Winning Her Racy Heart [Racy Nights 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (5 page)

“We still don’t know who broke into our apartment that night, Kari. What if it was someone who knew Donnie?”

Kari swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. That had been on her mind for eighteen months, and she knew it was on Alexa’s every day as well. “It’s a long shot. The police said they were most likely looking for drugs or money.”

Shortly after she told the police she had seen Donnie shoot a woman in the alley behind What’s Your Pleasure, the apartment she shared with Alexa had been ransacked. The police told them it was an area known for break-ins, and the perps were usually looking for money or prescription drugs, but nothing had been taken. Not their jewelry or the five hundred dollars Alexa had managed to save since fleeing her ex-Dom Brad Foster’s apartment. She’d had it stuffed into a coffee can on the counter, and if someone had been looking for money, that would have been one of the first places they’d look.

Kari had always wondered if it had been an associate of Donnie’s looking for information on them, but the police told her that was very unlikely. Donnie had been on Riker’s Island at the time of the break-in, locked up since the night of the shooting. But Donnie had known who Kari was, and he could have sent someone to find information. There had been plenty of it in the apartment. It wouldn’t take a genius to put two and two together and figure out Kari was from Racy, Indiana.

“You’re right.” Alexa gave her a half smile. “It’s a long shot at best.”

“Hey, you want another one?” Luke pointed toward the empty bottle in Noah’s hand.

“Yeah, sure. Why not? It’s Saturday and I have to go back to work on Monday. And just for fun, too fucking early Tuesday morning I’ll be headed to Chicago for the rest of the week.”

“What for?”

“Corporate meeting with all the big bosses. Christ. I’ll need another vacation when it’s over just to recover from the extreme boredom.”

Luke chuckled. “Man, I haven’t had a real vacation in years.”

“Neither have I. This week went by way too fast. I don’t feel like I’ve had a vacation at all.” And it had been too full of thoughts about Kari Tye.

Noah couldn’t stop thinking about the look in Kari’s eyes two days earlier when he’d turned around several times while plastering and caught her staring at his ass. And her apology had really thrown him for a loop. He didn’t remember Kari Tye as a girl who apologized for inadvertently making someone feel bad. She and her friends had been snobby bitches.

He also hadn’t stopped thinking about his accidental feel of Kari’s boob since the day it happened. And it wasn’t only the fact that he’d brushed his forearm against the nicest tit imaginable. It was the fact that instead of recoiling or becoming angry, Kari Tye had given him a come-hither look. It was brief—very brief—but it had been there, nonetheless.

He’d grabbed the beer and gone in the other room to drink it and wait for Luke, but even after Luke showed up and they’d hoisted Kari’s sign onto the front of her house over the porch, he hadn’t been able to get that look in her eyes out of his head.

It wasn’t until Adison Kincaid had sauntered over from where he’d been watching them, sitting in his fucking Infiniti, that Noah had turned his thoughts away from the look on Kari’s face.

Kari had totally blown Adison off when he’d suggested they get together, and Noah couldn’t stop chuckling about that. What had the dude expected? That just because he had a great job now and drove that fucking show-off car, Kari would fall at his feet after all these years?
High school was a long time ago, pal. Get a clue
.

“Chase was in here the other day asking about you. Apparently Maddox is wondering why you haven’t been to his house in a while.”

Noah grunted as he popped the top off his beer. “Yeah, I need to call him or something.” Maddox McCree, one of Skeeter’s many grandsons, ran a very private dungeon in his home. To say Noah hadn’t been there in a while was an understatement. It had been close to three months.

“Bored with it?”

“With sex? No. With the women who think I'm going to set them up in a condo, buy them a car and clothes, and rescue them from their fucked-up lives? Yes.”

Luke nodded while he poured drafts. Once he’d given them to the server waiting for them, he turned his attention back to Noah. “Don’t tell me you’ve given up on women already.”

Noah snorted. “Don’t be stupid. I’m just not looking for someone who thinks I’m going to be her Prince Charming sugar daddy.”

“So, what are you looking for?”

