Page 5 of Sweet Temptation

To his surprise, the blonde stumbled back, almost falling over. Garret reached out, taking hold of her arms until she was balanced on her own, sort of.

“Sorry.” She paused a long moment and leveled her gaze with his. Despite the smile on her face, her eyes told a totally different story.

He hadn’t seen that kind of pain in a woman’s eyes since his dad died. Never would he forget the look in his mom’s eyes when Doc Conroy told her she had lost her husband.

A new tune he didn’t recognize played overhead and throwing her arms up in the air, the blonde began singing at the top of her lungs, shimmying about the floor as if she were the only person here.

Not sure what to make of it, he turned to the redhead and to his delight, noticed she’d grown interested in another guy. About to offer to buy the blonde something a little sobering, like a cup of coffee, she bumped into another guy who didn’t hesitate to grab her and twirl her into a close dance move. Maybe she knew the guy.

Time to go back to his observation post, except now, his seat at the bar was gone. Opting to just stand by the corner, he soon grew tired of watching the people coming and going in hopes of finding a potential prospect for an absurd bargain. Instead, he opted to watch the pretty blonde, dancing with yet another man.

If he were placing bets, there’d be two choices, a bachelorette having a little too much fun, except there were no bridesmaids about and the sadness he’d seen in her eyes told him the other choice was more likely. A break-up. And from the way she was dancing, spilling the drink she held high in the air, he’d venture it was a bad break up. A real lulu. What he didn’t know was if she knew anyone here at all. Most likely, since seeing her at the table a few hours ago all by herself, probably not.

A new guy appeared at the blonde’s side. Apparently, Garret wasn’t the only one watching the woman. This guy looked slick, and cool, and like he had only one thing on his mind. Sure enough, dancing with her, he pulled the clip from her hair, and when she laughed, shaking out long blonde locks that fell past her shoulders, the guy dared to tug at her strap and expose a soft, shoulder that hadn’t seen sunshine in a long time.

Acid churned in his stomach. Sure people came into places like this looking for companionship, especially the kind that didn’t include names or staying for breakfast, but there were rules about girls who’d had too much to drink, and this girl—this woman—definitely fell into that category. Any idiot could see she’d lost control of her good sense a long time ago.

Part of him tried to tell himself that she wasn’t his responsibility, he wasn’t her keeper. Then the other part of him asked, what if that were Jillian or Rachel, would he want someone to step in and save her from herself?

As he continued silently debating, another guy came up to the blonde. Now the two guys were after her—at the same time—and then, for just a second he saw a flash of, was it fear, before she let out a nervous laugh and danced with both men.

That was it. Saving her from herself, from throwing her life away, was his responsibility, at least tonight.

Chapter Three

Marching over, Garret insinuated himself between the blonde and the first guy. “Come on…” Crud, he had no idea what her name was, then again, these two yahoos probably didn’t know it either. “Mary, it’s time to go home.” Taking hold of her arm as delicately as he could while still forcing a woman to go with a man she’d never met before in her life, he looked her in the eyes and prayed she could see he had no untoward intent.

“Wh…at…” she slurred.

Oh, definitely time to save her from herself. “We’re going home.”

“Home?” For the first time since he’d been watching her, he saw the hint of a genuine smile.

“Yes. Home.”

She almost melted against him, though she may have been on the verge of passing out. With no choice, he looped his arm around her waist and started moving forward when one of the two bozos grabbed his arm.

“Hey man, she’s with us.”

Garret gave the man a glare that should have cut him to his knees. Thankfully, it worked; not one but both of the men retreated.

He’d barely made it across the room to the door when one of the waitresses came running up to them. “Honey, don’t forget your purse.”

Purse. Thank heaven for that. He was about to walk off with a woman he didn’t know, and take her who knew where.

“Thanks.” He nodded at the woman.

Outside, she gasped at the fresh air and then wobbled beside him. Not sure quite what to do now, he took her to his car. Settling her in the front seat, he opened her purse and muttering an apology, ignored her phone—most were locked with a pass code—instead, he pulled out her wallet. Jacqueline. Such a pretty name. He took a second to look at the woman squinting at him.

“That’s mine.”

“Yes, it is. Jacqueline.”

She leaned her head back and smiled. “My mom loooved, Jackie……Ken, kennnn.”

“Kennedy?” he finished for her, looking back at her license for an address.Houston? What the heck was a gal from Houston doing in a dive like this in the heart of a small West Texas town? “Jacqueline, where do you live now?”

“Home,” she muttered softly, her eyes drifting closed.

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