Sweet Spot (Summer Rush #1) (8 page)

“Yeah, I know. I was hoping I could talk to you if you’ve got a minute.” Stupid question. It didn’t look as though the poor guy could spare a second, much less a minute.

“Uh, sure,” he said, looking around. “Let me ask one of the girls to bring a couple of drinks back to my office. What’ll you have?”

“A Corona’s good.” Rowan knew he shouldn’t be drinking at all, since he’d be training mode again soon, but since he wasn’t sure what to expect from his discussion with Tenley’s brother, he went for it.

Walker had a quick word with the waitress who’d filled Rowan in on Tenley during his last visit before he led the way to his office. As he closed the door to the dimly lit, spacious office, it was clear the room had been soundproofed because Rowan could finally hear himself think.

“So what’s up?” Walker asked, sitting behind his imposing mahogany desk as he pointed at a black leather chair across from him.

Before Rowan could respond, the waitress tapped on the door and poked her head in. “I’ve got your drinks here, boss.”

“Great, bring them in, Maura.”

They both accepted their drinks, saying “Thanks” in unison before she winked at Rowan and left the room.

“So, uh, about your sister…”
What can you tell me about her?
When Rowan realized how stupid that sounded, he began questioning his sanity for coming here at all.

“What about her?” Walker asked, tapping his beer bottle against Rowan’s. “Is she giving you a hard time already?”

Rowan could tell how protective Walker was of his little sister, so he knew he’d better be willing to take the blame if he expected any help from Walker. “We kind of had it out today.” He tipped his bottle back while Walker did the same. “I overstepped. It was all on me.”

“And let me guess… my sister let you have it?”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“What happened?”

“We ran into a friend of hers while we were having lunch in the park. Actually, he’s a customer of yours. Sounded to me like they’d been out together a few times—”

“Andrew,” Walker said, scowling. “He’s the only one of my customers she’s ever dated. She knows how I feel about my employees mixing it up with the customers, so she usually steers clear, but I guess this guy wore her down.”

“What do you know about him?” Rowan knew he was overstepping again. He had no right to ask about the other men in Tenley’s life. They hadn’t even slept together yet, and after the way she’d left him hanging today, he wasn’t sure they ever would.

“He runs one of his daddy’s car dealerships,” Walker said, looking disgusted. “He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Wouldn’t know how to do a hard day’s work if his life depended on it.”

Walker and Rowan obviously had that in common—they were no strangers to hard work and had no respect for anyone who was. “Doesn’t seem like Tenley’s type.”

“I wouldn’t have thought so either,” Walker said, shaking his head. “But maybe she was ready for something different.”

“Different how?”

By the way his blue eyes flashed with regret, Rowan guessed he’d said more than he intended to. “Let’s just say she’s hooked up with some losers over the years. After the last one cheated on her, she said she was done with men, but this Andrew guy somehow convinced her he wasn’t like all the rest.” He shrugged. “I don’t think she’s serious about him. They’ve gone out on a couple of dates at most.”

“Has she said anything to you about me?” Rowan could almost hear Tenley screeching in his ear, warning him to back the hell off, but that didn’t stop him from asking. “I know this may sound like a stupid question, but you think she’s into me?”

Walker laughed, raking a hand through his short dark hair. “Man, that’s tough to say. Wasn’t all that long ago she swore she’d never go on another date again.”

“Why is that?” Seemed like an extreme statement for a beautiful young woman to make, even one who had been burned one too many times.

Walker sighed. “If you grew up in our house, you’d understand.”

“That bad, huh?”

“Let’s just say we didn’t have the best role model growing up. Our mother was—is—pretty messed up, and Tenley didn’t want to follow in her footsteps.”

“So she hasn’t dated a lot?” Rowan found that hard to believe. Sweet and innocent weren’t words he’d use to describe Tenley. If that had been his perception, he never would have pursued her. A girl like that would never be able to handle the groupies and lifestyle that came with his career.

“I didn’t say that. She’s dated, but she’s…” Walker checked his Omega. “Man, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to get back out there.”

Before Rowan could stand to shake his hand, someone tapped on his door and popped her head in.

