My Daring Seduction. Isabel Sharpe

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      Busted. She turned her head to hide the blush that was her fair skin’s nemesis, which she could control around ninety-nine percent of the population. Guess who belonged to the one percent? “Thank you.”

      “Lindsay.” His voice was too intimate; he moved closer and she tensed, ready to tell him to back off. “Would you—”

      “Hey, guys, what’s up?”

      Saved by the bell. Justin Bell, their hot young bartender, hired at the end of the summer and raking in devoted female customers. He swaggered into her office, dressed in butt-hugging black pants and a black T-shirt, dirty blond hair mussed in a look that probably took him hours.

      “Hi, Justin.” Lindsay moved past Denver. “Remember, we’re running a special on mango mojitos and passion fruit martinis for our Tropics in Winter night tonight, so be ready.”

      “Sweetheart, for you, I am always ready.” Justin gyrated his pelvis and Lindsay laughed in spite of her crappy mood.

      “Just keep the customers happy, Justin. I’ll worry about keeping me happy.”

      He shook his head. “Lindsay, babe, you have got to get yourself somewhere warm. Miami or the Sahara…or even better into some hot guy’s arms.”

      Lindsay raised her brows. “And why is that?”

      “To melt that layer of ice you’re stuck in.”

      Behind her Denver snorted. She shot him a look, then sent Justin a glare. Men. “We open in thirty, get to work. And for tomorrow evening’s Martinis and Bikinis meeting, try eliminating the simple syrup in the pomegranate juice mix for the Valentinis. We have lots of women watching carbs and/or calories, and I thought they were too sweet. Maybe sugar around the glass rims instead.”

      “Yes, ma’am, boss woman.”

      She’d opened her mouth to correct him to Lindsay, when Denver’s hand gripped her upper arm, making her hiss like an ambushed feline. She did not like being touched unexpectedly, especially from behind.

      “Whoa.” His hand gentled immediately. “You’re on edge even for you.”

      “I’m fine. What do you want?”

      “I just need a minute.”

      She nodded briskly, pulling out of his grasp. “Justin, if Casey isn’t here in five, call her cell and light a fire under her ass, okay?”

      “You can count on me, babe.”

      “Lindsay.”

      “No problem, Lindsay-babe.”

      She countered his boyish smile with a withering look and shooed him back into the bar, then crossed her arms over her chest and turned to Denver, who was leaning casually against her desk. “So, guy, what’s up?”

      He smiled at her imitation of Justin. “You want it straight?”

      “I always do.” She hugged herself tighter and had to remind herself to keep her shoulders from stiffening up toward her ears. Not more bad news. Gina had hinted she’d be asking for a “raise” soon and Lindsay needed time with the books, time alone, time to let herself deal with the threat.

      “Casey quit. She’s pregnant and sick and can’t handle the long hours on her feet.” He spoke quietly but she saw the concern in his eyes.

      “Okay.” Lindsay nodded calmly, while her insides shouted, No, not Casey, not now. “She told you today?”

      “She called my cell.”

      “Right.” She banished the jolt of irritation at the idea of Casey knowing Denver’s cell number and went over the schedule in her mind. “I’ll work tomorrow’s Martinis and Bikinis party. How long before you can get someone new?”

      He shook his head.

      She frowned. “That long?”

      “No, not the new hire.”

      “What now?”

      He pushed himself away from her desk and came to stand a foot away. She had to make herself not step back. “You.”

      “What are you talking about?” She felt like growling. She had enough on her plate without psychoanalysis.

      “Don’t you let anything out?” He put his hands on his hips, taller than her five-ten height by a good number of inches. “I picture this seething mess of emotions inside you. Like snakes trapped in a box.”

      “Why, Denver, how literary.”

      His jaw set. She couldn’t help smirking. What did he want, that she’d break down crying because she’d have to work harder than hard until they found a replacement? She was born on a Saturday, “Saturday’s child works hard for a living.” She wasn’t afraid of work. Work was healthy, clean and constructive.

      So if he thought she’d lay her head on his big sturdy chest, blubber into his manly-man strength and allow that he was more powerful and capable and superior than she, he had another think coming.

      Staff quit, that was part of the business. She marched to the door of her office and called out to Justin. “Cancel order to harass Casey, she’s not coming in.”

      “Gotcha, big lady.” He grinned at her scowl. “Big lady Lindsay.”

      She rolled her eyes and turned back into her office, feeling brittle and tenuous, as if one more push was going to send her over and maybe she’d need that manly-man chest after all.

      Except she didn’t. Life had taught her she could handle a lot more crap with a lot less trauma than most people.

      Her private phone rang. She half lunged for it then stopped herself. Lindsay’s panic would be immediately apparent to Mr. See-Everything. Then she panicked anyway and lunged again, encountering Denver’s hand already on the receiver before she snatched hers away and retreated.

      He had a brief conversation, watching her the whole time, a conversation that sounded as if another waitress was coming in late tonight, damn it. She imagined herself on the surface of the moon, everything bright, vast, calm, quiet, in the control of forces much bigger than her.

      “Margaret’s going to be late. Meltdown on the Mass Pike.”

      Lindsay nodded. “I’ll cover.”

      “When was your last day off?”

      “Don’t patronize me.”

      “It’s a simple question.”

      “I don’t do days off.”

      “You need to.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but his gaze was relentless. “You can fool most of the people most of the time but you can’t fool me.”

      “Give me a break.” She broke away from the hold of his gaze, busying herself with the bar СКАЧАТЬ