Heat Read online

  “Yeah, I bet you say that to all the guys,” Carter said.

  “Sure.” Her eyes twinkled. “But with you two, it’s true.”

  Simon laughed as Rhonda walked away, a seductive sway to her hips.

  “So she’s new in town, which probably means no guy in the picture,” Carter said. “We’ve got a shot.”

  “Yeah, but you or me?”

  Carter grinned. “I could just wander over there and ask her.”

  Chapter Two

  “Hot guy heading this way,” Anna said.

  Rikki’s gaze shot to the tall, dark-haired man in the snazzy blue suit walking toward their table, his gaze locked on her. Anxiety rippled through her and she dropped her gaze to her empty glass, then glanced to the side. When he arrived at the table, instead of talking to Rikki as she’d feared he would do, he asked Anna to dance.

  Once they were gone, Tina turned to her. “How did you do that?” She leaned in closer. “And more importantly, why did you do that?”

  “Do what?” Rikki asked.

  “That guy was absolutely going for you,” Tina said.

  “That’s the truth,” Mel chimed in.

  “But at the last minute, after you put up that cold front, he changed his mind.”

  “I didn’t—”

  “Yeah, you did,” Mel said. “Any guy would turn away frostbitten from that glacial look.”

  “Didn’t you find him attractive?” Tina asked.

  Rikki glanced at the man as he danced with Anna. “Yeah, I guess so, but I don’t want to be picked up in a bar.”

  “Really? I think one-night stands can be liberating. No strings. No expectations. Just fun sex.” Tina nudged her arm. “Maybe it’ll do you good.”

  “Heads-up, ladies,” Mel said. “Here comes another one.”

  Tina and Rikki both glanced at another suited man heading toward them.

  “Oh, he’s cute. I saw him earlier and was hoping to catch his attention.” Tina leaned in close to Rikki. “You know, if you want to do that ice queen thing one more time, I won’t mind.”

  The man was clearly glancing at Rikki. Self-consciously, she glanced down at her drink again. She didn’t know exactly what she did to scare off men, but she hoped this guy would talk to Tina instead of her.

  Seconds later, Tina was following him onto the dance floor.

  “Mission accomplished,” Mel said with a smile.

  Rikki noticed that Mel kept glancing to the bar and she realized that a woman was giving him the eye.

  “Hey, Mel, you don’t have to stay here with me if you want to go and talk to that woman.”

  He glanced at the woman and she sent him a seductive smile. He was obviously interested, but he sat back in his chair and smiled at Rikki.

  “No, I don’t want to abandon you. I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable sitting here all by yourself.”

  “That’s okay. Anna and Tina will be back soon anyway.”

  “Actually, Anna went to sit with her guy at his table. She just texted to let me know.”

  Damn.

  “Really, it’s okay. I’ll be fine,” she insisted. She did not need a babysitter.

  “All righty then. But just so you’re ready for it, I think one of those two guys at the bar will be over here next.”

  She couldn’t help it. Her gaze flicked to the bar and landed on a tall, broad-shouldered man with a beer in his hand. At the first sight of his broad shoulders and thick, muscular biceps, her breath caught. He was just so masculine and virile looking. His eyes glowed with interest as she gazed his way. Electricity crackled through her, curling her toes and sending her heart into palpitations.

  She tried to drag her gaze away, but she couldn’t. He smiled and her heart stuttered.

  Shock jolted through her at the intensity of the feelings flooding through her. That this was the man she was meant to be with.

  It was a feeling she’d had only once before.

  When she’d met Jesse.

  She dragged her gaze back to her drink and took a sip, her hand shaky.

  “You okay?” Mel asked, his gray eyes lit with concern. “You know that guy?”

  “No, I’ve never seen him before.”

  “But…?” Mel prompted.

  “But … sometimes I get feelings about people and…” She shrugged.

  His lips turned up. “And this guy gives you very special feelings, I take it.”