“Walker, Brendan said you were back here.” Tenley stared at Rowan, her eyes narrowing as she threw open the door. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Busted,” Walker said under his breath as he rounded the desk. He kissed the top of Tenley’s head as he passed her. “We can talk later. Go easy on him, sis.”

“Like hell I will,” she muttered, slamming the door as she glared at Rowan. “I’ll ask again. Why are you here talking to my brother?”

He leaned back on Walker’s desk, crossing his arms. “You wouldn’t talk to me. What choice did I have?”

Rowan wasn’t big on backing down, not even when he knew he should. So he stood his ground, preparing to let her tear a strip off of him because he deserved it. If she’d gone poking around in his life, asking other people questions she should have asked him, he would have been pissed too.

“You could have taken a hint and backed the hell off,” she said, stepping closer. She was too small to be intimidating, even though he knew those little feet and hands could be lethal weapons to someone who wasn’t trained in self-defence. “Who do you think you are, insinuating yourself into my life like this? I barely know you. And what’s more, I’m not even sure I want to know you!”

She had every reason to resent him, but that didn’t mean he was going to let her write him off that easily. “There’s something between us.” He waited, daring her to challenge me. “You feel it; so do I. So when I saw you flirting with that guy in the park today, I got pissed.”

“You had no right to. We’re just friends.”

Rowan wasn’t sure whether she was talking about him or Andrew, so he asked, “You really gonna go out with him?”

“Why not?”

“Why waste precious time with him when you could be spending it with me instead?” He wasn’t arrogant. He just knew a good thing when it was staring him in the face, and he suspected she did too.

“You’re so full of yourself,” she said, rolling her eyes. “What makes you think you’re so much better than him?”

“I didn’t say I was better. But I’m more your speed.” He knew she’d have more in common with him than with a guy who wore thousand-dollar suits every day and got weekly manicures. “You can’t deny that.” When she didn’t try, the light bulb went off. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? He’s a safe bet. I’m not.”

“I don’t have time for this,” she claimed, turning toward the door. “I need to talk to my brother, then get out of here.”

Before she could turn the knob, Rowan wedged his body between her and the door. “That’s it, isn’t? The last guy cheated on you, and you think I will too?”

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” she said, trying to side-step him.

“Can you just give me a second?” he asked, feeling pathetic for having to work so hard. “I won’t even touch you.” He raised his hands in supplication  though he was dying to use his mouth to convince her since he was sure pretty words would fail him.

“Fine, say what you have to say so I can leave.”

He knew if she really wanted to leave, she wouldn’t stay to hear him out. He took that as a promising sign. “The truth is my last relationship kind of messed me up.”

She looked wary, her eyes raking over him. “You look fine to me. That chick you were banging the night you called me would probably agree.”

“Maybe I’ve been doing what you do,” he said, testing her, hoping she wouldn’t retreat further. “Sticking to safe bets, people I know can’t hurt me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She paced the small room. “And I really don’t have time for your psycho-babble. I’ve got real problems.”

He wanted to hear more about those problems, but that would never happen until she believed she could trust him. “If I’m not too invested, it won’t bother me if she walks away.”

The flash of light in her eyes when she looked at him told Rowan she got it. She got
him
.

“But seeing you walk away today did bother me, Ten. In fact, it bugged the shit out of me.” He stepped closer, daring her to let him. “That’s how I knew you weren’t a safe bet.” His breath was fanning her face, but he was keeping his promise. He wasn’t touching her. “You’re dangerous. You think the same of me.”

She let out a ragged breath, shaking her head even though the truth was in her eyes. “No.”

“You want me, and that scares you because it’s been a long time since you’ve wanted someone. I mean, really wanted them.” He knew exactly how she felt. Hell, he could read her mind right now because he was thinking the same thing she was. Bail or risk it?

“No.” The word came out as a broken sob before she cleared her throat and shook her head furiously. He didn’t know if she was mad at him for backing her into a corner or at herself for showing some real emotion, but her vulnerability only made him want her more.

“No you don’t feel it or… no you can’t take a chance on me?”

“I can’t. I won’t.”

