04 - Born to be Wilde.txt (3 page)

"Maybe you ought to be." Sydney passed a shot of tequila Lora's way, which completed her drink order. "Bad girls have more fun. Trust me, I should know."

Yes, Lora was very aware that Sydney had worked hard to cultivate her wild and unabashed reputation over the years—with much success. It helped that Sydney had the body of a Playboy centerfold, wore tight, revealing outfits to flaunt those curves, and wasn't afraid to use her sexuality to get exactly what she wanted. Being a "bad girl" had served Sydney well—in business and pleasure.

Lora had known Sydney since their freshman year of high school, and even though the two of them were so different, in so many ways, they'd forged a tentative acquaintanceship that ended up blossoming into a strong and lasting friendship. They'd been together through the years, in good times and bad and even through Sydney's unexpected pregnancy at the age of fourteen—always supportive of each other and never judging one another. Only Lora knew that Sydney's gutsy, assertive personality was all a façade for a very painful childhood that had left deep emotional scars.

Lora double-checked her order pad against the drinks on her tray to make sure she had everything. Then she went ahead and added one more item. "Can you give me a bottle of Sam Adams?"

Sydney arched an auburn brow as she uncapped the beer and slid it down the counter to Lora. "His choice of drink?"

"Yes, and his name is Joel."

"Ahhh, you're already on a first-name basis." Sydney grinned.

"He introduced himself the first night." Lora shrugged and added a stack of cocktail napkins to her tray.

"A first name is all you need to do the deed," Sydney said with a naughty inflection in her voice. "Now go and make those deliveries. The crowd's getting restless and they're looking for some action."

Knowing that meant Sydney was going to ring the loud cowbell behind the bar in the next few minutes, which would announce the employee entertainment that The Electric Blue was known for, Lora picked up her tray and passed out the drinks to her customers, then headed over to Joel's table.

"Hi there," she said, and set the chilled bottle of beer on a napkin. "Sam Adams, right?"

Up close, that slow, lazy grin of his was even more potent and disarming. "Am I that predictable?"

There wasn't anything about the man that struck her as tame or boring. "I'm just going on past drink orders, and you're becoming a regular."

He leaned back in his chair, and even that slight movement exuded an abundance of male confidence and sex appeal that should have been deemed illegal. "What can I say? I like the atmosphere here."

He liked her. The sentiment glimmered in his vibrant blue eyes and infused her with a pleasurable, sensual warmth. There was no ignoring the truth making itself known… she really liked him, too. She was very attracted to him, but there was something else about this man beyond the physical that drew her. She supposed it was his easygoing charm and affability that made her feel so comfortable around him.

As he continued to smile at her, a flash of familiarity swept over her. It was as if she'd seen him before, but she couldn't pinpoint when or where. It wasn't the first time she'd felt that connection, but it was one of those feelings that remained too elusive and indefinable for her to fully grasp.

She redirected her attention to the other man sitting at the table, who was obviously a friend of Joel's. "What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll take a Sam Adams, too," he replied easily. "By the way, I'm Jon."

He was a good-looking guy, and his grin was very warm and friendly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lora."

"So, what time do you get off work tonight?" Joel cut in smoothly.

Lora was used to the question, since it was one he asked every evening. The past few nights she'd helped close down the bar, but Sydney had just given her strict orders to take off early. "My shift is over at ten."

"Ahhh, my lucky night," he said, looking very pleased. "Would you like to go somewhere after work and have a drink with me?"

She automatically shook her head. She might work part time as a cocktail waitress, but hanging out at a bar other than The Electric Blue on her off hours really wasn't her thing. "I don't drink."

"Anything?" The amusement in his voice was unmistakable.

"No alcohol," she clarified, certain she'd just effectively pegged herself as too much of a Goody Two-Shoes, as Sydney often called her, for Joel to pursue her further. Which was probably just as well.

"How about coffee?" he asked as he stroked his long fingers down the condensation gathering on his bottle of beer. "I know a great coffee place down the street from here. It's even within walking distance."

"I have to go to work early in the morning." It was an automatic response, one she used on men she had no interest in going out with. But with Joel, she was beginning to wonder why she was resisting when the attraction between them was so strong. So arousing. So tempting.

"I promise not to keep you out late." He placed his right hand over the left side of his chest and glanced up at her with a hopeful look that transformed his edgy good looks into a more boyish appearance. "Please don't break my heart by saying no."

She laughed, certain that he was the heart-breaker in this scenario. That was a good enough reason for her to keep her distance from him, since she'd been on the receiving end of that kind of emotional upheaval before. But despite all that, there was something irresistible and charismatic about him.

Jon leaned forward in his seat and spoke loud in order to be heard over the music. "If it makes you feel any better, I can vouch for the fact that he's an honorable, trustworthy guy." Then he graced her with an engaging grin that had no doubt worked magic on many women.

She believed Jon, and most importantly she trusted her instincts. She thought about everything Sydney had just said to her and came to the conclusion that her friend was right. She did need more of a social life. Besides, just because she had a cup of coffee with Joel didn't mean they'd end up in bed together.

"So, what do you say?" Joel asked. "One coffee drink of your choice, and we'll call it a night."

This time, she didn't hesitate with an answer. "Sure."

He blinked, drawing her attention to those long, sooty lashes and his vivid blue eyes. "Excuse me?"

She almost laughed at his startled expression. After all her previous excuses, he obviously thought he'd heard her wrong. "Yes, I'll go and have a cup of coffee with you."

"Well I'll be damned," he drawled in a deep, satisfied tone of voice. "It is my lucky night."

