Double the Heat (8 page)

Read Double the Heat Online

Authors: Lori Foster,Deirdre Martin,Elizabeth Bevarly,Christie Ridgway

Tags: #Erotic Stories; American, #Man-Woman Relationships, #Mate Selection, #Contemporary, #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Short Stories

BOOK: Double the Heat
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“Ah, and you’re going to be
celibate
again?”
So much skepticism. He grinned at her. “Unless you want to travel with me.” Actually, that teasing comment had merit. Could a dentist get that kind of time off? He didn’t know. But he fingered that frothy bow at her neck and said, “If you find time to visit, I promise to be available.”
“And other than me?”
“Celibacy it is.” Without Lisa, the thought of doing without wasn’t all that repugnant. “You might not believe it, but the only woman I want right now is you.”
“Right now,” she acknowledged.
Her gaze holding his, she reached behind herself, shifted, and opened the car door. She slipped away from him and got behind the wheel. For several seconds she just sat there, appearing to be in deep thought.
Finally she closed the door, rolled down the window, and said, “All right.”
Heat washed over him, tightening the coil of tension and lust. “Yeah?”
She nodded. “As you said, we’re both adults. And truthfully, I haven’t gotten my fill either.”
Damn, the things she did to him should be illegal. He nodded with ripening anticipation. “Sounds great.”
“But one thing, Hart.”
Caution edged in. “What is it?”
“This time the lights stay on.”
 
