Electrified (13 page)

“Actually, I don’t do much other than work and dance. I read when I have a chance. Oh, and I garden around my place and Asher’s.” She busied her idle hands with her hair again.

“Asher, he owns the club, right?”

“Yes. Asher Peterson owns the Tunnel. He’s also my neighbor and closest friend. My house is behind his.” Sienna added the last tidbit as a little deterrent.

Deterrent to what?
She wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep Carson from getting close, or remind herself to stay far away.

“Do you have hobbies when you’re home?” She finally steadied her hands and reached for her cappuccino.

“Other than running, which I try to do everywhere, I boat during the summer, and I have a motorcycle.” He flashed a huge grin when he revealed this little fact. “Otherwise, I work and enjoy a couple good cocktails on the weekend. That’s it. Pretty simple.”

Carson shifted his big frame in his seat before leaning in once again toward Sienna. She had no idea what he was doing, and was fearful for the first time since seeing him in the club. Was he going to reach out and touch her? Kiss her?

She wasn’t ready for that…was she? She might never be ready.

I want to kiss him, but what if I’m not good at it?

Biting her lower lip, she stole a quick glance out at the parking lot. Seeing Mike still in his spot with his eyes on the coffee shop relaxed her a little.

Still, what would she do if he got any closer? Jump up and run out to Mike? Start waving her hands in the air to get Mike’s attention? Either way, she’d look ridiculous. She had no choice other than to focus on Carson and try to finish the coffee date.

Still chewing on her lip, Sienna tried to focus on what was happening in front of her. She quietly inhaled his scent, smelled the pungent combination on his breath, and almost wanted to lean in herself and taste the cinnamon and coffee right from his mouth.

“Sienna, look. I know this is pretty unconventional. I’ve never hung out at a place like the Tunnel a few weeks in a row, let alone asked a dancer out before. From the little I know and what you’ve told me, I also know you don’t typically go out with customers. So this is odd for both of us, but there’s something that keeps drawing me to you.” He paused for a second, his gaze roaming from her eyes to her lips, then back again. “I really don’t know what it is or means, especially since I told you I’m basically a no-strings attached kind of guy, but I’d like to find out.”

His breath tickled along her cheek as he talked, continuing to assail her senses. She found herself speechless, both from what he said, as well as how he made her feel.

She opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated, pressing her lips tightly before she was finally able to put a few words together. “Yes, this is a bit out of both of our comfort zones. For me, everything is awkward because I don’t date. Ever. And you’re more like a love-’em-and-leave-’em bachelor.”

Carson shook his head. “But that doesn’t make it bad. Yes, a little awkward, but not bad at all. Now that I see you outside the club, I want to know you better. You have a quiet beauty to you when you aren’t onstage. Sure, we both have our reservations, but I want to get to know you. I don’t know how long this West Coast case is going to take, but I’m not wrapping it up anytime soon. Can we get to know each other? That’s all I’m asking.”

“I don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve never done this, and like I said, I’m kind of inexperienced when it comes to dating.”

She was such a liar. Sienna wanted to get to know Carson in the worst way. She wanted to know all of him, even his little quirks, what he looked like in the morning, and whether he would like her running her hands through his thick black hair.

“And to be honest, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t live up to any of your expectations,” she said so softly she almost couldn’t hear herself. Why was she sabotaging herself?

He pitched his broad chest just an inch or two forward. “Seriously,” Carson said sincerely, “no expectations. Just dinner, a movie, a run, maybe see your gardening? No big deal. Can’t we just explore this?”

“I guess since I already put my foot in my mouth and was honest about being hungry earlier, I can go for a second time and eat. But I hope you’re not expecting me to be fast on a first date or anything. I’m not like that.” She lowered her gaze and bowed her head with the admission.

Or experienced, she added silently. At all.

At that, Carson burst out laughing, showing off a full, genuine smile and beautiful teeth. He reached one finger under her chin and tilted her face back up so they were eye to eye. “We’re drinking coffee in the middle of the day with you sitting there in a baseball cap, and I couldn’t want for anything more. Crazy as it seems, this is good for right now.”

Sienna was pretty certain her heart melted a little bit, fully warming for the first time since Asher took her under his wing. She sat there in silence with no clue what to say or how to respond.

What was Carson really looking for? He seemed nice and wasn’t looking for a happily-ever-after, and appeared to respect her limits. All winning him points.

Then there were his looks. He was a striking man. He didn’t look anything like her husband, a small-minded man who made up for his insecurities by physically hurting women. No, Sienna could see a passionate soul in the depths of Carson’s dreamy eyes and expression. He might act like a tough guy, but she was thinking he might not be so tough underneath it all.

Just because she wasn’t experienced in dating didn’t mean she couldn’t understand people. She had stared into the eyes of an evil man long enough to know a good one when she saw him.

Carson was good and she was lonely, which was why she said, “All right. I’m open to trying to get to know each other. I have no expectations and I live a pretty quiet life when I’m not at the Tunnel. So I’m not sure if I’ll be the good time you’re looking for right now, but I’ll try.”

He reached his hand over, bridging the gap between the two of them, and covered hers.

Sienna had never felt anything as intimate or sweet as that simple gesture in her whole life. With their hands entwined, she sat quietly, the lump in her throat not allowing her to say anything more. To cover up her silence, she smiled, even though she felt like crying. Crying over the promise of what could be one day in her life, or what she left behind; she didn’t know. Maybe both.

Carson broke the silence. “I’m sure you need to go relax before work tonight. I have to head out of town on Monday, first thing. Do you think we could have an early dinner on Sunday?”

