The Burning Claw
Page 27
She reached up and wiped away the tears that she’d been shedding even in her sleep. Sally didn’t understand it. She didn’t know where the feelings were coming from. Sometimes they didn’t even feel like they were her own.
She glanced over at the clock and saw that she’d slept until nearly two in the afternoon. She had to be at work by four. She pushed away the remnants of the emotions and focused instead on the things she needed to do in order to get ready for her day.
An hour and forty minutes later, after showering, changing, and getting dressed in the shirt that was her uniform, she stepped out of her front door. She tried to focus on the beautiful weather and not the turmoil that was still churning her gut. There was no sense in dwelling on it since she didn’t even know what it was.
“Look!” Jericho called out as he entered the bar. “She returns.” His grin was contagious and she was thankful that she did have to work. Otherwise, she would be sitting at home wallowing.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Sally asked as she stashed her purse under the counter and grabbed her small apron. She started to wrap it around her but Jericho grabbed it and took it from her hands, tossing it onto the counter. “Jericho,” she huffed, but quickly snapped her mouth closed when he snagged the edge of her jeans and pulled her toward him. His masculine scent hit her and she had to admit, he smelled good.
“Just one second. We need to sexify you up a little, not that you aren’t already sexy as hell with that whole innocent wholesome thing you got going on. It’s like the librarian effect.”
“What?” Sally’s eyes widened and she felt her face warm up.
“The librarian effect,” he repeated as if that would help. “You know, when a girl seems so put together that it just makes you want to get her all kinds of messy.”
Sally choked back a laugh. “Can’t say that I’ve ever felt that way.”
He chuckled. “If you ever do, please let me know so I can watch.”
“Jericho!” she squealed, thoroughly embarrassed.
He shrugged. “Just speaking the truth, babe. Now, stand still,” he said as he proceeded to rip the bottom of her shirt. He tore it all the way around until she was left with a top that only came to just above her belly button.
“Really?” she asked dryly.
Jericho ran a finger softly across the bare skin of her exposed flesh, and Sally sucked in a breath as she stepped back. He followed her and continued to follow her progress backward until she was stopped by the counter. “Are you running from me, little rabbit?” His grin was wicked—and hot.
“Do I need to run?” she asked as she looked up at his eyes. She sucked in a breath. His eyes…they almost appeared to be glowing.
“If you run, I’ll just be enticed to chase you,” he whispered as he leaned down toward her. His warm breath caressed her cheeks but she couldn’t focus on that. All she could see was his eyes.
“Your eyes,” she whispered back.
“What about them?” Jericho asked absently, as he seemed suddenly very interested in her neck. He was leaning closer and closer still until his nose brushed the tender part of her neck just below her ear. He took a deep breath. “You smell amazing.”
“Wait.” Sally leaned back. “What?”
“I said you smell amazing.” He breathed in again. “Makes me want to—”
“Jericho, Sally, get to work and quit petting each other.” Cross’ voice penetrated the little bubble in which they’d been entranced.
“You suck the fun out of everything, boss,” Jericho whined as he stepped back again. He winked at Sally as he ran his finger across her midsection again on his way past her to the door leading to the back of the bar.
Sally stood there attempting to catch her breath. She was in trouble. Cross had told her to be careful about Jericho and now she knew why. Resisting him was going to be challenging. Sally didn’t have much experience with guys, but she wasn’t blind or stupid. Jericho was all kinds of yummy and his confident charm only made him even more irresistible.
She grabbed the apron her coworker had so casually tossed onto the counter and wrapped it around her. It did nothing to cover the exposed skin. Then she tucked a towel in her back pocket, leaving some hanging out.
Sally began her assigned opening duties for the day. She had been surprised at how many patrons that had poured in for happy hour as the previous business workday ended. She didn’t expect tonight to be any different. As she began drying some recently washed glasses, she let her mind drift to the glowing eyes, or what she thought were glowing eyes, peering back at her from Jericho’s all too handsome face. They had been glowing, she was sure of it. Or had she just been so enamored with his attention that she was seeing things?
“No daydreaming, little rabbit,” Jericho said as he smacked her on her rear in passing. She’d noticed the night before that he was a touchy feely type. But today he seemed to be taking it up a notch. Sally didn’t like to play games. She wouldn’t let him jerk her around by her hormones. By the end of the night, she had every intention of knowing where the flirting was going, if anywhere. She’d originally told him that she wasn’t interested in a relationship, but perhaps she hadn’t been totally honest with him or with herself. Though she hated to admit it, she was lonely. Jericho was funny, kind, and made her feel like she mattered. Maybe she would be making a big mistake if she did let anything happened between them. The only way she would know would be to give him a chance.
It was halfway into the busiest time of the evening when Sally decided she was beginning to get a picture of what exactly Jericho was looking for. Every guy that hit on her received a front row seat view of Jericho doing something outrageous, like blowing seductively on the back of her neck as she poured a drink, and then chuckling along with the other employees and patrons, when she spilled said drink. Not long afterwards, when a guy asked her for her number, Jericho had come up behind her and wrapped a strong arm around her waist. He’d pulled her back against his impressive chest and mock whispered how much he was looking forward to after closing time with her. She’d thought he was just teasing in an effort to keep the male customers from getting too aggressive with her. That all changed when another guy approached the bar. This man had everyone else moving away from him. He was the type of person that commanded the room without ever having to say a word. His shoulders were pulled back, his chin held up in confidence, and the smirk on his face dared any one to confront him at their own peril.
