M. Leighton

“I pause. My face feels warm, but pleasantly so. It occurs to me that, no matter how much I avoid him, no matter how wrong I know he is for me, he is going to be nearly impossible to resist.Dammit!”

“How did you get my number anyway?”“Some asshole named Nash.”“Asshole?”“Yeah, asshole. Don’t tell me you don’t think he’s an asshole!”I laugh uncomfortably. “Um, no I don’t think he’s an asshole. He’s always been nice to me.”asshole. He’s always been nice to me.”“Of course he has. You’re gorgeous. What man wouldn’t be nice to you?”“Plenty.”“Assholes, all of them,” he teases.“They’re assholes, too?”“Yep.”“Is everyone an asshole today?”“Yep,” he repeats. “Word of the day toilet paper.”I laugh, genuinely this time. “Is that right?”

“Regardless of my feelings on the issue with Taryn, I know it won’t bode well for me if I let Cash train me. I just don’t trust myself around him. Not completely anyway.”

“Within a fraction of a second, I not only recognize the voice, but I react to it. My stomach flutters in pleasurable excitement.“Good morning,” I return. It’s Cash”

“My first thought upon waking is of Cash. Licking my stomach. Tonguing my navel. And then looking so hard into my eyes.God, I could’ve devoured him right then and there!Damn the bad boys!”

“When I lift my head, my eyes meet hers and in them, whether she would ever admit it or not, is desire. Lots of hot, sweaty, pin-me-up-against-the-wall desire.”

“If you’re really uncomfortable with this, you don’t have to do it.”I hold my breath as I lean back to get her answer, hoping the brave one will win out.And she does.Slowly, Olivia shakes her head and wiggles a little closer to me on the bar. Her eyes are sparkling with determination. And challenge. And it makes me jerk in my jeans.I grin at her. “All right. You asked for it,”

“I grit my teeth against the little stab of jealousy I feel.What the hell’s that all about?Anyone will tell you I don’t have a jealous bone in my body. There are too many willing women in the world to get all bent out of shape over one. Envy is just not in me.Not usually.”

“So, what’s it gonna be, boys? We’ve got a new bartender to audition.”Cheers go up all around me. Olivia’s got a fan base already. She’s gonna make me a killing.”

“I don’t know why she tries so hard to resist me. I’m not such a bad guy. I’m fit and healthy, a successful business owner, I’m not in debt, and I’m pretty damn good-looking. Or so I hear anyway.”

“She frowns for a second. I don’t think she even realizes she’s doing it.Damn, I love that! She reacts to me even when she doesn’t want to.”

“Damn! Beautiful and funny. I can’t wait to see what else you’re hiding behind that sexy smile.”

“What is this? The land of misfit models?”

“He looks exotic. Maybe Hawaiian or Cuban. He has light caramel skin, jet black hair and eyes to match. And the smile he turns on me? Holy shit.What is this? The land of misfit models?”

“Well, anyway, good luck tonight. That’s all I really wanted to say. Go back to bed. Get your beauty rest. Not that you’ll need it.”

“Then you won’t have any problems. With your looks and personality, you’ll kill ‘em.”

“Believe me, Nash, I can do what any of the other girls can do, no problem.”Well, that might not be entirely true. But I’ll be damned if I’ll ever admit it!”

“Can we just forget that ever happened?”His smile is devilish. “Not on your life.”

“How about two dollars per hour above what your current employer is paying you?”My mouth wants to drop open. “Don’t you even want to know what that is?”He makes a face. “Nah. I get the feeling you’ll be worth it.”

“A girl like me?”“Yeah, a girl like you.” Cash’s lids drop down part way over his eyes, making them look like heavy, bedroom eyes, and his voice is like the silk sheets I can imagine him sleeping on. “Feisty, sexy, gorgeous as hell. I bet you’ve never met a man you couldn’t wind around your little finger.”He’s watching me like he wants to undress me right where we are—in an empty bar with low light and soft music. And there’s a tiny part of me that would love for him to do exactly that.”

“Audition? What did you have in mind?”He laughs. “Nothing too creative. I don’t want to push my luck with the sexual harassment thing. Yet.”

“That won’t be a problem.”“What? You being adorably sexy? No, I can see that.”