“I work on Sunday nights. I dance once around eleven thirty, and then I go home to rest for twenty-four hours. Mondays are my day off. Since I don’t eat a big dinner before work, how about a late lunch around two tomorrow?” She stumbled over her own words, sat on her hands, and longed for another bite of scone to shove in her big mouth.

Sienna couldn’t believe she had just asked him to a late lunch. It was as if she had no control of herself.

He nodded and squeezed her hand. “Sounds good. Why don’t we go to the little Italian place right here in this shopping center? I assume you want to avoid the craziness of the Strip.”

“Definitely. That sounds good. I can meet you here then.” She retrieved her hand and shifted in her seat, preparing to stand up.

“Or I could pick you up? If you’re not ready, I get it.”

She shook her head and braced her hand on the arm rest to push off. “I’ll meet you.” Then, before she lost the courage, Sienna asked, “Are you coming tonight?” She sat on the edge of her seat, literally and figuratively.

“I want to, but I was afraid to show up without your okay. I know it’s your job and I don’t want to disturb you.”

Sienna nodded slowly. “I think you’re right. I was just thinking that I may prefer to wait and see you for lunch tomorrow.”

“Okay. Until then,” Carson said as he took her hand back, lifted it to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist.

She had never been kissed on the wrist before. It felt so erotic, and yet affectionate. The warmth that shot through her surprised her, since no one had ever made her feel that way.

Suddenly, she knew she had to get away before she stuck her foot in her mouth any further, before she deluded herself into thinking they could have a life together, and begin wanting the fairy tale. Yet a few minutes ago, she had wanted the whole coffee date to end, and was glad that he didn’t want a commitment.

With her thoughts all jumbled, Sienna stood up and gave him a smile she hoped looked genuine. “Good-bye.”

Carson lifted an eyebrow and looked up at her. “Are you going to take something back to the big guy watching us from the SUV, third row, front spot?”

She inhaled sharply; his question had shocked her, but she wasn’t going to lie. “What? How did you know he was there, watching me?”

He chuckled, stood up, and gathered her slightly into his side. He whispered, “I’m a detective, Sienna. And after working at the FBI, I know when I have a tail. Besides, I’m pretty sure he wanted me to know he was there watching you, he didn’t exactly try to hide it. I made him as soon as you parked, and knew right away he wasn’t a jealous boyfriend. He’s obviously a friend looking out for you. You must be important to a lot of people.”

Sienna blushed, not sure how to respond to that or the semi-embrace she found herself in.
He’s not the most obvious choice for me to get mixed up with—ex-FBI and all—but I want to.

His expression turned serious, and he said, “To be honest, I’m happy to see you have someone watching you. You’re a bit of a celebrity. I just hope you trust me enough one day to allow me to do the protecting.”

At a loss for words, Sienna pointed to the coffee bar and finally found enough breath to say, “Actually, I’m going to get Mike a coffee before I head out. Thanks for the cappuccino and the scone, Carson.” She freed her body from his warm grasp and felt a cold chill almost immediately.

Carson gave her a big grin that warmed her to her toes. “See you tomorrow, Sienna.”

C
ARSON THREW
his room key onto the desk, cracked open the mini-bar, and sank into the couch in the corner of his room. Not accustomed to dealing with emotions all that well, or regularly for that matter, he decided a large shot of scotch was in order.

As he tossed back the liquid, wincing with satisfaction at the burn sliding down the back of his throat, Carson tried to organize his thoughts. He needed to be with a woman. Not just imagine being with the woman of his fantasies while he used his own hand, but really
be
with a woman.

Obviously, it had been way too long and his body had grown desperate. He was so starved for sex—for some type of release or
something
, he didn’t even know what—he was actively seeking a relationship with someone he didn’t really know.

A
relationship
, for God’s sake!

One moment he was telling Sienna he was a no-strings-attached type of guy, and in the next, he was making gentle declarations of wanting to see where they were going.

What. The. Fuck?

As they’d talked, Sienna had kept chewing on her lip, which to him looked like part nerves and part sexual tension. No matter what brought it on, the action drew him to her like a card counter to a casino.

Carson knew he had a heart deep down inside, but yearning for a relationship was completely out of character for him. It wasn’t that he was a cold and soulless man, but he never really allowed much of that side to show. It was a vulnerability that he couldn’t afford.

Why now? And what was it about Sienna that coaxed his more caring and sensitive side to come out?

He kept calling her “Sienna,” and yet he wasn’t even sure if that was her name. Didn’t all strippers go by stage names? Was that why a little flash of panic crossed her face when he told her he was a PI?

So she was probably using an assumed name. Was it really such a big deal? After all, she was in the entertainment business, and that was par for the course.

Could her expression have been his imagination? Or was she hiding something else?

Questions and possibilities banged around the inside of Carson’s head like the ping-pong balls in a bingo cage, turning and tumbling in a chaotic whirl. Needing a distraction, he grabbed the remote from the bedside table and turned on the flat-screen TV that sat atop the low dresser, then pressed the channel button distractedly, trying to find something else to think about.

But it didn’t work.

Sienna wasn’t hiding anything in the looks department. The irony was that she was even more appealing when she wasn’t all done up in makeup and a sexy little outfit. She was a natural beauty, and seeing her in a baseball cap and oversized sweater made her seem more approachable, more a real person. The way her leggings clung to her legs, shifting with her ass as she moved, simultaneously hiding yet revealing long limbs, had made his cock hard. But her soft features had his heart pumping.

She was multidimensional. The woman who took the stage like a pro and provocatively twirled around a pole, baring most of her body, wasn’t the same woman who showed up for coffee. The Sienna he shared coffee with was stunning, interesting, and thought-provoking.