Page 50 of Taming Waves

“Bad night?” he asks.

“You could say that.”

“Audrey driving you crazy?”

“The woman is exasperating. She accepted a fucking date with Warner Price right in front of me.”

Anson laughs.

“What’s so funny?”

“You getting worked up over Warner Price. Isn’t he some uptight school teacher now?”

I shrug. “I have no idea.”

“I’m pretty sure he is.”

“And your point is?”

“Do you honestly see Audrey being interested in a guy like that? She’d be bored out of her mind. I bet you a hundred dollars she bails on him before the main course hits the table,” he says.

Rational me knows he’s right. Irrational me imagines them going back to some fancy home on the river in Wilmington, with her responding to his kiss the way she did mine tonight.

I force myself to focus on the movie so I don’t text her. She wants space and to pretend like nothing is growing between us. Fine. I’ll give it to her. Tonight anyway.

She fucking dressed up for him.

When I arrive at the bar, I find Audrey standing by the dance floor, chatting with Van. She is dressed in a black silk camisole with delicate lace details, topped with a fitted wine-colored leather jacket. Her sleek black midi skirt has a thigh-high split, and she is wearing stiletto ankle boots. Her hair is down, and her makeup is bolder than usual, with a smoky eye and nude lips.

And she looks good.

She waves me over. “Hey, Parker, I’m leaving you in charge tonight. It’s the last night the band will be here, so you’ll probably be busy. Leena will be upstairs, and Leonard will be with you. Van will be on the floor if you need him, and he’ll handle closing out the tips while you guys clean up. The band is breaking down at midnight because they have to be on the road, and our DJ called in sick, so they’re going to let everyone know at check-in that the last call will be early tonight. You should be home by one thirty.”

“Sounds good,” I say and walk away.

She finishes her conversation with Van and follows me to the break room.

“Is there a problem?” she asks.

I walk to the door and slam it shut, closing us in together. Then, I turn back.

“Yeah, there’s a problem,” I say as I advance on her.

She steps back until her backside hits the counter. I grip the cabinets above her with one hand and lean in.

“You look good. That outfit is hot as hell. Too bad it’s going to be wasted on the wrong man tonight.”

Her eyes narrow. “And you’d be the right man?”

I slide my free hand down her hip as my eyes drink in the way the sexy-as-hell skirt hugs her curves.

“At least I’d appreciate all the effort.”

She laughs. “Oh, I’m sure Warner will appreciate it.”

My eyes snap back to hers. Then drop to her mouth.

I bring my finger up and run it across her bottom lip, and she sucks in a breath.

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