Fangs But No Fangs

CHAPTER 14

"Where's Christian," Jed asked as he ambled into the bar and pulled himself up on his barstool.

"I don't know," Jolee told him honestly. "I guess he's at home." She had woken today with a renewed promise to not fixate on a man who had openly told her he didn't have anything to offer.

She'd dated plenty of those types, and she was done. That alone should be enough to keep her mind focused on the things that were important. The success of the bar and success for herself. She was silly to think this was the time to date anyone anyway. She didn't have time to give to a relationship.

Of course, that didn't explain why she kept looking at the door, hoping Christian would walk in. She told herself that the unconscious reaction was because she hoped to have karaoke tonight. Not that she truly believed Christian would show, no matter how many times she checked the door. Why should he? She wasn't paying him, and their relationship was awkward at best. She could hardly blame him if he stayed away. She should thank him, really, for keeping temptation out of sight. She looked at the front entrance again, despite her train of thought.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Luckily the storm had held off long enough for her to walk to work without getting soaked, but heavy rain had been falling for the last half hour or so. The stormy weather didn't seem to be affecting business. The bar was already busier than last night, and it was only a little after seven. Groups of revelers crowded several of the tables, and a bunch of young men hung out at the pool table, laughing and ribbing each other. The room was filled with an energetic, almost electric undercurrent, as though the impending storm had everyone a little restless.

Another clap of thunder boomed, closer this time. She glanced out the window at the storm-darkened sky. She blew out a breath, and wiped the back of her hand across her damp brow. She sure hoped a nice, fierce storm would cool the temperature. Humidity weighted the air, leaving her skin warm and sticky. The heat made her uncomfortable and fidgety, too. But it also kept the patrons drinking.

She finished loading a tray with drinks and headed out onto the floor. With the heavy tray balanced on her still sore arm, she zigzagged through the tables, stopping here and there to deliver drinks.

"Thanks, darlin'." A man with sparkly blue eyes and a nice smile grinned at her, accepting his beer.

She nodded and smiled back absently. She hurried to the next table, her arm getting a little shaky under the weight and the ache in her shoulder. She started to shift the tray a bit to make it a little more stable when the lopsided weight disappeared out of her hand.

She whipped around, confused why she wasn't hearing a horrendous crash as the drinks hit the floor, only to find Christian holding the tray, sporting a disapproving expression.

"You shouldn't be carrying this."

"Well, I have to get drinks out," she informed him, trying not to be pleased to see him.

"Well, I'll carry the drinks. You go start your karaoke."

She raised her eyebrow at his bossy tone, but did as he said, walking to the booth. She hated to admit it, but she really was pleased he'd decided to come tonight. And not just because she'd be able to run the karaoke.

Christian finished delivering the drinks with some difficulty, because he had no idea who they were intended for, then went back to the bar.

Lightning flashed outside, then more thunder.

"I knew you'd show up," Jed said with a smug smile.

"Oh, you did, did you?"

He nodded at Christian. "I did."

Christian shook his head, chuckling at the old man's conviction. Jed was so sure that he and Jolee were going to be a couple. Too bad they were going to have to disappoint him.

He glanced at Jolee. She wore her customary T-shirt, this one lavender. But instead of being tucked into her usual jeans, the shirt tied at the side. A glimpse of flat stomach showed between the edge of the shirt and the waistband of her denim shorts, and her legs went on endlessly from below. He forced himself to look away.

He was here for only two reasons. To help Jolee, because she did need the help, no matter what she said. And to prove a point to himself. He scanned the room, praying that the subject he needed would be there to help him prove the new point he'd considered. Sure enough, he spotted a rather attractive, petite brunette standing near the pool table.

She happened to look over at the bar just as he spied her. He smiled, and she gave him a tentative smile back. But there was definitely interest in her brown eyes.

"What are you doing?" Jed muttered, looking back and forth between Christian and the woman.

Christian shrugged. "Just smiling at the pretty lady."

"Yeah, well, your pretty lady is over there." He nodded in the direction of Jolee, who was still getting the sound system ready for karaoke.

Christian's body responded as soon as he glanced at her, but he forced himself to look away. "She's not my lady, Jed."

Christian busied himself filling a mug of beer for Dale, who was on his regular barstool at the end of the bar. He heard Jed grunt in disbelief as he walked down the bar to serve the beer.

