The Bartender's Daughter (7 page)

He was pulled in by her sweetness until he remembered that it was all an illusion. Sweet, innocent women did not have a husband and another man on the side. He even started feeling guilty when she showed him the ring and asked questions he should have had the answers to. Until she mentioned Dylan.

The ring brought up too many memories. Memories like dipping into his trust fund for the first time in six months so he could provide her with a ring she could be proud of. It was a platinum band, diamonds winked out in a line across the middle of the entire ring. He had purchased himself the matching band, which he had promptly tossed in the bay when he saw the first picture of Sam with Dylan.

He hadn
’t come close to having that level of a relationship with anyone since. At first, it was a matter of being too busy and too involved with building up the tiny souvenir shop on Main. Then it was the larger boutique in the center of town. The hardware store had taken even more of his time as the finances were in a complete mess. It’s near impossible to even think about dating when you’re spending your time digging through old coffee cans for receipts, the former owner’s idea of filing. When his mother and sisters pressured him to go to the society events he was expected at, he was too tired to fight them. In the end, he found himself escorting Melissa because it was just easier than convincing his sisters he didn’t need a date.

He returned his focus to his laptop. He had a few minor tweaks to make to the PowerPoint presentation in front of him
, and then he could corner Sam in Ray’s office and force her to see the kind of improvements they were going to need to make.

He pounded on the keys, the sound reverberating off the paneling in the empty bar. He turned when the clicking of heels came from behind. Sam
’s sister walked toward him but she scanned each corner of the bar.

“
Do the two of you even sleep? You’re always here.”

He didn
’t like Michelle but he tolerated her. As Ray’s other daughter, he gave her a level of respect that disappeared when he discovered the role she played in ending his and Sam’s relationship. “Did you come here expecting no one to be here?”

The lines around her mouth deepened as she attempted a thin smile. Yes, that
’s exactly what she was hoping for. She stole a look at the office and then turned back to him. “I need to get into the office and look through my father’s old paperwork. I’ve gone through everything at the house and I’m still missing things.”

“
Sam’s been working on your dad’s filing. I’m sure if she found something, she’d have given it to you.”

She bit her bottom lip in a practiced move. She leaned forward, crowding him on the stool he perched on. He leaned as far back as he could, until his back hit the wooden bar.
“That’s the thing. There are some things I can’t have Sam getting into. Things that she doesn’t need to know.”

Her hand landed on Lee
’s thigh, a quick squeeze had him in disbelief. Did she really think these kinds of moves would work on him?

“
Like what, Michelle?”

“
Just papers. Nothing that has to do with the bar. I need them, Lee. It’s nobody’s business but mine.”

He pulled her hand
off his leg and dropped it. “Don’t try to convince me. Be honest with me. What is it you’re looking for?”

She took a deep breath and pulled her handbag higher up on her shoulder. She grabbed the stool beside his, letting the metal feet drag across the floor until she could perch herself on the edge.
“I’m looking for adoption papers.”

He sat up straighter.
“What adoption papers?”

Michelle looked away, her eyes roaming across the bottles in the back of the bar, before coming back to him.
“Mine. Ray wasn’t my birth father and I don’t want Sam to find out this way. Can you please help me?”

He wasn
’t about to sign on to help Michelle. “Why not just tell her? She’s an adult.”

“
She’s just getting over our father’s death and there are some secrets that are best kept secret. Believe me, Lee, it would hurt her. I don’t want to do that right now.”

He believed her. It was the first time he
’d seen any kind of sisterly love from Michelle, but he wasn’t about to promise to deceive Sam.

The door of the office opened and Sam stepped out. Michelle jumped off the stool. She couldn
’t possibly look any guiltier than she did at that moment. Sam looked from her sister to him and then back again. “What happened?”

“
Nothing. I’ve got to get to work. Lee, will you think about it? I could use some help on this.”

They both watched Michelle make her way across the empty bar and out the door.

“What did she want you to help her with?”

He stumbled over a reasonable explanation, something that wouldn
’t exactly be a lie.

