A Perfect Storm
Page 61
“Now, don’t go getting nervous on me.” Janes wrapped her hair around his fingers, holding her like a leash. “You and I have unfinished business.”
Hoping to reestablish her scam of demure naïveté, Arizona whispered, “It’s getting late.”
Mouth curving in a malicious smile, he tugged a little harder on her hair. “But I thought you were interested in a job?”
“Oh.” Right. A job. She started this, so she needed to finish it. “I am.”
“Well, honey, bars stay open late, and as a new hire, you’d have the shittiest hours. That means being on the clock until closing.” Under the table, his feet encased hers. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Only then did she realize that poor Joel had slunk away. But where did he go? She peeked around and didn’t see him. “No problem at all.”
She made a point of not looking toward Spencer again. The way he’d been going at it, she might see something she didn’t like.
Or rather, something she disliked even more than what she’d already seen.
Man, would she give him hell later.
“Glad to hear it.” Janes let her hair drop and refilled their glasses. “I like you, Candy.”
Yeah, well, he wouldn’t—not after he really got to know her. She batted her eyes at him. “You are so…sweet.”
His expression held no amusement. “Down the hatch. Then I’ll show you around the place, get you all set up. You can start tomorrow.”
“That soon, huh?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Nope.” Somehow she’d figure it out. She had to go to Dare’s for her stupid birthday—a circumstance she’d never anticipated—but starting work at the bar would give her the perfect excuse to cut things short, to make the trip as quick as possible. “Actually, that’d be great.”
“Good. Let’s drink to our new association, then.”
Another drink would put her over the limit. She already felt the buzz as the alcohol flooded into her system. The place felt warmer, as if the air-conditioning had died. Heat flushed her face, left her skin dewy. “I don’t think I should—”
“To work here, you gotta be able to hold your liquor.”
“Sure. And I can.” She could hold it, she just couldn’t control her temper when she imbibed too much. “It’s just that I’ve already had a few—”
“Decide now.” Intolerance put an edge in his tone. “You want the job or not?”
So he would make it a stipulation to the deal? Bastard. “I want the job. I need the job.” More important, she needed a tour of the building. Back entrances, windows and escape routes—she had to know the ins and outs of the structure. And she needed to know if a raid would put forced workers at risk, if he stored his victims here, locked up, or if he moved them elsewhere, how many people were in the building.
There were still too many unanswered questions.
Lifting the shot in a toast, Arizona stared, unflinching, into the eyes of the devil. “To a new tomorrow.”
He raised his glass. “To you, Candy—and an exciting night to come.”
Yeah, a night where she’d dismantle him. “Hear, hear.” Together, they knocked back the shots.
Whoa. Liquid fire cut through her, numbing her tongue and her brain, pooling like an inferno in her guts. She shook her head to clear it from the rush, wiped her mouth and set her glass next to his.
“Is that taking the edge off?”
Yeah, and she needed her edge. “Whoa.” She shook her head again, but it didn’t help. “I think I’m getting drunk.”
“You’re softening.” He rubbed at his mouth, scrutinizing her. “I like it.”
Before he could pour her yet another, Arizona pushed back her chair and stood. “I’m ready for my tour.”
Janes came to his feet also. “You’re ready, all right.” He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. They each wore sleeveless shirts, so they had a lot of skin touching.
Puke, gross, disgusting.
Her stomach actually pitched, but she drew a deep breath to settle it again, and, pretending to stumble into him, she shot an elbow into his belly.
“Shit.” He jerked her around hard, and his hands bit into her upper arms. “Careful, damn it.”
Giggling, Arizona flattened her hands on his narrow chest. Not much muscle there. Put to the test, she thought she could probably take him.
She relished a chance to find out.
She leaned into him and giggled again. Looking up into his eyes, she smiled. “You know, I think maybe I’ve had just a little bit too much to drink.”
Slowly Janes’s anger faded away beneath blistering intent. “Girl, I think you’ve had just enough.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SPENCER SEETHED IN SILENCE as Arizona smiled, teased and generally sucked up to Janes. She held on to him like a lifeline; he couldn’t tell if she was really that wobbly, or if it was one of her insane ploys.
Either way, as he’d warned her, seeing another man’s hands all over her was impossible to bear.
He got especially enraged when Janes stroked her hair with one hand, her backside with the other.
I’ll kill him.
If Arizona didn’t beat him to it.
