Apprehension (4 page)

"You can sit right here, pretty Liza." Dale Moore gave a few pats high on his thigh, leaving no misunderstanding where he wanted her to sit.

Taking a sip of her drink, she placed it back on the table, then leaned in toward Dale and spoke to him in a breathy voice, loud enough for all the people around the table to hear. "Dale, as much as I would love the chance to
ride
the evenin' out on you generous lap… I can see you're still on duty and I'd hate to do anythin' to cause you to have a
hard
night at work."

"Well, shit, you done it now." Dale quickly squeezed his large body out of the booth and lumbered away to the bathroom, the cackling of the remaining five people chorusing behind him.

"Liza, you're going to give that old man a heart attack talkin'

to him like that," Steve Ewing chided her, shaking his head as he slid across the cushioned seat from where Dale had him crunched in.

"Well, if he went home to Mindy like a good man should then he'd have nothin' to worry about," she answered.

"Give me somethin' to worry about. Come dance with me."

Steve grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the dance floor.

Liza didn't complain because one of her favorite songs was beginning. As the opening guitar strings to
Here for the Party
by Gretchen Wilson started playing she was already swaying to the beat. She and Steve had dated during their junior year in high 25

YVETTE HINES

school, but had realized they made better friends. She knew she could be as wild as she wanted with Steve, he was safe.

Swinging and swaying to the country rock style of the female artist, Liza enjoyed herself. No school, no worries, and the arms of a good friend were just what she need.

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APPREHENSION

That's exactly how Thor found Liza when he walked into the Dirty Dozen. For a moment, he was mesmerized by her fluid movements on the dance floor. With her arms above her head as her hips rocked to the music, her skirt rode low and her shirt rose high, allowing a glimpse of her midriff. Her face was filled with joy. There was a broad smile on her mouth as she dropped her arms and glided around her partner in circles. He knew the guy she was dancing with. His name was Steve and he was the manager at the Claremont Bank in town.

Thor had to admit that they made a nice-looking couple.

The thought caused a stone to drop in his gut. Biting the inside of his lip to keep himself under control when Liza stepped into the arms of Steve and gyrated her body against the banker's tall frame.

Turning away from the couple, he headed toward his friend at the bar. "Hey, Jack, let me have a beer." He and Jack had been stationed together for four years and it was because of that friendship Thor had obtained his position on the RACE team.

Jack's father was the sheriff in town. As a favor to his son, as well as honoring Thor's eight years as an Air Force security forces troop, Sheriff Pyle had given the job to him. The two tours Thor had served doing special investigation in Iraq had helped to seal the deal.

"Anything for an officer of the law." Reaching into one of the cabinets under the bar and popping the top off the dewy bottle of beer, Jack slid it along the polished wood to rest in front of Thor.

Thor caught the beer and quickly brought it to his mouth as the misty smoke crawled out of the top. The beer was ice-cold and did the trick in cooling his senses and setting him right in the 27

YVETTE HINES

mind. He hadn't seen Liza in over a week, but she'd been in his thoughts since their roadside encounter.

Setting his beer back down on the bar, he glanced over his shoulder as the last bars of the song were playing and witnessed Liza giving Steve a kiss on the cheek before rejoining the group at one of the back booths.

"So, Thor, you starting to adjust to small town life?" Jack's voice pulled him away from Liza.

"Yeah, it's quiet for the most part and I like that." He took another sip of his beer.

Jack chuckled loudly. "Yeah, quiet. Excluding tonight."

"I noticed when I walked in there were a few more people than usual at this time of night."

"The baseball championship," he confirmed.

Thor nodded.

"How was work tonight?" Jack wiped down the counter.

"It was alright. I spent most of it following a tip on some drug runners we were expecting through here."

"Any luck?"

Thor shook his head. "Nope. Maybe they've found a new route."

"Wouldn't that be nice? Then we wouldn't have to worry so much about our teens in Claremont getting that junk."

Thor took his last swig. "Sad thing about it, if they don't get it from these guys, they get it from somewhere else." Thor pushed aside his empty bottle.

