Protecting What's His (4 page)

Flipping her hair back over her shoulder, she smiled up at him. His breath got trapped in his lungs.
Damn
, this girl knew exactly what she was doing.

“Now, Lieutenant. It’s not very gentlemanly to remind a lady of her past transgressions.”

“I’m having a very difficult time remembering to be a gentleman around you.”

Her smile wavered a little bit. Was it his imagination or did he have as much effect on her as she did on him? Impossible, he decided. While there might be some attraction on her end, nothing could compare to the single-minded lust he was experiencing. It was quite literally all he could do not to throw her over his shoulder and carry her to bed right then and there.

Easy, boy.
If he allowed even a hint of what he was thinking to show on his face, he’d scare her away. He needed to keep it together.

“Well, if you’re not a gentleman, maybe I shouldn’t be up here alone with you on a dark, deserted roof.”

Despite her words, Derek detected a hint of breathlessness in her voice and felt the answering tug low in his belly. If she’d given any indication that he intimidated her, he would’ve pulled back, but that didn’t appear to be the case. No, she seemed…
interested
.

His hooded eyes dropped to her sassy breasts and watched her nipples stiffen against the thin fabric before dragging his gaze back up to hers. Definitely interested. The part of him that usually alarmed women started to rear its head. He gave her one final out.

“Maybe you
shouldn’t
be up here with me, Ginger.”

Her breathing kicked up a notch. Excitement moved through him as he waited to see what she’d do. Draining her wineglass in one long swallow, she met his eyes. “Maybe I like it up here.”

Closing the distance between them, Derek tipped her chin up in his hand so he could look down into her considerably wound-up expression. He would be taking a risk, but decided to lay all his cards on the table anyway. What he had to say might shock and disgust her. But if it didn’t, if she found his words gratifying, the reward would be sweet. God, what he wouldn’t give to voice his needs for once without judgment or falsely coy reactions. Ginger’s approval seemed especially vital.

“I warned you that I’m having a difficult time being a gentleman. Should I assume you’re provoking me on purpose?”

She wet her lips. “Is that what I’m doing?”

The need to kiss her inundated him, but he wouldn’t give in to it until she asked. Derek rubbed the pad of his thumb across her plump bottom lip, pleased when she inhaled sharply but didn’t pull away. “Let
me
be clear, Ginger, since you insist on talking in circles. I want you underneath me in my bed. I want to be buried inside you so deep that I have to remind you of your own name. And I want those motherfuckers leering at you from the other side of the bar to smell me on you for a week afterward.”

Her eyes widened with each declaration. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

“I just wanted to be up-front. Good night, Ginger.”

Forcing himself to remove his hand and step back lest he push her too far too soon, Derek turned and descended the stairs to suffer alone in his apartment.

Chapter Six

Ginger set two bottles of light beer on the bar, smiling playfully up at the stocky grad student in a backward Bulls hat. Without taking her eyes off him, she swayed to the cash register and made change for his twenty-dollar bill. “You kiss your mother with that mouth, sugar?”

“No, but I’d love to kiss you with it.”

Not a chance in hell, but if you leave me a nice tip, I’ll let you think it’s a possibility.

Ginger set his change on the bar and laughed. “Now, there’s an offer I might consider.”

His slightly drunker friend nudged him with an elbow and raised his eyebrows, clearly approving of Backward Hat’s boldness. Ginger cringed. Not that they didn’t appear to be fine, upstanding young men, but tomorrow they’d wake up with hangovers and either be embarrassed or have forgotten this whole exchange. Or maybe they’d take their girlfriends shopping at the mall, winking at each other when tonight came up in conversation.

“Can I get your number?”

She pulled a sad face. “Sorry, darlin’. I can’t give my number out while I’m working. But if you give me yours, I just might decide to use it.”

Backward Hat high-fived his friend like Ginger wasn’t standing three feet away, then grabbed a napkin from the plastic holder. He drunkenly scrawled his name and number on one side and slid it across the bar.
Matt.
She stuffed it in her back pocket along with the two other napkins with numbers on them she’d been given tonight. They’d be perfect for her current project. A decoupage trash can decorated with men’s phone numbers. Symbolic.

Backward Hat Matt. Kind of a rat. Since we’ve been chatting, your beer has gone flat.

“You better call me!” Matt said, picking up his drink and disappearing back into the crowd.

Ginger sighed and moved on to the next customers. Thankfully, they had vaginas. While shaking their martinis in a silver shaker, she acknowledged her luck in finding this job. Although the night’s tips hadn’t yet been counted, she’d easily pulled in double what she made working in Nashville.

Sensation stood in a hip part of town with many other bars and nightclubs. With two floors of pumping dance music and three separate bars, college students and young professionals flocked to the establishment every night of the week. Wanting to test her skills, the manager had placed Ginger on the first-floor bar, closest to the entrance where the flow of traffic never ceased, for which she felt grateful. Tonight had been meant as a training shift, but her new coworker Amanda quickly recognized Ginger’s experience and left to work the other side of the bar. The time flew by and the money rolled in.

