Page 14 of You Can't Fight Lightning
Wow. That was a clunker of a sentence. “According to my dad, the best. I beg to differ.”
“Did you attend there?”
“For a while. I left.” I didn’t elaborate. I felt like I’d already told this guy too much.
“You’re an interesting woman, Roxy. I’d love to take you to brunch, talk with you some more.”
I looked at him as he spoke, and I could see that the sparkle in his sky-blue eyes was back. Whoa. It was back stronger than before. I felt like I couldn’t catch my breath for a moment.
“I don’t date bar patrons.” My words were automatic. It wasn’t a rule here, because Pete met Loretta at the first bar he’d ever managed, and almost all of Janny’s exes still came into the bar, but it allowed me to fend people off without much explanation.
“Is that a rule?” The blue eyes sparkled and danced.
“It’s my rule.”
“You could break it.”
“No, I don’t think so.” I put on my Can-I-get-you-anything-else-because-otherwise-I-have-work-to-do face.
Z poured himself another glass of water. “I hear you. Let me ask you something, if you don’t mind.”
“Okay.”
“Where is a good place to stay here?”
Whatever I’d been expecting, that wasn’t it. “You came here without anywhere to stay?”
“I’m just riding, with no particular destination in mind. I picked this place out of a guidebook. I found Big Pete’s online. You have quite the reputation here.” He grinned, although there was no apology in his grin. More like, he thought he was cute.
Well, shit.
I’d thought there was more to him.
But that one grin, that one look-at-me grin, told me otherwise.
“You could probably get a room at the El Dorado.” I named one of the most expensive places in town. See how cute he thought it was then, once he saw the bill.
“The El Dorado it is.” Z nodded at the clothesline behind me. “I’ll settle my bill.”
I snatched his bill and card from the clothespin and then ran the card through without even handing him the total. Then I slid the whole thing in front of him, slapping a pen on top of the receipt.
Z signed it and pushed it back toward me. “Thanks, Roxy.” He got up, his movement smooth and graceful for such a big man. “I’ll be seeing you.”
Then he was gone, out the door before I even picked up the receipt.
When I did, I let out a curse. “That shit.”
He’d tipped me a hundred.
“I’m not for sale!” There was no way he could hear me shout, but it felt good to get it out there all the same.
The two old guys at the end of the bar looked up. “You sure?” One muttered.
“Shut it or leave.” I gave him the eyeball and he looked back at his drink.
I could swear that I heard Z laugh, even though he was outside by now. But I must have been hearing things, because all I could hear was the roar of a Harley. They were distinctive.
Leaning against the back bar, I took a breath. Z was… something. I’d never expected to meet a guy who could do what he’d did to me again. And if I was honest, I’d never met anyone who made me such a muddle.
