Accidentally Hers (Sterling Canyon #1) (16 page)

Grey grunted, knowing Trip’s laser-like eyesight would quickly identify his prey. “Ah, and the entertainment factor just jumped by about twenty degrees.”

“Why?” Grey craned his neck to try to see what Trip did, but he couldn’t compete with the five-inch advantage.

“Boomerang’s down there at the end of the bar with two guys and your Avery.” He nodded to his left. “Shall we go have a little fun?”

Grey shook his head, unwilling to interrupt Avery and Kelsey while they were with other men. “You’ve got to stop calling her Boomerang.”

“You named her.”

“I know. But it was rude, and I don’t want anyone to hear us use that name again.”

“Naturally.” Trip stroked an imaginary beard and tossed him a sideways glance. “So are you gonna go after the girl, or are you gonna be a pussy?”

When Grey refused to respond to the insult, Trip began walking away.

Grey grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

“
I’m
not a pussy.” He shrugged free of Grey’s grip. “Stay here if you want.”

“Hey.” Grey reached out again, but Trip twisted away and cut through the crowd with Grey on his heels. “Dammit.”

“Well, look at what I found, Grey. The prettiest girls in town.” Trip smiled, ignoring the men who looked pissed about the intrusion, and turned to Grey. “I told you it would be worth coming out tonight.”

“Trip.”
Kelsey
’s smile faded as she turned and coolly glanced at Grey. She then made a big show of looking all around him. “So, Grey, is your mystery woman here tonight?”

Grey noticed Avery’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush. She took a huge swig of her drink and looked like she was trying to blend into the background.

“
Kelsey.
” Grey waved at her then met Avery’s eyes. “Avery.”

“Hi, Grey.” She only managed to eek out two whole words for him. When she turned toward Trip, her expression relaxed. “Trip. Imagine seeing you here on Ladies’ Night.”

“Where else would I be?” Trip inserted himself between Kelsey and Avery, effectively boxing out the other guys.

“Hey, man,” one protested.

“Sorry.” Trip casually swigged his beer. “Didn’t see you there.”

“Trip, Grey, meet George and Dylan, from Montrose,” Kelsey supplied, helpfully.

Predators, not dates.

“Montrose?” Trip shook his head while making a tsk-ing sound. “Sorry, guys. We can’t let out-of-towners poach our favorite girls.” Trip waved his beer over the crowd. “Don’t worry, though. Lots of other women here.”

Grey had to chuckle when Avery choked on her drink, her eyes bulging at Trip’s audacity. Kelsey couldn’t seem to decide between being flattered or angry, but in either case, she maintained indifference toward Grey.

George or Dylan, Grey wasn’t sure which, tipped up his chin. “Hey, asshole, why don’t you mind your own business?”

Trip raised one brow and set his beer on the bar, straightening every inch of his muscular stature, and set his hands on his hips. He smiled while looking down—way down—at the guy, then wrapped an arm around Kelsey’s shoulders. “This here gal is my business, aren’t you, baby?” Trip brushed a kiss on her temple, which seemed to snap her out of her confusion.

Kelsey slapped him on the shoulder and shot him a puzzled glare. “Hey!”

“
Aw, come on.
” Trip tugged at her hair. “
You can
’t stay mad forever.”

Before Kelsey could utter another protest, George and Dylan waved in disgust and walked away.

“What in the heck are you doing?” Kelsey eyeballed Trip like he was a lunatic, which Grey thought might just be true.

“Just goofin’ around. You girls weren’t seriously interested in those two yahoos, were you? Trust me, they were just looking for a quick . . . y’know.” Trip smiled and finished his beer.

“Unlike you.” Avery smirked, rolling her eyes.

“You’ve got a sharp tongue, sweet PT. Surely you can think up better uses for that particular body part than taking me down a peg or two.” Trip glanced at Grey with a mischievous expression, ignoring Avery’s snorted response, and then returned his attention to her. “Come on, girl, you look like you want to dance.”

“
No, I don
’t.” Avery shook her head.

“Sure you do.” Without waiting, Trip grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the dance floor. As they brushed past Kelsey, Grey heard Avery muttering something about Trip being crazy.

He didn’t have a great vantage point from where he and Kelsey stood, so he stretched his neck to watch them cut through the crowd. Although he knew his friend wouldn’t make a pass at her, jealousy still took root as he watched Trip twirl Avery and hold her close. She may have protested at first, but now she was smiling and joking around with him.

