swallowed, hating how her body responded to his. Gathering her courage, she got her head into the game, and smiled sweetly, while reminding herself what an ass he was. Lavender couldn’t allow herself to get down and dirty with Tyler Harris, no matter how incredible the packaging happened to be. She’d cure herself of her weakness for gorgeous jocks once and for all. Tyler Harris would be the bar with which she’d measure her success.
“I’m not ready to leave yet. Maybe I’m enjoying it here way too much to leave. Besides, let’s be realistic. You and your crew of ancients couldn’t even pay one month’s taxes on Twin Cedars.”
She nodded, knowing he was right. His mouth came within inches from hers. Her body hijacked her brain and wallowed in the jock’s bad-boy spell. He smelled so good, so kissable, so male, so very male. His deep blue eyes were the color of a South Pacific lagoon and just as warm. Her heart journeyed down that path into dumb-woman’s land while her pulse raced ahead, leading the way. She might as well set the oven to broil and crawl inside to cool off. She was that hot.
He invaded her space. His smug expression turned to awareness of her as a woman, sexual awareness. The man was more than willing to buy if she was selling. She’d be one more notch on his already packed helmet, one more meaningless screw among thousands, one more gullible female. Thoughts raced through Lavender’s head of a faceless woman underneath Tyler, her legs wrapped around his waist, as he pounded into her. Once he finished, he’d get dressed and leave, never even knowing the woman’s name.
At least he knows my name .
Lavender slapped herself mentally. That wasn’t the point. She didn’t want to be another easy conquest for a man who’d exceeded his quota several lifetimes over. She’d been too easy in the past, too quick to give her body and then her heart to an entitled jock with an over-exercised cock and an under-exercised brain. Maybe all jocks weren’t alike, but the type she fell for certainly were. Tyler Harris made the rest look like rank amateurs.
She wasn’t gullible, and she wasn’t going to be an easy mark. Not tonight. Not any night. Not anymore. She’d come too far to jump off that wagon. She wouldn’t succumb to his charms, even if she did put her toe in the water more than once.
Disgusted with herself, Lavender reeled in her wayward emotions and reminded herself who she was dealing with here. A jock. A jerk. A bad boy. A self-proclaimed asshole who could turn on the charm when the mood struck him, which wasn’t often as far as she’d witnessed.
Lavender brought up her knee and gave him a good jab in the groin, not enough to send him rolling on the floor in agony, but enough to back him off. And back off he did with a surprised yelp. A storm raged in those blue eyes. She ducked around the counter and refused to look at him, but she sensed his presence. Busying herself, she cleaned off a few tables. After a long moment, she hazarded a glance at him. He’d retreated to a spot in front of the bar, as he stared at her, slightly bent over at the waist, his face lined with distress and surprise.
Finally, he heaved himself onto a bar stool and snapped his fingers. “Beer.”
Slipping behind the bar, she indulged in a brief fantasy regarding where she’d like to shove that beer, but she’d already done enough damage for one night. Instead, she slid a beer across the counter, one of those cheap brands he hated. He grabbed it and drank it down in one long gulp, as if it would ease the pain between his legs.
She slid another cheap beer to him. He frowned at the label and drank it a little slower.
“That was low.”
“Sorry, I forgot you liked dark beer.” She emptied the tray of dirty glasses into the dishwasher, refusing to make eye contact.
“I meant the hit to my groin.” He groaned, as if he’d get any sympathy from her.
“You were in my space. You’re lucky your balls
“I’m not ready to leave yet. Maybe I’m enjoying it here way too much to leave. Besides, let’s be realistic. You and your crew of ancients couldn’t even pay one month’s taxes on Twin Cedars.”
She nodded, knowing he was right. His mouth came within inches from hers. Her body hijacked her brain and wallowed in the jock’s bad-boy spell. He smelled so good, so kissable, so male, so very male. His deep blue eyes were the color of a South Pacific lagoon and just as warm. Her heart journeyed down that path into dumb-woman’s land while her pulse raced ahead, leading the way. She might as well set the oven to broil and crawl inside to cool off. She was that hot.
He invaded her space. His smug expression turned to awareness of her as a woman, sexual awareness. The man was more than willing to buy if she was selling. She’d be one more notch on his already packed helmet, one more meaningless screw among thousands, one more gullible female. Thoughts raced through Lavender’s head of a faceless woman underneath Tyler, her legs wrapped around his waist, as he pounded into her. Once he finished, he’d get dressed and leave, never even knowing the woman’s name.
At least he knows my name .
Lavender slapped herself mentally. That wasn’t the point. She didn’t want to be another easy conquest for a man who’d exceeded his quota several lifetimes over. She’d been too easy in the past, too quick to give her body and then her heart to an entitled jock with an over-exercised cock and an under-exercised brain. Maybe all jocks weren’t alike, but the type she fell for certainly were. Tyler Harris made the rest look like rank amateurs.
She wasn’t gullible, and she wasn’t going to be an easy mark. Not tonight. Not any night. Not anymore. She’d come too far to jump off that wagon. She wouldn’t succumb to his charms, even if she did put her toe in the water more than once.
Disgusted with herself, Lavender reeled in her wayward emotions and reminded herself who she was dealing with here. A jock. A jerk. A bad boy. A self-proclaimed asshole who could turn on the charm when the mood struck him, which wasn’t often as far as she’d witnessed.
Lavender brought up her knee and gave him a good jab in the groin, not enough to send him rolling on the floor in agony, but enough to back him off. And back off he did with a surprised yelp. A storm raged in those blue eyes. She ducked around the counter and refused to look at him, but she sensed his presence. Busying herself, she cleaned off a few tables. After a long moment, she hazarded a glance at him. He’d retreated to a spot in front of the bar, as he stared at her, slightly bent over at the waist, his face lined with distress and surprise.
Finally, he heaved himself onto a bar stool and snapped his fingers. “Beer.”
Slipping behind the bar, she indulged in a brief fantasy regarding where she’d like to shove that beer, but she’d already done enough damage for one night. Instead, she slid a beer across the counter, one of those cheap brands he hated. He grabbed it and drank it down in one long gulp, as if it would ease the pain between his legs.
She slid another cheap beer to him. He frowned at the label and drank it a little slower.
“That was low.”
“Sorry, I forgot you liked dark beer.” She emptied the tray of dirty glasses into the dishwasher, refusing to make eye contact.
“I meant the hit to my groin.” He groaned, as if he’d get any sympathy from her.
“You were in my space. You’re lucky your balls
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