Jack moved with years of efficiency at tending bar and grabbed Thor's empty bottle and replaced it with a fresh one, cap removed.

"That's true." Jack changed the subject. "So are you missin'

the military?"

Thor laughed. "Did you miss it when you hung your BDU's up for the last time?"

"Shit, no. And every day I'm here I miss it less and less."

"Exactly." Thor couldn't resist peering over at Liza and her friends at their booth. She now sat next to Steve in the booth and another chair had been brought over for Dale to rest his heavy frame in.

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APPREHENSION

The lazy arm Steve had slung over the back of the booth that Liza's head was leaning against slightly raised Thor's hackles. He hated feeling possessive of her. She wasn't his. Had never been his. Hell, he didn't even truly know the princess.

Shaking his head, he shifted away from them.

Thinking about the events of the night, he watched as Jack saluted farewells to each customer as they began to trickle out the door. He admired his friend. Jack was happy. He had the job he wanted and the family he desired. Thor envied the peace his friend had found. Over the years of being in the military, he hadn't met or dated anyone whom he'd even considered for a moment marrying and raising a family.

His eyes drifted again to Claremont's princess. Shaking his head, he forced himself to turn away.

"Be right back, Thor, I need to get the stuff to restock the shelves for tomorrow." Jack tossed his towel over his shoulder and walked to the back of the bar.

"I think I can find something to occupy my time while you're gone." Thor tilted his beer up to his mouth.

"I'm sure you can." Jack yelled from the back.

At that moment, Thor heard a melodic laughter coming from behind him. Turning, he noticed Liza and some of her group had moved to one of three pool tables four yards away from him. Steve sat on a stool by the table. Liza was playing pool against Harvey Carter, one of the supervisors at the local peanut plant. Dale must have finally remembered he was on duty tonight and left. Out of the corner of his eye, Thor spotted Stephanie and Wyatt on the dance floor grinding and swaying to Melissa Etheridge's
My Lover
, and doing an excellent job of ignoring everyone else around them.

Thor could hear a few people around him murmuring how the couple needed to take their sex act from the bar floor to one of their apartments.

Disregarding the pair, Thor turned fully around in his seat and leaned his back against the bar as he drank his beer and watched Liza. She flirted with both men equally. Steve appeared to take it good naturedly, but Harvey's face was lit up as if he really hoped to spend the remainder of the evening in Liza's arms.

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YVETTE HINES

As he continued to observe them, he heard Jack bring in empty crates to begin removing the alcohol from the shelves preparing the bar for closing. Checking his watch, Thor noted the time. Fifteen minutes 'til one. Just as always. Jack was a family man, he never stayed open past one and he never opened on Sunday because it was family day for him.

Yeah, he envied him.

Exhaling slowly, he gulped down more beer as he stared at the pool players in front of him. Liza had just shot in the eight ball, leaving Harvey with four striped balls still on the green felt.

"Man, I told you not to play her. She's a shark," Steve snickered and hooted.

He could see the tension around the other man's mouth.

Harvey was angry. By his look, Harvey didn't appreciate being bested by a woman. It possibly wouldn't have been so bad without Steve's additional comments.

Harvey whipped around toward Steve and spoke through gritted teeth. "Shut up, Steve. She's beat the shit out of you before."

Steve spoke through broken laughter. "Damn, right. That's why I don't play…Liza." He laughed harder. "And especially not for a year's supply of peanuts that you're going to have to pay for." Before Harvey could respond, Wyatt and Stephanie came waltzing back over, holding hands. Wyatt questioned, "Who's paying in peanuts?"

"Harv—"

Steve's speech was broken off when Harvey jabbed the pool stick in his side.

Thor watched Liza stroll toward the man with the wounded ego. She turned her full charm on Harvey.

"Harvey, don't be mad. I'm sure I got the upper hand on you tonight only because it's late, you've been drinkin' and you're probably tired from a long day at the plant." If the hand Liza placed on Harvey's shoulder wasn't enough to assuage his pride then the syrupy sweet voice she used did the trick.

Giving Liza a broad smile, he nodded like a bobble head willing to agree to anything she said.

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APPREHENSION

"Yeah, it's probably best I head home and get some rest."

