"Former smoker," she admitted. "Some people love the smell of coffee. Me, I love the smell of cigarettes."
He reached into the door pocket and pulled out a crumpled packet. "I've got one left. Want to share it?"
She sucked in her breath. Damn. It was only one. Well, half a one. What the hell.
"You trying to quit?" she asked as he lit up.
"Yeah."
"How's that working for you?"
He laughed. "I'm down to a few a day. I keep saying each pack is my last, but at least I'm making them last longer."
He took a deep drag and passed it to her. She slid it between her lips and inhaled, closing her eyes.
"Between this and the booze, you're going to have to pour me into bed," she said as she passed it back. "I'll have a head rush from hell."
"How long's it been for you?"
"Two years."
"Impressive. And here I am luring you back to the dark side. I'm a real bastard."
She laughed. Then she cast him a mournful stare. "Why the hell couldn't I be hung up on you?"
Jesus. Had she just said that? Too much to drink. Or maybe it was the cigarette. Or maybe it was just sheer desperation. She'd all but told him how hung up on Nathan she was now.
Micah smiled and passed her back the cigarette. "You're killing the poor guy. Give him a break, okay? Us men aren't too smart when it comes to women, you know?"
She blew out the smoke and sent him a baleful look. "Okay, so a woman all but throws herself at you for weeks, pushes her cle**age in your face, practically takes out a glowing neon sign saying 'I want you,' and then gives you a massage you'll never forget, and you cant figure out she's attracted to you?"
"Okay, Nathan isn't too smart when it comes to women," he said with a chuckle. "Cut him some slack. The poor man doesn't know whether he's coming or going with you."
She scowled. "Well you know what, Micah? I'm damn tired of men not knowing what to do with me. I want a guy who doesn't need an instruction manual, thank you very much. Nathan blew his chance as far as I'm concerned."
"So you're going to torture him endlessly."
"Something like that," she muttered. "Okay, okay, I'll leave him alone. I have bigger fish to fry anyway."
He pulled into her apartment complex and cut the engine. For a moment he sat there just staring over at her with those complex, deep brown eyes.
"You know, Julie, someday a man's going to tame you. I just hope I'm around to see it."
"Ha!" she said as she opened her door. "I'll make a bet that a woman knocks you down a few notches before a man ever tames me."
He held out his hand with a smug grin. "Deal."
She took it and stared back just as hard. "What are the stakes?"
"If you win, you get me, any way you want me. If I win, I get you. Any way I want you."
She took her hand back and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's just one problem with your stakes, slick."
"Oh? And what's that?"
"If you're tamed, your girly might have a thing or two to say about me having you any way I want you. If I'm tamed, the guy in question sure as hell won't appreciate having a third in the mix. I'm not saying I'd mind," she added saucily.
"Don't be so sure of that," he said, a glint in his eyes. "As I have no intention of losing the bet, all we have to worry about is this guy who's going to tame you. My guess is, he's not going to mind allowing me my winnings."
Chapter 5
“Cunt instruction manual?" Nathan bit out. "An instruction manual?"
Nathan slammed the truck door and stomped around to the front of the truck to meet Micah and to head into the building that housed the Malone and Sons offices.
Micah chuckled. "Yeah, she was pretty clear on wanting a guy who didn't need an instruction manual to satisfy her."
"I'll show her instruction manual," Nathan gritted out.
God, but the woman was making him crazy. Why was he letting her get to him so bad? It wasn't just the blow job—though, damn, the feisty little wench was good with her mouth.
"Have you and Damon talked about this weekend?" Micah asked.
Nathan looked around and frowned. Faith wasn't in her office, but that didn't mean Gray or Connor wasn't skulking around. Or Pop even. He shuddered at the idea of Pop overhearing this conversation.
"Relax, man. Connor and Gray are out with Pop on a job."
"And what are we doing here again?"
"Picking up the paperwork for our job, and then we're going to head south. You're a grumpy son of a bitch when you're not getting laid, let me tell you."
"How the hell would you know whether I'm getting laid or not?" Nathan growled. "Jesus, why are we talking about this?"
Micah laughed as he rummaged around on Faith's desk. "Aha! Here it is. Let's make tracks. We can talk on the way."
"What's turned you into such a chatty bastard?" Nathan asked when they'd gotten back into Micah's truck. He scowled when Micah cracked his window and started digging for a cigarette.
"Damn it. Smoked my last one with Julie."
"What the hell were you doing smoking with Julie? She doesn't smoke. Does she?"
A smug grin creased Micah's face. Then he reached over to open the glove box. Shit fell out between Nathan's knees.
"There is a God," Micah breathed as he pulled out a smashed package of cigarettes.
"Get a damn patch or something."
Micah stuck a cigarette between his lips and fished in his pocket for a lighter. "So you didn't answer my question. Have you talked to Damon about this weekend or are you just going to let Julie go?"
"Fuck you. I'm not letting her go anywhere but to bed with me."
"So you have talked to Damon then. I take it he agreed?"
"Not exactly," Nathan muttered.
Micah turned to blow his smoke out the window. "Will you quit being so damned closemouthed and just spill it?"
"He feels his first obligation is to Julie."
"Imagine that," Micah said dryly.
"Cut the sarcasm," Nathan said with a scowl. "She wants a threesome. An anonymous threesome, with her blindfolded!"