At that moment, Sydney rang the loud cowbell behind the bar, signaling that it was time for the waiters and waitresses to give the crowd the kind of entertainment and sexy fun they'd come to expect at The Electric Blue.

When she'd first agreed to work for Sydney when her friend was shorthanded, Lora had had reservations about this part of the job description. She wasn't the type to get up in front of a group of men and women and strut her stuff like all the younger, college-aged employees so effortlessly, and eagerly, did. In fact, it had taken her a few weeks to gather up the nerve to participate, then another solid week to get used to dancing in front of so many people.

But now, many months later, she'd learned to enjoy the nightly ritual. Not because she was an exhibitionist, but rather because it had become a fun, harmless escape for her. A time and place where she could indulge her sensual side while keeping her emotions under wraps.

"Work calls," she said to Joel, then glanced at Jon as the crowd behind her started cheering and chanting for the revelry to begin. "And I'll be back soon with your beer."

She headed for the nearest platform and set her tray on a shelf. As she hopped up onto the stage and the strobe lights flashed and the music took on a seductive beat, she decided that tonight she was suddenly feeling very daring and uninhibited.

And he was the reason.

Chapter Two

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WATCHING Lora dance was Joel's favorite part of the nights he'd spent so far at The Electric Blue. While jumping up on the nearest platform or stage and enticing the crowd with a provocative shimmy and shake was all part of the bar's entertainment, the only cocktail waitress that captured his complete attention was Lora.

Many of the other girls were outrageously provocative with their dance moves, which the younger twentysomething crowd seemed to love and cheered on enthusiastically. Lora's rhythm was far more subtle, like a slow, deliberate tease, which made watching her much more appealing to him than the in-your-face bump and grind action. Joel was a man who appreciated maturity—intellectually and physically. And Lora possessed brains as well as a body that was soft, lush, and womanly.

He was a big guy all over—from his wide shoulders to his large hands and long fingers to his taller-than-average frame. And because of his size, he liked his women amply proportioned to handle and complement a man of his stature. There was no doubt in his mind that Lora would be a perfect fit for him, in every way.

Despite his resolve to keep his relationship with Zach's sister strictly platonic, Lora was the epitome of his fantasy woman. She wore the same tight, cropped T-shirt as all the other employees—except while the other girls displayed more concave stomachs, Lora's exposed belly looked soft and supple, and there was a helluva lot more cleavage peeking from the deep V down the front. Her faded jeans sat low on her curvaceous hips and hugged the rest of her shapely figure, and her smooth, rounded ass was a fine example of how that particular part of a woman's anatomy should look.

She captivated him with the graceful sway of her hips. Fascinated him as she swung her long, dark brown hair over her shoulders. The strands looked silky and shiny beneath the overhead lights, and the rich color accentuated her beautiful, and striking, green eyes. A slight smile curved her lips as she glanced his way, and there was just enough come-hither in her gaze to make a slow, simmering heat settle deep between his legs.

Undoubtedly, he wanted this woman, but acting on his desires wasn't an option. Instead, using their attraction to lure her in and keep her close so he could protect her was his ultimate goal. And having her finally agree to see him outside of work was a huge step in that direction.

"You're finally in," Jon said, his loud voice rising above the music and mayhem in the bar.

His friend made it sound like a mission, which Joel supposed this assignment kind of was. And Lora had been tougher than most to crack. More reserved. More cautious. The opposite of her brother, who acted first, then thought about the consequences later when it was too late to do anything about his poor judgment.

"Here's hoping I can stay in and keep her close on a regular basis." One night out together for coffee didn't guarantee him anything where Lora was concerned. He took a drink of his beer, then leaned his forearms on the table. "I know the other guys are getting tired of taking turns watching her place at night." Until Zach was in the clear, he had Lora under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

Jon grinned. "Hey, you gotta sleep sometime."

"Well, I appreciate the help." And the time off from ESS he'd been able to take in order to watch over Lora. Everyone understood that this was a personal issue for Joel, and something he felt compelled to see through because he owed Zach at least that much.

"We're all a team, Wilde Man," Jon said. "And we were all friends with Zach in the service. He might have asked you to watch over his sister, but we're all in this together, in whatever way you need us."

Joel nodded, knowing he'd do the same for Jon, Ben, or Kevin. They might have all started Elite Security Specialists together, but they were more like brothers than co-workers. They'd watched each other's backs in the Marines, and they still did, even now.

Jon pushed his chair back and stood. "That said, I've got a blond beauty sitting at the bar who's been eyeing me for the past half hour, and I'm not about to let a hot babe like her go to waste."

Joel chuckled and tipped his beer toward his friend. "Have fun."

"Oh, I intend to," he drawled, then headed off in the direction of his evening's pursuit.

Joel spent the next hour nursing his beer while waiting for Lora to finish her shift. He kept a keen eye on everyone she came into contact with, knowing that a customer could easily be a potential threat sent by Zach's bookie. The evening passed without incident, until Lora was finally off the clock and he was escorting her toward the front entrance of The Electric Blue.

Once they were outside, Lora visibly shivered as the cold night air washed over them. "You can certainly tell it's mid-October," she said, and slipped into her lightweight coat as they walked along the sidewalk. "The temperature keeps getting cooler and cooler."

He reached out to smooth down the collar of her coat, which was flipped up in the back, and his fingers brushed against the side of her neck. Her skin was incredibly soft to the touch, and he could have sworn he heard her suck in a quick, startled breath at his unintentional caress.

Dropping his hand back to his side, he made as if that brief contact hadn't affected him, too. "Then a cup of coffee is just the thing to warm you up."

Smiling, she adjusted her purse strap over her shoulder and pushed her hands into her jacket pockets. "I'm looking forward to it, actually."