He took a long sip of his beer as he pondered Luke’s question. It was difficult to answer. He’d lived on the fringes for so long that he’d never hung around one place long enough to date. He’d wandered into the lifestyle accidentally when he was in Boise, and had only found out about Maddox’s club when Chase had invited him there one evening, shortly after he’d landed the job at Notus.

“Well, look who’s finally decided to grace my bar.”

Noah looked up at the sound of Luke’s voice, and then followed his gaze to the door. Kari and Alexa strolled in as if they were regulars every night. Kari was dressed in a sweater that was too fashionable for Racy, Indiana, and tight jeans that left nothing to the imagination. Her feet were clad in cowboy boots, which forced a grin to Noah’s face. Not many women could combine New York chic with Midwestern footwear and still make it look sexy as hell.

They waved to Luke, and a bright smile lit up Alexa’s face. She took a seat near the end of the bar and Luke nearly tripped over his own two feet to sprint down there and lean over the counter to talk to her.

Kari headed straight for the stool next to Noah. “Hi there.”

“It’s about time you came in here. You’ve been back three months.”

“I know. We were talking about that tonight. We’ve been so busy with the shop we realized we’ve barely left it.”

He glanced at her fingernails. The one that had been torn was repaired, and all of them were now painted a different color than she’d worn the other day. She’d either done that herself, or she’d been out at least once to have her nails done. “You want a drink?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Noah glanced around for a server because Luke obviously wasn’t moving from where Alexa sat, finally spotted one, and waved her over. “What’ll you have, Kari?”

“Seven and seven.”

Noah grinned. “I would have bet a week’s pay you’d order some fancy drink no one here has ever heard of.”

“You’d have lost some money then.” She leaned closer, and Noah’s balls contracted. Her perfume filled his nose, and he tried not to let his gaze drift down to her sweater and those boobs. Instead he stared into her eyes and wondered why he’d never noticed before how pretty she was.

Her drink arrived and she took a delicate sip, glancing around. “It’s crowded. Is it always like this?”

“Pretty much.”

She gave him a thoughtful look. “Is this where you spend your Saturday nights, Noah?”

“These days.”

“And before these days?”

He wasn’t sure how to answer her question. She’d been gone a long time. He knew it was no secret that he’d been asked to leave basic training, but he wasn’t sure if she knew about Maddox’s house. If she’d only kept up with local gossip through her parents and siblings, she wouldn’t know. “Oh, you know how it is.”

She took another sip of her drink then smiled. “Okay. I deserved that. Didn’t mean to pry, Noah.”

“You didn’t.” He wanted to get to know Kari again and was fucking it up already. Why couldn't he talk to this woman without sounding like an idiot? “So your dad tells me you hope to open your shop by Valentine’s Day.”

“‘Hope’ being the operative word. The way things are going I’m not sure we’re going to make it.”

“Why not? Things looked pretty good the other day, at least from what I could tell.”

“The house has proven to be easier to get ready than I expected, even though I still think we should be further ahead by now. But I’m having a world of trouble with suppliers.”

“Where are you buying from?”

“Contacts I made in New York.”

He fixed her with a grin. “There’s your problem.”

She laughed, and the sound washed over him like warm water. “Okay, okay. You’re entitled to a few digs on The Big Apple, but only a few.”

“I’m not knocking it, but can’t you go someplace more local, like Indy? You’d get a faster response.”

“Most of the stuff I’m planning to sell is made overseas, and Indianapolis isn’t exactly a hot spot for the importing business.”

“I guess I didn’t realize that.”

“We had the same issues with them in Manhattan. It’s part of the business, unfortunately. Drove Cheena nuts, and I guess it’s something I’d better get used to.”

“Cheena?”

“Our manager, Cheena Flores. Alexa and I both worked at the same shop.”

There was something so sad in the way she said it, Noah had a sudden urge to put his arms around her and tell her it was all going to be okay. “Kari, this is none of my business, so tell me to stick it if you want, but why did you and Alexa leave New York?”

* * * *

Kari was surprised it had taken someone besides her parents over three months to ask her directly. She finished her drink and looked into Noah’s eyes, still amazed by how handsome he was. She’d never noticed the dimple in his chin. It made him look rugged. The urge to spill her guts was strong, but it was also dangerous. She couldn’t do anything to compromise the upcoming trial, and she would never put Alexa in danger. “Noah, that’s a long story.”

