“Cole.”
She stuck her hand across the bar. “Hi Cole. I’m Marcie.”
Cole shook her hand briefly. “Nice to meet you, Marcie.”
She took a sip of her beer. “So, do they give you a dinner break in this place, Cole? I wouldn’t mind a little company.”
He flashed her his sexiest grin and motioned her forward, leaning across the bar to meet her. “Sorry,” he whispered. “The boss is a real bear about fraternizing with the customers. I don’t want to lose the job after one night.”
Marcie laughed. “I know what you mean,” she whispered back. “When you get a night off, call me. Everyone here knows me. Just ask and they can give you my number.”
“I’ll think about it.” He winked at her, and watched as she turned and wiggled away into the crowd.
He almost jumped when Charley slammed an order down next to him. “If you’re done socializing,” she snapped, “I need four drafts.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said mildly. “Coming right up.” As soon as her back was turned, he grinned.
* * * * *
At two in the morning, as the last of the staff straggled out the door, Charley was totally disgusted with herself but still fuming. Cole, now whistling cheerfully as he helped her clean up, had apparently felt no qualms about flirting with every female in sight. Every female except her, she amended. All she got was that cool indifference. And why did she even care? It certainly wasn’t as if she had any plans where he was concerned. He was perfectly free to see anyone he wanted. Savagely, she rubbed the countertop down.
“You know, tending bar isn’t what I expected it to be,” Cole mused. “I actually had fun tonight. If Frank can’t make it tomorrow night, call me. I’ll be glad to help again.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” She practically spit the words. “If I need any more help I’ll call the new bartender and see if she can start early.” Doing her best to ignore him, she stomped to the front doors and locked them, then grabbed her purse. “Goodnight.”
“I’ll walk out with you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“It is unless you expect me to spend the night in here. My car is out front and you locked the door.”
“Fine.” She locked the door behind them and climbed into her truck, well aware that he had stopped and was watching her. With a silent prayer, she put the key in and turned it. Nothing. Not so much as a click resulted. “Please don’t do this to me now,” she begged.
Still nothing.
Charley pounded her head on the steering wheel. “If you don’t start,” she threatened, “I am personally taking you to the junk yard tomorrow and inserting you in a car masher.”
“It would probably be the merciful thing to do. Come on and I’ll give you a ride home.” His voice came from right beside her.
“I’ll call a cab,” she gritted, climbing out of the truck.
“Don’t be silly. There’s no reason to wait on a cab when I have a car here.”
“I don’t want to interrupt your plans.” Sarcasm oozed from her.
“Plans? What plans?”
“With Marcie.” She turned and headed for the door.
“Marcie?”
She stopped to glare at him. “Red hair, skin-tight clothes?”
“Oh, yeah. Marcie.” A smug grin spread across his face and Charley had to restrain herself from knocking it clear into the next county.
“Why would you think I had plans with her? She’s not my type.” He took her arm and began guiding her around the building.
“You sure seemed to enjoy looking. Not to mention flirting with her.”
Cole shrugged. “I’m only human. Flirting is fun, and looking is pleasurable. That doesn’t mean I want a sample of the goods.” She saw his eyes glint in the moonlight as he glanced at her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were jealous.”
She came to an abrupt halt, her anger rapidly hitting the boiling point. “Why, you conceited, arrogant bastard!” Without thinking, she swung at him.
He caught her hand effortlessly and used it to pull her against him. “You’re starting to repeat yourself, Charley. You really should expand your vocabulary.”
In spite of their intimate position, his voice was cool again, and a new surge of rage hit her. She wanted to rattle him, wipe that indifference away. She wanted him to feel at least a little of what she felt.