Looking up from the martinis she artfully strained into chilled glasses, Ginger smiled at the approaching Amanda. Also in her early twenties, Amanda sported a blond pixie cut that Ginger found daring and perfect for her angular face.

Her new coworker had to shout over the music to be heard. “Hey! Looks like you got the hang of everything quick!”

Ginger responded in kind. “Everything is so well-organized all I have to do is make drinks. I’ve been so busy, I don’t think I’ve stopped for a second!”

She leaned in closer and winked. “That’s because all the men have been favoring your side of the bar.”

Ginger gave her a dubious look. “Oh, come on now. Wasn’t that you I saw doing tequila shots with those businessmen about ten minutes ago?”

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

Ginger laughed and set down napkins in front of the group of girls on which to place their martinis. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. Tequila shots are sacred among my kind.”

“Good to know. Listen, you’ve got one more admirer on my end that wants you to serve him. There were no spots available on your side of the bar.”

Frowning, she tried to look past Amanda, but couldn’t make out distinct faces at the other end of the darkened bar. Who would be demanding her service? She hadn’t been in town long enough to make any friends.

“You want to take my side for a while?”

“Sure. Go ahead and serve him.” She hip-bumped Ginger, urging her on. “Honestly, I’m a little jealous. He’s all kinds of hot and smolder-y. Keep thy wits about ye.”

With a laugh, Ginger made her way to the other end of the long bar, gauging drink levels of the customers as she passed. After pausing to fill two orders, she finally made it to the end and saw him.

Derek.

His eyes bored into her, making her feel naked where she stood. The way he sat, exuding quiet confidence, made him stand out amid the animated scene taking place around him.

A slow roll of heat eased its way through her. Goose bumps broke out along her arms. In the brief moment that she met his eyes, the music faded and they were back on the roof. Just her and him. Except this time, he kissed her.

Giving herself a mental shake, Ginger released his unwavering stare to move lower. She’d already seen him in a uniform and then jeans and a sweatshirt, but Ginger pegged this look as her definite favorite. A black T-shirt stretched across his chest, the right sleeve just high enough to show a tattoo peeking out underneath the material. Stubble darkened the lower half of his face, as if he hadn’t shaved since this morning.

He looked dangerous and sexy. And pissed.

She refused to let him rattle her. His parting words on the roof last night had echoed in her head at the strangest times today, making her itchy. Of all the men who’d attempted to pick her up in this lifetime, never had one made it beneath her skin. She didn’t like the feeling.

Much.

Ginger grabbed a tumbler from the clear glass shelf and poured two fingers of their best whiskey.

“Are you here to issue more warnings?” she asked, sliding the drink in front of him.

Keeping his gaze locked on her, Derek picked up the glass and drank a healthy mouthful. Ginger swayed a little watching his throat muscles work as he swallowed, then set the glass down. “No. I think I was abundantly clear the first time.”

His answer reminded her of a whip cracking. “Something bothering you, Derek?”

“How are you getting home tonight?”

She smirked at his nonresponse to her question. “I took the bus.”

“I’ll drive you.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll take my chances with public transportation.”

He swirled the amber contents of his glass. “Can’t handle being alone with me?”

Damn. There he went again pushing her buttons. She claimed to be a smart girl, but he still knew just how to play her, didn’t he? Ginger always had a difficult time backing down from a challenge, especially when it was being issued by a man who wore a police uniform by day, but liked to talk dirty at night. She found his approach refreshing. He’d explained what he wanted, plain and simple.

A part of herself she hadn’t known existed until yesterday came alive. She
wanted
to be alone with him. To hear what he’d say next. To see exactly how he hoped to accomplish his goal of getting her into bed. A man hadn’t tempted her in a long time, and never this way. Never this strongly.

I want to be buried inside you so deep that I have to remind you of your own name.

Ginger shivered at the memory.

“I get off in an hour. If you don’t mind waiting…?”

A fire lit in his eyes. “I’ll wait.”

For the next hour, Ginger remained on Derek’s end of the bar serving the finally thinning crowd. Men continued to flirt with her and she didn’t allow Derek’s presence to prevent her from flirting back. She had a living to make, after all. Without looking at him, she knew he continued to watch her. His constant regard burned her up, made her feel feverish. Heaviness settled between her legs and she grew increasingly damp, making it difficult to concentrate on work.

In retaliation for the discomfort he was putting her through, Ginger began leaning a little too far across the bar to hear someone’s order or exposing a little more stomach than necessary to reach something on the higher shelves. The uniform worn by the bartenders at Sensation consisted of tiny black shorts and matching halter top. Even with Ginger’s penchant for dressing to distract, the outfit left very little to the imagination.