He nodded as Luke finally walked away from Alexa and came toward them. “Kari, good to see you in here. Need another drink?”

“Yes.”

Luke made her drink. “I might have to steal Alexa away from you.”

“Excuse me?” Kari glanced down the bar and laughed. Several men surrounded Alexa, and if their dicks weren’t all rock hard by now, Kari would eat her barstool.

“She has a way of drawing people to her, and I could use some decent help in here.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. We own the shop together, you know.”

Luke and Noah raised their eyebrows. “Is that so?” asked Noah. “I didn’t know that.”

“It’s true. Sorry, Luke. You can’t have her.”

Luke chuckled and began to take care of the other patrons at the bar. Kari turned on her stool to face Noah. “I’m not being deliberately obtuse about why we left New York. I just can’t talk about it.”

He frowned slightly. “Sounds serious.”

She glanced around, but no one was paying attention to them. “It is, Noah. So… do they still serve food here? I’m starving.”

He chuckled. “They do, but I wouldn’t eat it. From what I hear, Luke hasn’t had a decent cook in here for about ten years.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. I’m in the mood for a big greasy cheeseburger.” She held up a hand. “I know, I know. Not good for me, but that’s what I want.”

“With onion rings? I mean the real kind.”

She moaned softly, and a muscle twitched in his jaw. The same look of raw lust that had spread over his face after he’d accidentally touched her boob was back. “Now you’re talking.” Why shouldn’t she go someplace and have a meal with Noah Wells? It didn’t have to mean anything. It was just dinner.

Noah put down his bottle. “I know just the place.” He dug out his wallet and flagged down Luke. “Does Alexa want to come along?” The tone of his voice sounded like he’d asked only as an afterthought.

“She’s a vegetarian, but that was nice of you to suggest it.”

He almost looked embarrassed. “Didn’t know that.”

“It’s cool. Give me just a second to tell her we’re taking off.”

* * * *

The night was cold, but Kari didn’t mind. She breathed in the crisp air, still surprised by how quiet it was. It had always been this way, but she’d grown so used to the constant noise of Manhattan that now Racy Indiana sounded like a tomb. “So, tell me about the tat.”

“Huh?”

“The tat, Noah. You said you got it in Boise one summer, but weren’t going to tell me the story that day. Is today the day, I wonder, when I learn about the mysterious tat and Boise, Idaho?”

“That’s a long story, too.”

Kari laughed. “Okay, fair enough.”

They walked along a familiar strip mall, and Kari suddenly realized where they were going.
Shit.
It was too late. Noah waved a hand as they stood in front of Nan’s Place, as if he’d just found nirvana. “Here we are. Greasy cheeseburgers and real onion rings.”

Kari swallowed hard as she stepped inside and glanced around. She inhaled the same scent of grease and ketchup that the place had sported when she was in high school. She closed her eyes for a second as the memories assaulted her. If she opened them, would she see herself at seventeen, sitting in the corner booth with Adison, practically in his lap? Noah hadn’t exactly paid attention to who hung out where in high school. He probably had no idea the kind of memories this place held for her.

“Kari? You okay? We can eat somewhere else if you’d rather.”

She forced a smile. “No, it’s perfect. Thank you, Noah.”

He smiled so hopefully that her heart gave a strange lurch. Was he trying to impress her? As they took a seat, Kari fished a napkin out of the metal holder and wiped off the plastic menu out of habit, not because this one actually had any ketchup or mustard stuck to it.

“Ah, I see you’ve been here before.” The easy way he’d made the comment convinced her that he had no idea she used to hang out here with Adison.

She peeked at him from over the top of the menu. “I was here a lot in high school, Noah.”

“Were you? Guess I didn’t hang with the same crowd, eh?”

“You didn’t hang with any crowd, from what I remember.”

“That’s true.”

Kari didn’t have to glance at the menu for more than a few seconds to figure out what she wanted. Nothing had changed in sixteen years. She pretended to study it as she remembered why she’d really wanted to go to Luke’s Bar tonight. She’s been hoping to find Adison and apologize. But that wasn’t likely to happen, unless he came waltzing into this place, and Kari sincerely hoped he didn’t.