Grey stabbed his fingers through his bangs.
That should be me.

“Oh. My. God.” Upon hearing Kelsey’s incredulous voice, he turned toward her. “It’s
Avery
.”

“Huh?”

“Avery is the girl you like. The
complicated
situation.” Kelsey crossed her arms, frowning. “Just look at you staring after her, all moony-eyed.”

“I’m not moony-eyed, for chrissakes.” He chugged his beer and surreptitiously searched for Trip’s cowboy hat.

“I can’t believe this.” Kelsey shook her head, appearing somewhat crushed, which made Grey feel bad. “Have you told her yet?”

Grey shrugged one shoulder. “Sort of.”

“She didn’t mention it to me.” Kelsey narrowed her eyes and turned toward the dance floor. “Wonder what she’s waiting for?”

“She’s a good friend, Kelsey. Your feelings are one of the reasons she shot me down.”

“Shot you down? Really?” Kelsey played with her necklace and shifted on the stool. “So, she’s a good friend for turning you down, which I suppose means you think I’m not a good friend if I don’t tell her not to worry about my feelings.”

“
I don
’t know you well enough to know if you’re a good friend.” Grey set his empty bottle on the bar. “Guess I’ll know soon enough.”

Kelsey
’s pointed stare gave nothing away. Dammit. He shouldn’t have said anything. Now Kelsey would blindside Avery, a development that would not win him any points.

Before he could do any damage control, Trip and Avery rejoined the group.

“Brrr, it’s chilly on this side of the bar,” Trip quipped when neither Grey nor Kelsey did more than grunt at their return.

Avery tapped Kelsey’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Kelsey faked a smile.

Avery’s brows rose then she looked at Trip and shrugged.

“Looks like you need a turn to dance, little lady.” Trip clasped Kelsey’s wrist and practically yanked her off the stool. “Come on now, but watch that top. We don’t need you spilling out of it and starting a frenzy on the dance floor.”

“What did you just say?” When she beat against his shoulder, he just laughed and weaved her through the crowd.

“Does that approach really work with women?” Avery mused aloud as she watched them disappear.

“Surprisingly well.” Grey grinned and stepped a little closer. They stared at each other, she apparently as tongue-tied as he.
Get a grip, Grey.
“Want another drink?”

Just then some loudmouth chimed in. “Watch out with that one, man. If you get a Randall too drunk, you could end up getting sued or fired.”

Avery’s attention snapped toward the booming voice, her jaw tensing. But Bambi’s spine stayed ramrod straight as she looked that guy dead in the eye. “Jonah.”

Oh, hell. The bartender—make that
ex
-bartender.

“Where’s your brother? Too chickenshit to show his face in here?”
Jonah smirked.
“Come to think of it, he’ll probably have a hard time getting service in any pub in town from now on.”

If Grey was reading Avery’s expression correctly, she was about to lay Jonah out with a zinger. One day that pride of hers would land her in a heap of trouble. Still, he found it kinda hot. Unfortunately, right now Grey didn’t have the physical stability to properly defend her.

“Just like you’ll have a hard time getting a
job
at any pub in town.” She pinned Jonah with a pitying stare. “I guess your sex life will suffer, too, now that you can’t give away free booze to loosen up your targets.”

Oh, Jesus.

Jonah’s face turned tomato-red when his pal laughed at Avery’s retort. The big man lunged toward her, looking as if he might punch her in the face.

“Hey, pal, cool down.” Grey stepped between them. “Do us all a favor and walk away.”

Jonah shoved at Grey
’s shoulder. “Who the hell are you?”

Protect the knee. Count to ten.

“Grey Lowell.” Grey held one arm out to protect Avery from getting caught in the middle of a scuffle. “I’d suggest you don’t touch me again, if you know what’s good for you.” Where the hell was Trip when he needed backup?

Jonah’s hands shot up in surrender, but his voice dripped with sarcasm. “I’d kick your ass if I didn’t think you’d sue me afterward, fucktard.”

“Fucktard?” Grey glanced at Avery, whose forehead creased with concern. If Avery hadn’t been in harm’s way, he’d have gladly clocked the asshole. Harnessing all his patience, he simply crossed his arms and stared at the jerk.

“Pussy,” Jonah finally said before backing away and storming off. Grey really didn’t like being called a pussy, especially not by two different people in a single night, dammit.

