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  “I want to add more tables for dining, put in some modern lighting, upgrade the bathrooms, slap a fresh coat of paint on the walls, and upgrade the counters.” He looked to Jeremy. “Can you do all that in a week?”

  She thought she heard him audibly swallow. “Why so fast?”

  “Next Friday is the bar’s 10th anniversary. I wanted to do a little something special as a reopening celebration.”

  Zerina hadn’t realized that the bar had been open that long. “What can I do to help?”

  “You can work with Jeremy to make sure everything is done to my liking.”

  She almost swallowed her tongue. “Come again?”

  “My brother’s in town and I’ve got to take care of a few things before the opening. Sam’s going to cover business operations in my absence and that means I could use your help with the remodeling efforts.”

  “But you’ve got him for that.” She hiked her thumb in Pretty Boy’s direction. “Can’t he keep Sam in the loop?”

  “I’d rather you did. I’ve always appreciated your opinion and would feel better if you oversaw the project.”

  The lump in her throat swelled. She was about to be thrust into a sea of hell and there was no way out of it. She wouldn’t decline, not when Jason had been like a brother to her over the years.

  “Fine,” she said, gritting her teeth. “I’ll do it.”

  “Great,” Jason said. “Jeremy will bring in some color swatches tomorrow. Paint, wood, countertop selections, pretty much everything we’ll need to remodel.”

  She could do this. She hoped.

  “My crew and I will be in first thing in the morning to finish up the storeroom. After that you and I can get together and go over the details.”

  She nodded, not meeting his gaze. “All right. What time should I be here?”

  “How about noon? I’ll buy you lunch.”

  That got her attention. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know. I want to. If we’re going to be spending time together—”

  “No, really. I don’t eat lunch.”

  Jason chuckled. “Remind me of that the next time you order from the kitchen.”

  She eyed him hard. Why had he thrown her under the bus like that? Couldn’t he tell she was trying to keep from spending too much time with Pretty Boy? She groaned. “Fine. Whatever. Noon. Lunch.” She shifted her gaze to Jason. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll be going?”

  When no one responded, she turned and left the office and headed for the parking lot. With her keys in her hand, she flung open the door to her car, hoping that Jason would come to his senses and ask Brynn to partner up with Pretty Boy. Otherwise, he might be looking for a new remodeling crew once this one ran away crying.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, Zerina paced her apartment. She couldn’t seem to clear her head of anything other than the annoyingly hot fireman, the one who tempted her beyond reason. She’d spent the entire night twisted in the sheets of her bed craving the wicked touch of his hands and mouth. When she’d woken up, the bed beneath her was coated in sweat and her body throbbed and pulsed like he’d actually been pleasuring her.

  What the hell was that about?

  The morning sun blasted its way into her bedroom window and she hated every second of it. She was a night owl, a big reason she loved bartending so much. Anyone who was anyone knew that everything exciting and fun happened at night. Why people slept through it was ridiculous.

  Since the bar fire, her nights had been all screwed up. She needed to get her routine back, but that couldn’t happen until her job with Pretty Boy was done. He worked during the day and into the night, which now meant that she did, too. Motherfucker. She didn’t understand why Jason picked her to babysit the construction crew. Sam or Brynn would’ve both been better choices. She didn’t give a shit about paint choices and countertops.

  Okay, so that wasn’t necessarily true. No one but Jason knew that she once dreamed of being an interior decorator. But the money she made bartending was too good to give up and it was no big shocker that people tended to look at her like she was a freak. Excessive tattoos and piercings could do that. However, she wasn’t a freak. She just liked being herself, which meant she was different from most people. That was probably the issue she had with Jeremy, so pretty and perfect. He was no different than all of those people she’d grown up with who’d tread her like she was an alien.

  Except he didn’t look at me like that.

  He looked at her as if he wanted to pleasure her, and that confused the ever-living hell out of her.

  It was no surprise that men ogled her. She had all the right parts and so many assumed she was into kinky stuff. However, she didn’t flaunt her body. She kept it simple, smiled at those she liked, and bitch slapped those who deserved it.

  Waving around her sexuality wasn’t necessary. She’d fooled around plenty, got her kicks when needed. Jeremy was the only one who’d thrown a wrench into her way of thinking.

  Her behavior changed the moment she saw him, stood near him, or even thought about him. He did things to her and he didn’t even have to do anything but invade her thoughts. Liking him was the last thing she wanted to do. He went against everything she stood for. He was cookie-cutter perfect, and she broke the mold. They didn’t fit, and if she thought they could be anything but business partners, she was only kidding herself. It was best that she kept things between them professional, no matter the unwanted interest that sparked between them. Maybe he only wanted to use her for a night of pleasure and as much as she would like to scratch that itch, she wouldn’t. More like couldn’t. Jason wouldn’t appreciate her sleeping with his contractors.

  She didn’t like being forced to spend time with Pretty Boy. She was already struggling with enough unwanted temptation. The only way she would survive the endeavor would be to keep a safe distance from him. How she was going to do that while working beside him was still a mystery.