  She wasn’t about to explain that this was more than just an illicit attraction. Most people didn’t get it.

  Her mother had always told her that many of the women in their family had a strong intuition about certain things. In fact, that they were a bit psychic. She’d explained that it was stronger in some than others and Rikki had assumed she didn’t have it at all, because she’d never had any real premonitions, or anything like that. And then she’d met Jesse and that strong sense of rightness had blazed through her.

  Just like it did now.

  But she couldn’t believe she was having this kind of feeling for some guy in a bar.

  “You should just go do your thing,” Rikki said.

  He laughed, then stood up. “Whatever you say.”

  As soon as Mel left, the waitress showed up with a drink. It was tall and slushy with a spear of fruit on top.

  “From the two gentlemen at the bar. They said to say welcome to Muldone.”

  Rikki’s gaze shot to the bar, and the man she’d been gazing at before smiled and nodded. Then she glanced at the man next to him and—

  It was like a punch to the gut. That same intense feeling as she’d had when she’d seen the first man. That this was the man she was meant to be with.

  This guy had the same type of physique as the first. Tall, muscular. Very strong. His hair was a soft brown, and wavy. She imagined it would feel soft to the touch. And his eyes seemed very warm.

  His gaze shifted from his friend to her for the first time and—Wham! Instant electricity.

  Oh, God, how could she have the same feeling—this very special and intense intuitive feeling—for two men?

  Of course, she couldn’t. She was just reading things wrong.

  The two men stood up and started to walk her way. Her heart fluttered, then started pounding faster as they approached the table.

  “Hello. My name is Simon,” the first man said. “And this is my friend, Carter.”

  “Hi,” Carter said.

  Simon held out his hand and she shook it. At the first touch, sparks flared through her body, playing havoc with her senses. Then she shook Carter’s hand, and had the same wild reaction.

  “Hi, uh … I’m Rikki.”

  “May we join you?” Carter asked.

  Ordinarily, she would make some excuse to send them away, but she was too befuddled and found herself nodding.

  “I … uh … thanks for the drink.”

  Simon smiled. “Our pleasure.”

  “How did you know I just moved to town?”

  Carter laughed. “Rhonda on the bar knows her clientele. She told us.”

  Rikki nodded and took a sip of the icy drink, and the sweet flavor of peaches exploded on her tongue.

  “It’s delicious.”

  “So did your party break up,” Simon asked, “or will the others be coming back?”

  “I’m not really sure. I’m not used to coming to places like this, but I think they might have moved on.” She could see Tina sitting at another table, and Mel leaning in close to the woman he was talking to at the bar.

  “So the guy just ditched you?” Simon asked.

  She shrugged. “He’s not my boyfriend or anything. In fact, I barely know him. We just live together.”

  At Simon’s arched eyebrow, she added, “He’s my new roommate. All three of them are. But I just met them when I moved in a few days ago.”

  “Well, since they’ve moved on, do you want to go somewhere quieter where we can talk?” Carter asked.

  Anxiety quivered through her. These gu
ys were definitely moving faster than she liked.

  “Don’t look so panicky,” Carter said. “I just mean we could move to a booth on the back wall. With the overhang, it’s quieter and we won’t have to fight with the music to hear each other.”

  “Oh.” She glanced to the wall and saw a few booths were open. “That would be okay.”

  She stood up and grabbed her purse and her gift from Anna. Simon picked up her drink and he and Carter followed her to one of the booths. As soon as she sat down, she noticed the difference in noise level.

  “You’re right, this is better,” she said.

  The two men sat across from her in the rectangular booth.

  “I’ll just let my friends know where I am.” She grabbed her phone and texted Tina.

  Way to go, Tina texted back with a winky face.

  “So where did you move here from?” Carter asked.

  “I was in Ashton. That’s the small town in Ohio where I grew up. But I got laid off from work and so I decided to start again someplace new.”