Her eyes narrowed and she took a step closer to him. In almost the same move as her sister, Sam crowded him but this time his reaction was much different. There was something about her proximity that burned through him. When her hand landed on his knee, a switch was flipped and he didn
’t have the power to turn it off.

He pulled her closer, one hand on her arm and the other dove into her hair. He met her halfway, their lips meeting in a flurry of want. One kiss turned into another. His arm tightened, bringing her whole body up against his. They lined up perfectly, his hardness against her softness. One of her long legs wrapped over his bringing them that much closer.

She pulled back enough to look into his face. “Why should I feel this way about you? You hide everything from me.”

“
I’m not hiding anything, Sam.” He tucked her into his chest and turned her head to kiss her lower neck. Her skin, so smooth, so soft teased him. “I’m an open book for you. Can’t you see that? It’s not about words.”

He slid a hand over the front of her dress, a light squeeze and he confirmed what he
’d been wondering since she stepped into the bar. No bra. She gasped and pushed against his hand, urging him on. He held his breath as he reached over her shoulder. One small pull on the tie behind her neck had the top dropping down, exposing all of that delicious pale skin. He stared at the perfection of her breasts. He leaned down to get a taste when her husky voice stopped him.

“
We can’t do this here.” Her hands pulled her top back up over her breasts, concealing them from him.

Not again. Even knowing how wrong this could go wasn
’t killing the need pounding through him.

She reached for his hand and pulled him up to stand.

“Office.”

Chapter Seven

They
’d done this before. Many, many times before. No reason they couldn’t do it one more time. It had been too long. Too much time had passed since she’d felt warm hands on her, the kind of caresses that set fire to every cell in her body. Sam couldn’t weigh the pros and cons of sleeping with Lee because her body refused to listen to her brain or her heart. It only recognized the way his lips sucked gently on the spot below her ear, the little licks and pulls as he worked his way up to her lips. It knew his body, remembered the feel of him between her legs, the pressure building in her lower stomach.

As they walked the short distance to the office, she tugged on his hand to move faster. There
’d be plenty of time to think later. Now she needed to feel and experience everything she’d missed about Lee. Leave regrets and second guesses for later when she was alone and could remember how she’d lasted so long without Lee’s touch.

She was up against the door, her dress pushed up her thighs just as it clicked shut. The small room echoed her shallow breaths.

“I want you, Sam.” His whispered words sent shivers down her body as his hands traveled over her. Each touch, each kiss bringing her closer to forgetting the last two years. Only Lee was here, none of the pain and distance remained. One hot hand trailed up her inner thigh, while the other traced the curve of her hip. She flattened her palms against the grain of the door and arched her back. Need keeping her a willing victim to the sensual assault.

She was content to stay still for only so long before she hungered for more of him. His blue
T-shirt kept his muscled chest from her and so it was first to come off. He stepped back from her not one second longer than it took to toss it to the floor. His hands returning to her waist and pulling her closer to him. She trailed a fingertip over his warm skin while his hold tightened on her hips.

She made one little promise to herself. No regrets. For one brief moment, she
’d feel whole again. She licked his collarbone and inhaled his spicy scent. The dimple in his chin was too tempting, his mouth, too inviting. Everything he offered, she took.

Cool air brushed across her bare skin as the top of her dress dropped down. Lee
’s fingers lingered at the back of her neck before circling around to squeeze her breast.

He groaned, his knee came between hers, pushing her legs further apart.
“Mine. Say it, Sam. You’re mine.”

She rocked her head back and forth. She couldn
’t deny it. She’d never been anyone else’s. “Yours. I’m yours.”

The top button of his worn jeans slipped through the loop and she rushed to push the flaps apart. His skin was so hot to the touch. She pushed the waistband of his boxer briefs down. His hand stopped her just before she reached him.

“Tell me you have a condom.”

She shook her head.
“Oh no. Of course I don’t. I…”
haven’t had sex in two years.
She stopped before she could reveal too much about herself.

“
Well, I don’t either.” He rested his forehead down on hers.

