What. The. Hell.
He slid a glance her way. “You have customers at the other end of the bar.”
She finally gave up and took care of her patrons while Ty drummed up more business.
“Hey, Ty, your steak is ready,” Malcolm said a half hour later.
“Just leave it behind the bar. I’ll eat it here.”
“You got it.”
Jenna rolled her eyes and watched as Ty ate his steak standing up while he visited with the guys at the bar, then went back to serving drinks.
By two thirty she called for last round and everyone began to make their way out the door. Jenna started cleaning up while the last of her patrons left. She called taxis for those who needed them, helped the waitresses bus tables, and cleared her bar registers.
She let the waitresses go, locked the front door, and headed into the kitchen. The kitchen had been cleaned up, the other cooks and the busboys had left, and only Malcolm remained—with Ty—the two of them talking about football.
“What are you still doing here?” she asked, looking at Ty.
“Sorry. Got involved talking postseason with Malcolm.”
“Who is now leaving,” Malcolm said with a yawn. “Want me to walk you out, Jenna?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got a few things left to do.”
Malcolm narrowed his dark brown eyes on her. “Go home. Don’t stay here all night doing paperwork.”
She laughed. “I don’t intend to.”
She locked the door behind him, then turned to tell Tyler to go, but he wasn’t in the kitchen. She found him in the bar pouring a whiskey.
“Hey. Last call was an hour ago.”
He smiled at her, tipped the glass to his lips, and downed the drink in one swallow, then put money on the top of the bar. She grabbed the money and slipped it into her pocket.
“Pocketing the profits, I see.”
“No, smart-ass. I already closed out the register. I’ll add it in tomorrow.”
He shook his head and leaned against the bar. “This is how you talk to your customers?”
“You stopped being a customer when you came behind my bar and served up drinks.”
“You needed help.”
“No, I didn’t.”
He folded his arms. “Are you always this bitchy, or just to me?”
“Just to you. Now get your ass out of here so I can finish closing up.”
He didn’t seem insulted, just cracked a smile instead, showing off perfectly straight white teeth. Weren’t hockey players supposed to be missing teeth because of all their fights on the ice? Why did he have to be so gorgeous? The damn man made her panties wet and had a habit of showing up here fairly regularly, which did make her bitchy because he hit all her hot buttons and she hadn’t had sex in a really long time.
She needed to get laid soon. Real soon. By someone who didn’t play sports.
She hit the master light switch, bathing the bar in darkness.
“Scared of the dark?”
She jumped, not realizing he was right behind her until his breath swept across the back of her neck. She’d turned the heat down so now she was freezing, but his body was warm. She resisted the urge to move in close to him. She bent down to grab her purse and sweater, brushing her butt against his crotch. He felt solid. Hard. Yummy.
Damn. She straightened, her eyes adjusting to the lack of light. “No.”
“No, what?” he asked.
“I’m not afraid of the dark.”
He turned her around to face him. The light from the full moon cast him in grayish shadow. She could see his face, though, as he cocked a grin. “Too bad.”
“Why?”
“Then you might have to lean on me to protect you.”
She took a step back. “Why the hardcore press here, Ty?”
“Come on, Jenna. You’re not a kid. You know why. I’ve been coming to the bar a lot, hanging around. I like you.”
“I don’t like you.”
He laughed. “Liar. I see the way you look at me.”
“You are so full of yourself, Anderson. Go pick up another girl. I’m not the least bit interested in you.” She brushed past him and headed to the door, waiting for him to meet her there so she could set the alarm.
He did, his coat in hand. She had her fingers on the keypad ready to turn on the alarm.
“Wait a second,” he said.
“Did you forget something?”
“Yeah.” He hauled her into his arms before she could take her next breath, and his mouth came down on hers.
For a fraction of a second she thought about objecting and pushing him away, but hell, it had been a really long time since she’d been kissed. It was February, cold as the polar ice cap outside, and Tyler’s lips were warm. His body was hot and as he folded her against him, she felt that heat seep into her.
She dropped her purse and coat and went with it, letting his lips claim hers.
It was just as she’d imagined it would be, and okay, she’d thought about this a lot. His mouth was firm and demanding, a hint of whiskey on his lips. He didn’t kiss like a sissy, thank God. He wasn’t hesitant at all. He just took the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth to wrap around hers.
She tingled all over, her toes curled, her panties got wet, and her sex pulsed with a roaring need. If he put his hands down her pants, in two or three strokes she could come. The kiss was that good.
He reached up and cupped her breast, and she moaned against his lips, pressing her breast into his hand. She wanted more, wanted it all, and wanted it right now. Her mind was filled with images of him lowering her to the floor in the back of the bar, or bending her over the pool table.
But that would be going against everything she wanted. And didn’t want.
She wasn’t going to let him have it. Not this guy. Not ever this guy. She pressed her hands to his chest and broke the kiss.
“Stop. We can’t do this.”
He stepped back, his eyes dark with passion.
“Why not?”
She fought for breath, for her bearings and some semblance of sanity.
“Because I don’t want to.” She licked her lips, bent down, and grabbed her coat and purse. She turned away from him and with shaky hands she set the alarm, walked outside, and locked the front door, Ty right behind her.
She started to walk away but he grabbed her wrist, burning her with a look that melted her to the cold cement sidewalk.