  She grabbed her keys and headed for the door. It was time to get to Iron Horse, to see him. The entire trip had taken less time than she’d hoped. Pulling into the parking lot, she spotted Jeremy and two other men unloading equipment and supplies from the back of a pickup truck.

  She blew out a breath. Just the sight of him was affecting her.

  “Hey,” he cheered, smiling as if he were actually glad to see her. “I put the color samples on the bar for you to look over.”

  She nodded, only taking a moment to look at him as she headed inside. “Thanks.” She was acting like a timid child, afraid to do more than breathe.

  Get a grip already.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, following her inside.

  Great…

  She turned to face him, and he bumped into her. “Excuse me,” he said softly, capturing her by her shoulders to steady her.

  “Do you have to stand so close?” she snapped, taking a step backward and squirming out of his hold.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to turn around so quickly.”

  She locked eyes with him, and a wild shudder rocked her. The crystal blue of his eyes had her almost forgetting herself. For a moment, she wanted to press to her toes and kiss him, feel the warm press of his lips on hers. Oh, God. She swallowed hard.

  “Whatever.” She freed herself of his touch and headed toward the bar. “Where are the samples?”

  He moved around her to show her where he put them. She glanced over the color swatches. “I can look at them myself. I’ll let you know which ones I choose.”

  “I’d like to show you—”

  “I think I can handle it on my own,” she argued before he could finish, her need for solitary confinement so clear in her voice.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His posture was rigid. He nodded and left her, heading back toward the storeroom.

  When he was free from sight, she gripped the edge of the bar. What the hell was wrong with her? She had to get a hold of herself.
Had to stop being so overcome with the idea that he was only out to hurt her, use her. This wasn’t like her.

  Generally, she easily dismissed people like him. Why was this time any different?

  Calming herself, she searched through the colors, all of them blurring together. She ran her fingers through her hair, startled by the scraping sound of wood and tools. Jeremy brought in supplies, dropping them to the floor and leaving just as quickly as he’d entered. He didn’t look at her.

  Maybe he finally understood that they shouldn’t work together. And if that was the case, why did it trouble her so much?

  She collected the color samples and headed into the kitchen. Her focus was on brewing some iced tea and clearing her head. She set the papers down beside the stove, grabbed a pot filled with water, turned on the burner, and waited for it to boil. She remembered that she’d left the pitcher underneath the bar and left to retrieve it. When she returned, she screamed as flames greeted her, rising up from the stovetop. In a blink, Jeremy shoved her out of the way, grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall, and put the fire out.

  He glared at her, his jaw tight. “Are you trying to burn down the entire bar this time?” Anger fired his words. He swiped his hand over the countertop, moving the swatches away from where the fire had been, and then turned off the stove.

  She shook as the rush of panic consumed her. She hadn’t paid attention. He was distracting her and she’d gone and done something stupid. She stared at the charred pieces of paper that sat on the counter. The situation could’ve been worse if not for Jeremy. Then again, he was the reason for her wayward thoughts.

  She gritted her teeth, a guttural tone rolling from her throat. “If you hadn’t frustrated me, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “Frustrated you?” His mouth gaped. “Are you seriously going to blame me for this?”

  “You’re damn right I am,” she barked, blood pounding in her ears.

  “And I suppose it’s my fault you brought the samples in here rather than look at them at the bar with me?”

  “Yes,” she hissed, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

  After a moment, a slow grin curled his lips as he placed the extinguisher on the counter. “Looks to me like this has nothing at all to do with the fire and more to do with how nervous I make you.”

  She scoffed. What did he know about how she felt? “You don’t make me nervous.”

  His brow shot up, his fists digging into his hips. “I don’t?”

  Her eyes darted around the room, marking an escape. She didn’t like that she felt cornered by him. His presence alone was suffocating her. “No,” she said adamantly, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

  “Prove it. Come here.”

  What? No? Why would she do that? She couldn’t. “N–no,” she stammered.

  His grin deepened. “I told you.”

  A tightness tugged within her chest, and her body heated. He was pissing her off. “Just because I don’t want to get near you doesn’t mean that you make me nervous.”

  “Sure does look that way from where I’m standing.”

  He stepped toward her and she eased back, bumping into the sink behind her. “What you’re seeing is annoyance, irritation, and pure disdain.”

  Another step, his eyes flickering with something primal. “Why do you not like me? Have I done something to you?”

  She locked her jaw. How could she explain that she didn’t like him because he was too pretty? Because he scared her. “No,” she told him, swallowing the bile that rose up at the back of her throat.

  Another step. “Then what did I do?”

  She put her hand up to block him from getting closer, but he clasped her wrist and crowded in on her.

  “I know you’re only doing this to prove a point.”

  He placed his hands on either side of her, caging her in. “And what point is that?”

  She glanced down, unable to look at him or his full lips—lips she wanted to taste and she hated herself for it. He was damn sexy and tempting her like no other ever had. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone?

  “Tell me, Zerina. What point am I trying to prove right now?”

  He cupped her face, bringing her gaze up to meet his.

  “Stop,” she whispered, his lips dangerously close to hers.

