Chayton's Tempest (5 page)

worked endlessly and effortlessly behind the bar. She was an

amazing bartender, filling orders and carrying on

conversations with those around her. Watching her work was

like observing a masterpiece. There was no showing off, but

everything was flawless and without hesitation.

“
Dak
,” her voice reached over the crowd, catching the

younger man’s attention. When he looked over at her, she

finished with, “Can you bring up some more popcorn, pretzels,

and nuts, please?”

“Sure thing,” he hollered back. Sliding the current drink

he was working on to the customer, he made change and went

to the side door where Maverick had first seen her come from

this evening.

There was movement beside him and Maverick saw a

woman slip on the stool. She was dark blonde with a very

curvaceous figure. “Hey,” she said with a wink.

“Evening,” he returned as he reached for a handful of

nuts.

“Haven’t seen you in here before.” Her blue eyes

traveled blatantly over his body.

“Passing through town.” Maverick looked up as

Tempest walked past him to attend to some people at the far

end of the bar.

“Where are you from?” she asked as one hand dropped

to rest on his leg.

Maverick looked at her hand and moved it back to her

own leg. “Around.”

Not easily deterred, she fluttered her lashes at him. “Buy

me a drink?”

While it was on the tip of his tongue to flat out refuse,

the little voice in the back of his head told him that Tempest

would have to get the drink. “Sure.”

She giggled. “Wonderful.”

Maverick pulled out some money and reached out with

his hand to get her attention. Tempest acknowledged him with

a wave, indicating she would be right there.

Shit! Why is he at the bar?
Placing a smile on her face,

Tempest finished up with her patron and moved down the bar

toward where he sat. Next to him…next to him was Nikki, who

rarely paid for her own drink.

“Evening,” Tempest said with a smile.

“Evening,” Maverick’s deep voice resonated through her

entire being.

“What’ll it be? A refill?” she asked, pointing at his beer.

“No, Tempest,” Nikki interrupted. “He’s buying me a

drink.”

“Of course he is.” Her eyes hardened as she looked at

the devilishly handsome man for a moment before turning her

attention to the woman beside him. “And you would be

having…?”

Nikki licked her lips and leaned closer to Maverick’s

body, her eyes were full of lust as she looked over her man of

the moment. “I’ll have,” she paused to glance toward Tempest.

“I’m
gonna
have me a Slow Comfortable Screw,” she purred.

“Of course you are,” Tempest said, shaking her head.

She circled around and reached for the bottle of sloe gin,

unaware that motion showed off her tattoo to the man behind

her.

Spinning back around, Tempest ignored Maverick and

placed an ice-filled Collins glass before Nikki and quickly

mixed her drink. “There you go.” Silently, she took the money

from Maverick and made change. Never once did she touch his

hand, opting to leave the money on the counter instead. “Sure

you don’t need a refill or anything?” she asked him.

Maverick shook his head. It had been one hell of a shock

to see his name tattooed across her lower back. The artwork

was amazing, and it showed that the name, Maverick, was very

painful to her. He wanted to know the whole story.

“If you’re sure,” she said with a shrug. She noticed

Dakota had returned and for a moment, there was a lull at the

bar. Her son was filling orders for the waitress.

Before she could move away from him and down the

bar, he said, “You are an amazing bartender. How long have

you worked here?”

Her eyes narrowed, filled with uncontrolled rage. “Why

are you so interested in my life?”

Maverick could easily tell she was struggling to remain

polite to him. That threw him off. He wooed women, pleased

them, but they weren’t mad at him. “You are very beautiful.”

His response was so automatic it made her skin crawl.

Tempest didn’t even notice Nikki walk away, having gotten

her first free drink. One full lip lifted in a snarl as she stared

into his onyx-like eyes. He had a half-grin on his face, like a

man who knew he was handsome and charming. Like a man

who had no problem using his charm to get him what he

wanted.

Tempest sneered. “I can’t believe you actually think that

is going to work with me!”

“Sweetheart,” he drawled. “I don’t know you and have

no idea what is going to work with you. I would love to get to

know you, however.”

For a moment, Tempest stood there rigid with fury. Her

chest rose and fell with each breath she struggled to inhale. Her

hands wrung the rag in her hands as she fought valiantly to

maintain command of her unrestrained emotions.

Maverick couldn’t understand what her problem with

him was. She looked at him like he were less than a damn leper

and now she seemed furious about something. He was just

having some fun.
I thought bartenders were supposed to flirt.

“You don’t get to know me. I learned all I wanted to

about you,” she hissed as her hands clutched the edge of the

teak bar.