  “And you came here because of the great scenery?” Simon asked.

  “It is a beautiful spot. I hadn’t realized how pretty it was here or how much of a tourist destination it is. I came here because a close friend from college lives here and I thought it would be fun if we lived in the same place again.”

  “Friends are important.” Carter’s smile caused his eyes to twinkle.

  “You two are good friends, I take it,” she observed.

  “That’s the truth,” Simon said.

  “Yeah. We share everything.”

  The glitter in Carter’s eyes sent a shiver of excitement through her. As if he’d just told her that he and Simon both wanted to be with her. To kiss her … undress her … make love to her. Together.

  Oh, God, the thought of being with one of these big, muscular men was enough to steal her breath away. But the thought of being with both of them …

  Of course, she was just being silly. Because of the weirdness of her intuitive feeling that she was meant to be with Simon. And with Carter. She was misinterpreting things. They probably shared an apartment and maybe a car and … whatever else guys shared on a regular basis.

  Not women.

  Not her.

  “Do you have a job lined up?” Simon asked.

  “Oh, no. I have a little savings and I moved in with three roommates to save money while I get things going. My college friend has a small business and I’ll do some work for her. If that doesn’t bring in enough, then I might take a retail job for a while.”

  She didn’t really want to talk about work. She sounded like a dreamer who couldn’t hold down a job. Or a loser, her brother would say. She hadn’t even told him she’d moved to Virginia. He lived in California anyway and barely ever called. Mom and Dad would tell him.

  “Where are you both from?” she asked.

  “I lived in an even smaller place than this, about an hour north of here. I moved to Muldone about six years ago,” Simon said.

  “And I’ve lived here all my life. It was a great place to grow up. With being right on the lake I practically lived at the beach in the summer. And in the winter, I’d head up to the mountains to snowboard. We even took school trips for downhill skiing sometimes. I love it here.”

  Carter was so animated when he talked about Muldone, his eyes twinkled. She could watch him all day.

  The waitress arrived and set down a small, stemmed liqueur glass in front of Rikki.

  “This is from a guy named Mel,” the waitress said as she placed their empty glasses on a tray. “Another beer for you guys?”

  “Yeah, thanks, Angie,” Simon said.

  “Oh, and that’s absinthe, so…” The waitress winked at Rikki. “Enjoy.”

  “The guy’s ballsy sending a drink to you when you’re clearly with us,” Carter said.

  “No, Mel is my roommate. He didn’t bring a gift, so he said he’d buy me a drink.” Then she frowned and stared at Carter. “What do you mean I’m clearly with you? I hope I haven’t given you the wrong impression, but I don’t go home with men I’ve just met.”

  “I didn’t mean that,” Carter said.

  That was a lie and they all knew it. She picked up the shot and tipped it back, swallowing it in one gulp as she had the previous one. It was cool and refreshing, with a definite flavor of anise.

  “Yes, you did. Or you were hoping.”

  “Rikki,” Simon chimed in, “of course we were hoping. You’re gorgeous. I noticed you as soon as you walked in. But we don’t expect anything. Still, a man can hope.” He gave her a crooked grin.

  She liked Simon. And, God, he was hot. Her gaze drifted to Carter. He was, too.

  Simon had dark brown hair, cut very short. She could imagine running her fingers over his scalp and feeling the bristles against her skin. His face was clean shaven and she could see a jagged scar along his neck, disappearing under the collar of his shirt. She wondered if he was ever in the military. He seemed used to being in charge.

  Carter’s sable brown hair was longer, but not a lot. Enough for it to coil into soft waves that she’d love to run her fingers through. His jaw sported bristly whiskers and a tattoo of a green vine with red roses coiled down his arm. He seemed more carefree than Simon. Willing to slide past a few rules if it suited him.

  And their eyes. Carter’s were an unusual amber, reminding her of a sunny day, though she could imagine them glowing like hot embers if he was aroused, while Simon’s were the rich blue of a sapphire.