She tried to be so strong all the time. He wondered if she ever let anyone in, aside from her brothers.

“Then this is the end of the road for us?” He’d never felt such loss over something he’d never really had.

“It has to be,” she said, looking as disappointed as he felt. “Maybe if we’d met some other time—”

“Sssh.” He didn’t want to hear her excuses. If she couldn’t be with him, the reasons didn’t matter. “It’s okay. You don’t owe me an explanation. I mean, we barely got started, right? Hell, we haven’t even slept together.”

But he knew that didn’t make what he felt for her any less real. He’d slept with some women dozens of times and felt nothing when he said good-bye to them. But with Tenley, everything felt different.

“Good luck next season.” She tried to smile, but it never reached her eyes. “I’ll be watching you kick ass on that mound.”

Sure, she would—on the TV screen, from her comfortable sofa. Where her heart wasn’t at risk. Where Rowan couldn’t touch her and she couldn’t touch him. Where it was safe.

“Thanks.” He reached the door, and he felt her chest brushing his back. She may have just been anxious to leave, but he preferred to think she wanted the same thing he did. He turned and cradled her face, remembering his promise not to touch her. “One more kiss.”

She responded by thrusting her hands into Rowan’s hair and plastering her tight little body against his. Their tongues danced, both of them getting hotter with every stroke, and he knew if he didn’t get the hell out of that room, he’d take her right there on the desk.

“Gotta go,” he panted, tearing his lips from hers. “While I still can…”

“This can’t be,” Walker said, pacing his penthouse. “How the hell did this happen?”

He turned on their older brother, Brant, and glared at him. Brant, not one to be intimidated, glared right back.

“Don’t blame me!” Brant shouted. “I’m just the messenger! If I had my way, that bastard would be in jail for the rest of his life after what he did to Tenley.”

The bastard Brant was referring to was Tenley’s ex-fiancé. The man who’d tried to take her life. According to the prosecutor who’d put him away, Justin had paid his debt to society, and now he was getting out early for good behavior.

She thought she’d have more time to live her life, more freedom. But her sentence came early. Eighteen months early. Now his period of incarceration was ending, and hers was just beginning. She knew he’d come after her. His last words still haunted her. A threat promising it would never be over, that he’d never let her go.

“He can’t come within fifty feet of her,” Brant said. “And he’s still on probation. He’ll have to check in with his probation officer for the next—”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Walker asked, throwing his arms in the air. “You think this son of a bitch gives a goddamn about some restraining order? You’re a cop, Brant. You know those things aren’t worth the paper they’re written on half the time.”

Brant was an undercover cop who busted drug dealers. He looked the part with his bulging, inked biceps, faded jeans, leather jacket, biker boots, and black bandana. No one would question whether he was a legit member of the motorcycle gang he was currently trying to infiltrate.

“Well, it’s all we’ve got,” Brant said with a worried glance in his sister’s direction. “Besides, she’s not as defenseless as she was back then. She’s got a gun, and she knows how to use it. I made sure of that.”

Tenley loved going to the shooting range with her brother, but the thought of putting a bullet through someone, a man she’d once loved no less, scared the hell out of her. “I’ll be fine,” she said, trying to assure them as well as herself.

Not looking convinced, Walker said, “Maybe you should stay with me for a while until we can figure out what he’s got planned. This building has twenty-four security and—”

“I won’t be his prisoner,” she said, thinking of the dark days when he’d made her just that. “Not anymore.”

Brant’s eyes softened before he pulled her into his strong arms. Ever since they were kids, these two guys had been her lifeline. She knew she wouldn’t be as brave as she was if she didn’t know they had her back, that they’d lay down their own lives to protect her.

“You don’t have to be,” Brant said fiercely and kissed the top of her head. “Because I swear to God if he comes after you again, I’ll hunt him down like a dog, and this time I will kill him.”

Last time it had almost come to that, but she’d convinced Brant to let the law handle Justin.

She just assumed her ex would get more than seven years for kidnapping and threatening to kill her. But he’d cut a deal. It seemed like a lifetime ago when the prosecutor proposed the plea deal that would allow Tenley to avoid testifying at his trial.