Her hands locked at his nape before burying themselves in his hair, pulling his head down, her lips meeting his. Liquid heat ignited in her veins as Cole’s arms tightened around her convulsively. Suddenly, he went still as she continued to kiss him, his mouth warm, and firm, and unmoving under hers. Desperate for a response, she bit gently on his lips and then teased them with her tongue. Was that a tremor she felt run though him? In triumph, she started to redouble her efforts, but before she could, he gently pulled her hands loose and lifted her away.
“It’s late and we’re both tired. I think it’s time to get you home.” Without another word, he turned and headed for his car.
Charley stared at his retreating back in shock. Oh, God. What had she done?
Chapter Six
Cole sat in the breakfast nook, right ankle crossed over left knee, and stared out the window at the surrounding mountains. He’d alternately been kicking and congratulating himself the entire weekend on how he’d handled Charley’s kiss. At the moment, he was back to kicking, even though he knew she had only kissed him out of anger. That wasn’t what he wanted. When Charley came to him, it had to be because she loved him, because she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He would settle for nothing less.
It had been so hard, though, to push her away, when all he’d wanted to do was bury himself in her scent, in the taste of her lips, the feel of her body against his. He had waited so damn long. And he had come so awfully close to losing control.
There was no one to blame but himself. He had known exactly what he was doing flirting with all those women, even though he hadn’t been interested in any of them. Some part of him had wanted to make Charley jealous, wanted a reaction. He’d just gotten more of one than he’d bargained for, and it had almost been his undoing. What little sleep he’d gotten since then had been riddled with dreams of her, and each time, he’d wakened in agony, his body throbbing with need.
He picked up his now cold coffee, took a sip, then rubbed his eyes tiredly. The trip to her house had been made in total silence, the tension so thick it would have taken an arc welder to cut through it. As soon as he’d stopped the car, she had jumped out and run, hitting her front door as though she planned on going right through without opening it first.
“Are you still brooding?”
Cole glanced at Kristy as she stopped at the coffee pot and poured a cup. “I’m not brooding. I’m thinking.”
“You’re brooding. You have been all weekend.” She took a sip of the hot coffee. “I thought you’d be gone by now. It’s after nine. You’re usually out of here by seven.”
“I decided to go in late today.” The truth was, he was still trying to decide how to act when he got there.
She nodded. “Want me to pick Mrs. Paulson up from the airport?”
“If you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. I don’t have to be at Duncan Mills until this afternoon. Besides, I’d drive to hell and back if it meant I didn’t have to eat my own cooking anymore.” With a cheery wave, she headed out of the room, taking her cup with her.
Immediately, his thoughts turned back to Charley. He had to make a decision instead of spending the day brooding at home. There was really only one thing he could do. Just go on like he had been and take his cue from Charley’s manner today. If she wanted to talk about it, she’d let him know. Mentally bracing himself, he headed for the Red Dog.
Charley’s truck was nowhere in sight when he got there. Instead, parked in the place it normally sat was an almost new, silver Blazer. So, Uncle Victor had come to the rescue again. He eyed it for a second and then went in,
going straight to his office. The door to Charley’s, he noticed, was tightly shut.
He picked up the phone and made one quick call to finalize the plans for the City Council meeting later that night, then took a deep breath and stood. Only silence came from Frannie’s office as he crossed the hall and knocked on Charley’s door.
“Come in.” Her voice sounded so resolute and determined that Cole had to fight the urge to grin. She was sitting behind the desk, so stiff and straight it looked like someone had strapped a board to her back.
“Ready to go to work? I can show you the basics today before I have to leave.”
“Leave?” She hesitated. “Are you going somewhere?”
“The City Council meeting. I believe I mentioned it? I still have some things to take care of before tonight.”
“Oh, that’s right.” She looked like she’d had even less sleep than he’d gotten. And her eyes were red-rimmed as though she’d been crying. The thought made guilt shoot through him again. He wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her, make sure nothing ever hurt her again.
She picked up a pen and toyed with it, refusing to meet his eyes. “Cole, I think we need to talk.”
He pulled a chair out across from her and sat down. “About what?”
