Something to Prove (10 page)

“Plans?”

“Yes, plans. I do have a life outside this place.”

“Probably a video conference with Tokyo,” he mumbled. He didn’t think the woman knew
what fun was.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Yep.” He watched her walk to the back door, her heels clicking on the hardwood floor,
making his eyes focus on the definition of her calf muscles. Which then led him to
follow that trail up the line of her long legs to the curve of her ass.

The sound of the door banging shut forced him from his fantasy. He shook his head.
He needed to get laid. He’d been spending too much time with Elizabeth and not enough
finding recreation.

He turned and went to the basement. The lighting wasn’t great, only a few bare bulbs,
but what they exposed was amazing. The basement ran the entire length of the building,
not just under The Irish. The basement encompassed both sides of the building upstairs.
Elizabeth must own all of it. He strode to the opposite end of the room and found
a staircase leading into the other business.

His stomach sank. If the two businesses were connected, she would expect to sell the
entire building, not just The Irish. He could never afford to buy the entire building.

Maybe if he talked to Mom about a loan.

No, that’s exactly what Ryan would expect and then he’d never hear the end of it.
Elizabeth had never made any mention of the other half of the building. He’d have
to talk to her and feel her out. Which led him to the idea of feeling her up.

Shit, he really needed to get laid.

After leaving The Irish, Colin made a quick stop at home to clean up and change. It
was a Saturday night, the perfect night to pick someone up. Moira had told him about
a club he should check out that was hosting ladies’ night, so he headed deeper into
the city. It would be packed both with women looking to drink cheap or free and men
looking to pick up those women.

He walked into the club and paid his ten-dollar cover charge. The place wasn’t as
packed as he thought it would be, but it was early yet. People milled around, bumping
into one another, and music blared from the other end of the room, something with
a thumping beat. He bought a beer and moved through the crowd to reach the dance floor.

Dancing meant women shaking their asses and getting thirsty while doing it. The best
hunting grounds. On the dance floor, bodies clashed and ground against one another,
people already paired off. He scanned the crowd to find the single women.

His gaze found its mark. A table with three women. Two blondes and one brunette. One
blonde was short but stacked and drank an imported beer. The other blonde, with her
hair cut short and spiky, was sipping on a pink drink, probably a Cosmo. Either blonde
would be a good bet. They were both pretty and scantily clad. Spaghetti straps revealed
smooth shoulders looking to be stroked.

The brunette, however, grabbed his attention as he made his way toward the group.
Her back was to him and her hair trailed down, brushing the top of her rounded ass.
She wore jeans and a T-shirt, and the jeans did amazing things for her legs. As he
closed in, the brunette released a bark of laughter that was loud, just shy of obnoxious.

The pixie-haired blonde caught his eye and smiled. He sidled up to the brunette and
said to no one in particular, “Can I buy you ladies a drink?”

The brunette turned and, with a swish of her hair, his heart stopped. The face staring
back at him was none other than Elizabeth’s. The glass in her hand wobbled and spilled
over her hand. “Shit,” she mumbled.

“Do you always spill so much?” he managed to ask, keeping his tone light.

She quirked one eyebrow up and his heart began again, now beating double time. The
businesswoman was no business and all woman tonight, and while he thought he’d find
someone to get her off his mind, these new images of her weren’t going to help.

“Hello.” Her voice was friendly, her eyes not so much. She dabbed at her wet hand
with a napkin from the table.

“What are you doing here?”

“You know each other?” the short blonde asked.

“Yes,” Elizabeth answered. “Colin, my business partner.”

“Hi,” she said as she nudged Elizabeth aside. “I’m Janie. This is Lori.”

He nodded to each of them and shook their hands. He turned back to Elizabeth and said
quietly, “What are you doing here?”

“Dancing. Hanging out with friends. I told you I had plans.”

“Yeah, but—”

“The question is, what are you doing here? Did you follow me?”

Before he could answer her, Janie grabbed his hand. “Come on, let’s dance.”

He allowed her to lead him to the dance floor. Dancing wasn’t something he did often,
but it was a great way to meet a woman and flirt without words. As he turned, he saw
that Elizabeth and her friend, Lori, had followed them to the floor.