Together they took deep breaths, more than a minute passed before he spoke again.
“My God, you drive me crazy. Tonight, Sam. Doing this thing here was never a good idea, but later, later I don’t want to stop.”

That left the whole day to think about all the reasons this shouldn
’t happen. None of those reasons were big enough to make her say no. Whatever tied them together years ago was bright and alive. She needed that even if it was only for one night. “After closing.”

He released a breath, the only sign he
’d heard her. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Each breathing through their desire, her dress still left hanging down while his pants stayed unbuttoned. She didn’t dare touch the skin above his waistband, tantalizing her to be dangerous, to take a stupid, unforgivable chance. Finally he straightened and she pulled the strings of her halter top up over her neck. His hands stopped hers and she turned around so he could tie it.

“
You know I’ll be thinking about this little knot all day long and how with one move, you’d be mine for the tasting.” He nibbled on the skin beside the tie, sending an urgency through her she could not control.

She spun around and dropped her hand to the seam of his zipper, sliding up and then snapping the button shut. He visibly vibrated at the touch. In a sudden move, he grabbed both of her hands and pulled them over her head. She saw her own need reflected back in his eyes just before they shuttered.

He let go of her hands to lift her hips, lining them up so that her legs wrapped around his body. He didn’t hold back, his hips driving into her, until tiny licks of searing fire soared through her body.

One long pulse of his hips and she was pulling him closer with her legs. He continued on, thrusting his hardness against her until she was a mass of nerve-endings. She cried out as stars shot across her vision. Her head dropped back, rapping against the wood door. She didn
’t feel anything but Lee’s body and the inability to move.

Lee dropped his forehead to her shoulder. His voice raspy when he spoke.
“Sam, we close not a minute past one. I’ll run out to get what we need but there won’t be any more stopping.”

The knock on the other side of the door startled her out of her lust-induced haze. Lee straightened, letting her feet touch the ground and the hem of her dress slip down.

Joanna’s voice called through the door. “Lee, I’m here. I’ll be getting the tables set, if you need me.”

His voice was strong and clear as he called out.
“Be right there. Sam and I have a few more things to discuss.” He leaned down closer, his words whispered into her ear, “Don’t we?”

****

For the first few hours, he kept away from Sam, knowing that at the least provocation, he’d be pulling her back into the office and burying himself in her. After the lunch rush, which wasn’t quite a rush, with only fifteen customers, he ran out to the drug store and bought a box of condoms. He opened it up and slipped three in his pocket as an emergency precaution.

Sam came out of the office and tended bar during dinner. It was busier than the typical Friday night. They needed the business and Sam kept up a steady conversation with a few of the regulars while keeping the drinks pouring. Joanna was serving food since one of their waiters had called in sick last minute. He jumped in to help her when she struggled keeping table numbers straight. By ten, the kitchen was closed and the drinking crowd was at its peak. Joanna bussed tables and delivered drinks while he and Sam kept the liquor flowing.

It started with an innocent bump. Sam slid in front of him, her delectable ass just grazing against his front to grab a straw and both of their bodies went on alert. She paused long enough for his every muscle to stiffen and grow hard. A little smirk over her shoulder goaded him on.

The next time, he came up behind her, crowding her against his chest as he leaned over for an olive. She jumped when he squeezed her ass, knocking his chin with her head. That didn
’t stop them. They drew out the teasing. Each little touch fanning the fire.

When Sam
’s hand rubbed lightly across the front of his jeans, he came close to dragging her outside and leaving the closing to Joanna and the other waitresses, but the appearance of a dozen roses and one blue-eyed brunette had their plans for the night coming to a screeching halt.

Serena St. James slipped on to a stool and dropped the flowers on the bar. Lee nodded to the flowers,
“Are those for me?”

She laughed.
“Nope and they’re not for me either. I was pulled into delivery duty. I figure if the modeling doesn’t work out, I can always go into the flower business.”

He leaned forward, trying to get a peek at the card.
“What are you drinking?”

“
I never thought I’d have LJ Stone serving me. Let me think.” She rubbed her hands together. “Okay. I’ll have a beer. Give me whatever’s on tap.”

