Page 15 of Turn Up The Heat

“Marcus Lawrenson? I don’t think he’s my type,” Shane chuckled.

Jackson let out a breath, exasperated. “Not Captain America, you dick. The girl he’s talking up.”

Shane smirked, finally enjoying himself a little bit as he turned around. “Oh, all right. Let’s see who Marcus has his sights set on tonight.”

As soon as Marcus shifted his stance, giving Shane a clear line of vision to the girl leaning against the bar, his stomach did a lurch/backflip move that shocked the hell out of him.

Across the room, Bellamy Blake smiled up at Marcus like he was God’s gift to women. And was she holding his hand? Shane’s beer suddenly tasted bitter, and he rolled the bottle around to check the expiration date.

Jackson lifted a brow. “What?” Unfortunately for Shane, Jackson hadn’t missed a thing, and the big oaf was smarter than hiswho me?charm let on. But Shane hadn’t given any woman a second look since he’d moved to Pine Mountain, and he wasn’t about to start now.

“Nothing. That’s, ah, the girl who belongs to the toy car sitting up on the lift at Grady’s.”

Jackson’s eyes glimmered with interest. “Let me guess. Not your type either?”

This one was a no brainer. “Definitely not.”

Yet his eyes disobeyed his brain and arrowed in on Bellamy again. Okay, so she wasn’t holding Marcus’s hand. It must have been the guy’s poor excuse for a handshake that Shane had witnessed. Right.

Why did he give a shit?

“She’s pretty. You sure she’s not interesting enough for you?”

Shane didn’t need to feed Jackson’s imagination any further, especially not when it came to his being interested in a snobby little blonde from the city. Which he wasn’t. At all.

“She’s plenty interesting if you want to date a headstrong pain in the ass. Me? I’ll pass. Hey, isn’t that Samantha Kane over there, looking at the jukebox? You should go talk to her before someone else swoops in and steals her away.” Shane jutted his chin at the willowy redhead standing by the jukebox with a gaggle of her friends.

Forgoing subtlety, Jackson swung his head around and studied the situation. “If I’m going to talk to her, I’m not going alone. Why do women travel in packs like that, huh?”

Shane exhaled in relief at the shift in focus. “Relax, Romeo. I’d be a poor excuse for a wingman if I didn’t go with you.” He barely registered his subconscious glance in Bellamy’s direction before his eyes were back on his friend. “Who knows. Maybe one of her friends will be interesting.”

Jackson finished his beer and looked at Shane with a grin. “Atta boy. You might get lucky tonight after all.”

* * *

Bellamy spent moretime listening to the conversation around her than participating in it, which proved to be increasingly amusing as the night—and the drinks—wore on. About thirty minutes in, she’d spotted Shane leaning against a wall, looking like an old-school bad boy, complete with his battered jacket and five o’clock shadow. By the time she’d finished nursing her beer, he was getting cozy with a sexy brunette wearing a low-cut top and a high-watt smile.

And by the time she’d ordered a fresh drink, she realized that she really needed to stop giving a flying fig what the man did.

“So, Bellamy, tell us what you do,” Marcus purred, his voice sounding like it was covered in chocolate.

Since both Holly and Jenna were suddenly engrossed in conversation with Marcus’s friends, Bellamy wasn’t exactly sure who the ‘us’was, but what the hell. She could make polite conversation.

“I’m a real estate analyst for the second largest bank in Philadelphia.”

Note to self. Don’t use the big words around Marcus.He blinked, looking at her as if she’d just answered in Japanese. “Beauty andbrains, huh? Nice combination,” he finally managed.

“Um, thanks, I think.” The pause that followed was so awkward, she bailed the poor guy out. “What about you?”

Marcus’s chest puffed and he flashed his pearly too-whites. “I’m a ski instructor at the resort. I heard Jenna say you’re staying until Monday. If you want to hit the slopes tomorrow, I could show you a thing or two.”

Oh, my God. Did he just give her the double-barrel-wink? Honestly? Who did that anymore?

“Oh, ah, wow, that’s really nice of you. I didn’t bring skis with me this trip,” she apologized.

Much to Bellamy’s chagrin, Marcus was completely undaunted. “Oh, that’s fine. We’ve got tons of that stuff you could borrow. Really.” He leaned in so close that the cloying scent of his cologne hit her nostrils full force. “There are all kinds of trails on the mountain with romantic views. They’re perfect for a private lesson,” he said on a deep croon.

Bellamy needed a lifeline, and she needed it quick. Bless Holly’s best-friend heart, she interrupted in less than ten seconds. “Bellamy, I’m going to the bar to get a drink. Do you want one?” The flush on Holly’s face suggested that she needed another drink like she needed a tax audit, but Bellamy was in the mood to pick up her friend’s slack if necessary.

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