“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
Oh, this is gonna be good. “If you won’t tell me, it sounds like you either haven’t been dreaming about me or you absolutely have and you don’t want to tell me that you had a sexy dream about me.”
“I did not!” she growls, shoving me into the side of the car. I rub at my shoulder.
“I think you’re protesting a bit much there, kitten. Did you have sexy time dreams about me, kitten? Were your little claws wrapped around my dick while you wrapped your lips around me? Oooh! I know. Maybe you dreamed that you were riding me like a cowgirl. Up and down and all around until you screamed and your sweet honey dripped down your luscious thighs.”
Her cheeks are beet red now and she glares at me, hostility radiating off of her in waves. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to hit a man as much as I want to hit you,” she grits out through clenched teeth.
“You know how close love and anger are. Sounds like you are very much in love with me.”
“Aargh!” she screams and stomps off down the street. “This is over. I refuse to deal with you for one second longer. Go find another damn woman to piss off, Steele!”
I watch her stomp off up the street, heading into the bar that she agreed to go to.
“If it’s all over, why are you going in that bar, kitten?” I smile and whistle under my breath, following along behind the furious woman that I intend to own before this night is out.
I pull the door open and find her easily even in the dim light. Nothing can hide her from me.
She ignores me and sits down with another woman with startling red hair that falls down her back in large curls and waves. She turns to see me and her eyes widen at something Cleo says. Then her lips tighten and she pats Cleo’s hand before she steps up to the bar and taps on the large man’s hand. He leans over and listens to her and then his eyes dart to me and he nods his head.
“Rally the troops, princess. Doesn’t matter what you do. I’m gonna win.”
The big man heads my way and he throws a bar towel over his shoulder when he stands over me. “I think you need to leave.”
I slowly lift my head from the menu I was perusing. “You must not get many new customers if you tell them to leave as soon as they walk in the door.”
“You’ve upset a friend of mine and she asked me for a favor. Get rid of you. Seems like a small thing. So why don’t you just get out of here. Come another night when she’s not here if you want to.”
I fold my hands on the table and eye him warily. “I can’t do that. Cleo’s my reason for being here. So I won’t leave without her. It’s unsafe for a beautiful woman like her to wander the streets alone.”
The big man snorts and his hazel eyes dance. “Ridge City isn’t exactly a bustling metropolis, dude. She’ll be perfectly safe. And if anything does happen, she’s got a bunch of people to defend her.”
“Not one that loves her.”
“We do love her.”
“Not like I do. I’m the man she will be tied to for the rest of her life. I’m her destiny. Her fate.”
The man throws his head back, his laugh loud and long. “You sound like a greeting card, man.” He holds out his hand and I lift mine to shake his. He eyes me cynically. “You’re gonna have your work cut out for you if you think that you can woo Cleo with those tired lines. My name’s Rafe by the way.”
I nod my head. “The owner then?”
“Yeah. The beautiful redhead over there talking with Cleo is my wife, Jamie.”
“She’s lovely.”
“She wants your head on a platter,” he snickers.
“So does Cleo. It’s alright. I’m a stubborn man.”
“You’re gonna have to be if you want Cleo.” He slaps the table. “Come on up to the bar and I’ll get you a drink. I’ve got some twenty-year old Scotch that’s pretty damn good.”
“That sounds good. I take it I don’t need to worry about being chased out tonight?”
“Nope. But keep an eye out for Jamie. She’s dangerous, man.” He laughs and heads back for the bar.
“Noted.” I smile and stand up, following my new friend. This place is really starting to grow on me. My eyes follow my heart right back to the beautiful, glowing blonde glaring at me across the room.