Daggers shot from Elizabeth’s eyes and he tried to ignore them. Janie made it a little
easier as she started to shake her ass in front of him. The press of bodies made him
hot, or maybe it was the bump and grind going on everywhere. He lost sight of Elizabeth
and focused on the woman with him. When the man to his right collided with him, Colin
turned and froze.

Elizabeth was doing a bump and grind of her own in between two men. He swallowed hard.
His fingers itched to touch her long hair, and his jeans felt too tight. All thoughts
of the blonde in his arms disappeared as he watched Elizabeth’s hips wiggle and other
men’s arms surround her. Gone was the woman who stumbled and spilled drinks. She had
great rhythm; she moved like someone who liked to dance.

The music stopped and the next song began, a slower beat, and Elizabeth extracted
herself from the men. As she turned toward the table, Colin wrapped his fingers around
her wrist and pulled her close. “What are you doing?”

She tugged her arm. “Let go of me.”

Her pulse raced at the base of her hand. His fingers stroked the beat. “Let’s dance.”

He definitely wasn’t thinking clearly, but after watching her in other men’s arms,
he wanted to know the feel of her. Surprisingly, she allowed him to pull her closer.

She sighed and held his hand as his other settled on her waist. Their bodies didn’t
touch, but heat filled the air between them. He suddenly felt like a sixth grader
at his first school dance. “So how did you hear about this place?”

“Moira.”

Of course. Moira and her big mouth.

Her gaze locked on his. She stepped closer. “If you want to dance, then let’s do it
right.”

Their bodies aligned perfectly because of the heels that added to her height. Like
her legs needed lengthening. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms wrapped
around her hips. Her hair tickled his forearms and he pulled her into him. Like a
heat-seeking missile, his dick twitched with the close proximity of her body.

They said nothing at first; the shock of having her in his arms blocked clear thought.
They swayed to the beat, and she relaxed. Her body found its rhythm. Her face was
close. Her breath quickened. Her tongue darted out and licked her lips. Dancing required
all of his concentration at that point.

Elizabeth averted her gaze and broke the silence. “You never answered my question.
Did you follow me?”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

He sighed, knowing she wouldn’t let him just enjoy holding her. The song ended and
he leaned close to her ear. “I’m here for the same reason everyone else is: I’m looking
to get laid.”

CHAPTER 6

E
lizabeth couldn’t believe he’d said that. She pushed out of his arms, tripping and
stomping on his foot accidentally. She was not here to get laid. She was visiting
with friends and having fun.

Not that her body believed that one bit. Her blood still thrummed from his touch.
Her hips were warm from where he’d gripped her, and she shoved away thoughts of those
hands on her naked body.

She’d given up on the idea of picking up a guy at a bar since the last time had ended
in disaster, with Colin at the center.

She watched Colin walk back to the table to chat with Janie and Lori. He wouldn’t
sleep with one of her friends, would he? Their interaction was smooth and friendly.
Lori’s face lit up as she laughed at something Colin said. He had a way with people.
It was the reason she’d hired him.

In that moment, she knew he would sleep with anyone he wanted. He had that innate
ability to literally charm the pants off a woman. The realization also made it clear
that she needed to tighten her belt to prevent the effect of his charming ways.

She joined the group, determined to be social but not friendly with Colin. As soon
as she arrived, Colin walked away. “Was it something I said?”

Janie answered, “He went to get us fresh drinks. You never said your new business
partner was so sexy.”

“I didn’t think it was relevant, but about that . . . don’t sleep with him.”

“Why not? Are you calling dibs?”

“God, no.” She swallowed a drink of water, hoping her answer came across as believable.
“It would complicate my life if you decided to hook up with my partner.”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Janie wasn’t buying it. Elizabeth looked to Lori for support.

“Don’t look at me. I’ve got a boyfriend. He should be here any minute.” She looked
around the room, then added, “But I totally wouldn’t blame you for calling dibs on
Colin. Sexy and funny. Dangerous combo.”

“Tell me about it.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Colin making his way back
through the crowd, smiling and chatting with every woman within grinning distance.
If he thought the smile would work, he threw it out there. Dangerous indeed.

He handed her a glass. “Water, huh? I thought you were trying to have fun.”

“I don’t need to get drunk to have a good time.” Alcohol would only aggravate any
developing ulcers, but she didn’t want him to know about her stomach problems.

“A little alcohol might loosen you up.”

“I’m plenty loose, thanks.”