Well, Jed might not believe him, but he planned to prove it to himself. He intended to prove that Jolee wasn't anything special. That his newly discovered attraction to mortal women could happen with any woman. Not just Jolee. Then he could stop fixating on her. He didn't plan to act on his attraction with any mortal, but once he knew that his feelings weren't specific to Jolee, then maybe he could just get over the whole thing. He was obsessing about her, because at the moment she was a novelty. Soon, she'd be one of many mortal females who turned him on.

He walked up to a group seated near the pool table.

"Can I get you anything here?" he asked, although his gaze was on that little brunette. She was watching him, too, glancing surreptitiously over her shoulder.

The group ordered another pitcher. Christian nodded to acknowledge he'd heard, then he approached the pool table.

"Hi," he said, coming to stand beside her.

"Hi." She smiled at him. A pretty smile, although her lips were rather small. Not wide and full like… He focused on her body. Full breasts and flared hips. The perfect hourglass figure in her short skirt and tank top. But her legs were rather stocky and her ankles thick. Not those long, go-on-forever legs like…

He gritted his teeth. This wasn't working.

"Can I get you a drink," he asked.

She smiled at him, a coy little curl of her thin lips. Not straightforward and wide like…

Damn it!

"I'll take a raspberry wine cooler, sugar," she said in a high-pitched, almost squeaky voice.

He nodded, not even bothering to smile in response. This mortal woman was not going to be the one who proved his case. If anything, she'd made it even clearer that there was so much special about Jolee. But there were bound to be other women here tonight who would attract his interest.

"Hi, everyone," Jolee said into the microphone, her sweet, mellow voice rising over the chatter of the patrons.

He nearly groaned as his body reacted instantly. Boom. Like the clap of thunder overheard.

Jolee glanced skyward, then smiled. God, that smile.

"As long as the weather permits, karaoke will be going on, so please come on up and join on in. I'll be around to put out songbooks, as well as pens and request forms. Just bring the forms to me here at the booth, and I'll get your songs on for you. Thanks."

Christian forced himself to stop looking at her and headed back to the bar. He refused to let that voice get to him. Instead he filled a pitcher, setting it on the bar. Then he went to the cooler to the left of the tap, sliding the top open as he searched for a… Did the brunette want a raspberry or a strawberry wine cooler?

He settled for the wild berry, twisting off the cap and tossing it in the trashcan. He picked up the pitcher and headed back out to the tables.

Jolee was bringing a songbook to the table next to the one that ordered the pitcher. She laughed at something one of the patrons said. The rich, musical sound filled the air, surrounding Christian, warming his entire body.

He cast an irritated look in her direction, but she didn't notice. She talked animatedly to a man who regarded her with hungry eyes and a wolfish grin. Let her become interested in the man, he told himself. He shouldn't care. After all, he'd already rejected her. Sort of. Kind of. Well, whatever he'd done, he would still be better off if she wanted someone else.

He glanced over at the table again and was relieved to see she had moved on, placing books on other tables. Although—the man she'd been talking to still watched her, his eyes roaming down her body.

Irritation gripped Christian. He heard a small snap and saw that the plastic handle on the pitcher had cracked in his hand. He quickly set it down on the table, surprised by his own reaction. The men at the table didn't notice as they refilled their glasses.

At least he hadn't squeezed the bottle in his annoyance, he thought thankfully as he brought it over to the petite woman. Crushing glass bottles tended to garner a little notice.

The brunette gave him another coy smile as she accepted her drink, her fingers brushing his as she did so. And he felt… nothing. He returned to the bar only feeling frustrated. He wasn't having any luck with his new theory.

A loud clap of thunder shook the bar, and at the same time the door opened. A group of four women ran in, laughing as they shook the rain from their hair and clothes.

That had to be a sign, right?

The foursome chattered, scanning the room for an empty table, until they spotted him. Then they elbowed and whispered to each other and finally approached the bar, taking seats just a few feet from where he stood. One of these women had to have the ability to arouse him with just a few softly spoken words or a rich laugh. He was sure of it.

Jolee glared across the room to where Christian stood with a line of women seated in front of him. Two of the women leaned forward on the bar, offering generous glimpses of their attributes. The women had been there since they walked in nearly two hours ago. Christian had only left them to distribute drinks, then he was right back, basking in their attention.

She stopped watching them and concentrated on the woman at the mic singing a good version of "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson.

