Page 7 of Crazy for You

“We close at midnight.”

She leaned closer, and her floral scent teased his nostrils. “Any chance you could give me a ride?”

“It’s pretty cold out there, and I only have my bike. You’d be more comfortable in a cab.” And so would he, because the sight of her here at the bar, all that silky hair loose around her shoulders and the sexiest hint of cleavage showing at the neckline of her shirt…it was doing all kinds of weird things to his mind. Like making him fantasize about her on the back of his bike, her arms around his waist. Her lips on his. Emma in his bed, screaming his name.

“I’ve always wanted to ride on a motorcycle,” she said softly.

“You’ve never…”

She shook her head, a wicked smile curving her lips. “So what do you say, will you be my first?”

Ah, hell. Derek’s little sister. He repeated the words in his head until he’d dragged his mind out of the gutter. “You’re not dressed to ride.”

“I only live a few miles down the road. I’ll survive.”

This was a terrible idea. He should insist she take a cab, for his own sake if not for hers, but… “All right then, if you don’t mind waiting around while I close up.”

“Not at all. It’s kind of fun hanging out at the bar by myself. A couple of guys have even flirted with me. Maybe I should let my hair down more often. What do you think?”

He thought those guys were too smooth for a woman like Emma, and if the cheater by the door tried to put a move on her, he might “accidentally” spill a drink in the douche’s lap. “I think you’re beautiful however you wear your hair, but it does look really nice tonight.”

She sat up straighter. Yeah, he hadn’t expected to hear himself say that either.

“Thanks.”

He grabbed a cloth and rubbed at a water ring on the bar top, more as a distraction than out of necessity.

She leaned closer, those blue eyes hitting him like a punch to the gut. “I’m trying to shake things up this year, not be so much of a goody-two-shoes.”

He blinked. “Say what, now?”

“I want to have some fun.” She smiled, not the practiced take-me-home-tonight smile he received from so many women every time he tended bar, but a warm, honest smile that seemed somehow much sexier. “I’m thinking about getting a tattoo. And I want to sign up for rock-climbing lessons when you start up for the season.”

His brain got fuzzy somewhere around the mention of a tattoo. “Oh, yeah?”

She nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “It looks exciting.”

“Almost as good as a ride on my bike.” And dammit, he was flirting.

“You could bring all kinds of excitement into my life,” she said with a giggle, reminding him that she was borderline drunk.

“Water for you until we close,” he said, plunking an empty glass on the bar in front of her, which he filled from the tap.

She grumbled but took it without protest.

Ryan ventured down the bar to check on the cheater by the door and the other lone couple still remaining. The couple paid their tab and left, leaving only Emma and the cheater. And luck must have been on Ryan’s side because that guy paid up, too, and headed out into the night.

“I’ve never been the last one at the bar before,” Emma said, watching as he cleaned up.

“The place is dead tonight. Monday night outside of tourist season.”

“Can I help?” she asked as he placed dirty mugs into the dishwasher beneath the counter.

“Nope, but I do appreciate you keeping me company.” He hadn’t paid much attention to her when they were kids, but grown-up Emma was pretty cool, even if she was totally messing with his head tonight.

She chattered away while he cleaned up the bar. Jason, the manager, swung through and flipped the sign on the door from open to closed. Emma went to the restroom while Ryan finished up in back.

“Who’s the chick?” Jason asked. “She doesn’t look like your usual type.”

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