She licked her lips, but kept her eyes down, her hands twisting the pen so hard he was afraid it was going to snap. “I don’t think this is going to work.”
“What isn’t going to work?”
“Us.” Her face reddened instantly. “I mean, us working together.”
Fear replaced the guilt he’d been feeling. If Charley refused to work with him, all of his dreams and hopes would crash down around him like dust. He tried to keep his voice steady even though his heart was pounding against his ribs like a kettle drum. He’d made a mistake in not responding to her kiss. A big one. There was no longer any doubt in his mind. “Oh? Why not?”
Charley stood up and began to pace. “Why not? Because there’s been too much that has happened in the past where you and I are concerned. I’ve tried, I really have, but it just isn’t working. There’s too much stress. I know you can’t leave, so from now on, you can handle anything concerning the new restaurant. The office will be yours during the day. I’ll only be here at night. I think it’s fair that I continue to manage the Red Dog.”
Suddenly, inspiration hit Cole. He leaned back in the chair and linked his hands behind his head, studying her. “Fine.”
Charley spun to stare at him, her eyes wide. “You don’t mind?”
He shrugged slightly. “Why should I? I must say, I’m a little disappointed in you, Charley. I really thought you were more of a businesswoman. But I do understand. You simply can’t keep your emotions under control. I suppose it’s a woman thing,” he mused. His gaze came back to hers. “I just overestimated you.” Cole stood.
“Why, you…you…” she sputtered. Charley swallowed her words, and forced herself into an icy calm. Slowly, she stalked forward to face him. “I was so right about you,” she gritted. “Not only are you a pig, you’re a male chauvinist pig. You want to know why you don’t have a problem keeping your emotions under control? Because you don’t have any!” The last words were screamed right in his face.
Before she could draw another breath, she was wrapped in Cole’s arms, his mouth covering hers, moist and firm and hot. Oh, God. So hot. Her fist balled in his shirt to push him away, fight him. Instead, she pulled him closer, her lips parting involuntarily. He took advantage of the opening, deepening the kiss, his tongue meeting hers. Charley went weak all over at the touch, and a moan whispered deep in her throat. He captured it, held it, and gave it back to her, doubled. For an eternity, he tortured her, slanting his head to reach her better. His hands slid down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling her tightly against his hips, against the arousal that pressed into her stomach, heavy and hard. Only then did his mouth relinquish possession of hers.
“Does that feel to you like I don’t have any emotions, Charley?” His voice was a husky whisper. “I’ve never stopped wanting you, and seeing you again has only made it worse. I’ve fought it every day, and I’ll keep on fighting it. It’s a battle I don’t intend to lose.” He released her abruptly and walked out of the office, leaving Charley stunned into silence.
As soon as the door swung shut her legs began to shake. Steadying herself with one hand on the edge of the desk, she sank weakly into the chair he had vacated. He wanted her. Oh, God, he really wanted her. A hot shiver ran down her back. Slowly, the corners of her mouth curved up in a smile. He wanted her as badly as she did him. All that cool indifference had been nothing but an act.
A heady mixture of joy and elation surged through her and burst from her throat. “Yee-haw!” The shout echoed off the office walls, and Charley clapped her hands over her mouth. In a fit of giggles, she slid limply out of the chair and landed with a thump on her behind. He wasn’t planning on losing the battle, huh? Well, maybe she’d just have something to say about that. For the first time since she’d seen Cole sitting in the bar last Wednesday night, Charley felt completely in control.
In the hall outside her office, Cole threw his head back in silent laughter as the sound of her yell died away, his whole body shaking with mirth. He highly suspected that the gauntlet he had flung down in her office had been picked up with a vengeance. And God, he felt good. Stifling his urge to whistle, he slipped into his office, closing the door gently after him.
