He stepped back and ran a hand over his head. “I’d rather pick you up.”
Just then, Jason reappeared. He shoved his brother and bit out, “Don’t argue with the woman, dumbass.”
Marquetta grinned. “I like your brother.”
“Of course you do,” Jensen grumbled. “Champagne’s it is, then.”
“Good,” she said, unaccountably excited about their date. She took a moment to bask in the feeling. It’d been a long time since she’d been excited about anything.
There’d be time later to fantasize. Suddenly, Friday seemed too far away.
Chapter Four
Jensen noted the time on his cell phone. Eight o’clock, right on time. Christ, Friday night had seemed to take forever to arrive. The week had dragged on, and Jensen had nearly broken down and shown up at Marquetta’s shop just for an excuse to see her. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he had it bad for her. Now to figure out a way to get her out of his system. Good luck there.
As Jensen approached the bar, the noise hit him like a sledgehammer, as did the acrid smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Too much perfume and too many bodies all crammed in together annoyed him. This was considered a good time? Jensen honestly didn’t see the point. He’d never gotten into the bar scene. It all just seemed pointless to him.
There was only one woman he wanted, only one blonde-haired beauty that would ever do for him. She could very well spoil him for any other woman. And therein lay the problem, because she was as stubborn as the day was long. Course, if he’d wanted a docile little thing to do as he bid, then he shouldn’t have fallen for the most stubborn, prideful woman in all of Innocence, Ohio.
When he spotted her across the room, Jensen’s mind stuttered to a halt. Like a computer, he went blank and shut down. She sat not at a table but at the bar. Propped up on a stool, like a peach ready to be plucked. She was alone, and even though men pushed and clamored for the seats on either side of her, she seemed oblivious to it all. Her dress was a thin bit of white silk. Falling barely to midthigh, it had spaghetti straps and molded to her voluptuous curves. Her legs were crossed, and he followed the lovely length of them until he ran into the sexiest pair of shoes. They weren’t fancy, merely a pair of white, three-inch heels. They were simple, which was why they were so damned appealing. Anything more would’ve been overkill. No jewelry either. Marquetta didn’t need the added decoration. She was desirable without shiny objects hanging off her. Her light hair fairly shone in the dim light, giving it a pretty, soft appearance against the white backdrop of the dress.
Regrettably, he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed her. Every damn hot-blooded male in the bar was ogling her. And, Jesus, could he really blame them? Lust surged up, threatening to boil over. Damn, she was hot. He ached just staring at her.
Jensen started toward her, then noticed a tall, dark-haired man approaching her. He stiffened as the man put his hand on Marquetta’s shoulder to gain her attention. Fury swiftly coursed through Jensen, heating his blood and nearly destroying all sense of logic. Marquetta turned, curiosity lighting her expressive eyes. The man moved close, too damned close for Jensen’s peace of mind, and whispered something in her ear. Was he asking her to dance? When Marquetta smiled up at the stranger, Jensen held his breath.
“You were at the shop earlier.”
The voice caught Jensen off guard, and his gaze darted to the left to find the owner of Hayes’s Custom Paint and Body staring at him as if he’d like to take him out back for a good old-fashioned beating. Axel had a good fifty pounds of solid muscle on Jensen. The man’s jaw went rigid, and there was no small amount of steel in his stare. He stood so close that Jensen could practically feel the intense male aggression coming off him in waves.
Jensen held out his hand and smiled. “Jensen Kershaw.”
“Axel,” he said as he took hold of his hand and gave it a firm shake before releasing him. “I’m Marquetta’s brother.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Jensen replied, unsure what the man had in mind.
He took a swig of the beer he clutched in one fist. “You here for her?”
Axel’s stare was cold and merciless. Jensen could appreciate his protectiveness, but he wouldn’t let anyone get between him and Marquetta. Not even her family. “Yep,” he answered. “That okay with you?”
“My sister is a grown woman,” he replied in a voice that could freeze hell. “She doesn’t answer to me.”
“But?” Jensen asked as he glanced over at Marquetta. Her gaze locked with his, and unless he missed his guess, she appeared awfully damn pissed.
“It’d be in your best interest to treat her right,” he warned before drinking the last of his beer and placing the bottle on a nearby table.
“Message received,” Jensen replied, then he pointed across the room. “She doesn’t strike me as the type of woman to appreciate any interference in her personal life, though.”
Axel’s gaze shot to hers, and he smiled. “She’ll live. Just know that if you hurt my baby sister, I’ll be a very unhappy camper.”
Curious, Jensen asked, “Now, why do I get the feeling there’s more to this than big brother issuing a warning? Has something happened to Marquetta before?” He narrowed his eyes. “Something I should know about?”
“That’s her business, and if she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.” Axel considered him one last time. Jensen figured he must have passed muster, because Axel’s face softened a fraction. “I will say this. Marquetta is a very loving person, and some men would take advantage of that.”
“Loving? So far, she threw me out and broke my toe.” He rubbed his jaw. “Not really sure why I’m standing here, to be honest.”
Axel shrugged. “She tends to hide her sensitive nature behind a wall. When you’ve been burned, that’s what happens.”
So that was why Marquetta was so standoffish. Some asshole had treated her badly, and she was determined never to let it happen again. Great. How was he supposed to get past that?