He handed drinks to Lori and Janie, then turned back to Elizabeth. “So, you want to
dance?”

“I do, just not with you.” Dancing with him would work against the belt-tightening
she intended. She walked away from Colin and hit the dance floor. As soon as she started,
she was joined by men, who hoped, like Colin, to get laid. Glancing over her shoulder
at the table, she saw Colin leading Janie to the floor again. His expression was stern,
almost irritated.

She didn’t want to upset him by not taking him up on his offer to dance, but she knew
she would have a harder time holding her resolve if she allowed him to touch her again.
They had to remain platonic.

Janie started rubbing her body against Colin’s, and Elizabeth’s jaw dropped. The irritation
on his face disappeared and was replaced by lust.

She watched their bodies clash in rhythm. The movements of his hips held no grace,
only sexuality. Elizabeth lost her own rhythm and left the dance floor. Watching him
dance with her friend made fighting her own attraction more difficult. Being social
with Colin would prove to be too hard.

Back at the table, she grabbed her purse. She looked at Lori. “Tell Janie I said good-bye.
I’m heading home. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just tired.” She turned and headed toward the door. Outside the cool night
air brushed against her heated skin as she dug through her bag for her car keys.

“Hey.”

She didn’t have to turn to know it was Colin.

“What?”

“Why are you leaving?”

“I’m tired. We have a lot to do tomorrow.” She pulled her keys out and allowed her
purse to hang on her shoulder.

He wrapped his fingers around her wrist again and her pulse jumped. She turned to
face him.

“I thought you wanted to have a good time.”

“I was until you showed up.”

“Really? I think your life vastly improved the moment I entered it.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Why are you running away?”

“I’m not running anywhere.”

He stepped closer, the heat from his body pressing against her, the scent of his cologne
calling her close. She took a step back, afraid the air would run out and she wouldn’t
be able to breathe. It was a ridiculous thought; they were outside.

“See?”

“See what?”

“You’re afraid of being attracted to me.”

“How much have you had to drink?” She’d thought she had managed to not reveal anything
to him.

“Not enough to stop me from doing this.” He tugged her arm until her body collided
with his. He lowered his head and his lips brushed hers. The moist heat of his mouth
made her gasp and as soon as she did, his tongue moved in, stroking the inside of
her mouth.

He wasn’t rushed. Like everything Colin did, he moved slowly, drawing out every minute
shift and swipe. His arms held her in place, as if he knew she would run. The strength
in them made her lean in.

He felt so damn good. Smelled even better. Her blood warmed, but like Colin’s movements,
it didn’t race. Muscles grew heavy and relaxed. The man’s mouth was pure bliss.

A moan escaped her throat, and the sound helped her regain her senses.

As much as she didn’t want to, she pushed him away. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Something we’ve both wanted to do for a long time.”

She swiped a finger across her lip, as if she could remove the effect he had on her.
“This is not going to happen. Good night, Colin.”

His eyes stared widely, then he shrugged as though her rejection meant nothing, and
he stepped away. His reaction affirmed her belief that she couldn’t get involved with
him.

She turned too quickly and lost her grasp on her keys. He bent to pick them up.

“See you tomorrow,” he said and placed the keys firmly in her palm.

She backed up a step and stumbled on her heel. She would not let him make her nervous.
She didn’t have to be nervous around Colin because they weren’t going to sleep together.

The following morning, Elizabeth pushed through the door of the bar and sniffed. The
nasty smell had finally been eradicated. The place was clean and the finishing touches
had been added to the décor. Bears jerseys on one wall, hockey stick and puck on another;
a basketball net and framed picture of Michael Jordan hung near the door.

She flipped on the lights and looked around. A little more than a week and it was
a brand-new place. Hope surged in her chest. This would work. Behind the bar, bottles
of alcohol glinted in the lights. The smooth surface of the bar gleamed.

Who wouldn’t want to come in here to drink?

Colin had had his five TVs installed yesterday along with whatever satellite system
he needed to get the sports channels. It had felt good to relinquish that to him.
They had been working somewhat like a team, which was a strange experience for her.
She hadn’t worked that closely with anyone since she and Keith had stopped turning
properties together.

