a tad envious.
“Is that so?” His gravely drawl sent a shiver down her spine.
“Yes, that’s so.” She hid her smile behind her glass.
The intensity of his gaze could light a match. “I was thinking that kiss was the highlight of my year and should be replicated if possible. Over and over again.”
God, he knew how to make her nipples tingle.
She swallowed a bit of her whiskey, feeling the burn, but it didn’t come close to the scorching warmth between her legs.
She tried a casual laugh to mask her awkwardness, but it came out as more of a snort.
“It was definitely unexpected,” she admitted.
“I just don’t want there to be a hovering unease between us. ”
“Unexpected? Is that the only description you could come up with?”
“Can you come up with something better?” She stared.
“Breathless. Fevered. Electric.”
“Wow. Maybe you’re more romantic than I thought.”
“Be careful. Flirting led to something much more…unnerving last time.” His smile grew leaps and bounds. “I was kind of hoping that it might.”