“
I expected you to say a martini or a margarita.”

“
Don’t they always? It’s okay. I drink those too but I feel like a beer tonight. After dealing with traffic, a beer is exactly what I need.”

He grabbed a glass and poured her the special.

Sam returned from the floor. “Serena, what are you doing here?”

They kissed each other on the cheek and hugged.

“I’m checking in on you. You’ve been so busy, I figured I’d come down for the weekend. You’ve got room for me to stay, right? I don’t want to tell my parents I’m here or I’ll have to make an appearance at their party tomorrow night.” She shuddered as if the thought of going to one of her parents’ parties was as painful as a tooth extraction.

There would be no trip to the cottage for them tonight. Sam gave him a side
-glance. He was half-tempted to take her now, somehow claim her before she noticed those flowers and Dylan disrupted things between them again.

Too late. Serena picked them up and handed them to her.
“Red roses. Dylan picked them up before I left the city.”

Sam took a sniff of one before meeting his eyes across the bouquet in front of her. He hoped there was disappointment as much as guilt in that look.

Serena’s voice pulled Sam’s attention away from him. “There’s a note, too. I’ve been tasked with getting you ready for the club’s Fourth of July shindig. I’m so glad you agreed to go with him. I hate going to these things. Now I’ll have someone to share in the pain.” She closed her eyes when she took a sip of the beer, looking like she was in a commercial rather than a rundown bar in the middle of New England. She didn’t notice the look he gave Sam or the way she averted her eyes back to her friend.

Serena focused on Lee when she was finished.
“You’ll be there, too. I know your mother would never let you miss one of her big events. I bet Melissa already has your matching tie picked out.”

Sam
’s eyes flicked back to him at the mention of Melissa. He had nothing to hide there. He nodded to the flowers and a blush bloomed over her cheeks.

He looked around the bar. The crowd was starting to thin out and he could see Joanna talking to another waitress in the corner. They could handle the rest of the night and closing.

“Why don’t you two head out? There’s no reason for both of us to stay.” He felt the condoms in his pocket, a reminder of how different the night could have gone and a wave of disappointment rolled through him.

Sam hesitated, taking her own glance around.
“Are you sure?”

“
Absolutely. It’s not like I have any other plans for tonight.”

She winced at his comment but turned to Serena.
“I’ll be right back. I need to grab my bag from the office.”

Serena took another drink from her beer. Over her head, Lee gestured for Joanna to take his place behind the bar and then followed Sam.

She was slipping her cardigan over her shoulders when he walked in and shut the door. She eyed him warily. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know Serena had this planned.”

He nodded and shortened the distance between them. He lifted her until she sat on the scarred desk, placing her face to face with him.
“This thing between us isn’t over, Sam. I want you and I know you want me. It doesn’t have to be any more complicated than that.”

He smoothed the worry lines across her forehead with his thumb and then kissed her, sucking her bottom lip into his mouth and licking it. The silk of her hair tormented him. He slid his fingers through it until his hand rested above the tie of her dress. He let his fingers linger on it for a heartbeat. It would be so easy to pull, to forget about his sister, her friend, and let go of every frustration of the last two years in one spectacular moment. She couldn
’t possibly understand how hard it was for him to stop.

He stepped back and walked to the door. Just before shutting it behind himself, he called out over his shoulder,
“Don’t forget your flowers.”

****

“So I guess I walked into something?” Serena put down her designer overnight bag on the mustard yellow couch and looked around the cottage.

Sam hated these moments when she felt like the different parts of her life didn
’t quite fit together. It became astoundingly clear that she’d never fit in her best friend’s world. She couldn’t get any further away from the apartment in New York than this run down one bedroom shack and yet she had never felt quite at home in any other place.

She continued on to her bedroom, dropped her bag on the bed and came back into the small living room.
“The bar?” Sam purposely ignored the obvious meaning behind her statement. She was still feeling unbalanced from her last encounter with Lee. The short drive to the cottage gave her little time to cool the desire he ignited with his touches.

“
No, the thing going on between you and your husband.”

“
Dylan told you?”