Narrowing his eyes, Maverick drew back and stared at

her.
She knew him?
“What are you talking about? I don’t know

you.”
What was going on?

Neither of them noticed the young man had moved up

behind them. “No, you
chose
to forget me.” Tempest stood up

straight and shot him a glare that froze the air around him.

Standing, Maverick reached across the bar for her. The

action prompted two bouncers to materialize beside him, one

on each side, and caused the young man to step between them.

“What are you talking about? We’ve never met.”

Scorn filled her face as she waved off the men. Stepping

as close as the bar allowed her to, Tempest placed two shaking

hands down on the shiny surface. “So that’s what you told

yourself, to alleviate your guilt? Fine, weave whatever bullshit

story you want. I could care less that you say you don’t know

me. But I know you, James
Chayton
Lonetree
, AKA Maverick. I

know you…and I hate you.” She spun around and walked

through the door behind the bar closing it with a finality that

snapped him out of his shock.

Maverick sank back to the black cushion of the barstool

totally blown away. She’d known his full name. The bouncers

moved off which left him facing a distrustful young man.

“Hey,” he said to the man glaring at him. “What is her last

name?”

Black eyes narrowed as he stared at the man who had

made his mother lose control. “Why should I tell you

anything?” he snapped.

“Look, kid,” Maverick growled. “I want to know how

she knows me.”

Those hard eyes looked him over derisively before he

lifted his shoulders. “Don’t know.” Then he walked away.

Draining the rest of his beer, a very shaken up Maverick

walked out of the bar and into the night. Casting a glance over

his shoulder at the name of the bar, he figured it was time to do

some investigative work. It hadn’t been anything less than pure

hatred that came from her mouth, and he wanted to know why.

Four

The door to the office opened and Tempest found herself

looking at her son across the desk. “What’s going on, Mom?”

“Just someone I’d thought was long gone from my life.”

Just the man who gave me you.

“I have never seen you get like that, especially at work.”

Dakota leaned back and rested his chin on his fingers.

“I’m just really tired.” She ran her hands over her face

with a groan.

“Go home.”

Her eyes flew open. “What?”

“Go home, Mom. I can handle the bar.” Dakota pinned

her with a look that dared her to challenge him.

“Okay, but if you need me, call.”

Her son grinned. “I have been doing this for a long time;

I won’t need you. Go home.”

Standing, Tempest moved around the desk and hugged

her son. “You are such a great kid,
Dak
. I love you.”

“Love you, too, Mom. I’ll walk you out.”

Tempest said goodnight to her staff and allowed her son

to escort her out to her GMC Envoy. He unlocked the door for

her and hugged her one more time. “I’ll see you at home,” she

told him.

Dakota nodded. “Okay. Love you.” He turned around

and jogged back in the establishment.

Heaving a huge sigh, Tempest lifted her foot to climb in

her vehicle when a sinful smooth voice reached her ear. “Kind

of young for you, isn’t he?”

Flames exploded in her eyes as she faced the man who

had abandoned her twenty-one years ago. “Excuse me?” her

tone was dagger-sharp.

Out of the shadows flowed six feet and six inches of

pure muscle. Maverick moved like water, knowing nothing

could stop it. He prowled closer to her.

Tempest held her ground despite her mind yelling at her

to run. The years had been wonderful to him. He’d been fifteen

the night he’d gotten her pregnant. His body had been

youthfully strong, but nothing like it was now. The person

before her was nothing but coiled muscle. If there were a live

picture for sex appeal, this man was it, hands down.

“I said he seems a bit young for you. Is he even twenty?”

Maverick quipped.

Determined to ignore his insults, Tempest curled her lip

at him. “What do you want?”

“Tell me how you know my name,” he demanded.

“I know much more than that,” she taunted. “I know all

about your life growing up in
South Dakota
.” Tempest let her

rage get the better of her.

“What is this, some attempt by you and my parents to

get me married?”

She erupted in harsh laughter. “I want nothing to do

with your parents. And they sure as hell wouldn’t put me with

you. They have
plans
for you.” Her voice dripped with thick

sarcasm.

“Who are you?” his voice dropped to a warning.
That is

definitely a phrase I hear from my parents.

“My name is Tempest
Burnell
.”

“I don’t know you,” he swore after searching his mind

for some sort of recognition.

“Let’s keep it that way,” she forced out sourly and tried

to get into her vehicle.

Maverick reached out and latched onto her arm. “I want

to know,” he ground out.

Years of rage at the man before her boiled over. “What?”

she screeched. “What do you want to know? How abandoned I