If she could only get past Colin’s constant flirting. It had been hard to refuse his
advances, and their kiss last night would only make it more difficult. Her body desperately
wanted to say yes to sleeping with him, but she knew better. Regardless of his careless
attitude, everything about Colin O’Leary screamed permanence. He had a stable, close-knit
family.

She didn’t want to get roped into that.

Right now, her only priority was to turn a profit and get back to Florida. She made
a pot of coffee and tapped her fingers on the counter while it brewed. Why she didn’t
grab a coffee on her way in, she didn’t know. Her stomach grumbled, and she considered
her options for breakfast. They had cleared out all the stale snacks, but she had
a delivery of fresh stuff coming in today.

In the meantime, however, it looked like coffee would be her meal. Her stomach hadn’t
gotten better, and she feared if she didn’t get it under control, she’d land in bed
again. One cup. She could afford one cup to get moving.

Tomorrow. For sure, I will cut back on the caffeine tomorrow
.

As she sipped the first bit of coffee, someone began pounding on the front door. She
glanced up. It wasn’t Colin; she’d given him a key. She hesitated to answer because
although they hadn’t had any more issues with bikers showing up and wanting to drink,
that first time put enough of a scare into her.

The pounding got louder, then her phone rang. Keith. Crap. She moved toward the back
and answered the phone. “Hi, Keith. What’s up?”

“You changed the lock on my bar. Open up.”

Crapcrapcrap. She wasn’t ready for this. Her stomach clenched and her muscles followed
suit. She’d known this confrontation would happen; why didn’t she prepare for it?

She set her coffee down and moved to the front door. She unlocked it and stared at
Keith. He didn’t look as mad as he’d sounded.

“You broke the rules,” he said and pushed past her into the bar.

She closed the door behind him and leaned against it. “No, I didn’t. I did an audit
of Dad’s properties and this one stuck out. I came to Chicago to check it out and
found a mess.”

“If this is on the up-and-up, why lie about being here on vacation?”

She crossed her arms. “I didn’t lie. I told Dad I was visiting Janie and that I was
feeling burned out. It’s all true. I just didn’t tell him that I had begun working
on this. I wanted to surprise him. I took some initiative. So sue me.” Christ, now
she was sounding like Colin.

“I could. This is my bar and you know it.”

He continued as if he wanted to fight, but his heart wasn’t in it. There was something
there she couldn’t catch.

“The bar is Dad’s.”

“Which you know he bought for me.”

“How would I know that?”

“I know you. You always do your homework.” His voice held no anger. He walked the
room, running his hand along the bar, and then eyed the TVs mounted on the walls.
“I have to admit, it looks good.”

Her cheeks grew warm. “Thanks. I think so too.”

He slid onto a stool. “So what was your plan? Turn this into a moneymaker and then
what? Convince Dad you should take over the company?”

She shrugged. “More or less.”

“Not gonna happen.”

The tension in her muscles and the burning in her gut returned full force. “Just because
you have a Y chromosome doesn’t make you the best candidate for the job. I’m every
bit as qualified as you to run the company.”

He narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together for a moment, and she thought he
would actually argue the point, which would be ridiculous. “You’re right, in theory.
But Dad wants you to have more than a name on the door or a title. You’ll let this
consume you, and we all know it. You already do.”

She snorted, which felt juvenile. Keith always managed to make her feel that way.
“So now you’re telling me what? Dad thinks I can’t run the company because I don’t
have a hobby?”

Keith’s sigh was heavy as he shook his head. “He said you wouldn’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“Nothing. When do you reopen?”

The tension in her head forced her brows down. “Tomorrow.”

“Good luck. I’ll stop by and check it out.”

“You’re going to let me finish?” She couldn’t hide her shock.

“Regardless of what you think, I really only want you to be happy. If turning this
bar will make you happy, go for it.” He cocked an eyebrow, and that unsettled feeling
returned. Keith was hiding something, but right now she didn’t care. She no longer
had to worry about Keith’s or her father’s interference on this job. She had the green
light to create her own success.

“Thank you. It means a lot that you won’t try to stop this. It’s going to be really
good. I can feel it. You know what I mean, how sometimes, you just know?”

His smile spread slowly. “Yeah, I know. Those are the best jobs to work. Anything
I can do to help?”

She shook her head. It was a nice offer, but she couldn’t accept even if she wanted
to. It might blur the lines of whose success it would be. “How long are you going
to be in town?”