 
Hart
moved uneasily in his seat, his gaze glued to Lisa at the bar. He’d been watching her for hours now. She spoke with everyone, flirted, and damn, she looked great. He almost regretted bringing her here. When she’d answered her door, the thought of taking her straight to bed, and to hell with their plan, had almost sidetracked him.
In fact, if it hadn’t been for Lisa and her no-n onsense manner of business first, pleasure later, that was exactly what he would have done.
He hated seeing other guys come on to her. He especially hated seeing her encourage them.
Joe’s elbow gouged his ribs. “Stop staring at her, will you? She’s going to catch fire, you look so hot under the collar.”
Dex, in typical brotherly fashion, said, “But she does look sexy as hell, Joe. How can he resist? Especially with every other guy in the bar ogling her.”
Hart rubbed his chin. “She’s a damned chameleon, always changing on me, one day looking like a librarian, and the next like . . . I don’t know. A complete hottie.”
“We wanted her to attract male attention, doofus.” Joe sipped at his drink. “Although, I gotta tell you, with that fitted dress and exposed cleavage, the glasses are overkill.”
“Yeah,” Dex said. “She does wear glasses with a certain panache.”
“It’s called elegance,” Hart mumbled.
Joe agreed with a nod. “She was attractive and appealing enough in the shapeless suit with matronly shoes at the bottom of those extra-long legs.” He took a sip of his drink. “Like this . . . well, it makes me wonder why you’re dragging your feet.”
Hart’s jaw worked as he gnashed his teeth together. Joe was right; no matter what, Lisa turned him on.
Tonight, she looked downright incredible. The trim but classy cream-colored dress ended just above her knees. Pearl buttons marched from the hem to the heart-shaped neckline, where she showed off the upper swells of her breasts. Her high heels made her legs look longer than ever.
“She does have great legs,” Dex agreed. “Looks like most of the guys here have noticed too.”
Hart scowled at them both. “I’m glad you two can have your jollies at my expense.”
Joe chuckled. “Why don’t you just give it up and admit you’re sunk?”
“Sunk?” Yeah, he was, but he didn’t need to admit shit to his cousin or his brother. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Flattened,” Dex clarified. “Head over heels. Boggled and blinded. All that good stuff.”
“Don’t worry,” Joe told him. “It only hurts until you stop denying it, and then it’s not so bad.”
“Oh, shit.” Hart forgot his objections to Joe’s claim when Lisa slipped off the barstool. She gave him a quick, sultry glance before strolling toward a table where two men sat.
“She hasn’t approached anyone else,” Dex pointed out, all teasing gone. “You think those are the guys?”
Joe said nothing. He was too busy sizing up the dudes at the table. He had that certain look about him that spelled trouble.
For the other guy.
When one of the men touched her arm, Hart wasn’t able to stand it. Knowing how unscrupulous and dangerous the two men could be, he didn’t want Lisa anywhere near the bastards. He started to rise.
He got yanked back to his seat by Joe. “She’s fine, Hart. Nothing will happen in here. Let her do her thing.”
Lisa had moved out of reach with a laugh, so Hart sank back into the chair. “If they touch her again, I’m breaking their arms.”
“You’ll get your chance.” Shrugging, Joe stayed alert, but didn’t stare. “But for now, you’re too obvious. I’ve got them in my sights, so why don’t you chat with your brother or something?”
“Yeah,” Dex said, taking the hint. “Tell me how you talked Lisa into coming to the bar with you. Last time I saw her, she looked ready to skin you alive.”
“I reasoned with her.” Hart didn’t want to make small talk, but he didn’t want Lisa’s efforts to be wasted either.
“There,” Joe said. “She’s on the move again. No, Hart, you stay put. I’ll trail her out and see what’s what. I’ll call you when I know it’s clear and no one is watching us.”
Dex took pity on him. “You trust Joe. You know he won’t let anything happen to her.”
Hart watched as Joe, staying several yards behind, followed Lisa out of the main bar area, without looking like he was following her. When they were both out of sight, it was all he could do to contain himself. He should be the man looking after her, not his cousin.
Dex tried to engage him in conversation, but Hart couldn’t seem to center his thoughts on anything or anyone other than Lisa.
In a dozen different ways, he wanted her—to talk with her, protect her, laugh with her, and tease her. He enjoyed matching wits, arguing with her, and God knew he loved making love to her.
Tonight he’d have her again, and he planned to make it so memorable, she’d stop trying to push him away.
Suddenly a busty, perfumed woman stood in front of their table. She wore a short, fitted black dress that hugged every inch of her lush body, and extremely high-heeled strappy sandals. Pale blond hair and bright red lips gave her a Marilyn Monroe look.
She glanced back and forth between Dex and Hart.
Dex grinned, knowing her predicament. “Can I help you?”
She licked plump, painted lips. “You’re Hart Winston, the fighter?”
Dex grinned. “No, ma’am. I’m his twin and a lowly writer. That’s Hart, looking very distracted—probably about his upcoming fight.”
“Oh.” She turned toward Hart and smiled with giddy delight. “I didn’t know you were a twin.”
Hart tamped down his irritation. If this was the woman sent by the goons, then he couldn’t dismiss her as he wanted to. He had to play along.
Summoning up some masculine charm, he rose from the table and held out a hand. “I’m the evil twin,” he told her with a smile. “And you are?”