Still, he’d occupied her thoughts more than she felt comfortable admitting and he would suffer for it, she thought, bending at the waist to pick up a dropped napkin and giving him a nice look at her ass.

Finally, the hour ended and not a moment too soon. Ginger felt ready to expire under Derek’s hot scrutiny from the end of the bar. She collected her tips and waved good-bye to Amanda, then held up a finger to let Derek know she would be another minute. As soon as she had her purse, she met him at the entrance.

Wordlessly, he held the door for her leading to the parking lot and walked brusquely to a black SUV. He opened the passenger door, allowing her to slip inside, green eyes on her as she edged past. Derek’s leather and coffee scent lingered in the car’s interior, and as he rounded the back of the car, she inhaled, committing it to memory.

The ride between Sensation and their apartment building took ten minutes. For the first half of the ride, they both remained silent, but Ginger could almost feel the aggravation radiating from Derek.

“So, tell me. Is bartending the only type of employment you could find?”

Ginger bristled. “There aren’t exactly dozens of options where I can bring home the same kind of money. Besides, I’m good at it.”

He laughed bitterly. “Oh, believe me, I know how good you are. I just witnessed it firsthand.”

“I have Willa to think about. She’ll be in college next year and I aim to see her go wherever she wants.”

“On a bartender’s salary.”

His skepticism irked her, but she kept silent. Bringing up the stolen cash would be high on the list of stupid ideas. Ginger knew how expensive college would be and held no illusions that sending Willa would be easy. But she’d see it accomplished nonetheless.

“If you need me to get a job in some lame-ass real estate office just so you feel better about sleeping with me, you’re wasting your time, honey. And mine.”

His eyes didn’t leave the road, but his jaw flexed at her words. “I assume, based on your statement, that you’ve given some thought to what I proposed last night?”

Jesus, who
talked
like that? “I’m considering it.”

“Is there anything I can do to speed you along?”

“I don’t know…”

“Think harder.”

Turning her face toward the window, Ginger smiled. She’d finally succeeded in rattling him a little for a change. “You’re going to have to work for it a little, Derek.”

“I’m not exactly a champagne and soft music type of guy.”

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I like cheap red wine and country music.”

Derek pulled into a spot outside the building and Ginger hopped out, intending to bolt inside her apartment and savor the fact that she’d finally gotten in the last word. She made it up the stairs, down the quiet hallway, and to her apartment door before she felt him come up behind her. Suddenly, the keys were snatched from her hand. She spun around in time to see Derek drop them into his pocket.

Her mouth fell open at his audacity. “What are you doing?”

“You can have them back in a minute.”

Derek’s gravelly tone called several other things into focus. The slight flush of his cheekbones, his roughened breathing, the overwhelming nearness of his hard body. Her back arched against the door, an unconscious move that drew his gaze downward, to where her breasts pressed snugly inside her halter top.

I
want
him to look at me
.

The realization shook her and she swallowed as he took a step closer, her throat suddenly dry. “I thought I told you you needed to work for it.”

He leaned down, and his big hands came to rest on either side of her head, mouth stopping a mere inch away from hers. “I think we have two different definitions of what
working for it
means.”

“Oh? What’s your definition?”

“Do you want to me to tell you?” He brushed his lips along the underside of her jaw. “Or show you?”

The blistering contact of his mouth on her skin sent shock waves coursing through her system. Since meeting, she and Derek had shared two sexually charged encounters, but this moment marked the first time he’d touched her and the effect was like a drug straight to her brain. Her head fell back, inviting him to kiss her in the sensitive spot again, but he remained still, waiting for her answer.

She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. “Show me.”

His mouth came down on hers, hard and hungry. The initial contact proved so potent, they both had to pause for a shuddering breath. When she slid her hands up to his shoulders and dug her nails in his flesh, he groaned and lifted her against the door. Desperate to get closer, Ginger’s legs came up to circle his waist, and she moaned when Derek pushed against her with his hips, holding her backside in place with rough hands. She broke contact with his mouth, gasping at the hardness pressing against her damp shorts.

“Did you enjoy putting on that little show for me behind the bar?”

One hand left her bottom to travel up, over her hip and rib cage, stopping just under her right breast, eyes piercing hers with a silent question.
Oh, God.
She nodded, and when his palm slid up and over her breast, squeezing gently, her eyelids fluttered closed at the excess of sensations. She could feel him watching her, weighing her every reaction as he ran his thumb back and forth across her hard nipple. The arousal she’d experienced earlier tonight while Derek watched her work exploded with added intensity. A whimper escaped her lips. A sharp ache pulsed between her thighs.

“I asked you a question.
Did you enjoy it?”

Derek’s words deepened the ache beating within her to a painful level. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than for him to whip off her shorts and panties to take her hard and fast against the door. She licked her lips. “Yes.”