The woman finished, and Jolee applauded along with many of the other patrons. She noticed Christian and his harem didn't applaud. They were too busy flirting outrageously.

She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to her work.

"Hitch, come on up here and sing us a song."

Her loyal customer, who sat in his corner with his pitcher of beer, approached the microphone. She smiled at the odd man, finding him rather endearing, even when she didn't get a smile back.

She'd jokingly called the man Hitch after his amazing rendition of "Hitching a Ride" last night, and since then, he'd signed his name that way on his request forms.

She put on his song, and he started another of his amazing, shouting performances. She watched him for a moment, then glanced back to Christian. He was still there— still with the women.

She slipped out of the booth and marched behind the bar.

"Christian, can I speak to you for a moment?" she asked, although she hoped her tone told him her request was really an order.

He nodded and followed her down the bar away from his harem. The women watched him leave, displeasure clear on their faces.

Good, Jolee thought, let them be annoyed. She was. And she didn't want to be, and she shouldn't be. After all, she definitely didn't want to be with Christian if he was this fickle, and so openly looking for just a physical relationship. She stopped and faced him. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and regarded her with those aggravatingly unreadable eyes.

"I don't care if you chat with the patrons," she told him, "but not at the expense of the other customers."

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I said. I don't want my other customers neglected because you are too busy flirting."

"You are jealous," he said with one of his half-smiles.

She clenched her teeth. His little smile was no longer cute, just very, very annoying. "I couldn't care less who you talk to— or flirt with. Just do the job that you had to have and I'll be perfectly happy."

He raised an eyebrow in response but didn't say anything. She felt like screaming at his cool reaction, but instead she spun and stalked back to the sound system, just as Hitch finished roaring his way through another British Invasion classic.

She wouldn't let Christian get to her. What was the point? His behavior tonight made it pretty clear that he wasn't wasting any time being upset about the fact that she wouldn't have a casual fling with him. She glanced in his direction. He was back with the women, although he appeared to be excusing himself. She didn't care. Well, she did just a little, but that was only because he'd told her that she'd made him feel something he hadn't for a long time. Obviously his idea of a long time and her idea were two very different things.

"Hey there."

Jolee looked up to see one of the men who had been trying to flirt with her all evening.

She smiled. "Hi. How are you? Having fun?"

"I am," he said with a big grin. "But I'm wondering when we get to hear you sing. You do sing, don't you?"

"I do," she said. "I guess I could sneak in a song."

"Just for me?"

"Sure. Just for you." Maybe singing would make her forget that Christian was really making her miserable.

Christian noticed the moment the guy who'd been watching Jolee all night got up and approached her in the booth.

As usual, jealousy twisted his gut, just as it had all night, every time that guy talked to her. Here he'd accused her of being jealous, and he was the one who couldn't stand watching her talk to him.

But the man quickly returned to his seat, although he still watched her as if he'd like to be doing far more than just looking. Christian glanced over to the bar where the women stared at him with the same avarice as Jolee's admirer, but he didn't feel any satisfaction at their hungry gazes. The point of talking to them wasn't to make Jolee jealous. The purpose was to see if he could be attracted to one of them. And he couldn't. Not even the tiniest twinge of lust. He could feel the hunger when he looked at them, but no desire.

"Well, I guess it's my turn at the mic tonight," Jolee said, drawing his attention back to her. She put a CD in the player, then came out from behind the booth to stand at the microphone on the stage.

Her hair had started to loosen from her usual bun, tendrils clinging to the dampness of her overheated skin. She looked flushed and a little disheveled, like she'd just made love.

Christian pictured himself against her warmth, her body tight against him, her long legs circled around his hips, her lush mouth pressed to his. He pulled in a breath, trying to dispel the image.

The music started and Jolee began singing a song that asked did he want to dance with her. Her voice started out sweet, coaxing her partner to join her, but her plea became more persuasive, more seductive as the song progressed.

Christian watched, mesmerized. The words of the song might have referred to dancing, but the way she sang them implied so much more. His already aroused body ached with each of her honeyed pleas. Desire pulsed through him, responding to her voice, to the way she held the microphone, the way her mouth moved with each verse. Her hips swayed, her eyes closed.

She was no longer talking about dancing, she was talking about making love. No matter what the lyrics said.

He knew it. He glanced around. And so did every other man in the room. But no other man was going to get that chance. Only he was going to make love to her.