“Nash says you bartend, right?”My eyes open to his. He’s staring down at me, so close I can see the vague line where black pupil stops and nearly-black iris begins. Those eyes are amazing!I see his eyebrows rise, prompting me.“Pardon?” I ask.“Nothing. I don’t even think it matters. If you’re this adorably sexy all the time, no one will care how fast you get them their drinks.”

“Are you always this evil?”“Evil?” he asks, his expression innocent. “Me? Nooooo.”

“Good God, he’s even hotter than I remember!”

“You bring out the worst in me. What can I say?”“That’s because you haven’t given me the chance to bring out the best in you.”

“Cash is wearing a black tank top that perfectly showcases his muscular arms and the interesting tattoo that adorns the left side of his chest. I try not to think of him as mouthwatering, but that’s the word that keeps going through my head.”

“I nearly swallow my tongue when Cash pops up from behind the bar. “You must be Olivia.”“Holy mother of hell!” I say, grabbing my chest to still my racing heart.He laughs. “With a mouth like that, you’ll fit right in here.”If I weren’t so surprised, I’d probably take exception to that comment. Instead, I laugh.“You bring out the worst in me. What can I say?”

“Then why are you flirting with me?”“I can’t seem to help myself.” -Nash”

“On second thought, maybe I’d rather you make me force you.”What the hell are you doing, man? -Nash”

“Dude, now you’re flirting?Even to my own ears, my comment sounds suggestive. The sad thing is, it was meant that way. There are literally a dozen things I’d love for her to do for me. Or to me. Or let me do to her. -Nash”

“She grins at me. It’s a cute, sexy little grin that makes me want to kiss her. -Nash”

“I could always make you.”The way he says it sounds dark and dirty and infinitely pleasurable. All I can think of is what I’d like for him to make me do.There’s an unsavory term for that—a guy forcing a girl to do sexual things. But what is it they say? You can’t rape the willing. And I’d be willing. Oh, how I’d be willing.”

“Good Lord, he even has sexy forearms!”

“His face is transformed from gorgeous into just plain breathtaking.”

“I’m face to face with Nash. His dark-chocolate eyes are full of concern and he smells lightly of expensive cologne, something musky. Dark. Sexy.”

“Yep, I’m making a fool of myself. Again. Right in front of Nash.Is there no end to my embarrassment with this guy?”

“If I ever become a thief, Nash will be the first thing I steal.”

“Well, at least it was the brother and not the one you practically molested.”I slap Shawna’s arm. “I did not practically molest him!”“No, but you wanted to.”“I most certainly—”“Don’t even lie to me, you wench! I know you too well. He had that whole bad boy thing going on. I’m surprised you didn’t wrap your legs and your lips and everything else around him right then and there.”

“I’ve only ever looked at Marissa and seen an elegant, statuesque, gorgeous woman. But this morning, I find myself wishing she was a cute, rumpled, fiery brunette instead.Shit! That’s not good!”

“I doubt there’s one single dull thing about you. -Nash”

“She chews the inside of her lip as she digests it all. I don’t think she has a clue how sexy and adorable she is. -Nash”

“He’s the embodiment of the one thing in life I need like a hole in the head—another bad-boy love interest.”

“Never before have I been so tempted to chase someone.”

“I realize he doesn’t think I’ll do it. No one probably does.And that’s exactly why I will.”

“Up close, I see that his eyes are brown. Dark, dark brown. Nearly black.Sinful.”

“He’ll never know. What stays in the VIP room happens in the VIP room,” she slurs.“Don’t you mean what happens in the VIP room stays in the VIP room?”“That’s what I said.”I snicker. “Oh, okay.”

“I’m staring at him with my mouth open—again—as he tucks his shirt back in. When he’s finished, he takes a step closer to me. I stand perfectly still. His grin dies into a seductive curve of his lips that makes my knees feel funny. I’m completely spellbound and embarrassingly turned on when he bends to whisper in my ear. “You’d better close those lips before I’m tempted to kiss them and really give you something to be all hot and bothered about.” -Cash”

“Don’t you think you should at least get dressed?”“Don’t you think you should at least give me my shirt then?” -Cash”

“I don’t remember agreeing to send you an honest stripper. Just a willing one.”(Cash)”