Page 20 of Liar For Hire (For Hire 1)

She looked around. “Not much room in here, don’t you think?”

He grinned. “Better to get to know each other.”

Skip thrust in front of her. “Get lost.”

“Whoa, Skip.” She held up a hand. “I don’t need you to defend me. I’m fine.”

“But—”

There was something about the man that made her want to talk to him. She accepted his offer and squeezed through the crowd to a spot nearer the dancing couple, and she moved to the beat. The cowboy did the same, if awkwardly.

“You’re beautiful,” he gushed. “I haven’t seen you in here before.”

“I’m just visiting the area. You?”

They raised their voices to be heard above the music. All the while, she tried to pinpoint what it was that was so familiar about this man. Why did she feel like she knew him? He certainly wasn’t the guy both she and her sister had now seen outside her place. What was it?

Then it hit her. The eyes. This man had silver eyes just like Declan’s—and just like Patrick’s. Good grief, were they all related? That was a silly thought but a weird coincidence.

“You know…” She cast her voice very low on purpose. Her dance partner would have to climb inside her mouth to hear her words. “My friend thinks there’s such a thing as shape shifters, people who aren’t human and can take on another form.”

The cowboy stopped dancing. He paled, but maybe that was her imagination what with the low lighting. Next to him, the dancing woman turned to look Janessa dead in her face. Janessa should have kept her big mouth shut.

“T-that’s ridiculous,” Cowboy stuttered.

“Is it?” She tried to look fearless, but nerves ate up her belly.

Several pairs of eyes swiveled toward them, and her dance partner seemed to pick up on the animosity from the others in the bar. While he’d intended to play off her comment, his fellow bar patrons weren’t so nice.

She considered what to do to change the atmosphere when a commotion behind her drew her attention. Skip fell into a pushing match with another man. They raised their voices, insulting one another.

Someone thumped her shoulder, and she spun around. The dancing woman had left her partner and stood in front of Janessa. She sneered at Janessa. “You don’t belong here. If you’re with him, go get him and get out.”

“Excuse me? This is a public establishment last time I checked, and it’s a free country. If you don’t like me here, you can get over it.”

Janessa didn’t know who this woman thought she was dealing with. So what she was leggy, blonde, and gorgeous enough to be a model. Okay, why am I noticing that? Janessa refused to let anyone intimidate her.

The woman’s boyfriend elbowed her aside to get into Janessa’s face, and a few others, male and female, fell into step beside him. Janessa swallowed. She stumbled when someone thumped into her from behind and found Skip at her back.

“Crud,” he whispered, and she heard him. Someone had stopped the music. “We might be in a pickle.”

“You think?”

One of the men grabbed Janessa’s arm. She winced at the strong grip.

“Get your hands off me!”

The front door burst open. A flash of color zipped in front of her eyes, and the man holding her arm crashed into others behind him. The entire lot went down to the floor.

Janessa blinked and gasped. Standing between her and the crowd was none other than Declan. She couldn’t believe it. How did he find her? After she warned him about her intentions, she led him to believe it would be a while before she could get started with her quest. After that, she left town.

“Declan,” she breathed.

The woman let out a tiny feminine squeak and touched the back of her hand to her mouth. Silver eyes widened as she stared at Declan. “M-my prince, is it really you?”

“Don’t call me that,” Declan growled.

The woman breathed deep, still gaping at Declan. “What am I saying? Of course it’s you. Everyone, it’s him. It’s really him.”

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