Chapter Three

She forced herself to look away. “I’m not drinking tonight. Thanks anyway.”

“So what’s that?” His large hands gestured at her glass.

“Just Coke.”

He paused. “No rum in there?”

“Urgh, no.”

“You don’t go for the hard stuff, Red?” he asked, a teasing note in his voice.

“Never.” She knew he was asking about more than alcohol now, and she was determined to shut that crap down from the word go.

The door opened again, and she glanced over to see a guy in khakis standing there looking around. She jumped a bit.

Oh, no. This night just keeps getting better.

The man next to her must have seen her reaction, because he looked over at the guy too. His eyes narrowed.

“Something wrong, baby?” he said in that amazing voice.

Baby?

“Uh, well. Maybe.”

“Who’s that?” he asked.

Sarah sighed. “Dave. My ex.”

The man stared over at Dave fixedly, taking in his button-down shirt, and neat blond hair. “I don’t like him.”

She shot him a look, and felt a real smile break out on her face. “Yeah. That makes two of us.”

They shared a grin.

Dave spotted her now and started to walk over to her. He was wearing a familiar pompous expression; he clearly thought that this place was way below him.

Sarah sighed again. “Oh, boy. Here we go.”

“You want me to beat his head in?” the man asked.

She almost laughed aloud. “I’ll let you know.”

“You do that, Red.”

“Sarah.” Dave was standing in front of her. “What the hell are you doing in this place?” He looked around. “You and Ellen were really slumming it, huh?”

Careful, jerk. You’re insulting the bar in front of its owner.

“What are you doing here, Dave?”

“Richard called me, said that Ellen was here. I figured that since you’re her go-to person when she and Rich have trouble, you’d be here, too.”

“Nice sleuthing, Sherlock,” she said. “So what do you want?”

“To talk to you. You won’t answer my calls.”

“Well, I broke up with you because you’re a cheating asshole,” she reminded him. “I told you I didn’t want to see you, or talk to you, ever again. That means that I don’t answer your calls, or texts, or e-mails. So you can stop, OK? Whatever you have to say, I’m not interested.”

Dave moved closer, and she leaned back. She saw the man next to her stiffen.

“Come on, Sarah.” Dave’s voice had that sweet tone that he had always used when she had resisted him on something, and she wondered how she’d ever actually believed it was sincere. “Just let me take you home, OK? We can talk.”

“I have my car. I’ll get myself home.”

“Sarah.” He reached for her now, and grabbed her arm roughly. “Cut the bullshit –”

The man next to her moved so fast, Sarah never saw him coming. All she knew was that suddenly, Dave’s arm was twisted around behind him, and the man’s huge hand was pressing on the back of Dave’s head, forcing the side of his face down on to the wooden bar. She blinked.

“I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone,” the dark-haired man growled. “You fucking deaf or just fucking stupid?”

“Jesus Christ, man,” Dave said. “Get the hell off me!”

The man shook his head. “No way. Not until you agree to get the fuck out of my bar… we clear?”

Sarah glanced around, and saw that Mac was standing close by again. Their eyes met and he winked at her.

“Yeah, yeah.” Dave sounded winded. “We’re clear.”

“OK, then.” The man released his grip on Dave’s neck, and let him stand up. “So have a good night.”

Dave straightened his clothing, brushed down his hair. His brown eyes bore into Sarah’s blue ones, and she saw his absolute fury. Suddenly she was glad to be in a bar surrounded by rough people, with the owner on her side. No way that Dave could do anything here and now except leave.

Sarah and Jax watched him storm out the door, then they looked at each other.

“You OK?” Jax said, motioning at her arm.

“Yeah.” She took a deep breath. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Jax took her in, saw that she looked a bit shaken. “So, Red. I guess I should call you Sarah, huh?”

“Yeah.” She smiled at him. “Sarah Matthews. And what’s your name, Stud?”

“Jax Hamill.”

“Good to meet you.”

“You too.”

Their eyes met, and Sarah was astonished at the intense look on his gorgeous face. Guys who looked like this never, ever showed any interest in her. She was too fat, or so she thought, though Ellen constantly assured her that she was just curvy. But in her experience, it was the delicate little blondes like Ellen who got all the male attention and the invitations. Dave had been the first and the last boyfriend in her life, and now he was gone.

Jax, though, seemed to like what he was looking at. His eyes were steady as they gazed at her, looking her up and down, and she felt a burst of fire in her stomach. She realized how close she was standing to all that muscle and strength, and she took a small step back.

“So, Sarah Matthews.” Her name in his mouth sounded sexy as hell. “I saw you watching the pool tables earlier.”

“Yeah?” She wondered just how long he’d been watching her.

“You play?” he said.

She shrugged. “A bit.”

“So how about we have a game?”

Her beautiful eyes widened. “For real?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“OK,” she said.

“But we need a wager, don’t you think?” He ran his hand up and down his jeaned thigh. “Just to keep it interesting?”

“Sure. What do you propose?”

“Well, doll. If I win, you give me a kiss.”

She gaped at him. “I what?”

“You heard me. I win, I get a kiss.”

“And if I win?”

“You get a kiss.”