“Caroline Welsh.” She went all giggly on him. “I’m a
huge
fan.”
Hart held his smile with effort. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“You look so impressive, I just know you’re going to win your fight.”
“Damn straight.” It was all he could do not to glance at the goons. “Will you be attending the fight, or watching on TV?”
“I’ll be there! I follow the fights all over the country. I love the excitement of a live event.” She licked her lips. “And I just love hanging out with the fighters.”
Great. Hart strained his good manners. “Well, maybe I’ll see you there.”
Turning coy, she fluttered thick black lashes and put a hand on his forearm. “Please don’t tell me I have to wait months before we get better acquainted.”
Hart started to answer, and his cell phone rang. He held up a finger. “Excuse me just a second, will you, honey?”
She pouted, but glanced at Dex.
Dex whistled and turned away.
“Yeah,” Hart said into the phone, already knowing from the caller ID that it was Joe.
“We weren’t followed, and she’s in your car, waiting for you. I’ll keep an eye on her until you get out here, but you should have a babe coming up to you before long.”
“Exactly,” Hart said. “Already done.”
“Ah, she moved fast. Lisa overheard them finalizing the plan, which is why she approached to get a better look at them. Anyway, those are your boys, the ones who want to mangle your limbs. Make note of their mugs so you can identify them later, and then make a date with the chick for sometime soon, but not for tonight.”
“Definitely not.” He had Lisa waiting, and no other woman could compare to her.
“Lisa got their names, too, so that’ll help. But we’ll catch them in the act, just to make sure we have all the proof we need.”
“Got it,” Hart said, anxious to be done so he could join Lisa. “I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
After he hung up, he turned to Caroline again. “Sorry, but that was business. Now where were we?”
“You,” she said teasingly, stroking his chest, “were about to invite me to join you.”
“Damn, I wish I could. Unfortunately, I have to cut the night short.” When her eyes narrowed, Hart said, “How about tomorrow night? Say eight o’clock?”
“Oh, that’d be perfect!” She brightened again—and stupidly glanced back at the men. “You could pick me up when I get off work.”
“All right.”
Withdrawing a pen and paper from her purse, she wrote down an address. “Are you familiar with the western area? I work there at a small drugstore. I could meet you in the back lot.”
It was a crime-ridden area—perfect for violence—but Hart just shrugged. “No problem.”
Before he knew her intent, she went on tiptoes, grabbed his neck to hug him close, and planted one on him.
She left him cold, though he tried to hide it as he caught her waist and eased her away. His damn brother sat there grinning like an idiot, with one eyebrow raised.
Hart cleared his throat and said, “Let’s save that for when we have some privacy.”
Caroline took several deep breaths, then nodded. “Tomorrow,” she breathed with enough drama for the stage.
As she turned to swish and sway away, Hart glanced at the two men. They quickly averted their eyes, but they’d been watching, and seething.
He looked forward to annihilating them both. “Let’s go,” he said to Dex, who had already stood.
“Don’t look at them anymore,” Dex told him. “It’s too obvious.”
“Yeah, I know. But it’d be easier if I just went over there right now and beat them both to a pulp.”
“What
will
you do?” Dex asked, knowing Hart wouldn’t instigate anything. He valued his position in the fighting organization too much. “I mean, I know the general idea, but do you have someone you can trust in the SBC to make sure they’re punished beyond a few punches to the face?”
“Drew Black runs an up-front operation, and he’s not going to like it if they do try to carry through with their plan.” They walked past the men, far enough away that they couldn’t be overheard, especially not with the drone of the crowd filling the bar.
Hart could feel their burning gazes on his back. So much hostility, he thought, all because he worked hard and succeeded. Some idiots always wanted a shortcut. “I imagine Drew will kick them out completely.”
“Sounds right to me.”
At the door, Dex and Hart separated, with Dex hanging back to make sure the men didn’t follow. Along with the street lamps and headlights of passing cars, a full moon illuminated the area and the parking lot beyond. Humidity hung in the air, making the night dense, damp.
Sexy.
Hart shook himself. Someone wanted to put him out of commission, and all he could think about was getting Lisa alone.
Somewhere in the shadows, Joe lurked, watching over her. Hart could see the faint outline of her profile where she sat in the passenger seat of his car. Waiting for him.
He inhaled the humid night air and jogged across the street.
The second he opened the car door and slid in, Lisa looked at him—and frowned. He closed the door, putting the interior in shadow once again. Moonlight shone on her glasses, and added a soft glow to her skin.
Hart wanted to kiss her, but before doing anything else, he used his cell to call Joe, letting him know the plan he’d made with Caroline Welsh.
As Lisa listened to him talk, her frown intensified. He could feel her tension in the close confines of the front seat. Jealousy? There was no reason for it, but Hart accepted it as a good sign. Never before had he wanted to deal with a possessive or jealous woman. But this was Lisa, and he was quickly realizing that with her, everything was different.

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