  “Stop what? Prove what? Tell me.”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Why not?”

  She pressed her lips together, closing her eyes tight. She quivered as the heat from his body pulsed into her. Damn he felt good holding her, touching her. Everything she feared was unraveling before her. The scent of him consumed her, driving her mad with lust. She gasped as he tilted her head back, her eyes fluttering open as his breath dipped into her ear.

  “What are you afraid of?”

  Everything…

  “It’s not real,” she muttered, opening her eyes. “What you’re doing is only to play games with me.”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  She stiffened her spine, all the teasing she’d endured over the years slammed to the forefront of her mind. “You don’t want me. Not really. You want to know what it’s like to fuck a freak.” She clenched her jaw to keep it from quivering. “You’re like the others. You only want to play games and joke about my body. To find out if I’ve pierced more than my eyebrows and nose. I know you’re kind. You’re all good looks and suave personality, a stuck-up snob who thinks he can have it all by flashing that annoyingly perfect smile.”

  “You think my smile’s perfect?” He laughed. “I had braces for four years to have this smile. I had an overbite that would make a horse jealous. Honey, I’ve never been called perfect before…and if you think I’m curious about your tattoos and piercings…you’re right. I am. I want very much to see every inch of your body, but it’s not to fuck you. It’s to savor you, taste you so thoroughly you come on my tongue for hours.”

  She gasped, a wild shudder exploding inside her.

  He cupped her face again, staring at her mouth and eyes with heated interest. “Do you not know how sexy you are? Trust me, you’re gorgeous, and the only point I want to make is that I’m very attracted to you and I’d like very much to get to know you better.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t mean that. You’re just toying with me.”

  “So you’re not only beautiful, but psychic?”

  She gaped at him. “No.”

  “Then how do you know what I mean?”

  Her eyes filled with tears. At that moment, she was torn. She wanted to believe him, but couldn’t. She wasn’t the kind of girl men like Jeremy wanted for anything other than to get their dicks wet with. And she was tired of being used and treated like shit.

  “Don’t do this to me, Jeremy. Don’t…”

  With the pad of his thumb he brushed away the fallen tears from her cheek, and then eased back, giving her space. “Whoever hurt you is an asshole. Whoever made you believe you were anything less than perfect is an even bigger asshole.” He took another step backward. “I’m sorry someone filled your head with nonsense. I’m sorry you don’t see yourself as I do. I’m really sorry that I make you see yourself as anything but the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  He paused, sweeping her with one final look, and his eyes were filled with sympathy and sincerity.

  As he left her to her thoughts, she would never have guessed that she’d perhaps been wrong about Jeremy. He had every opportunity to take advantage of her, she’d laid her vulnerability in front of him, and he simply backed away. Why would he do that? Did he mean what he said?

  A sudden burst of courage welled up from deep within her. His retreat should’ve pleased her, but it didn’t. Now she was consumed with why he hadn’t taken what she never would’ve been able to resist. If he really did want to get to know her and he wasn’t full of shit, there was only one thing a woman like her would want. Proof. And it was time she got it.

/>   Chapter Three

  Jeremy packed up his truck and headed home. All day he’d thought about Zerina and how strange she behaved around him. He was confused. Sometimes, she treated him like he had the plague and looked at him like he was a two-headed serpent. Other times, when she didn’t think he was looking, she eyed him like a woman starved, licking her lips as if consumed with a burning need to taste him.

  If only that were true…

  He’d been single a long time. Three years to be exact, and he was lonely, desperate for someone to spend time with. Even so, rushing into a relationship wasn’t the answer. If it had been, there were tons of women he could’ve hooked up with, the perks of being a firefighter.

  Women dug men most called heroes. Being on the pages of the firefighter calendar hadn’t hurt either. But meaningless sex didn’t inspire him. Finding someone who wanted him the way he wanted her was. The chase. That was what he enjoyed about Zerina. She might look at him with disdain, but he got the distinct impression that beneath the layers of confusion was a woman with desires and passion that matched his own.

  A romantic at heart, he wasn’t about to let her go without finding out. If anything, she’d give him a reason to get out of the house and get his firemen brothers to finally stop trying to set him up.

  Kicking off his boots, he headed for the shower to clean up. He needed it. He hoped the hot water would help relax him. His muscles ached. Swinging a hammer and moving around lumber was exhausting. He and his crew were putting in extra hours to get everything done in record time.

  Once he finished, he slipped into a comfy pair of gray sweatpants and tossed a frozen dinner into the microwave. Ravenous, he grabbed an energy bar as he waited for the buzzer. When the dinner was fully cooked, he pulled it out of the microwave and placed it on the counter. Grabbing a beer from the refrigerator, he sat down at his island bar and practically inhaled the meatloaf and mashed potato dinner.

  Cleanup was a cinch. Everything but the fork went into the trash. As he popped the utensil into the dishwasher, he heard a heavy thud from his garage. He moved to the door, opened it, and flipped on the light to check it out. He stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of Zerina, naked and straddling his motorcycle. Holy fuck. He prayed he wasn’t dreaming.