Behind him, Grey heard a whoosh of relief rush from Avery’s lungs. He turned around. “You okay?”

She nodded. “Andy warned me Jonah got fired. I should’ve been better prepared. Shouldn’t have baited him.”

“
You sure don
’t pull any punches.” He noticed her withering now, as the adrenaline ebbed from her system.

She nodded, not nearly as confident as she’d appeared moments earlier. “I shouldn’t be here. I should go.” She dug in her purse and threw a couple of dollars on the bar. “Can you tell Kelsey for me?”

“Hold on a sec.” Grey clutched her forearm and she stilled. “Hang out with me a while.”

She shook her head. “I need to go. I didn’t want to come in the first place.”

“Me neither, but I’m glad I ran into you.” He smiled, hoping to coax her into staying. Her defeated, torn expression warned him he’d already lost the battle.

“I’m sorry, Grey.” She turned and bolted toward the door.

Grey watched her snake through the crowd, checking to make sure Jonah wasn’t lying in wait to get her outside. He scoped the dance floor, but couldn’t locate Trip’s cowboy hat. When he looked back toward the door, he caught sight of Avery slipping outside.

Two seconds later, his feet started moving. He exited the bar, glancing left and right. No sign of her. He jogged—gingerly—left for a block and saw her vivid-blue Jeep parked on the side street. “Avery, hang on!”

She looked up while unlocking her door. As he approached, he noted how flustered she appeared. Shaky almost, as if she’d depleted all her energy holding herself together in the bar.

“Hey. Hey, settle down.” He rubbed her arms. “Everything’s okay.”

“Andy predicted the backlash. I thought I could handle it, but Jonah’s anger scared me.”

He stepped within inches of her, his body strung tight with desire. “Come here.” Pulling her into a hug, his own body unwound a bit as he fitted her against his chest. He heard a little sniffle as her shoulders trembled. He whispered against her ear, “You’ve got one helluva backbone, Bambi.”

Despite the precipitating events, that minute on the sidewalk seemed heavenly. When she started to ease away, he tightened his hold. “Shh.”

“I’m all right now.” She managed to pry herself ten or twelve inches away from his chest, but he refused to release her. “What?”

He stared at her wide eyes and parted lips, and lost all grasp of rational thought.

“This,” he said, gesturing between them. He took her hand and placed it over his heart. “Tell me you don’t feel this, Avery. Feel the way my heart beats so fast when you’re near, like it’s trying to pound its way out of my chest just to get closer to you.” He heard her breath catch. “The way my skin gets so prickly and hot, just aching for you to touch me.” He snuggled closer until his good knee nestled in between her legs. “The way everything in me wants to grab hold of you whenever I see you.”

He trailed his finger along her neck to the spot where her pulse throbbed as hard as everything in his body. “I think you feel it, too. Let’s stop fighting it.”

When she didn’t move, he leaned in and captured her lip with his, gently sucking on it before he kissed her. It was better than before, because this time he could press his entire body up against her. She didn’t even seem to mind him pinning her against her car. After snatching the car keys from her hands, he set them on the roof without breaking their kiss.

Her hands weaved into his hair and he felt her moan in his mouth. Good God, he nearly passed out there on the sidewalk. “Avery.”

His mouth trailed along her jaw and around her earlobe, finally catching those little earrings in his teeth, before continuing down her neck. She shivered and kissed him back with intensity. He got so hard, so fast. Her thighs locked around his leg, like she needed the same relief he did.
Yes!
“Come home with me now.” His voice rasped like it came straight from his lungs.

He kissed her again, long, slowly and deeply.
Can’t. Get. Enough.

“No.” Her answer came too quickly. She gently pushed him away. “I can’t.”

But he had her. He could feel her yearning, just as strong as his own. “Please,” he begged before leaning in to steal another kiss.

He felt her melt into him again. So close. His hands roamed her waist and down behind her hips, grabbing hold and tugging her against him.
I want this woman.

“Grey, stop.” She was panting when she pushed him away again. “You know this isn’t right as long as the lawsuits are unresolved. And, well, I don’t want to hurt Kelsey.”

“
Kelsey
’s a big girl, dammit. I never dated her. The control you’re giving her is plain childish.” He stopped when Avery’s fist landed on her hip. “What’s with the look? Because I swore? Because I said it’s ridiculous Kelsey has anything to do with us?”