She’d already landed one elbow and just now managed to get a knee into his groin. Janes looked livid, ready to punish her—until Arizona snuggled into him again.
Hoping to reestablish her scam of demure naïveté, Arizona whispered, “It’s getting late.”
Mouth curving in a malicious smile, he tugged a little harder on her hair. “But I thought you were interested in a job?”
“Oh.” Right. A job. She started this, so she needed to finish it. “I am.”
“Well, honey, bars stay open late, and as a new hire, you’d have the shittiest hours. That means being on the clock until closing.” Under the table, his feet encased hers. “Is that going to be a problem?”
Only then did she realize that poor Joel had slunk away. But where did he go? She peeked around and didn’t see him. “No problem at all.”
She made a point of not looking toward Spencer again. The way he’d been going at it, she might see something she didn’t like.
Or rather, something she disliked even more than what she’d already seen.
Man, would she give him hell later.
“Glad to hear it.” Janes let her hair drop and refilled their glasses. “I like you, Candy.”
Yeah, well, he wouldn’t—not after he really got to know her. She batted her eyes at him. “You are so…sweet.”
His expression held no amusement. “Down the hatch. Then I’ll show you around the place, get you all set up. You can start tomorrow.”
“That soon, huh?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Nope.” Somehow she’d figure it out. She had to go to Dare’s for her stupid birthday—a circumstance she’d never anticipated—but starting work at the bar would give her the perfect excuse to cut things short, to make the trip as quick as possible. “Actually, that’d be great.”
“Good. Let’s drink to our new association, then.”
Another drink would put her over the limit. She already felt the buzz as the alcohol flooded into her system. The place felt warmer, as if the air-conditioning had died. Heat flushed her face, left her skin dewy. “I don’t think I should—”
“To work here, you gotta be able to hold your liquor.”
“Sure. And I can.” She could hold it, she just couldn’t control her temper when she imbibed too much. “It’s just that I’ve already had a few—”
“Decide now.” Intolerance put an edge in his tone. “You want the job or not?”
So he would make it a stipulation to the deal? Bastard. “I want the job. I need the job.” More important, she needed a tour of the building. Back entrances, windows and escape routes—she had to know the ins and outs of the structure. And she needed to know if a raid would put forced workers at risk, if he stored his victims here, locked up, or if he moved them elsewhere, how many people were in the building.
There were still too many unanswered questions.
Lifting the shot in a toast, Arizona stared, unflinching, into the eyes of the devil. “To a new tomorrow.”
He raised his glass. “To you, Candy—and an exciting night to come.”
Yeah, a night where she’d dismantle him. “Hear, hear.” Together, they knocked back the shots.
Whoa. Liquid fire cut through her, numbing her tongue and her brain, pooling like an inferno in her guts. She shook her head to clear it from the rush, wiped her mouth and set her glass next to his.
“Is that taking the edge off?”
Yeah, and she needed her edge. “Whoa.” She shook her head again, but it didn’t help. “I think I’m getting drunk.”
“You’re softening.” He rubbed at his mouth, scrutinizing her. “I like it.”
Before he could pour her yet another, Arizona pushed back her chair and stood. “I’m ready for my tour.”
Janes came to his feet also. “You’re ready, all right.” He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. They each wore sleeveless shirts, so they had a lot of skin touching.
Puke, gross, disgusting.
Her stomach actually pitched, but she drew a deep breath to settle it again, and, pretending to stumble into him, she shot an elbow into his belly.
“Shit.” He jerked her around hard, and his hands bit into her upper arms. “Careful, damn it.”
Giggling, Arizona flattened her hands on his narrow chest. Not much muscle there. Put to the test, she thought she could probably take him.
She relished a chance to find out.
She leaned into him and giggled again. Looking up into his eyes, she smiled. “You know, I think maybe I’ve had just a little bit too much to drink.”
Slowly Janes’s anger faded away beneath blistering intent. “Girl, I think you’ve had just enough.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SPENCER SEETHED IN SILENCE as Arizona smiled, teased and generally sucked up to Janes. She held on to him like a lifeline; he couldn’t tell if she was really that wobbly, or if it was one of her insane ploys.
Either way, as he’d warned her, seeing another man’s hands all over her was impossible to bear.
He got especially enraged when Janes stroked her hair with one hand, her backside with the other.
I’ll kill him.
If Arizona didn’t beat him to it.
She’d already landed one elbow and just now managed to get a knee into his groin. Janes looked livid, ready to punish her—until Arizona snuggled into him again.