Forcing a yawn, Harvey emphasized his point by rubbing his eyes as if he just now realized he was tired. "Do you want me to bring the peanuts by your house each week?" Harvey asked, hopeful as a puppy begging for a treat.

Stepping back, Liza gave him a smile. "Harvey, you're an honorable man. But I couldn't eat all those peanuts." Turning toward the pool table, she began to retrieve all of the balls from the slot below, deposit them on top and prepared them for racking.

Thor noticed he wasn't the only one admiring the view of Liza's sexy thighs revealed from underneath her skirt every time she leaned over the pool table. Both Harvey and Wyatt looked as if any moment their eyes would pop out of their heads.

Stephanie giving Wyatt's arm a smack was enough to get his attention.

Liza continued. "Harvey, you can just have them delivered here. That way everyone can enjoy them."

It was at that moment Harvey realized he'd been had.

"Come, Harvey, let me get you home. Remember how tired you are?" Steve stood up and stretched.

"I'm heading out, too, Liza." Snuggling against Wyatt's side, Stephanie continued. "Wyatt has agreed to give me a lift home."

Yeah, he's going to give her a lift alright,
Thor thought.

"You're all leaving me?" Liza gave her friends a sexy pout.

The desire to kiss her and suck her full-bottomed lip into his mouth was driving him crazy. Lifting his beer, he took a deep swig, finishing it while attempting to cool his heated thoughts.

"Sorry, sweet cakes. But, I've got to get up early tomorrow for work," Steve apologized.

"And I really need to get to bed," Stephanie replied as she tugged Wyatt toward the door.

"You're the one who invited me here," Liza tossed the accusation to Stephanie.

Stopping in her tracks, Stephanie tilted her head to the side and gave Liza a pointed look. "I'm sure you
understand
, Liza."

"I do." Waving her friend away, she said, "Go. Get some
rest
."

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YVETTE HINES

Steve kissed Liza on the forehead. "I'll talk to you later in the week." He pushed Harvey toward the door.

"Alright," Liza mumbled, more to herself.

Thor spied Liza glancing at her watch, then she looked around the bar to see if there were any other people in it, possibly to persuade them into playing pool with her. Pivoting around, she spotted him and realized the same thing that he had, they were the only two left, with the exception of Jack, who was in the back with his cash drawer.

Neither one spoke. Thor's eyes dropped, attracted by the subtle tapping of her fingers along the pool stick. Nervousness or indecision? Thor pondered her small action.

He was enjoying the moment, observing her without the earlier crowd hovering around. His eyes lowered further and he took in her small feet, which were slipped inside a pair of decorative flip-flops. The view of the pale pink polish coating her naked toes and the plain gold band surrounding her second toe was downright erotic. Her sexy jewelry caused a feeling of intimacy in him. Dragging his gaze higher he took in the silky smooth expanse of her legs until his view ended at the hem of her light green skirt that reached mid-thigh. He'd never had an opinion of whether he liked his women in skirts or pants, but on Princess Liza, it was definitely skirts.

Scanning past her skirt and now covered midriff, Thor paused at her breasts, which were held captive by her form-fitting top. Full breasts, with erect nipples. Evidence of arousal or a biological response to the air conditioner?

"Are you finished?"

Her sultry voice forced his eyes to return to her face. Glad she'd grabbed his attention, because soon his cock would have shown her exactly what he was ready to finish.

"With what?" he responded.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Ogling me."

Angling his head, he raised a single eyebrow in her direction. "I wasn't ogling. I was appreciating the view."

She made a sucking sound between her teeth and turned away from him. "Well, I hope you got your fill, Officer Zeller."

"Thor."

Glancing over her shoulder, she eyed him. "Excuse me."

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APPREHENSION

"My name is Thor or Brad."

She settled the pool stick in the case, which was attached to the wall. "Don't tell me, Officer Zeller, you don't take your duty to the county seriously?"

Still resting against the bar, Thor stretched his arms out along the top. "I take my job very seriously. But, when I'm off, I'm off."

"Gotcha," she said, walking over to one of the tables to retrieve her purse.