  How had she wound up in a bar sitting with the two most gorgeous men in the place? Hell, they were the two most gorgeous men she’d ever seen before.

  And they thought she was attractive.

  So maybe she’d never been with a man before. That didn’t mean she couldn’t be with two.

  Her first time with two men.

  Her first time. With two men. She giggled.

  That would be different. How many women could say they’d done that?

  “I liked that last shot. I think I’ll get another,” she said.

  “I’m not sure you should. Absinthe is pretty strong stuff,” Simon said.

  “Well, then how about we dance,” she said. “I like to dance.”

  Simon stood up and waited while she stood. She slid her hand into his as they walked to the floor. He tightened his fingers around hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her.

  Oh, God, she really couldn’t shake this overwhelming sense that they were meant to be together. Their chemistry was off the charts.

  Once on the dance floor, she slid her arms around his neck. It wasn’t a slow song, but it wasn’t too fast either. He guided her around the floor and she found herself moving closer to him. His arm slid around her waist and he drew her against his body.

  His big, hard, muscular body.

  Her body rippled with awareness. She could imagine him tilting up her face and claiming her lips, his large hand gliding up her back. Pulling her even tighter against him. She tilted her head and their gazes met. His sapphire blue eyes gleamed with interest and she could tell he wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted him to.

  So she pushed herself onto her tiptoes and found his lips.

  He groaned and pulled her tighter to him. His body seemed to envelop her, making her feel safe and cared for. His tongue dipped into her mouth and she started, then opened wide for him as he plunged in deep.

  When he drew his mouth away, her eyes widened in surprise, then she realized the song had ended and people were moving past them as the band announced they’d be back after a short break. Simon curled his arm around her waist and guided her back to the table.

  When they arrived, she sat down beside Carter. The waitress was passing by and Rikki asked her to bring another of the frosty drinks.

  “You two seemed to enjoy your dance,” Carter said.

  Was he jealous?

  “It was nice,” she said, a little self-consciously.

  She was
a bit embarrassed that she’d kissed Simon—especially so publicly—but it had been phenomenally exciting.

  She watched Carter as he tipped his beer back. What would it be like to kiss him?

  And what the hell had happened to her inhibitions?

  Her drink arrived and she took a deep sip. It was so sweet and fruity. And refreshingly cold. She took another sip.

  Music started to play and she realized there was a DJ filling in while the band was on break. She turned to Carter.

  “I like this song,” she said, hoping he’d take the hint.

  “Would you like to dance?” Carter asked.

  She nodded and stood up, then took his hand as they walked together to the floor.

  It was a slow song, so she stepped close and rested her hands on his shoulders as he slid his arms around her waist. The feel of his body so close as they moved to the music lit a fire inside her. She found herself melting against him, resting her head on his shoulder. His hand glided up her back and he stroked her neck under her hair, sending tingles dancing along her spine.

  She seemed to float around the floor, enjoying the closeness of this strong, delectable man. At the heat swelling through her … the intense need gripping her … she wondered why she had resisted being with a man before. The answer, of course, was because she’d never felt this kind of heat before. This kind of feeling just right.

  Except with Jesse.

  So the real question was, why would she resist being with this man tonight? Going home with him and falling into his bed?

  She nuzzled her lips against his neck and he turned to her, heat in his amber eyes. His lips moved to hers and their soft but persistent movement triggered a need so deep she thought she’d burst. She pressed her tongue to his lips and he opened, allowing her to glide inside. The bitter taste of beer only enhanced the sweetness of his tongue gliding over hers.

  Her arms curled round his neck and she pulled him closer. Their legs still moved them around the floor, but she wanted him to sweep her off her feet and carry her to his car, then take her home and … take her.

  His mouth parted from hers, but his eyes, gleaming with the same need she felt, remained locked on her.