* * * * *
Two hours later Charley was still having trouble sitting in place. Bubbles of laughter kept sneaking up on her when she least expected them. Even the computer couldn’t bother her. She stared blissfully at the error message on her screen, wondering what, exactly, she had done that was illegal. When Frannie appeared in her door, Charley grinned at her.
Her cousin took a slow step inside, stopped, and stared at her. “Okay, woman. Spit that canary out and wipe those feathers off your chin. What the heck happened to you? Last night you were crying over a laxative commercial on TV.”
“It was a really sad one,” Charley said, laughing.
“They’re all pretty sad, if you ask me. Now what gives?”
“Can’t I feel good without you giving me the third degree?”
“Well, you have to admit, it’s a rare occurrence lately. Right up there with Halley’s Comet.” Her glance moved around the room. “Where’s Cole? I thought he was going to teach you how to use the equipment today.”
“Something came up.” Charley almost spit the words as she convulsed with giggles again.
Frannie leaned forward suspiciously and sniffed. “Have you been hitting the wine again?”
“Not a drop, I swear.” Charley finally got herself under control. “What did you want?”
Frannie lowered herself gracefully into a chair. “Your birthday.”
“Okay, you can have it.”
“Will you cut it out? You’re scaring me.” Frannie glared at her. “What I meant was, you have one coming up. Now, I know you don’t like parties, but I thought maybe just this once it might be nice.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t say no yet,” Frannie held up a finger and plowed on with determination. “The Red Dog is going to be closed Thursday, anyway, so they can work on the new parking lot. And we can invite all the staff. They really work hard. They deserve a night of fun.”
“Okay.”
“Not to mention it would be great public relations what with the improvements to the saloon and the restaurant that will be opening. And I’ll handle everything. I swear.” She ground to an abrupt halt and tilted her head. “Did you just say yes or is my hearing going?”
“I said yes, and you’ve already volunteered to do everything. No taking it back now. Just be sure to tell everyone—‘no presents’.”
“You got it.” She jumped up. “I already have most of it done, but I need to call everyone and let them know.”
Charley arched an eyebrow. “What if I had sai
d no?”
Frannie grinned. “Then it would have been a surprise party.”
* * * * *
Charley stood on tiptoe and put a quick kiss on the cheek of the man in front of her. “Thanks again, Uncle Vic. If you hadn’t loaned me the down payment on the Blazer I’d have been walking.” She smiled briefly at Douglas, her uncle’s personal assistant and constant shadow.
At the age of sixty, Victor Channing was even more distinguished-looking than he had been at forty. Still sporting a head full of dark hair only lightly touched by gray, he had the bearing of a man who was used to getting what he wanted. At the moment, he was smiling down at his niece in amused tolerance. “Now, darlin’. I told you, you don’t have to pay me back. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with. Let me have the pleasure of spending a little on you. Besides, you’ll get it all when I die, anyway.”
Charley shook her head. “No, Uncle Vic. I’m going to pay you back, every cent. I want to do things on my own.”
He chucked her under the chin. “You’re too much like your daddy. Charles Hart never knew when to accept help, either.”
Before Charley could answer, her attention was drawn by a commotion in the small group that had gathered at the entrance of city hall. Cole had arrived, loaded down with equipment, the largest of which seemed to be a slide projector. He was dressed in a dark suit that fit him so well there was no doubt in her mind it had been made for him. Her stomach roiled in reaction. It should be a sin for a man to look that good, she thought. But then, he always did. In jeans and boots, he looked like an outlaw, just a little too dangerous. He still looked dangerous, but in a more refined way.
Several of the people standing around relieved him of his burden, and Charley recognized them as members of the Merchants Association. As they moved toward the front of the room, she turned back to her uncle. “Listen, Uncle Vic. I wanted to talk you before the meeting started.” She glanced at Douglas and lowered her voice. “I know you didn’t much care for Cole when he was younger, but please give him a chance. Not only is he my partner, he’s going to do a lot for this town if you’ll let him.”