Page 5 of My Reluctant Valentine

I jump at the voice, nearly knocking over my untouched wine.The man standing over me looks like he stepped straight out of a country music video, complete with cowboy hat and shit-eating grin.

"Not interested." I turn back to my phone, trying to steady my breathing.

"Aw, come on now." He slides into the seat across from me."Pretty lady like you shouldn't drink alone."

"I'm not drinking. I'm working." I gesture to the stack of papers I brought as cover."And I'm definitely not looking for company."

"Playing hard to get?" He reaches for my hand."I like that."

Before I can tell him exactly where he can shove his interest, a shadow falls over our table.The temperature in the room seems to drop ten degrees.

"Problem here?" Ace's voice carries that same gentle tone from the classroom, but there's steel underneath it now.

Cowboy Hat yanks his hand back like I've burned him."No problem, Ranch. Just being friendly."

"She doesn't look like she wants your kind of friendly." Ace doesn't raise his voice, doesn't even look at the guy.His eyes are locked on me, dark and intense."Do you, Miss Leslie?"

"I was just leaving anyway." I start gathering my things, but Ace's hand comes down on top of my papers.

"Stay."

It's not a request. Any other time, that would piss me off enough to walk out just to prove a point.But Shari's text is still burning in my mind, and suddenly leaving doesn't seem like such a great idea.

Cowboy Hat disappears without another word.Ace slides into his vacated seat, signaling the bartender without taking his eyes off me.

"Interesting choice of workspace."

"Interesting choice of customer service." I pull my papers out from under his hand."Do you always terrorize your patrons, Ranch?" The name seems wrong on my tongue.In my opinion Ace suits him better.Not that my opinion matters since I'm staying away from this man after tonight, I remind myself.

His lips twitch. "Only the ones who need it.Your wine okay?"

"I haven't tried it yet. Too busy fending off your customers."

"My customers know better than to harass women who clearly want to be left alone." He leans back, with casual dominance."Course, if you didn't want company, there are safer places to grade papers than an MC bar."

"It's the only place in town open past nine that serves decent wine." I take a deliberate sip."And I'm not looking for safer."

"No?" Something dangerous flashes in his eyes."What are you looking for then, Miss Leslie?"

"Peace and quiet to grade these papers."

He laughs, the sound doing inappropriate things to my insides."Serenity's a small town, darlin'.Peace and quiet come with a price."

"Everything does." I set my wine down harder than necessary."What do you want, Mr. Hunter?"

"Ace," he corrects, for what feels like the hundredth time."And maybe I just want to make sure my daughter's teacher makes it home safe tonight."

"I've been making it home safe on my own for twenty-eight years."

"Have you?" He pulls out his phone, sliding it across the table."Because according to my sources, Ian Davidson's asking questions about a certain preschool teacher in Serenity County."

My blood runs cold. On his screen is a photo of Ian at some Atlanta event, clearly mid-conversation.The timestamp is from yesterday.

"How did you--"

"I make it my business to know who comes sniffing around my town." He takes the phone back."Especially when they're looking for someone under my protection."

"I'm not under your protection."

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