She glanced over at the clock and saw that she’d slept until nearly two in the afternoon. She had to be at work by four. She pushed away the remnants of the emotions and focused instead on the things she needed to do in order to get ready for her day.
An hour and forty minutes later, after showering, changing, and getting dressed in the shirt that was her uniform, she stepped out of her front door. She tried to focus on the beautiful weather and not the turmoil that was still churning her gut. There was no sense in dwelling on it since she didn’t even know what it was.
“Look!” Jericho called out as he entered the bar. “She returns.” His grin was contagious and she was thankful that she did have to work. Otherwise, she would be sitting at home wallowing.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Sally asked as she stashed her purse under the counter and grabbed her small apron. She started to wrap it around her but Jericho grabbed it and took it from her hands, tossing it onto the counter. “Jericho,” she huffed, but quickly snapped her mouth closed when he snagged the edge of her jeans and pulled her toward him. His masculine scent hit her and she had to admit, he smelled good.
“Just one second. We need to sexify you up a little, not that you aren’t already sexy as hell with that whole innocent wholesome thing you got going on. It’s like the librarian effect.”
“What?” Sally’s eyes widened and she felt her face warm up.
“The librarian effect,” he repeated as if that would help. “You know, when a girl seems so put together that it just makes you want to get her all kinds of messy.”
Sally choked back a laugh. “Can’t say that I’ve ever felt that way.”
He chuckled. “If you ever do, please let me know so I can watch.”
“Jericho!” she squealed, thoroughly embarrassed.
He shrugged. “Just speaking the truth, babe. Now, stand still,” he said as he proceeded to rip the bottom of her shirt. He tore it all the way around until she was left with a top that only came to just above her belly button.
“Really?” she asked dryly.
Jericho ran a finger softly across the bare skin of her exposed flesh, and Sally sucked in a breath as she stepped back. He followed her and continued to follow her progress backward until she was stopped by the counter. “Are you running from me, little rabbit?” His grin was wicked—and hot.
“Do I need to run?” she asked as she looked up at his eyes. She sucked in a breath. His eyes…they almost appeared to be glowing.
“If you run, I’ll just be enticed to chase you,” he whispered as he leaned down toward her. His warm breath caressed her cheeks but she couldn’t focus on that. All she could see was his eyes.
“Your eyes,” she whispered back.
“What about them?” Jericho asked absently, as he seemed suddenly very interested in her neck. He was leaning closer and closer still until his nose brushed the tender part of her neck just below her ear. He took a deep breath. “You smell amazing.”
“Wait.” Sally leaned back. “What?”
“I said you smell amazing.” He breathed in again. “Makes me want to—”
“Jericho, Sally, get to work and quit petting each other.” Cross’ voice penetrated the little bubble in which they’d been entranced.
“You suck the fun out of everything, boss,” Jericho whined as he stepped back again. He winked at Sally as he ran his finger across her midsection again on his way past her to the door leading to the back of the bar.
Sally stood there attempting to catch her breath. She was in trouble. Cross had told her to be careful about Jericho and now she knew why. Resisting him was going to be challenging. Sally didn’t have much experience with guys, but she wasn’t blind or stupid. Jericho was all kinds of yummy and his confident charm only made him even more irresistible.
She grabbed the apron her coworker had so casually tossed onto the counter and wrapped it around her. It did nothing to cover the exposed skin. Then she tucked a towel in her back pocket, leaving some hanging out.
Sally began her assigned opening duties for the day. She had been surprised at how many patrons that had poured in for happy hour as the previous business workday ended. She didn’t expect tonight to be any different. As she began drying some recently washed glasses, she let her mind drift to the glowing eyes, or what she thought were glowing eyes, peering back at her from Jericho’s all too handsome face. They had been glowing, she was sure of it. Or had she just been so enamored with his attention that she was seeing things?
“No daydreaming, little rabbit,” Jericho said as he smacked her on her rear in passing. She’d noticed the night before that he was a touchy feely type. But today he seemed to be taking it up a notch. Sally didn’t like to play games. She wouldn’t let him jerk her around by her hormones. By the end of the night, she had every intention of knowing where the flirting was going, if anywhere. She’d originally told him that she wasn’t interested in a relationship, but perhaps she hadn’t been totally honest with him or with herself. Though she hated to admit it, she was lonely. Jericho was funny, kind, and made her feel like she mattered. Maybe she would be making a big mistake if she did let anything happened between them. The only way she would know would be to give him a chance.
It was halfway into the busiest time of the evening when Sally decided she was beginning to get a picture of what exactly Jericho was looking for. Every guy that hit on her received a front row seat view of Jericho doing something outrageous, like blowing seductively on the back of her neck as she poured a drink, and then chuckling along with the other employees and patrons, when she spilled said drink. Not long afterwards, when a guy asked her for her number, Jericho had come up behind her and wrapped a strong arm around her waist. He’d pulled her back against his impressive chest and mock whispered how much he was looking forward to after closing time with her. She’d thought he was just teasing in an effort to keep the male customers from getting too aggressive with her. That all changed when another guy approached the bar. This man had everyone else moving away from him. He was the type of person that commanded the room without ever having to say a word. His shoulders were pulled back, his chin held up in confidence, and the smirk on his face dared any one to confront him at their own peril.
